The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1889-01-24


j. i Harris for the following incident re
iaiive TO Providence Spring, which broke
ont At Andersnnsillr, and saved 40 many
lives aud banisbed so much torture. '.Hav.
ing heard 80 much controversy and srgu.
ment concerning the origin OF 'rrosiaeaos
Spring that broke forth from a side bill
IN Aadcrsonv'lle prison pen during tho
var thought, knowing as Il think do
all about the matter, that il nigh, be
pleasure. II not only duty 10 throw such
light on the matter as will prove sa,i.fae
tory toall concerned.
II was confined 10 Andersonyilla iuring
the late spring aud summer Of 1864. aud
again visited the place last winter (lssi
aud 1850 The spring 10 question broke
out from the side OF hill on August 10.
1864 without any previous Indication Of
spring on even dsmpness ut that point
II is true II rained very much during the
month Of June (2l days, aud tho argument
has been used by some that the spring
broke out on account or the rain: but
that is absurd for several reasons. la the
hrst place | know that Andersonyille pri-
son was underlsid with sand TO depth of
OF least 80 feet Gas have helped to dig
well to that depth near the spring. and il
would be impossible for the rain water OF
June TO delay its action Ia that bank OF
pure sand until August 10. Secondly,
there has certainly been some dry weather
since that spring broke ont and il i, bad
only been supplied by seepage water from
rains II would fail TO flow in dry weather.
which has certainly never been the case,
as any OF the citiz,ns will tell You who
live in that vicinity.
"others have claimed that Providence
Spring was supplied by a branch OF the
run that went through the camp, tracing
its way through the sand to the point a,
which 1t broke out, but such is not The
case, for the spring at that time flowed
from the side Of north hill at least eight
feet higher than the level OF the water in
the run II is not today because il had.
by the action OF its water on the sand.
washed sgully or ravine 10 depth OF about
eight feet, and is consequently at present
on or nearer the level with the water IA
tho run. Now when the prisoners OF war
confined in Andersonville prison pen
were suffering yes, dying--for want OF
pure water 0or there was the excrement
and filth from the Confederate camp OF
two regiments washed into the run that
furnished the only water we could get un-
I'll August Is. 1864, Providence Spring
broke forth from side hill that had Civ
En- no such indications, at least since March
/, 1864, at which time II had been first
occupied as camp, and II il had ever run
or flowed previous TO that time II GER
tainly would have been as natural for II to
wash out the eight foot gully or ravine st
that time Is il has done since, As soon
as daylight came and the spring was dis
covered first IL broke ont Ia the nght)
there was an excitement among the pris-
oners in it's immediate vicinity; in fact it
almost turned intoa crazy mob to secure
some Of the cooling beverage until tho
prison police took possession OF the
spring, after which time each man had
to fall into line down the, bill aud iake
his turn to get his cup or pail filed with
the water Some OF the citizens who live
near Andersonville claim that there bad
been spring there years before their
time, and when questioned about the
matter they admicted tat least to me)
that they personally knew nothing about
Il. but had heard so and 80 from some.
body else. OF course, the washing out
that the spring has done since we first
discovered is Is sufficient argument 10
show positively that their talk is without
any foundation for truth whatever, and
are only (in my opinion) trying TO obli-
terate the providence Of Almighty God.