Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-11-16
Misfellatteons.
ANDERSONvILLE TO.plY.

dS ne approaches this memorable place is
tne oid fag suspended one hundred and
eigh'y feet in the air. wa, ing gracefully
TO the breeze and standing sentinel over
what remains OF thirteen thousand seven
hundred and sixteen departed faithful sol.
dicrs for the Union.
have made it my business to make ex.
tenslvc inquiries before reaching this place
and have heard condemned, in unmeasur.
ed terms. the course pursued BY Writ
and his small ring. who, they say, were
not actuated by any love for the lost cause
but By Il desire TO profit from tho misery
OF those under authority. Every soldier
that came into prison had money and
many, Watches and rings, all of which
found it n'ay iuto the hands Of few out
side The Stockade Principle never gov
erned Nlrtz. There was total want OF
mora! sense. He never knew generon-
emotion; cold and heartle>s, he thought
Only OF gain and selfish qualification
But he is dead. peace to his ashes. The
cemetery Is under the immediate charge
"t John Malony. an lrishman, who, in
one year, will have served in the army.
under The stars and stripes. Il quarter Of Z,
century. He was among the faithful he.
uaycd hy Twiggs in Texas. he loye>
one good t. sec lh- old veteran snffinse
with tears, a ne recaunted his hopes and
aHb i1ars during the severe sirBeCl,.
tilcnnEh which W. have iusl passed.
The ccmejofy Is beautifully situated ju-l
north from the ztockadr. nu gently lnliinc
land. t'niraring il the inclosurs thirty
sevcn acre. ii ground; neat. -uhslan-
tai iri.r" ~uiYoupds it. and within this al.
Usage hedge j. being cultivated. that will
seiHe 4. y fcncc, and also ada
much. % the beauty Of the place. Fire
carriage avenues are being constructed,
many of which are completed; trees ar.
planted and are growing finely on the
,ides OF them, and in few years the tops
will meet. creating dense and cool
shade. making a delightful drive. Five
thousand five hundred feet Of surface
drains have been laid along the avenues.
The soil washes SO easily here that brick -.
drains are necessary. There are employ
ed here. beside the superintendent, four
colored lahorers and two mules, all OF
whom are Kept constantly busy. \ COM
portable house is erected at the entrance
gate for the superintendent, where he al.
ways keepsa spare room for any chance
visitor who may happen to pass this way,
which IS net very ollen, az the place j.
too secluded and remote from The greal
lines OF travel, and then Southera Georgia
with its chills and fever has no attrac-
tions for Il visitor. or even the native citi-
zen The dead were laid In trenches side
by side, and it they had any articles of
worth wearing. our own men
would take it 10 cover their nakedness.
or keep ont the chilling blast Of winter
no cotfins, no clothing, nothing often (und
HcarIr always) but their naked frames.
a neat headboard made OF wood now
marks their last resting-place, with namo,
age, regiment, and company. And vet
there arc many marked unknown" and
will always remaia SD until the great mus
ter-day in that eternal world above.
The first man buried here was j. Swar-
ner, ii German, company Ii. I'd New York
cavalry; died February ~, 1864. The
last man that died was X. Hanson, com
pany L, 1T Wisconsin infantry; died
April -, ls65--a period of fourteen
months. During this time 1916 brave
soldiers passed away, nearly one thousand
Il month. The largest number dying any
one day was on the 26th day of August
1864, when one hundred and sixty-six
were buried. The most painful spot t.
visit was the graves of those executed III
the storkadc by our own men for the mar
lrrs and violence they had committed
The galows is still partially standing. All
additional monument of the accumulated
niseres our men suffered The super
is making good use OF Wir,z'S
filling it with dirt; he is propa.
gazing flowers - ornament the grounds
After visiting the cemetery we went to
he stockadc. 1t is fast falling into decay,
and in year or two will all be down, and
that marked the sufferings OF
our soldiers will have passed away. Thr
ground within the stockade that was once
so bare OF every shrub, and eyen root, for
was informed tha; the soldiers would
lig fUr the ,iniest root TO secure fuel IT,
warm their aching limbs, is now growr
lp with scrub oak and bushes, until you
an hardly get through them. The dead
ine, Just seventeen feet from the stockade
; So lar dccayed that but few traces of II
ire lett. Here many poor victim has
bitten the dust, it may be from chance
nsStep or determination to end his mis-.
ny. There are about thirty five wells still
that We're dug with spoons and
ups. while rope made of blankets was
lsed to draw up, the dirt and afterward
he water. They are from sixty 10 eight
tet deep, ana While peerlng into them,
ide entrances may be discovered that led
ome to light. outside, and freedom.
every prisoner here doubtless remembers
he pro. ideEtal spring that opened near
he Gead line, on the hillside, during !;
ioleht thunder storm one autumn night,
md continued 10 flow so freely as to sup
by nearly the whole camp with delicious
water. Wen. this spring is running as
reeiy still, and at it quenched my thirst,
md also in the stream, where so many
have washed their aching bodies, ], too,
stripped off my clothing and took gener
Gus bath, thankful that it was under SO
different auspices.
The forts, of which there are several,
still preserve their original appearance,
and Show less of decay than anything else
about here Yet, trees are growing IN
them, and soon these. as well as the space
within the stuckade, will be so denseiy
covered with thcket as to he rendered i'm
passable, and thus hiding every thing that
makes ii an object for stranger 10 visit
lere. All the money and labor is spent on