Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1876-01-31


bad. that Confederate papers. the Rich
mOnd E,rGnsiRsr for one. said when it
was done that they thanked God that
Richmond was rid Of his presence. We
in the North knew from returning skel-
etOns what he had accomplished at Belle
Isle or Libby. Fresh from those ae-
embellishments be was sent by Mr.. Da-
Wis. against the protest Of others in the
Confederaey. to construct this pen Of
horrors at AndersOnville-
OF course it would be utterly beyond
scope Of the occasion. and beyond the
limits of my hour. to give any details
but, on aIraigning Mr.. Davis. l under
take here to say that | do not ask gen.
tlemen to take the testimony Of a single
witness do not ask them to take the
testimony Of a single Union soldier; |
only ask them to take the testimony Of
men who were themselves engaged and
enlisted in the Confederate cause, and
if that testimony does not entirely carry
out and justify this declaration. which
l will take the liberty to read, l will
state that / have been entirely in error
in my reading.
Mr.. Blaine then proceeded to quote
from the report Of the Committee on the
Conduct Of the War extracts in refer
ence to the horrors Of AndersOnville. in
which it is stated that no pen can de-
scribe. no painter sketch. no magma
ton comprehend. its fearful. Its unut-
terable iniqulty. He then went on to
say:
undertake to say that that is mod
crate description Of AndersOnville, and
l will now read paragraph from the
testimony Of William John Hamlin, a
man who was never in the North, q
Catholic priest at Macon, and Demo-
erat-and when you unite those three
qualities, Southern man, 4 Democrat
and Catholic priest, you will not find
such testimony strained in favor Of the
Republican party. Loud and eOntinu-
Gus laughter.
Mr.. Blaine here read from the testi-
mOuy Of Father Hamlin. as given in the
Wirz trial in which the witness related
the case of a young man named Farrell,
from the north Of Ireland, whom be saw
among the prisoners at Andersonyille,
suffering very much from a wound in
the right foot, which had opened like
an oyster, and which had been simply
caused BY exposure in the sun in the
stOckade. The priest had given him a
stocking to cover his foot. and when be
returned the following week he inquired
for Farrell His companions told hin
that be had stepped across the dead line
and requested the guards to shoot him
He added that the man was not insan,
when be had seen him the previous
week
. Mr.. Blaine then continued: l do no
! desire to go into such horrible detail
} from any purpose of raising bad feel
, ing. L desire only to say that the ma
= who administered that prison went Their
by order Of Mr.. Davis and was sustain
I ed by him, and that this William
' Hamlin whose testimony l have ju:
e read went to Gen Howell Cobb. CON
5 handing that department. and aske
f that the condition of the prison shout
l be transmitted 20 the Confederate Gor
e eminent at Richmond. In fact thel
y are great many instances and proc
5; to show that Mr.. Davis was in entil
it possession Of the facts in relation
Is AndesOnville When Gen. Sherman
le invasion or some other invasion of til
AZ portion Of the country was under wa
D. and when there was danger or suppos,
E. danger that it might come to that neig
4 bOrhOOd, the regular Military order \
be l3." dated Headquarters Coufedera
u States Military Prison, Andersonvill
L July 1854" and signed BY Gen. Win
on er, was issued IN these words: IT
W. officer on duty and in charge of the b;
y, terry Of Florida Artillery will, on recei
at ing notice that the enemy has apprOaC
ed within seven miles Of this post, %
fire on the stOckade with grape-shOt.
if Without reference to the situation
l yODd this line Of defense"
we Here we're those $1,000 poor. helpIe
on naked, starving. dying men T.
in Catholic priest states he went to G.
tho Cobb to represent to him that if
nat could not exchange them they should
ose taken before the Union lines in Flor
ave and parOled aud let 90 free. and yet
len the Union forces we're to get within s
en- en- miles, that regular order Of Mr..
eed VS. otheer was to open battery
to grape-shOt on those poor Wretches wi
Of out the slightest possible regard to W
de- was going on outside. Now. i do
der arraign the Southern people for this
les, God forbid that should charge
Of people with sympathizing with such
ave order. There were many evidences
eE, great uDeasiness among the South
ties people about it. and one of the grea
Dew crimes Of Mr.. Davis was that he {
Of cealed II from the Southern naonIa