The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-06-08
THE ANDEHsONVILLE PRISON
The Battles Fought Over this Ills
toric Prison Long After tho War
Ended


toric Prison Long After tho War
Ended
The Andersonville prison, which was
located in Southern Georgia, has caus-
ed more talk than any other Confcder-
ate place oi confinement. 10 ali there
were 10000 prisoners who passed
through that enclosure, and 1T is stated
that 1000 died. IT has generally been
compared to the Federal prison at Ell
mia, Y, where q greater proportion
pcrisheu. The mortality among pris.
oners OF war on both sides of the great
conflict was very great. OF 220, 600
taken by the Federals and confined in
Northern prisons, 26, 900 died or 270 :
OOO taken by the COnfeuerates and CON
hned In Southern prisons, % 600 died
Ihe worst experiences of all Southern
prisons were those at AndersOnville.
The horrors oi war were then aggrava.
ted by the fact that medicine could
not be had, IT had been made con
trdband OF war by The Federal govern.
ment, and all but home made medicine
had TO come in through the blockade
TO relieve this situation the Confed-
crate government asked for an OK.
change, but 1t was broken In 1869, and,
all Efforts to get new cartel were
u. y,
vice president Of the Confcderacy, on
board torpedo boat in James river,
sent through the Union admiral at
Hampton Roads u request for con-
ference, and an opportunity to deliver
communication "Om President ID wis
proposing 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 liked policy of the Federal
government after the early part OF
1869, and General Grant gave the rea-
son for 1T. He said that the Confeder-
ates exchanged would be forced back
into the lines, whereas those liberated
from Southern prisons, when they got
back home, would take u furlough, and
| hall OF them would never return to the
army. Exchange, he said, would rein
iorce the Confederate armies, cause
tho defeat Of Sherman, and prolong
the war, which would be a greater
hardship on those who were fighting
the battles OF the Union than cont nc.
ment was to those who were in South
ern prisons.
Failing to get removal OF the cartel
Tor exchange, tho Confederate govern.
ment asked the Federal governmen,
to send for the sick AMI wounded
Federal soldiers confined in the South
ern prisons. This was done in August
1864, and 1t was not until Decem bel
that the ships sent for this purpose
reached Savannah. During the fou,
or five months intervening between
those dates the greatest mortality oc
Cured at Andersonville. BY law o
the Confederate Congress, the prison
ers OF war received the same rations a.
the Confederate soldiers, and whel
Lees army was ragged, barefoot ant
hall starved In front OF Richmond, tn,
Federal soldiers confined In Southern
prisons. felt the same hardships, bu
those who had money were allowed t.
buy provisions. Being unused to tn
climate and depressed by homesick
ness and suspense, they were an cas-
prey to disease, and the lack OF medi
cines made 1t impossible for Confeder
ate surgeons to cope with the disease
which attacked the prisoners. 1t wa
for this reason that Jefferson Dayi
asked the Federal government to sen
for the sick and wounded without tn
formality OF exchange. This inyits
tion was accepted after several month,
delay, and after Sherman's march Il
, the sea.
Captain Wirz, who had charge of tn
, prisoners at Andersonville, was after
wards tried for murder, and as tn
| trial occurred when the passions {