Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-01-21

great majority of the people whom
we represent on this floor.
: l now inquire is this CHARGE trneP
The gentleman from GeoTo;a do
mics generally the charge that atroc-
tiles were praeticed upon iour nris-
oners at AndersonviIle. He make a
general denial, and asserts that Mr.
Davis did observe the humane rnIas
of modern warfare. As a proof he
quotes the general order issued by
the President of the Confederate
Government under VIII ch the prison
was to be established, an order pro-
viding that it should be located on
healthy ground, where there was an
abundance of good water, and tress
1or healthful and grateful shade
mat is perfect answer so far as it
goes. but | ask how that order was
executed? To whose hands was COM
mltted the work of building the An.
dersonville prison? To the hands 0f
General Winder, an intimate and
favorite friend Of Mr.. Davis. And
who was General Winder? He was
the man of whom the Richmond E,-
dnai'eer used these words the dav he
took his departure from Richmond
TO assume command of the proposed
prison:
Thank God that Richmond is at last
rid Of old Winder. God have mercy up
On those TO whom he has been sent
He was, as the testimony in the
Wirtz trial shows, the special and
intimate friend of Jefferson Davis.
and by the President of the Confed-
eracy he was detailed on this bust
ness, and detailed with such a send.
of as have read you from a paper
OF his own city, warmly in the inter
est of the rebel cause.
i What next? How did General
Wmder execute the order after he
went there? turn to the Writ
trial, and read from it only such au-
thorlties as the gentleman from Ga.
recognizes officers of the rebel ar
my. The gentleman stated yester-
day that there was nothing in this
book connecting the head of the
Federal Government with the An
dersonville atrocities. Before I am
through We will see. On the 5th dav
OF January, 1884, report was made
by d. T. Chandler, a Lt.-ColoneI of
the Confederate army. This report
was offered IN evidence in the Wirtz
trial, and Col. Chandler was himself
a witness at that trial, and swears
that the report is genuine. I quote
from page PA:
ANDERsoNvILLE, Jan 5, 1854.
| COLONEL: Having, IN obedience tn in
j structiOns OF tue 25th ulumo. carefnIIv
inspected the prison for Federal nriso1-
ers OF war, and post at this place. I re-
spectfully submit the following report:
The Federal prisoners of war are con
nned within stockade fifteen feet high.
OF roughly hewn pine logs about eight
lnehes IN diameter, inserted I've feet into
the ground, inclosing, including the re-
| cent extension, an area Of I've hundred
aRd forty by two hundred ana sixtv
| yards A railing around the inside of
the stoekade, and about twenty feetfrom
II, constitutes the %dead line" bezo5a
which the prisoners are n5f allowed III
pass and about three and one-fourfR
acres near the centre of the inclosure are
so marshy as to be at present unfit for
occupation, reducing the present avaifsS
Die area to about tWenty-three and ore
\ hall acres, which gives someubat less
than six square feet to each prisonar-
Even this IS being constantly REDUCED bv
the additions TO their number. A small
stream passing from west % east through
ets. w iHeiosure, at about one hundred and
hity yards from its southern limit. fur-
nlshes the only water for washing access
lois !" the prisoners Some regiments of
the guard, the bakery, and the cook
mousse SSlng placed on the rising ground
bordering iAs Stream before il enters the
prison, renders the water nearly unfit for
use before it reaches The prison era.
3. 4. C2ANDLER.
Asst Adj't aud Inspector, Gen.
Col R. II, CHILToN.
Asst Adj't and Inspector-Gea.
Here is an official exhibit of the
manner in which the officer detailed
by Jefferson Davis chose the place
for health, and running water, and
agreeable shade. He chose a piece
of forest ground that had mias-
matte swamp in the heart of it and q
small stream running through it;
but the troops stationed outside of
the stockade were allowed to defle
its pure waters before it reached the
stockade, and then, as if in the very
refinement Of cruelty, as if to make
4A9ckery' of the order quoted
blythe gentleman from Georgia, he
detailed .Ren to cut down every tree
and shrub il the inclosure, leaving
not green leaf to show where the
forest had been And subsequently,
when the burning sun of July was
pouring down its fiery heat upon
the heads of these man, with but
six square feet of ground to q man,
a piteous petition was made by the
prisoners TO WInder to allow these
poor men to be detailed to 60 out
side under guard and cut pine from
the forest to make arbors under
which they could shelter themselves,
and they were answered with all the
loathsome brutality OF malignant
hate, that they should have no bush
to shelter them; and thus, under the
fierce rays of Southern sun, they
miserably perisked.
These last stateRaqts are made on
the authority of Ambrose Spencer,
a planter of Georgia, who resided
within FIVE miles Of AndeFsOnYiIls.
l sRote from his testimony-Wirz's
trial, p. S6g-: ~
BetweeH he Ist and 18th Of December.
1858. went pp TO AndersOnville with
W S. Windsr aRd four or Eve other gen-
t!emen, out Of curiosity. to see how the
prison was 10 I've laid out.
| asked him If be was going 10 srect bar
racks oE shelter of any kind. he replied
that he was not; that The damned Yam
KEGS who would De put in there would
have no need OF them. asked him why
be was cutting down all the trees, and
that they would prove . shell
Ter 10 the prisoners, from the heat Of The
sun, at least He made this reply, or
similar TO IL; %rhsl IS Just
what Tam going 10 do; am going 10
build q pen here that win Kill nore
damned Yankees Than can be destroyed
IN the front" These are very nea rly his
words, or equivalent TO them.
So much for the execution Of the
order to locate the pris-