The National tribune., 1883-09-06
THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE WASHINGTON c. THURSDAY

was then taken to the cemetery, and the name
transferred to a rough bead board. In 1865
Clara Barton and others went down there and
had these removed, su bstituting board paint
ed white with the name printed ON in black
letters Still later the Government took up
the matter of marking the graves in the Ma
tional cemeteries and changed the board to
marble tablet upon which is inscribed the name
in raised letters. Owing to the work of the
comrades there are less than 1000 unknown
graves at Andersonville, while at Salisbury
there are nearly 1900 At the fall of Rich
mond Wirz's death roll was captured, and is
now in possession of the officer in charge at
Andersonvile By communication with the
various regiments since, the authenticity of
the record has been verified so far as kept"
." 1t must be strangely interesting book?"
"And one," Mr. Smith, added that filled
me with strange feelings. Curiosity caused
me to look up the LIST of Smiths, when found
that that patriotic family had lost 211 at An
dersonville alone, saying nothing of the man,
Der among the unknown. The Jones family
has ninety eight representatives; the Brown
family eighty-four, and the Robinson family
twenty-five"
MEMENToEs FROM THE GRAVES.
Mr.. Smith here brought from his valise q
number of envelopes, which. upon being open
ed each was found to contain a tiny flag
lOuDleG over III tuS Vi WHICH WIS pTCoeT
n sprig of clover or tuft of grass flowers, the
envelope marked with the name over the grave
upon which they were gathered. This was in
response to the request of friends all over the
country Of the Union dead that he would bring
them some memento from the graves of their
beloved MIR. Smith, before his departure, had
announced his willingness to do this, and he
successfully carried out his project, except in
the eases of two, whose graves he could not find
Of tbasp rapaIVIup thaga tandaF tokens
is as follows:
A. C. Duncan, 49th o. V. I. No. 1o,lso. Died
]. Tiffany, 8lth Mass. No. 7,e4s Died Sept. =,
1864.
IL D. Gilbert, 13sth Pa. No. 1856. Died Sept. %,
1861.
G. G Perkins tno reg't). No. 2621 Died June
25, 1864.
j. G. Hurley No s,s22. Died Sept. %, 1864.
Amandus Rowe 12ith o. ". /. No. 2'2l0. Died
". Anderson, s9th Ill. No. s.94s. Died Sept IS.
John Buffers, seth H. No. s,77s. Died Sept IA,
1864.
" But how about others who may desire flags,
Mr.. Smith %
at is now too late, the Government having
issued an order that the flags be gathered and
preserved for next Memorial Day. 1t is the
purpose henceforth to mark the graves in this
way upon the recurrence OF the day
What about your decorating the Confederate
graves?''
Simply, that on the mounds flags were
placed duly marked in their memory. 1t was
but returning the mark of respect that the Con-
federates oflate aveshown to the graves of our
dead, The family quarrel is over, and we can
acknowledge the courage and bravery of each
while apart, the best guarantee of our grand
triumph when we pull together"
PRESENT APPEARANCE OF ANDERsoNvILLE.
Gould you recognize any of the old land
marks, Mr.. Smith?"
Yes; although the southern portion is
pretty much under cultivation" and he showed
| us very good specimens of cotton, beans, corn,
&c, grown there Sumach and other under
growth has also sprung UP. Fences run here and
there in every direction, and yet portions ofthe
old stockade are standing, and the miraculous
spring on the hillside continues to flow, and
the wells that the boys dug with bits of tin,
and with their finger-nails, for water, still
| flow full and strong. Traces of the wells and
| dugouts are on every hand"
DO you think that spring was a miracle p
/ don't know how that was, but this much
/ do know, that on the 18th Of August we
wretched, famished fellows were crying for
water! water! and seeking in rain to quench
our thirst from the foul and poisonous slime
that was running through the stockade, and
that on the 18th day of August the spring was
boiling and bubbling up clear and cold and
comforting Miracle or no miracle it was al
| the same to us"
ANDERsoNyILE NATIONAL CEMETERY.
The following is the present plan of Ander-
sonyille stoekade as furnished by Mr. Smith: