Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-06-12
A REIGN or TERROR.
How a Band Of Union Raiders"
Successfully Robbed the Entire
Camp at Andersonvllle.
Tried, Found Guilty OfMurder,
SenteneedtO Death, and Ex-
ecuted by Their Comrades.
Hartford Evening Post.

Hartford Evening Post.
"Yes," said honest Jack" Cotter O.
the Hartford police force last night
1T remember the day as though It was
but yesterday. when the half dozer
raiders" were executed at Anderson.
i vile. | knew one of the men we'll.
| He was Jack Sars6eld Of the One
| Hundred and Fifty-ffth New York
The morning be was executed had a
talk with him, and asked him if the
raiders had ever murdered anyone,
He said to me; 'Cotter, III tell you
squarely. We have never killed a
man here, but we have taken all the
money we could get hold Of " Before
going on with the story, it is necessary
BY way of explanation, to tell who the
raiders were and how the work Of
suppressing them was inaugurated.
Early in May prisoners began to pour
into the rebel stockade at Anderson
vile by hundreds, the camp there
being the receptacle for captured
troops from every State
along the Atlantic coast
South of Virginia, and
from the tier of rebel commonwealth
bordering on the Ohio and Mississippi
rivers. By the last Of June. 1864, there
we're fully 10000 prisoners in the
camp. In such a multitude there
would OF necessity be found the worst
elements in society, men who would
not shrink from the toulest crimes il
they could be committed without dis
covery. These men organized them
selves into bands for purposes of rob-
berry, and for month or more ter>
rorized the entire camp. Large mum.
bers Of soldiers went into Anderson
vile with from 500 to $500 10 green
backs in their pockets. The members
of the One Hundred and Third and
One Hundred and First Pennsylvania
regiments, for instance who were
captured with the Sixteenth Connec-
ticut at Plymouth, N. Y, had received
short Cime before that disaster the
government bounty Of $500 apiece for
re-enlistment, and the majority of
them had large sums of money on
their persons when theye fell into
rebel hands. The raiders prowled
among them at night, while
they were sleeping on the ground
without tent or shelter, and riAed
their pockets Of every dollar they
contained. Not only money was stolen,
but canteens, cups and blankets made
rich booty for the desperadoes, who
were ruling with a rod of iron over
the lives and bodies of their fellow
prisoners. Every hour during the
night the cry OF raiders" could be
heard through the camp, and des. |
perate effort was invariably made to |
capture. But it generally proved I'm |
availing, and reign of terror set in, |
lasting for weeks. There are scores of
men in Hartford county to-day who
can recall the CHASTITY struggles and |
encounters that made pandemonium
at Andersonville.
ORGANIZATION OF THE REGULARS.
On the Both of June, under the |
leadership Of a mysterious character |
known as Timber jim" but the real
name of whom has never yet been |
ascertained, a vigilance committee was |
organized and the members of it were
known as the regulars" The oripi |
nal object of the organization was
the breaking up of the bands of |
raiders, and the enforcement of order
and protection throughout the Camp. |
Timber Jim" was the leading spirit |
of the vigilance committee, and under
his direction a number of raiders
were arrested. The rebel authorities |
who were at least interested in pres
venting the camp from being infested
with pack of human wolves, thereby |
rendering the duties of their troops
less burdensome in keeping the en-, |
campment in subsection, consented
that the arrested raiders should be |
tried by the Union soldiers. and i'll
found guilty sentenced to execution.
1t was believed that this course would |
have wholesome effect, and full lib,
erty was extended to the vigilance
committee to do what they pleased
with the offenders. They were tried
under form Of law, extemBorized for
the occasion, and six of the men were
found guilty Of murder and sentenced
to be hung.
THE DAY OF EXECUTION.
The 1lth of July was set as the dav
for the execution, and before noon a
scafold was erected in the camp under
one ofthe most enchanting of Georgia
skies. The morning wore slowly. and
as the afternoon approached all eyes
were turned towards the instrument
Of death, which was to be used al &
o'clock for sending six men summarilv
into eternity. The afternoon hours
passed one by one, the men inside
the stockade waited with anxious faces
Tor the entrance Of the six condemned
men, who were outside the camp nm.
der rebel watch and guard At the
appointed hour, remarked Policeman
COtter, taking up the thread of his
narrative, the men we're brought to the
prison gate by Gems. WOnder and
Toombs, and placed in the hands If
Capt. Wirz, the executive officer Of
the camp Wirz, with a rebel euard
brought them inside the stockade and
turned them over to the vigilance
committee. 1t should, in justice. be
said, the bloodthirsty rebel, Wirg' bes
fore committing the condemned men to
their associates in the prison, stated
that they had been tried and sentenced
to death and that he placed them at the
disposal Of the Union troops who
should deal with them as their iudS.
meut, Justice and mercy should die.
tate. He then right and loft faced the
guard and marched them il. order ont
OF the encampment.
The wretched men were now left
face to face with their executioners
and n0f loco thai 49, :