The Wichita daily eagle., 1898-02-19
Restoring AndersonWlle.

Atlanta, Ga, Feb. 1S.-The site of the
! old Andersonville Prison, in which so
many Union soldiers were confined dur
ing the war, is being rapidly beautified
| through the efforts of the Women's Relief
| Corps, aided by the advisory board, COM
prising a number of the leading members
of the Grand Army of the Republic resi-
dent in Georgia. The site occupies a
! lofty plateau lying between the more fer
| tile regions Of southwest Georgia and the
| pine barrens of the South. Not far dis
| tant is the National Cemetery, which is
under the superintendence of Colonel
| Thomas Frame, who has kept the grounds
in good state of preservation.
! The present improvements were project
| ed at the meeting of the Grand Army in
! st. Paul, MINI, in 1896, when Capt. Av-
erlH was instructed TO purchase an addi-
| tional tract of 1415 acres, so as 10 take in
all the old forts left out when the original
lot was purchased by the United States
government. He did so, making it possi-
bic almost TO re-establish the old outlines
of the prison grounds. AT the meeting in
Buffalo, last September, it was decided
that the business of looking after the
grounds should be turned over to the
Women's Relief Corps, and the board
above mentioned was appointed.
Capt. Averin has devoted a great deal
of time to the Improvement of the old
prison grounds. A wire fence has been
erected around the entire tract of IS 2-10
acres, and plans have been made for the
principal lodge, which will be occupied
by Caretaker William w. Williams. an
old Union veteran. This building will be
a two-story structure of nine rooms. TO
cost S1,700. 1t will be completed by April
l, and will be sufficiently capacious to
give accommodations TO visitors. 1t viii
be near the northwest gate, which is con-
structed at the entrance of the beautiful
driveway between the National Gene
terry and the old prison grounds.
The different wells dug throughout the
grounds by the prisoners are still easily
located, each by a little copse of under
growth left even after the United States
government had cleared hte grounds of
most of the shrubbery, and every one Of
those wells will be preserved. They are
from ten to twelve feet deep. The famous
Providence Spring" which was discov-
cred by prisoner who had been reduced
to the last extremity for water. will be
protected by a marble basin and an ap-
propriate monument, if funds are secured.
AT present the board of managers have
but $1,000 on hand to carry out the work
of Improvement. and, after taking out
500 necessary to pay for the wire fence,
and 81, 700 for the house of the caretaker,
and something for his salary, their treas
ury will be very bare.
Through the generosity of Boston ladies
the old west gates" erected on Boston
Common soon after the close of the war,
and which cost $4,000. have been donated
to the board and will be removed TO An
dersOnVille early in the summer, and
erected near the entrance from the west
erly side of the prison grounds, where the
big road constructed by the government
runs, connecting the railroad station with
the National Cemetery. The main en-
trance will be at the northwest corner,
near the caretaker's residence. Thence
a driveway has been constructed making
the entire circuit of the grounds, and 9TH
er driveways will be constructed later, so
as to make of the old Andersonville prison
grounds one of the most pleasant parks
in the country.
The additional purchase includes all the
old forts. one of which was located at
each of the corners of the grounds, the
one on the southeast being the headquar-
ters of Col. Wurz. The original outlines
of the old stockade will be marked by
neat hedge of evergreens.