The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-10

Report Captain Dykes company of artillery
is an efficient body of men, we'll drilled.
disciplined and Differed. The Fifty-ffth
Georgia is composed of men VINO were absent
from their command at the time this regiment
proper was captured at Cumberland Gap They
are thoroughly demoralized. mutinous, and en-
tirely without discipline, and should be at once
removed from this point and their places sup
@egiment, e. b. Harkie, though armed at the
slime, permitted his men 10 drag him from the
railroad car and march him I'D and down the
platform of the depot and TO take him from his
tent, place him on stump, and compel him to
60 through the manual of arms with tent pole,
aud to sign and forward his resignation to the
War Department. This last he recalled by a
telegram from Fort Valley. He has recently re-
Joined the command, but dares not resume the
command of the regiment The four regiments.
Georgia Reserves have been newly organized,
and without any effort beng made to assign the
old and young to separate regiments, as should
have been done. large number are evidently
within the ages of eighteen and forty five, and /
respectfully recommend that a reliable conscript
officer be sent among them. These
troops are entirely without discipline, and
their officers are incapable of instructing
them, being ignorant of their own duties
recommend that competent officer of the In
valid Corps be assigned as drill officer aud in
struetor. l found their arms in serviceable
order, but many are lacking bayonets, cartridge
boxes and Announcements Furlows Battalion
of Georgia Militia. temporarily serving here, is
armed with muskets, without bayonets and ac-
coutrements; of the whole force there are ASP
men entirely without arms, IS will be seen
from the accompanying report of the com
1nander of the post There are required daily
FOR duty aggregate of 7S4 men, and frequent
details required in addition, at least i, 600
men. more esssntiallyin order to give the troops
their proper rest. The magazine has not yet
been completed, and the ammunition is kept
partly in the commissary store and partly in a
tent | also hand with this sketch and report Of
Captain Munroe, of the Engineer Corps, show
ing the nature of the defenses and other stock
AIDES being erected Sixteen pieces of artillery
are now here, some Of which are now in posi-
tion the others will be placed in position as
coon as the necessary works can be completed.
Six pieces more route II is believed no
other point in the State offers the advantages of
healthy location and facilities for safe-keeping
of the prisoners that is not more accessible to
raids. Nor can learn that any advantage on
the score of cheaper subsistence or greater COM
fort to the prisoners can be gained by the re-
xnoval to any other part of this State.
am decidedly Of the opinion that not over
fifteen thousand prisoners should be kept at this
point, the running water not being sufficient for
more than that number, and because it is i'm
possible for one man to exercise proper supervis-
son over them; that all over that number should
be sent elsewhere. At my request a survey of
che grounds has been made by Colonel Harkie,
fifty fifth Georgia Regiment and civil engineer,
submitted, with recommendation that his
plan be carried out by the engineer depart
inent. that being alone authorized to impress
the necessary labor The necessity for it is ur-
gent
| alsp recommend that supply of clothing be
furnished for issue to the prisoners, and that
soap and antiscorbutcs be regularly issued to
them. Attention is also specially invited to the
report of Chief Surgeon White, relative TO the
construction of barracks and the supply of addi-
fow hnSv ffo1 nd T
spectfuily suggest that commissioned officers of
the medical staff be sent to replace the contract
physicians and doctors detailed from the militia.
and that they be required to reside at the
post. The transportation OF the post is entirely
insufficient, and authority is needed by the quar-
termaster TO impress wagons, and teams, and
9aw-mills, when not employed by the govern
anent railroads and kept diligently occupied,
and instructions given to the quartermaster in
charge of transportation to afford every facility
practicable for transporting lumber and supplies
necessary for prisoners. Bake pans, or sheet
iron for making them. should be at once fur
nished. The telegraph lines should be continued
from Fort Valley to AnGersonville, thirty-one
miles. Attention is respectfully called to the
accompanying copy of an order issued by Bciga-
dtergeneral Gardner, to convert all moneys be-
longing to prisoners Ill the hands OF Quartermas-
ter at Richmond into Confederate currency and
at prices established by government, without
consulting the prisoners on the subject 1t will
be seen 10y the account book forwarded with this
Hhat some of these claim considerable amounts.
The injustice of compelling them to receive orr
currency against their consent is apparent. In
conclusion, l beg leave to recommend that
no more prisoners be sent to this already
overcro wded prison. and that at the two add
tlonal localities selected by General Winder
under instructions from General Bragg, the one
near Millen, Ga, the other some point in Ala
bama. south of Cahawba, arrangements be at
once made for the excess over fifteen thousand
At this point. and such others as may be capt
ured. Since my inspection was made over thir
teen hundred prisoners have been added to the
humber specified herewith With a view OF re-
leving to some extent this point as soon as pos
eible, | respectfully suggest that two thousand of
those who most need the change, especially the
Belle Isle prisoners, be at once sent to Macon to
occupy the quarters vacated by the federal Off
GERS, that being the greatest number who can be
properly accommodated with shelter at that
prison 1t is absolutely necessary that the regu-
lations for the government of the prisoners be
legiblv painted boards and exposed in con-
spicuons pieces, say 10y mailing on the sutler-shop
and in the inner face of the stockade at various
points Those established by Captain Wirz,
herewith submitted. are approved, with the ex-
ceptiou of Paragraph 4, which is recommen ded
shall be stricken out.
aiu Colonel your obedent servant,
ID. CHANDLER, A. A. & l. G.
On the same day on which he wrote the above,
Colonel Chandler wrote second report, from
which the following is taken
My duty requires to recommend change
In the officer in command Of the post, Brig. gen.
j. H. Winder, and the substitution III his place
Of some one who unites both energy and good
Judgment. with some feelings of humanity and
consideration of the welfare and comfort $50 far
As it is consistent with their keepingl of the
vast number OF unfortunates placed under his
control. Some one who, at least, will not advo-
cate deliberately and in cold blood the propriety
OF leaving them in their present condition until
their number has been sufficiently reduced by
death TO make their present arrangement suffice
for their accommodation; who will not consider
1t a matter of selflandation and Boosting that
ne has never been inside the stockade a place
the horrors of which IL is difficult to describe.
and which is disgrace to civilization the condi-
ton of which he might, by the exercise of a lit
tie energy and judgment, even with the limited
means at his command, have considerably i'm
proved
XSaifors ExcluAad frarr1 ha Stata-HouSo