Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-06-12
The ANDERSONYILLE. PRISON.

lQe A0QeTSOuVlllo pTlSOu, WuiCu "nS
located in southern Georgia, has caus.
ed more talk than any other Confeder-
ate place of confinement. In all there
were 10000 prisoners who passed
through that enclosure, and it is stated
that Il, 900 died. 1t has generally been
compared to the Federal prison at El-
mira, N. Y, where greater proportion
perished. The mortality among pris-
oners of war on both sides of the great
conflict was very great. Of 100000
taken by the Federals and confined in
northern prisons, $4,000 died. Of
100000 taken by the Confederates and
confined in southern prisons, $4,000
died. The worst experiences of all
southern prisons were those at Ander-
sonville. The horrors of war were
then aggravated by the fact that medi-
cine could not be had. 1t had been
made contraband of war by the Fed
eral government, and all but home
made medicine had to come in through
the blockade. To relieve this situation
the Confederate government asked for
an exchange, but it was broken in 1868,
and all efforts to get new cartel were
futile. When Alexander H. Stephens,
vice president of the Confederacy, on
board torpedo boat in James river,
sent through the Union admiral at
Hampton Roads request for confer
ence. and an opportunity to deliver a
communication from President Davis
proposing a cartel for exchange, the
answer came back from Gideon Wells,
acting secretary of the navy, that the
proposition could not be entertained.
This was the fixed policy of the Federal
government after the early part OF
1868, and General Grant gave the rea-
son for it. He said the Confederates
exchanged would be forced back into
the lines, whereas those liberated from
southern Prisons, when they got back
home, would take furlough, and half
of them would never return to- the
army. Exchange, he said, would rein
force the Confederate armies, cause
the defeat of Sherman, and prolong
the war, which would be a greater
hardship on those who were fighting
the battles of the Union than confine
ment was to those who were in south
ern prisons.
Failing to get renewal of the car
tel for exchange, the Confederate gov
ernment asked the Federal govern
ment to send for the sick and wound
ed Federal soldiers confined in the
southern prisons. This was done in
August, 1864, and it was not until
December that the ships sent for this
purpose reached Savannah. During
the four or five months intervening
between those dates the greatest NOR
tality occurred at Andersonville. By
law of the Confederate congress, the
prisoners of war received the same ra-
tions as the Confederate soldiers, and
when Lees army was ragged, bare.
footed and half starved in front OF
Richmond, the Federal soldiers con-
fined in southern prisons, felt the same
hardships, but those who had money
were allowed to buy provisions. Be-
ing unused to the climate and de-
pressed by homesickness and sus-
pense, they were an easy prey to dis
ease, and the lack of medicines made
it i'm possible for Confederate surgeons
to cope with the diseases which at,
tackled the prisoners. 1t was for this!
reason that Jefferson Davis asked the
Federal government to send for the
sick and wounded without the formal
ity of exchange. This invitation was
accepted after several months delay,
and after Sherman's march to the sea.
Captain Wirz, who had charge of
the prisoners at Andersonville, was
afterwards tried for murder, and as
the trial occurred when the passions of
war were at white heat, there could be
but one result-conviction An effort
was made to implicate President JEFF
ferson Davis, then prisoner, and the