Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-07-22


man p8used and told as we wefg stand
ING on ground that was part Of the old
prison pen. There was no sign az this
point Of ditch or stockade. The field
was freshly pIowed ard the growing
plants green and strong. The crop was
that of colored man. whose home We
might have guessed was near from the
voices Of negroes singing that hoated 70
~ through the copse of young pines %
our right. Graham temporarily forgot
the historic interest Of the spot 70 listen
to the rich melody and the eccentrlc
beating of time by the score of singers.
Walking across the little field We came
to ravine and the spot where s'Provi-
dence spring. had spouted up its waters
into the prison with 3 suddenuess caus-
ing the prisoners to deem it miracle
wrought by heaven in their behalf. Still
sfrolling on we reached where had been
the entrance to the stockade. The cabin
whence the singing came was not hun
dred yards distant, and SO enjoyable
was the sound of 10 that we iflvoluntarily
ceased conversation to drink il in.
ssYou think that worth listening TO,
said our venerable escort, when the song
was ended; .sbut over twenty years ago
! heard, just where we now are, a
grander song the noblest burst of vocal
melody that ever fell on mortal ear.
We asked that he tell OF the occasion.
We seated ourselves upon fallen tree,
but the old gentleman remained standing
before us, cane and hatin hand.
1T was a chorus of more than 80, 900
throas within the stockade there, eele-
brating the Fourth of July, 1854. 1t
was under circumstances such--but let
me explain the circumstances
He placed his hat upon stump near
him. and transferred his cane to his left
hand.
ION the first day of July, 1864, " he
resumed, ''there were Rnearly "a, 900
prisoners confined there. The weather,
excessively hot, was producing much
summer sickness among the sosdiery
guarding the prison. The latter was
largely composed of Georgia State troops
from the northern counties. To remove
both from the region Of their homes the
militia of the southern counties were
taken to Atlanta and that of the noun.
tain section assigned to duty at Ander
sonville and other southern points. So
prevalent became malarial illness among
the latter and so often was Ii fatal that
they became demoralized. Add to this
source Of uneasiness the steady advance
of Sherman's army, desolating the homes
of many of them and leaving their
families without bread. Such WAS
the anxiety Of these men that by
the first of July the guard had
become smartly decimated by assertions.
On the nights of the first aud second
over 800 assertions were added. One
entire company marched of, rank and
file, taking their arms with them, This
defamation of the guard had, by the Sd,
become serious affair to the commander
of the post, and when at nightfall Writ
became suspicious that the prisoners had
gotten wind of the situation and might
be planning break for liberty, he tele-
graphed General Cobb, commander of
the third military district, with head
quarters at Macon, for reinforcements
But Cobb had none to send, and could
only promise to come in person.
THE following morning, the 4th Of
July, discovered yet further diminution
of our force. went on guard mount at
0 o'clock. Ny position was at the top
of the stockade wall; about there, "point-
ing little TO the right of where had
been the entrance. 1.-The scenes within
the prison were somewhat unusual. Here
and there groups would form and hold
undertoned conversations. Witnessing
this, Wirtz grew yet more uneasy and
ordered all his force under arms.
"a little after III o'clock Captain
HArgre, 81 Gara~m1 NUswIa~ urv.kh o,,.af
escort, walked to the station. A few
steaming through the pines from the di.
rection of Macon, from which, when il
drew up at the depot, stepped General
Cobb and two officers Of his staff There
was a few minutes of conversation be-
tween them and Writ and Winder, aud
then the party, with the escort, marched
toward the stockade.
s'While Writ was forming the troops
of the post into hollow square, facing
to the centre, General Cobb and staff
stood with Winder in the shade Of yon-
der tree. Looking at Howell Cobb, !
remembered his having been secretary Of
war OF the United States. IL was evil
dent he was going to speak, and | was
glad that my station was near enough TO
hear him. 1t was about Eve minutes be-
fore twelve o'clock, noon, when. accom-
panied by his staff, Writ and Winder, he
walked to the centre of the square and,
with Writes assistance, stepped upon the
large stump you see there.
:" Soldiers of the Confederate States,
he began, what news is this that has
been borne to your district commander
from the commandant Of this post2 Can
1t be possible that soldiers Of the South
--Georgians- have been guilty of deser-
ton of abandoning the duty assigned
them Of guarding yonder horde of van
dals, whom your more vaIorous brothers
in arms have captured upon many we'll.
fought fieldY
AT this instant, twelve o'clock, from
the centre Of the prison pen vas heard a
sound of song. Turning my eyes in thar
direction, saw that several thousand
men had congregated, while Others were
Fastening toward the assemblage. Per