The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1884-07-17

ARsmsnss sslhs w~.-AadsDonsilIs Of
49,

beaten upon the sandy slopea Of the
old Enclosure where there was cooped
up within fla walls more Of human
misery than was ever before found
upon an equal area Of earthis surface,
writes q correspondent. have
traced out three stockade walls By the
continuous ridges Of deoaying pali-
sades that mark the lines they oe-
cupied. On the west side many Ct
the palisades have been cut down and
split into rails, while most Of the
others have rOtted Of and lie in de-
cayfng masses on the ground. Here
and there q fire-blackened sentinel
still stands In the place IS It was
planted IN 1854. On the east aide the
main line Of palisades remains In
9 fair state % pFeservtiOn showing the
height and strength % this formida-
bic wooden wall.
The old ditch that surrOuRded the
stOekade is still plainly visible on the
south, west and east sides. although 10
places Il Is nearly filed By washing
and caVing In. On the north and
south sides the timbers Of TIE stock
ade have been removed IN cleEfing up
the ground for cotton planting. Two
negroes. with q mule each, were
marking out the ground for the rows
OF cotton ON the south side Of the
creek. On the north side many Of
the old wells remain In q good state Of
preservation. / counted over twenty
Of them ranging In depth from 1910
80 feet. Young pines, cakt ald black
berry bushes have grown Up thick al
over this side. The mounds and de-
pressiOns where caves were dug BY
the perishing prisoners are plainly %
be seen ali over this sandy hIll. The
massive old gates &c the west entrance
have fallen down, and The owner %
the land h working the timborB q
which they were composed into canes
20 be sold a. relics q the old siockede.
Outside Of these gates On the FOad
20 Andersonville are the ruins Of
Wins old bakery, where the unboited
cOrnmeai and the fat bacon WeTe
cooked for the prisoner. Leading
from the stOrehOuse at the failrced
station 20 the stOekade q the old scof-
duroy road along which the teams
transported the meal and bacon TO the
bakery. The ground was 70 sWampy
that legs had 10 be cut and laid side by
side for a quarter Of q mile, 10 make q
road that would bear up q team and
wagon. In looking for relies ! found
seantllng two by four sticking IN an
old well that was once q part Of the
Dead Line" Ny guide was DR..
Harrison, who was g surgeon In the
confederate service, stationed here
during the most deadly months 20
aid In treating the Federnl prisoners
In the hospital shed where 50 many
thousands persisted. He pointed out
the various places Of interest, and
gave me many items relating % the
prison keeper, Wirz.
On the west side Of the stOekade
near the north gate is the
NOTED 'PROvIDENTIAL sPRINa,n
that broke out one August morning
when the water In the creek had be- |
come 30 filthy as to be no longer en-
durable. The story Is told that one /
day there came q terrific storm Of 4
thunder, lightning, wind and rain,
which suddenly raised the water In /
the creek 80 high as 70 sweep down /
the wall Of the stockade on the west /
side, where the creek enters the en-.
closure that when the food subsidized /
Il was discovered that q spring Of
Of clear, pure water, had gushed out
OF the hills near the dead line,n
which flowed from that time onward
In such abundance as to supply the
entire army Of thirty thousand in
mates with pure water. Many Of the
famished soldiers looked upon this as
q direct interpretation Of the Almighty
to save them from the horrors Of the
polluted creek. That no spring was
visible up 10 this time, all the in
mates OF the stOckade agree upon de-
claTing. That such q spring did
burst from the sand Of the hillside. "a
as clearly established by thousands Of
grateful witnesses. /, too, saw its
clear, crystal waters boil up from the
white sand In a stream large enough
TO supply the city Of Des MOines with
drinking water; bat not being dis
posed TO accept Of the Especial prOvi-
dence" theory without q thorough in
vestigatiOn, hunted up the oldest
resident Of the place, n. p. SOubeF, the
station agent who had lived there SO
years, and asked him to tell me what I
lie knew OF the origin Of this spring.
lie informed me that he had known
the spring for more than 80 years.
That when this region was an I'M
broken forest this spring was a favor
lie resort for deer. That when the
stOckade was erected In February,
1854, the wOrkmen In excavatlng the
trench filled up the spring, 50 that
The water OOzed through the sand 10
The creek below, without rising TO the
surface. The food that swept the
stOckade walls away during the terri
bic August storm, washed the earth !
from the spring, and It again burst
forth clear and strong as Of old. The ,
Iamishlng prisoners, knowing moth.
ng % lie existence heretofore, natur-
Ally regarded u as an especial gift for
heir benefit
A romantic story Of the war Is told !
IN connection with the 128th Pennsyl-
7ania regiment. A feminine looking :
member OF the regiment who gave the
lame Of Frank Mayne assOelated' {
With none Of the members OF his COM
lany except a man named Fllzpat- s,
lex. One day, while near AleTsn. \
lria. Va. FitsDatriek vras taken snd. c
lenly ill aud removed % che hosnital
where he died, Il was said, In a few Z
lays, Of smallpox. Mayne DISPLAYED Z
grief over the death OF .
lie companion. He procured Q PASS =
o Alexandria soon afler on q plea OF '
ONE business, bat never returned.
bon after q soldier was wounded In =
Western Tennessee, and upon being .
AIKEN TO the hospital it was discover
4 that the soldier was q female and .
One other than Frank Mayna. "A .
sw weeks ago member % the i2eth >
egiment was sanding IN the rail- !,
7ay station az Altoona, when he was !,
pproached by 6 man who proved I,
imself 10 be Fitzpatrick, Whc- was Z.
opposed 20 have died % smallpox.
ie explained how be and Mavne -
fishing 60 transfer the scenes Of u
heir military exploits from the Easi 2.
} the West be had felgned aickness =
nd escaped from the hOabital and =
'as Joined BY Mayne. They both
lined IN Ohio rsglment, afler which
icy were wounded While in battle, q
I'd Mayne discovered 60 Be female.
Jayne Is bic wife, and they are now y
wing happily In Illinois.
iaeE0R Gen. HsMlToN INTER- y
VIEWED UPON TIE CHOLERA y
QUESTION
Surgeon General Hamilton Faid ne =