The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1867-08-08
Jefferson Davis and the lndersOnyille
Murders.

w ny CCttdiily LAWS Was not guilty.
of any cr1n,e' Why no, he only engaged
in rebellion like Washingt on and others
who fought in the Revelation. This is
the style of talk one hears from demo-
Gratis almost every day, and for their ben
eft we publish the following extract from
the Washington correspondence of the
Toledo Blade. We have always thought
that the President of the Confederacy
was guilty Of murder, and one has only
to read the last paragraph Of the appen
ded article to find abundant proof for
such belief 1t Is relief for man.
when he thinks of Davis, to remember
that there is hell, for that old sinner
could never be adequately punished for
his crimes on earth:
The main facts on record in General
Holt office, touching the connection of
jefferson Davis with the Andersonville
murders, are SO easily stated that shall
give paragraph of them, lest they may
not fall under your observation
The rebel idea of killing off your prison
crs, so as not to be obliged to meet them
III battle, developed before the Anderson
vile pen was made the order of inyesti-
CATION. Robert Ould, the commissioner
of the exchange. said in letter to Gen.
Winder, ''the arrangement | have made
works largely in our favor We got nd
OF a set of miserable wretchcs and receive
in return some of the best material ever
saw. The miserable wretches" being
so useful, a plan was devised to increase
the number, and it was stated by a rebel
surgeon mot in evidence, however, that
when Winder got his orders to make the
Andersonville pen, Davis told him to
locate it as near hell as he could: and
Winder always insisted that he had sue
ceeded exactly. 1t was filed with pris-
oners early in 1864 and put in the hands
Of Wirz. Its horrors began at once but
Wlnder did not 90 near it till June. :
Meantime Wirz reported to the authori
ties at Richmond and got his instructions
then. In May there were IL, 900 prison
ers in the eighteen acres enclosed and
the deaths were so frequent and resulted
so manifestly from the ill-treatment of
the prisoners that an officer of the rebel
government rcpsreed the facts, and ear
neStly protested against any more prison.
ers being sent there. 1t is proof that this
report was indorsed ''noted'' by the Sec
retary of War. showing that it had been
carefully read. Colonel Parsons in his
testimony, states that. moved by desire
to mitigate the hardships of the place, he
ordered several trains of lumber to build
shelters for the prisoners, whereupon he
was removed and the lumber used to
build quarters outside, but not board
suffered to go within. The removal took
place Immediately on the arrival of Gen
Winder from Richmond at his first visit
in Jnne. The prisoners then had been
increased to nineteen thousand (more
than a thousand to an acre.
Many witnesses testified to hearing
Wirz and Winder say they were doing
more for the Confederacy than General
Lee; and that they were doing the work
expected of them at Richmond In Au-
gust the number of prisoners was increas-
ed to over 80, 900, and Colonel Chandler,
an officer Of the Inspector Generals S De-
partment, after reporting the horrible
condition OF the prisoners, recommended
the removal of General Winder and the
appointment of some one who does not
advocate deliberately and in cold blood
the proprIety of leaving them (the pris-
oners) in their present condition until
their number has been sufficiently reduc-
ed by death to make the present arrang
ments suffice. This report reached
Richmond on the 18th Of August, and
Adjutant General Cooper endorsed it:
The prison is a reproach to us as
nation. Colonel Chambers recommen-
dation is concurred in The Assistant
Secretary of War also endorsed on the
paper. these reports show a condition
of things at Andersonvile which call
loudly for the interposiuion of the depart
ment, in order that change may be
made. But after Mr.. Dauis and his
Var Minister had consulted about the
matter, General Wnder, instead Of being
,emored, ,cos put, by order No. S4, dated
October 81, IN command Of all the pris-
oners east of the lNtssissipp,, and the
cork of starvation and murder aoeut on
UithoM further attempt to stop 1t to the
close OF the rebellion