Daily Republican., 1880-09-22
ANDERSON v. LIE.


ling with Thorns," nov In course 0
publication in the Detroit Post a1t
r Tribune.
As q piece Of word painting, 1t Il
worthy OF Victor Hugo; yet there Al,
many man living In Indiana sac
= throughout the Union, who will feel, Al
they read It, that even this does not ad
equAtsly describe the horrors Of thai
DEVILS ipvsation, the memory Of who'll
ausss strong men to shudder even a
this late day:
| A railroad running north and south
: between Macon and AmelicuF; four OIL
: dye rough board struetnres resting OF
tbs yellow sasd west of the road
twenty or thirty people as vspid and
riokeiy a. the buildings--such vas
lauder son vile bsiors the oonfsderacy
made 1t synonymous with all that IL
cruel and brutal. West Of the railroad
and but few dozsn yards removed
from 1t, ara two marshes In which
speWiugs Of toa1s and reptiles and
swamp oozr ,dScayipg wood. Isok weeds
and rank grass are distilled into poison
Ths marshes are 1910 feet apAIt--one
above and one below the town. Prom
the marshes the poison runs Of in two
ileafy brarn, sluggish sarisnts across
the railroad track. and unite 400 feet
east OF IL. Prom this confluence OF
poisons the stream, In lethargie Gov
runs nearly dus east, between hills
rising with gradual swell on either side
until 1t Is lost In the Little 6westwater,
less than mile below.
Five hundred yards from the conhu-
enCe OF two little streams that oozs ont
Of the marshes there Is another marsh.
Around this marsh the Andsrsouville
prison. pen was constructed.
As finally completed the pen Is an
oblong $50 by 1920 feet, the stream
creeping through Its narrowsst part,
asc at 100 fact south ofthe center.
"sid" Windsr superintsnded the
building Of the pen. When he began,
the marsh and the hills that riss on
either side Of 1t we're clothed with
heavy timber.
Barly In December, 1858, Winder
was at work the people Of the surround
ing country came 10 look on. The
whole population Of Amerieus, . little
town few miles below, were on uptoe /
Of excitement.
Go, 30 many YAnks don I know what
to do with they uns ell"
"GwiDs ter build q prison And ahssn. :"
"Let's gwo!"
They went.
Among those who went was Ambrose
Spencer. When he arrived; negroes
we're digging long trench, other me-
groes we're telling trees, others again
heViug their sides.
what are these fort" said Spencer.
Winder looked. WHAT"
"The trees hewed on both sidss
"Wo put one end in the ground In
that trench. the hewed sides CLOSE TO
gs.her, then pack dirt about them. The
result will be close pen with walls
twenty feet high"
"Ahl"
"R exon that'll hold 'ep.!"
"Going to erect barracks or shelter of
my kind" K
"No." The drafted Yanks who will
no put in there will have no need Of
.hem!"
"Why then are you cutting down |.
he treesH They will prove shelter to
he prisoners from tie heat Of the sun
It least"
"That Is Just why am cutting them
Town; am going TO build pen here
hat will kill more Yankees than can be
III the 'front.'"
"Sid" Winder turned away and Jim :
'creggs removed his "oowneob" long
aough 10 suggest "Thst air mawsh
n the cinter o. the pin'll help kill 'em
mighty fass."
"But Why" said Spencer, "dont .
hey put the pen below or above the '
narsh?"
"Don't want ter reckon"
"Thst water would kill'a dog" :.
"Yaas." \.
There's Little sWeetwatsr, I've feet a
eep and twenty feet wide. not Ave y
undrsd feet from where they are u
uttipg the pen and not marsh in II. =
Why don't they put the prison thersf .,
"This'll serve better reckon" I.'
"They could 60 below the marsh and ~
Ike in both creeks, Little SWeetw alter ~
nd this Double Branch yun."
"Yaas, they 'unS could" ..
"Thsn they could have an abund' S'
nes of water for cooking, bathing every
n pose, AMI good, h althy grounds'
"Yaas."
"Wby in the world don't they put n
10 pen there'"
This yere sarve bettah, reckon"
at looks like a purpose to kilt" b.
"Yaas; kill the mizAble oOots o'Yanks &C
eah quick. Bottah thet nor gittin Id
.ot wi'um." OF
Spencer went away. The ocnstruo- W
Oh progressed. Al last the pen was til
'mplesed. o)
The marsh lay fostering sore in It's til
inter. So
Then came the eaptives. Eight hun tn
ed arst from New Hampshire, Con. th
,cticut and Michigan. Weary, worn gu
I'd hungry from prolonged ravel, coop an
like beasts in freight cars. tn
Down from the depot they marched, lo'
EARLY on throush the shifting sands, to
D i'd the jssrs and tsunts Of q gaping he
ovid. III
The gate opened. an
The stockade swallowed them. de-
Then they saw walls Of pine, Shiny TIL
ook creek, 6 feet feet wide and tel
ches deep, struggling through the
nd and q waste Of yellow sand dotted thi
ith huge stump,. And there was no liq