Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-05-13
Andersonville Prison.
BY REV. J. G. CRAIGHEAD.
Macon, Ca, March 30, ~

tell you something of my recent visit to
Andersonville. This historic place, sug-
gestive of painful memories to thousands
of families throughout the North, is sit
uated upon the Southwestern Railway,
sixty-fve miles from the city of Macon
and fifty from the Alabama line. Prop
erly speaking, there is neither town or
village, but only few scattered build
ings nearly all of which were erected by
the Confederate Government at the time
the place was used as general prison
for Union soldiers Unlike most of the
wooded country through which the road
passes, the site of the cemetery, the stock
ade and the hospitals is almost destitute
of timber, and what is now there has
grown up since the war closed. Within
the prison not a tree or shrub then ex-
listed, even the roots having been dug up
and employed by the poor prisoners in
cooking their miserable, scanty food
The face of the ground is broken, and
quite abrupt declivities exist at some
places, with small stream of water run
ming through one corner of the stockade.
The land bordering on the brook is low
and swampy, while the soil on the hills
is red, sticky clay, that, after rain,
adheres to ones boots and clothes almost
as tenaciously as paint.
A satisfactory view can be had from
the railroad, and those who would see
the many sad features of the place, must
stop over, as l did, and spend the day in
looking round. A letter to the excellent
superintendent, Mr.. Molone, loyal
Irishman, who for many years served his
adopted country as sergeant in the reg
ular army, made me comfortable during
my stay, and secured me an intelligent
guide over the grounds.
The National Cemetery, north of the
railroad, contains fifty acres and is sur
rounded by white board fence, with an
Usage orange hedge inside. Here are
the graves of 1915 Union soldiers,
nearly $4,000 of whom died either with
in the stockade or the hospitals of An
dersonville during the short period of
fourteen months The first burial was
on February 27, 1864, and the last April
%, 1865. During the summer of 1864
the deaths averaged over 1O0a day.
Placed side by side in trenches, and
as closely as possible, in rows of $50
each, the dead were buried by their COM
rades. The graves occupy nine acres of
the grounds, and are all marked by a
headboard, containing the name, rank,
army of the service, regiment, company,
state and date of death of each soldier.
The necessary information was derived
from record preserved by paroled
Union soldier. Care has been taken to
sow and cultivate grass, and the cemete-
ry presents pleasing contrast to the
barren lands surrounding it. The graves
are thus protected from washing by the
heavy rains, and they are kept in other
respects in creditable manner. Here
and there we saw one with handsome
marble slab, erected by the hand of an
affectionate father, or mother, or other
dear friend.
In the northwest corner of the GENE.
terry more than 100 soldiers are buried,
who died in the service of the Confeder-
ates. Apparently, their graves have re-
ceived the same care as our own patriot
ic dead, thus showing that the Govern
ment has no wish to perpetuate the men,
ory of the terrible conflict which caused
so much misery.
Four handsome avenues, with walks
on either side, bordered by two rows of
trees lead to the circle where stands a
tall flagstaff, from whose top floats the
star-spangled banner. During the past
two years many young trees have been
planted, that will soon greatly increase
the beauty of the inclosure. At the in.
tersection of the paths, and usually in
close proximity to the graves, posts have
been put up bearing tables with appro
pirate inscriptions, one of which read as
follows:
"On fames eternal camping ground
Their silent tents spread,
And glory guards with solemn round,
The bivouac of the dead"
AS was fitting and convenient, the
stockade was only three hundred yards
from the cemetery, and the roads so ar
ranged that the wagons could return
from it by way of the bakery and re
ceive the bread to be distributed anon,
the surviving soldiers. The stockad
was constructed of large pine logs, q
feet high, set five feet in the ground, ant
as closely as possible together. Within
r the interior space, II feet from tn
= logs, was the famous dead line marke'
by small posts driven into the clay AM
board nailed on top Of them. Fifty-tw
: sentry boxes were placed upon the inne
!. stockade, raised above the top Of the pal
p isades, and reached by ladders. Out
: side, seven forts, with field artillery
commanded the entire grounds.
: Within this enclosure of less than 2
;. acres, there were confined at one time a