Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1868-04-22
ANDERSONVILLE.

The following interesting account Of a
recent visit the Prison Pen at Anderson
vile is from letter written by lady,
now at the South:
We reached the place yesterday noon,
from Macon. After dinner we started
out to visit that horrible place, the stock
ade where so many thousands Of our
brave soldiers suffered, and too many.
alas ] of them were buried.
On our way to the stochade we crossed
small running stream, which we could
almost leap across, and We. it was the on
~ one which gave drink to our thirsty
ones. At the moment I remarked, chow
clear and pure the water is,' but was re-
minded of the many purposes to which it
was put as it ran through the outer in
closure first, where the troops doing
guard duty were stationed, and where all
the refuse of their kitchens, or rather
cooking, was thrown. in which they
washed their clothes and then our men
were obigedto drink it. f.e.
:, You will have some idea of the inclos-
ure from having seen the Elmira prison,
though this is much stronger and higL er
1t covers thirty five. across of ground, and
at one time there were thirty three thou
sand men imprisoned-which, Of course,
necessitated their scrowding together SO
closely that from a distance they looked
like sea of blue moving to and fro.
But you have do idea of the ways they
devised to-not be comfortable-bu live.
The whole ground reminds you of an old
cemetery were the bodies had been disin-
tered, the appearance being caused by
the holes which they dug to lie in. And
what would you say to their building
houses two and three stories Highland
yet they did-under the ground:-At-
intervals are holes ike wells dug deep in
the ground they are five and six feet in
diameter and so evenly excayated that it
is hard to believe that the only tools used
were plates, sticks. and their hands. We
measured one and it was twenty four feet
in depth and from the bottom of it
branched off avenues beading to their
rooms and this they had to do to have
room to lie down The means of descenz
ding was By sticks driven in the side of
the shaft here and there. 8 hs
When the first prisoners came here i.
was covered with trees but not even a
small root is left in the earth now. At
ter the trees were used the prisoners suf-
fered for fuel, while the eye commands
whole forests of pines only just outside,
which they could have had it if their
KEEP er had not been fend. art f,
From the stockade we went to the
cemetery. The one which was first laid
out is to be entirely replaced by a beauti-
full one, which is already being rapidly
advanced. 1t will be second Central
Park, with its broad avenues and artificial
lakes, fit resting place for our fallen at
Andersonville. The present one is very
pretty and simple, but the work was not
we'll done, and already shows signs of de-
cay. The dead lie as hey were first bur
led. Long trenches were dug each day !,
and they were brought and thrown in.
without collins or clothing. The head
boards are arranged one after the other
as closely as they can be placed, all nice
~ painted white, with name, regiment
aua cohnPduy Upon III, tuouSH III Is quite
im probable that the boards mark the ex-
act grave as indicated. 9ss1sa PSI aat53s
- The list of names which we examined
here is the same as the one Miss Clara
Barton published ard I looked it through
thoroughly. took some beautiful flow
ers--sWeet scented hyaeinths-~to place
upon the graves of those Iemight find
from home. I found many Of the 10th,
Tooth, etc, but nothing to tell of their
home. We stayed till dark, and then
came away, intending to go over again
this morning, but it has been raining
fearfuly, and | am greatly disappointed
.-Bafalo Express. D5a5eF zatza ali Is. Z
~~-- %,
LIE "a sHInNS. For q EN,rI EAfEN AS