The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-06-12
ANDERSONVILLE.
Memorial Day Services at the Old Prison.

| the recent action of the Grand Army relative
| to this famous aud to many sadly-romembered
| place. has been of such character that deem
| it proper to tell the story through the widely
read columns Of THE NATIONAL tribune.
For many years past, in fact through all the
| years since the war, tho graves of our dead at
| Andersonvlle have received little attention on
| Memorial Day, save ut the hands of the colored
| people, who made of that day picnic occasion,
and lOcked to tho place by thousands. Less
| than two years ago small Post of the Grand
| Army Edward s. jones' was formed in Macon
| from tho very few Union soldiers resident here,
| and last year an effort was made TO hold proper
| services there, tho Post with its friends to the
| number about so going there. Their very
| weakness impressed them all tho moro strongly
with the Importance Of keeping alive the mem
| DRY Of the men lying there, and they then de-
| termned to call tho attention of the comrades
| North to the work which they wished to do
| to show proper respect to these 1902 men who
| died from confinement and suffering and star
| walton. The subject was brought before the
| Department Encampment Mt Augusta, Ga. in
| January, and a Memorial Committee appointed.
1t should be borne in mind that while this is
| almost the smallest Department of the Grand
| Army, IL has more than 10000 graves of COM
rades within its limits.
| The appeal was made by the committee, and
at once the aid sought for began to flow in, first
| n little stream, and then growing larger and
! larger Flags to the number of 8, 100 came from
| illinois, while flowers were sent from Califor-
mia, and money and flags and flowers from ev-
| erywhere until the sum Of nearly $1,000 ex-
| hibited the magnificent sympathy and love of
! the boys-aud girls too, for much of this came
| from the WOman's Relief CorpS-for the mem
| DRY of those gone before.
With such fund so far exceeding the ex-
| pectations of the most sanguine dream which
] had been In the minds of some of the comrades
! begaB to take shape. Tho site of Anderson
| vile prison was for sale, and there were whis-
| pers of an effort TO purchase it for speculative
| purposes. There was little time TO think. but
| IL was believed that the action would meet the
| approval of every comrade OF the Grand Army
| every where, aud after provision was made
| for services at every cemetery in the Depart
mont, aud for the decoration of every grave,
the Chairman of the Committee, DIR. J. w.
Stone. of Atlanta, visited Andorsonviie, aud in
IA few hours the deeds to tho Andersonvillo
prisou-pcn and the title to the property was
vested in the names of two of our comrades TO
be transferred TO the Department of Georgia as
soon AS 10 can become au Incorporated body.
What shall be now done with 10; what steps
shall be taken 10 make IL a mecca toward which
the steps of thousands of comrades, aud of
mothers wives and sisters of those who suffered
and died there shall turn, remains TO BIZ de-
cidod.
And now for the story Of May Both nj Andcr.
sonyiilo, day which many OF those present
look upon as the dawn OF n new era in the
/ South. Who would have thought five years
| ago, or even three years ago. that q native of
tho South, reared in al tho Southern traditions.
whose k!ud3men had almost 10 u mau fought
| and many OF them died for the ConfcdeFacy,
| even though he bore the ever hon0rcd name OF
| Washington-I say, who could have thought
| that such an one would ever stand in our day
| over the graves no AndeFsouyiile and there do
IN ffa bn n{ ntrfu
and heart thrilling sentiments Tor the living
Yet so IL was, and on that day every Grand
| Army man aud every loyal man of those as
| scmblcd at Audersonvile was proud OF Hon.
| Hugh Y. Washington, OF Macon, young man
| of 20, who was one OF tho orators OF the day.
| Hon David T.. BEEN. Of Spencer. Ind. was tho
/ other, aud his speech was full OF oloquonce, of
! reverence Tor the dead aud for their cause.
The efforts OF Edward y Jones Post aud par
! tieulary Of it's Commander, Comrade l. ID.
/ Crawford had brought together instead of tho
little band Of 80 OF last year more than 10 times
rs many Of the best people of Macon, together
/ with many along tho line of road, who were
/ carried by special train In addition 10 these
/ tho colored people 10 the number OF several
| thousand were present from Macon, Columbus
/ aud Americas, and be 10 said to their honor
that in all this great and mixed assembly not
| Il single unpleasant occurrence married the
Bocmiy docorum which beGtted the occasion.
] n
/ eHcc OF five comrades, james Coon, T.. L. Still.
man and +. C. Maxson, Of Wisconsin; $. g. Bur-
dick, Of Illinois, aud J. Is. Robinson, of Mime
| sofa, all members Of the S5th ~ y which has
/ over 200 of It's roster npon the death-roi of
! Andersonville. These comrades, accompanied
| by their wives, had come from their distant
! homes TO visit once moro the place of their
| former confinement. whore nearly year of
| their lives had been spent, and 10 do honor to
| the dear ones they had left behind, Mrs. Bur.
dick had brother lying there, aud had written
| poem, "A Pilgrimage Song, for the occasion,
| the language of which, and the beautiful man
| ner with which she delivered it, touched every
| heart, and NJ It's conclusion every eye in all the
multitude who heard it was moist
| AS a fitting conclusion to the ceremonies of
the day, Il Campfire was held In the evening at
| che Hotel LanieT, in Macon, ut which all the
| visiting comrades aud many ex C0niederutcs
| were present. | wish IL were in my power to
give Your readers some slight idea of how our
| hearts were warmed, aud how we realized, some
| of u.s. AZ least. that the Grand Army of the
| Department of Georgia, though feeble numeri-
| caliy, has done and is doing Ii great work.
The Union soldier in the South has been but
little recognized of late, either politically or in
any other way. and there are many people who
either don't know he is here or think if he is,
| he must of necessity have changed his colOrs.
He is here, and he hasn't changed his colors,
but has all the while been working quietly,
| living honestly, and expressing his convictions
| and standing by his principles whenever ncces-
| sary, and his influence has had it's effect.
Speeches were made by comrades at that
Campfire which few years ago could not have
been made in the South, and responses were
given by ex CGnlederates which were in some
instances surprise 10 US who are familiar with
tho changing sentiment which tho years have
brought and yet those responses received tho
hearty applause Of other OK. COnfcderates pres
ent. Mai j. Il. Hanson who served through
tho war in the Southern army, il known
throughout the South aud largely in the Nor tn
rs one of the leading, If not the leading thinker
Of the Sonth. President Harrison appointed
him year since rs tho Southern member OF
tho Pan American Congress. When no de-
nOunccd the rebellion rs All utterly unnecessary
war, and exhibited the fact that the great
heart of tho South was not in 10, Mrs. NJ A.
Burdicls, who sat beside tho writer, whispered
Am dreaming? Is it possible that Southern
men really do say these things and mean
Lhemi"
AS he went on to quote from tho speech OF
Hon. Ben IL. ILL., made i'll the Winter of 1862 g.
before the Legislature at Miiledgeville, the then
Capital of Georgia, where, in giving an excuse
for the CONSUMPTION act recently passed by the
Confederate Congress, he stated that up to the
passage OF that act but rs, 900 men had volun.
teered throughout all the South to fight against
the flag, her enthusiasm almost overcame her
as she said, " / only hope | can make my friends
in the North believe me when tell them what
! have heard"
Rut I buva straIcho al this srticla noosi hl ii