The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-06-11
A VISIT TO ANDKRsoyVILLE PRISON
The Prison Pen as - Now Appears-The
Dead Iine-Oid Wells and Tunneis Dug
by the Unfortunate Union Prisoners.

DcRo hiue-plu "ots ana runners Due
by the Unfortunate Unioa Prisoners.
Prom the BuSaD Courier.
MACON, Ga. May 9.-On the morning after
my arrival at Andersonville / started out to
spend fow hours within the limits Of the no.
FROM tS' dspSt whe s on nd ashed
follow the public road eastward. along, which
the o mere rSad Sd ssPossns
road was e large pine logs laid
with weeds and grass from bcing used only by
the occasional pilgrim to this scene. -,
by so many patriot feet bear the marks OF tho
axe OF the relic hunter. Considerable portions
s h "i momenoes and W are " to-da Sae DONG
duty as gayels. paper knives. and rulers.
either side of which the scrub oaks grow thick.
~ and cover the entire face OF the country
n I on nS ea
outer stockade. Inside Of this, and to the right
AZ you enter. are the ruins OF the old ba kcry.
now simply mound of earth and broken brick
from lis chimney. Here the course over which
tho prisoners marched turned to the loft, run
tween the outer and inner lines Of tie stockade
TO the gate lust ut the brow of the hill. The
bakery and outer gateway were near the bank
OF q, the H.. famous bro9k-here called brunch
pen near its southorn end.
is as SG EapdsrsSSd IN prison was
stockGdcs-- that is. logs set upright in the
ground. The inner stockade was eighteen feet
Of logs 9m tT sa f bd
and SO closely matched as to have scarcely a
crack that you could see through. The sertt-
along the top Of this stockade ON a continuous
footway erected for that purpose. Outside OF
three steps. was another stockado of equal
strength. twelve feet high And then again out
at intervals OF $50 yards. These forts wers
built against the stockade like mud dauber's
SarS ST .onf sd so TGsss SdfE as
mdabiy .eonstrneted; 4. deep, ditch ran from
that the prisoners might project In their efforts
even to the beaten path along their parapcts
where the gray clad sentry paced up and down
In watchtulness OF the poor victims within tho
But to return to the inside of the stockade.
next the ground and fallen lying ike two great
windrows, marking the confines OF the grounds.
But wherever there was timber Of heart pine
ever; and there are enough Of these to enable
the eye to readily trace the course of the stock
The pen was in the form Of an oblong square.
the, direction Of its length being nearly north
in width and should Judge nearly four times
as long as 1t is wide and said by Northern au-
horrh It 10 wod H me- to be y M
fourth larger, than the cemetery already do
scrlbed. which contains twenty-five acres by
strhe northern half of the ground is high and
dry gently slloping. downward; and little
It slopes rapidly toward the marshy stream,
the descent being ia fses IN S
6n ahy a and cs "a sS % whcS are
Which fU runs in at the west side and out at the
have ranid current, but It is 50 broad That
deep. The land is of very marshy nature for
about ten or twelve steps on either side. al
shod. But a body Of men such is were once
compeledto use its waters would soon tramp
nses mud a2 sne np
haps five ncres of high. dry ground on that side
of it; 1t will be remembered that during tho
terrible disorder of robbery and murder that
made. mention in my last the Desperate ele-
mcntI established themselves or were driven to
that side of the stream. from which they made
frequent raids upon the main body OF the camp:
many stories have been told about tho dead
line. many claiming that there was no substan.
"s snnnssd IA u hoYe RIM ii steen tee from the
foot of the stockade. it being left principallyto
the judgment of the respective sentinels to de-
" been published that the dead line" WA.
to slender stakes. which in many places became
detached leaving absolutely nothing to warn
ger. From indications that now, after the lapse
of eighteen years. arc "a proportionately dis
tinct as the stockadc itself. am inclined to tho
opinion that the general representations, or at
least the prevailing ideas concerning this arc
somewhat at strife with the actual facts. Your
correspondent followed the line OF the stock
AIDE the entire distance from the brow Of
the slope on the western side from the north
end to the brow of the. slope on the eastern
side: and for the entire distance, except where
a small patch OF oats obliteratcd it. what had
been shallow ditch was distinctly traceable.
and as this was uniformly exactly four steps
from tho stockade. | am led to suppose 1t to
have been made to mark the line to pass which
meant death at tho hands Of the sentry.
Throughout the enclosure us well as upon the
entire face of the country an underground OF
oak and gum has sprung up, many of the trees
being four and five inches in diameter. Tho
growth is not as dense however, inside tho
stoCkude as outside: and there Is sufficient
open ground to admit Of free passage to and fro
over the grounds. The traces of the old sad
days are distinctly visible on every hand. The
mounds and cavities Of the thousand dcnS and
burrows are everywhere. Near the brow of tho
slope they are most numerous and extensive.
1t would be exceedingly pcrilouS to attempt
to cross this space in the night; and ono must
have his eyes open in daytime, MS he is, con:
stantly coming upon the yawning mouths OF
the old wells and entrances OF tunnels from
fifteen to thirty feet deep.