The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-05-05
THE SOUTHERN SIDE;
Or, Andersonville Prison.

M. D.. Surgeon-in- Chief Mt Andersonville. His
avowed purpose in writing it is to perform the
sacred duty of indicating the memory OF
fallen heroes, as well as erasing dark stain
most uniustly cast upon the character OF the
Southern people" In other words, he would
simply make not write-a little history
| on his own account.
In attempting to erase the said dark stain"
the gentleman has undertaken heroic task
If it ever should be successfully accomplished
| it will require the use of an "eraser" that has
not yet appeared III any market of the world.
The words of Lady Macbeth are very sug-
gestive in their application to the case in point.
| As she beheld on her hands the indelible stains
of the blood of Duncan, she exclaimed in the
| bitterness of her soul:
"out,. damned spot out, sayi
What; will these hsnds ne.er be eeaneaf
Here's the smell of blood STILL
All the perfumes of Arabia will not swesssaV
little hand"
Many of the statements of the volume in
question are self-contradictory, while many
others contain libels as false and foul as ever
were written against God or man. Its method
OF reasoning is OF that peculiar typo so preva-
! lent in the South in ante-bcllum days, and by
which her orators, statesmen, and divincs JUS
titled the institution of human slavery, proving
to their own satisfaction, in the light of ethnol-
| ogy social ethics, international law, political
| economy, moral and political philosophy, and
divine revelation, that slavery was right and
/ should be perpetual. Ii was unblushingly as
sumed that the STAKEHOLDER was n co-worker
| with God; that the enslavement of the African
race here in America was q part OF the Divine
Administration for the enlightenment, civilza-
! ton. and Christianization of the Dark CONT
nent." By this same system of false logic the
| ignorant Of the South was taught to believe
that the North was wholly responsible Tor the
war of the rebellion, and that the real secedcrs
from the principles Of the American Republic
were the people who remained loyal to its flag.
And by it this DR.. Stevenson seeks to lay at
the same door the responsibility for the bar
baTism and atrocious crueltles practlced upon
Union prisoners by his CO. consprators. Were
it not that hard by the place of the Anderson
vile prison pen the graves of 1912 brave
Unions soldiers bear silent witness toitsextsteDce,
we might yet be informed by some entcrpris-
ing historian" that there never was any
such place as Andersonville. Since the place
that once knew the Libby Bastie shall know it
no more forever, it will now be in order for
some apologist for Southern savagery to de-
clare that its existence was altogether apochry
rhal, having place only in an excited Yankee
Imagination.
According to this DR.. Stevenson, the hearts
of JEFF Davis Winder, Dick Turner, Wirz and
other Confederate "angcls," were constantly in
the throes of almost mortal agony over the
wretched condition OF the Federal prisoners.
Their benevolent sympathies were always in
ebullition, and their eyes red with weeping
over tho sad lot Of the unfortunates in their
hands which they were powerless TO relieve.
They tossed upon their beds through the silent
watches Of the night, and tortured their brains
into fever in their efforts TO conjure up some
method by which the suferings of the men
they loved so well might be mitigated. Their
gentle hands were never laid unon prisoner
either metaphorically or physically, except in
the loving administration of some brOther!y
kindness. Posterity is implored to repudiate
as wholly false the story of their deliberate
cruelties. as told by the impartial historians of
the war of the rebellion, as well as by the liv-
ing witnesses who survived their barbarous
treatment.
The limits of this article forbid any adequate
review of the volume before me. ] shall there
fore summarize few of its leading points and
statements.
J. The site Of Andersonville prison was
chosen with reference 10 the peculiar health
fitness of the locality, being in an elevated
country, with abundance OF good water
Surg Joseph Jones c. g. A. made scien-
tife examination of the medical topography of
Andersonville and vicinity, and on Sept. %,
1864, made report of his observations to DR..
Stevenson, then in charge of the medical de-
follows is his statement in reference to the
supply of water Those who still survive their
bitter experience in Andersonville will be able
to judge of its truth.
81 have also carefully examined the waters
within the stockade and hospital and find
them of remarkable purity. The water Of the
stream that enters the stockade, as well as of
the bold spring that mingles its waters with
the stream Just after it enters the stockade,
and rri fch ayT IL by he r,riz.
oners for drinking and cooking, is of great
purity. The same is true Of the water
OF the stream which enters the hospital in
closure"
Now, bear In mind that this report was made
Sept. %, 1864. six months and more after An
Jacksonville closed its gates upon its first pris-
oner; then place by its side the following from
the report of Chief-Surgeon White the prede-
cessor Of Surg. Stevenson, made to Gen. Winder
Aug. g. 1864, some six weeks prior TO the re-
port of Surgeon Jones:
Near the stockade, in southwark
direction, is a creek whose margins are muddy
and Doggy. Through the center of the stock
ade passes a smaller stream of similar charac-
ter = The water obtained from the
stream is unfit for use, containing many i'm
purites from the bakery and cook house. Some
Of the camps OF the garrison are situated on
this stream, the suTface-drainage Of which
empties into this stream before passing through
the stockade."
II viii be observed from the foregoing cx-
tracts that on Sept. % the water supply was
" Of remarkable purity" while on the 9th Of
August preceding it was "unfit for use."
Now, what had happened in the meantime to
parity these waters? No pretense is made of
anything having been done by the prison au-
thorities to bring about such desirable con-
summation. 1t is Surg. White against Surg.
Jones. Which shall we believe?
the wrctched condition Of the prison and the
prisoners in August, 1864, to the Confederate
War Department, is well known. This DR..
Stevenson has the gall to assert that the animus
Of Col. Chambers report was hig personal
prejudice against Gen. Wnder. 4. h.-Gen.
Chiffon, referring the report of Col. Chandler
to the Secretary of War, placed upon it this
Endorsement: The condition Of the prison is
a reproach 10 Us as a Nation" The strange
thing about the whole matter is that under the
fostering and tender ministries Of such
phlanthropists as JEFF Davis and his rebel crew
are alleged TO have been, such state of things
as is described in these reports could have been
at all possible.
2 1.-THE sufferings al Andersonville were the
result Of q malignant pestilence, coupled with
the uncomfortable events Of fierce and bitter
war"
Whose wicked conspiracy brought on the
fierce and bitter war;? The civilized world
has yet TO be convinced that any others but the
FIRE eating leaders % the South were responsible
for the bloody struggle and therefore response
bic FOR all the horrid results growing out of it.