The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-07-23
A THRILLING SCENE.
An Ex-COnfederate Describes an An.
dersOnville Fourth Of July.

field of young cotton, the old gentle
man paused and told us we were stand
ing on ground that was part OF the old
prison pen. There was no sign at this
point of ditch or stockade The field
was freshly plowed and the growing
plants green and strong. The crop was
that of a colored man, whose home we
might have guessed was near from the
voices of negroes singing that foated to
us through the copse of young pines to
our right. Graham temporarily forgot
the historic interest Of the spot to listen
to the rich melody and the eccentric
beating of time by the score of singers.
Walking across the little field we came
to ravine and the spot where "Provi-
dence spring" had spouted up its waters
into the prison with a suddenness caus-
ing the prisoners to deem it miracle
wrought by heaven in their behalf. Still
strolling on we reached where had been
t,-o entrance to the stockade. The cabin
whence The singing came was not hun
dred yards distant, and so enjoyable
was the sound of it that we involuntarily
ceased conversation to drink it in.
''You think that worth listening to-"
said our venerable escort, when the song
was ended; 'but over twenty years ago
l heard, just where we now are,
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 hat in hand.
cit was a chorus Of more than 80, 900
throas within the stockade there, cele-
brating the Fourth of July, 1864. 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.
lon the first day of July, 1864" he
resumed, ''there were nearly $4,000
prisoners confined there. The weather,
excessively hot, was producing much
summer sickness among the soidiery
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
I the latter and so often was it fatal that
they became demoralized. Add to this
Source Of uneasiness the steady advance
of Sherman's army, deso!ating 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 gflard had
become smartly decimated by desertions.
On the nights of the first and second
| over 800 desertions were added. One
entire company marched Off, 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 nightfali Wirtz
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.
1.-The following morning, the 4th of
July, discovered yet further diminution
of our force. l went on guard mount at
8 o'clock. My position was at the top
of the stockade wall; about there, point
ing a little to the right of where had
been the entrance 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.
GA little after II o'clock Captain
| Wirtz and General Winder, with small
escort, walked to the station. A few
minutes later a lone locomotive came
steaming through the pines from the di-
rection of Macon, from which, when it
drew up at the depot, stepped General
Cobb and two officers of his staff. There
| was few minutes of conversation be-
tween them and Wjrtz and Wjnder, and
then the party, with the escort, marched
toward the stockade.
"While Wirtz 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, l
remembered his having been secretary of
war of the United States. It was evi-
dent he was going to speak, and | was
glad that my station was near enough to
hear him. It was about five minutes be-
(; fore twelve o'clock, noon, when. accom-
panied by his staff, Wirtz and Winder, he
walked to the centre of the square and,
with Wirtz's assistance, stepped upon the
large stump you see there.
g Soldiers of the Confederate States,
he began, what news is this that has
been borne to your district commander
from the commandant of this post? Can
it be possible that soldiers of the South
-Georgians-have been guilty of deser-
tion-of abandoning the duty assigned
them of guarding yonder horde of van,
dals, whom your more valorous brothers
in arms have captured upon many well,
fought tield?'
cat this instant, twelve o'clock, from
the centre of the prison pen was heard
sound of song. Turning my eyes In tina,
direction, | saw that several thousand
men had congregated, while others were
fastening toward the assemblage. Per
haps not more than fifty voices were
wording the first verse of the familiar
anthem. The speaker outside was con-
tinuing expressions of astonishment at
what he had heard, when the chorus was
reached, and with detonations like an
explosion 5000 voices Dealed;
The star-spangled banner, oh. long may il
Der the land of the free and the home of the
brave!
ssThe song-burst had startled the
speaker or drowned his utterance, for he
had suddenly stopped and turned his
face toward it. When it had ceased,
on1, n four oooro uoioo, uora sin pinO O