The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-01-24
ANDERSONVILLE WAS.
"A NEW VIEW or the PEN IN WHICH
UNION SOLDIERS DIED.


"I was the last man TO leave Anderson
willie prison. locked the main gate, and TOOK
the KEY this Il it," sultihc the action to tho
word he unrolled from lla wrappings Of tissue
paper the rusty KEY that might have been dong
duty upon the lock Of some freedman smoke
house instead Of lying for ten years rs tel'c
"You sec," said the old man. whom We VIII
call Mr.. Cook tnoldine his true name at inc ser
vice OF any one wiU may desire to learn IT,
was on duty up there at Ander-on'iilc Tor inc
last eighteen month 81 the war. issuing ra'"nS'
md having them cooked for both the PRISONERS
and the guards. When the federas bes nm SEND
ing out cavalry raids to cut our railrodus anu
ltberate prisoners. 1t btcnHe necessary 10 sc'cVt
auornnnpnt post in some part Of the South least
liable to sudden infoads. In fact the pnniHrei
raid that came 50 near getting mt" iuchmonu'
freeing the LIBBY and Belle Isle prsohers' anu
burning the town. determined the '"h'eu'r"e
Government TO move tae bulk oi the PRISONERS
at uce. Gen, winder. being the only oficer of
his rank AZ Richmond ut the time who could be
spaied fr, Ia active service. was sent south with
instructions 10 select a suitable place for a gen
era depot for prisoners. lie was ABOUT ire worst
man for the mission, Tut he chose Auueis.n-
vile, and think MS choice was good. u wa we
safest place from raids IN the SCUM the
enemy never got there until after the war II
was high. dry. and healthy. neither too cuid nor
too ho.. al distance from any Large town anu
In aregiOn abouudng with
WOOD, WATER. AND FARM rNODrCE
Reporter Which benefited the guards, but
You are mistaken. Most of the prisoners
had some money or IewclrA when tnsy e" OK,
cents in giecuoIcks we're worth dollars ~ Con
fedcrate 81 i.r g. Tntnip- ana sweet po, .'-
$2n in our money. Then "a guod many q tho
Farmers Of the countr, ns"d t. send wagon Loads
Of ycgctt blcs. Sc. To lee given me ~ lsulieI''
Reporter How about tire Fem
The Pen was an en'l"snre OF twenty seven
.N.astN . a tt.HI
pine logs, set in the ground - closely "a pos
sible. with narrow wal,wiy on top tor IL" sen
tIuels to overlook tia interior. IL was utlohr IA
shape-a parallelugrlm enclosing a small valley
like an amphitneatle, with a stream OF water
Reporicr-And the prisoners had to drink this
sluggish waterf
There were two springs inside tho Pen -
one a DO d. strong now OF good water,
which emptied from the side OF theihll into
long truugh-hke a horse trough 50 that
nifty men could drink. cr nl their csn,eens
at one time " Won duult II, 20 ana eN-
anime the place The branch that ran trough
the Pen instead Of being aslu ygish stream was
often So strong that II washed away the lower
end of the stockade. and We hal To st nd guard
around the break fur DAYS. The stream was
meant to he used for washing purposes but
when the ulace filled az IN ch faster thnn was
expected, II began To- he used as - sewer ana 10
many men itod !, me M .'o' ,r M,' ,
eminent finally ,nefed 70 receive any medicines
or clothes. and let the Federal surg In come
with them to ettcud O their sick, hut 900 notice
was taken Of the offer TIL 1--we months after 1t
first made
Keuort- r-Nhat kind 81 rations wer, issued
Precisely tines sane in quality ana quantity -
oil the guards and empinlces Of the post re
ceived am tlht w.s - Gel htlet t, n
Lees army wcr' getting remember when tn,
soldier, IN virginia were rciltuv one-foutth o
npouuI of Wcat and iint II me.i yer DAY. ".
Issued half "a pound of meat. lint Of meal
yeas ii'e ~ 20 me lL,''usi,, IN i'o,; tner'
sners should receive
Tnf SAME FAME
In quantity and quality ~ our soldiers. Bu
the lauhccs. Icing accu-tNmtd t. spehdl'
rations Of meat. bread, vegetable. coffee sugar
&C.. coudnt believe. nur bows were IN rchn
and r:htins on such b. RI fare but thought the
were puruo~eiy starved
Rerorcr- Were not part Of their ration
How could trey be, wien all the cooks wer
paroed ursonoi,s lad the suing u ration
myself. and assure you used to increase IN
that sott u thtnE for really pllied the poo
fellOws-though there VS. about as much con
were a few 81 Gen. WIndorr baltimore Piu-s
around the zee for a While who may NV
pllfcrcd small quantiti's, tut at more tia
they could eat. iae truULle WAS. the prisoner
finding then selves carried a long distance int
the heart Of me south, son became d'spoi
dent, hcmc.ick. utterly carec-. about then
selves. wouldn't eat. and wouldn't turn ont {
bed to cleanse themselves. This was always Yer
noticeable alter tie failure oi uur different a
tempt. T. yet an e@ch' ~; lid ~ hen II bee N
Thorn DIE In prison fur the sake Il pal'i
puncttio, oraf~w dathcvs who haa rather t.e
prison than az tie front. the> just ued iii.
shcop. some cursing their own and our Govern
ment in the same breath"
Reporter-Mhy wer. tAcN not Aoused2
"Well, W. couldn't gct .ul- iNd aNf- To ul
houses. All the wagons were running night "a.
day hauling rstions aud there weren't enous
time expecting removal eltner bv eN rnhusn
once we started lu,v Of them to the co 5
sGuiytlen, --hu' t1,ir,i ry-rnIr emf wouldn't al
them m de some excuse or other.
Reporter My not pat tue prisoners = ouil'
We did tina, after Dront'. celehrlted tel
gram SAYING that It was better to Keep ths
men In Iri-ou than exchange the rebels. "
put three nuudfed men in the woods. and whs
the war closed there we're LONG rows Of cor
Portable cas,ns s.ins ~ or HnIsn ,t ba' y
were. one day got PERMISSION, aud rode ov
four counties, but coul ind
ONLY THIRTEEN AXES,
which IbOught with my own money,an carrie
them to Ande sonyille. Let metel you anoth
thing. when lrsl went there the yeas give
the risoners were thresned out on the groun
negro. fashion, which left little pieces Of shel
WirI for a fan-sifter How IAN get one = sa
be. Give me- an order on the qlarlernaste
But that officer sent me- 10 the commissary.
I9ss no,Gn n, ~ Nc saI ,'s aeon, to- a.
one lie cave Tie ORDER nrd the Hr.l .ificr
could hnd US pressed into the service -- put
tanning out ths praoners i"Hr' 80 you sec l.,
hard IL W IS - ct anNthin-.'
Reporter Dld many Of ihc prisoner escAp
"A few II them sot away every Week. lho
we're alway- iwo or turee hundred 81 thgm o.
IiIr the pen ON parole, cooking, working
.rades, waiting on the iii rrs. s." ; they cuu
get INTO the Iuouutll.- go "a sin.lc ni.ht. GO
through East lrule--tc, and escape. Br-t4
the guard. were mostly old men ana boy
tome guards YOU know, who Wcrn't very VI
lant. Boodhuuudsf That's alIho-h. I've
Accounts Of how we kept packs uf bl0odhOuH
shut ~ aud starved to NJ kc en- chn-e priSt
ers NOW. some II the oihc'rs used Ia hunt
good deal. and there wee four common I
hounds, such as You can sre on any Ili
tatiDn; ana after the parued Yankees had y
auncd several bN giving them pounded glass, I
rest were shut up In an I'D canin for their a.
safety. But All four Of Them couldn't XIII am
N they caught him. They were Fever ~ q
service catching runawaNs."
Reporter ell me Of " rZ Was he cruelf
THAT man VIII yet he better thought Of Oh
when he was sacrificed to popular fury. thi
the Government made a great mistake, To
the least IN martyrlzlng him; for history Y
show that he was not 80 black as painted. Ma
WIZ Waa coarse, uncu!tivated foreigner, d
when halt drunk, Us he was pretty often,
would cure and brow beat the prisoners Ga
guards to' when things did not go 10 ole
him hut never did see him strike, Kick. sho
VI Otherwise abuse prisoner. Indeed, ne
heard Of any shooting At prisoners. except
,ne or tW" cu-es ot dell lerUe
CnOssiNG THE DEAD LINE"