River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-04-08
ANDERSONVILLE.
Do scriptiOn OF the Present Condition of
the old Rebel Prison.

A correspondent of the Boston Herald
who recently visited the site of the
prison at Andersonville writes as follows
Anderson is the name of station
on the Southwestern railroad about
sixty miles, or two hours ride, from
Macon. 1t is nothing but a railroad sta
ton, and the only other thing beside
the railroad which characterizes the
spot is the immense union cemetery of
some twenty acres, over which floats the
star spangled banner. The cemetery is
constructed on the spot where the
prisoners were buried, and the trenches
were dug with such precision and regu-
larity that the soldiers were not gener-
ally disturbed, but allowed to remain as
their comrades inferred them, working
under the watchful eyes and the fixed
bavonets of the Georgia home guard.
The cemetery is surrounded by stout
brick wall, with an iron gate, and is
under the supervision of superinten-
dent, who lives on the grounds. 1t is q
plain spot. There is not much attempt
made to ornament this city of cur mar
tyred dead. 1t would take great deal
of even such influences as plants and
flowers possess to dispel the melancholy
memories that haunt this hill in the
pine woods of South Georgia.
''Southerners shun the spot, but the
cemetery is much visited by )rthern
travellers, and the register in the super
intendent's lodge contains many strange
inscriptions beside the names of the
visitors. One lady asks forgiveness of
God for the murderer of her brother
who sleeps in the cemetery. Senti-
ments of passionate denunciation are
more frequent. Occasionally a man
who was in the stockade turns up
among the visitors. These men, what
ever their natural temper, the superin-
tendent says, can almost be distinguish
ed by the effects of fear, dread and
vivid recollection, which come back like
a shock into their faces as they again
stand on the now quiet and sunlit scene
of their war experiences.
Gin the cemetery the ground is of q
general level, and the graves of the
known and the unknown, properly sep
arated. range in rows closely laid, as far
as the eye can reach. There are actu-
ally buried on this elevation 1915
men. The soldier whose identity was
preserved by his comrades is marked in
his resting-plaCe by white marble
stone, rising eighteen inches above the
level of the ground. A square marble
block with the word Unknown on it is
repeated about one thousand times in
the cemetery. There was no necessity
for the contractor to swell his bill with
mule bones in filing up this burial
place. There were bones and millions
cf bones; bones ready at hand when he
began lis work to occupy him till long
after he was wearied with it and longed
to see it done. The bodies of IA 900
men, who perished not where death wa
neck and neck with life-on the battle
fie!d-but in the com parative 81 securi-
ty of prison walls.
Part of the stockade is still standing.
There were two rows OF trees-one in
side the other. The outer row has fall
len down, save for few posts here and
there, but large part of the inner wall
still stands. Trees have grown up
around the old pen, and thick growth
OF underbrush now coveres the site OF
the prison. No traces of the famous
brook that ran through the stockade
remain, nor of the wonderful wells dug
by the prisoners. 1t is all now mild
and peaceful section of country. Many
of the soldiers III the cemetery have
handsome headstones lifted to their
memory by friends in the Nerth, and
efforts are frequently made to have GER
tain graves Kept green with flowers
and shower pot.