Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-20
GRAVES OF CONFEDERATES
Statistics Furnished Governor Gambler of
Georgia by Commission.
Locations of Prison Cemeteries in the
NOrth-Number Buried in Each
Those Identified.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star

expressed by President Mckinley regarding
the care of the graves of former confederates
by the United States government the follow
ing report made to Gov. Gambler is consid-
cred of much interest. The investigation
treated in the report was made by a COM
mission composed of Gen. Clement A.
Evans of Atlanta, Messrs. F. Edgeworth
Eve of Augusta, Robert E. Park of Macon,
NJ. Newman of Sandersvlle, A. NJ Foute of
Gainesville, William K. Pisburg of Daw-
son and G. NJ. Sorrel of Savannah. The
statistics they collected were incomplete
through the lack of funds to make an eX-
tended investigation, but large amount
OF material of real value at the present
time was collected. This Gen. Evans will
at once place at the disposal of the United
States government.
The commission has located confederate
graves in large numbers at the following
named places: Alton, ILL.,. Camp Chase
Ohio; Chicago, ILL.,, lakewood cemetery;
Johnson's Island, Ohio; Point Lookout Md. !;
Philadelphia. Pa, Mount Moriah cemetery
Also in national cemeteries, as follows:
Alexandria, Va; Andersonvile Ga; Ar
lington, Va; Barrancas, Fla; Riverton, Ill. !;
City Point, Va; Cypress Hills, N. Y; Firms
Point, N. j.; Fort Scott, Kan; Fort Smith,
Ark; Indianapolis, Ind; jefferson barracks
Mo-; Jefferson City, Mo-; LOudon Park
Md; Madison, Wis, Forest Hill cemetery
Mound City, ILL.,; Poplar Grove, Va; Rock
Island, H.; Soldiers Home, District of Co
iumbia; Woodlawn, Elmira, N. Y; York
town, Va.
Many Are Identified.
Confederate veterans buried in these
places are from all the southern states, and
the graves, fer the most part, are identified.
For instance, the cemetery at Camp Chase,
Ohio, contains 2,26O confederate dead of
which only 125 are unknown. Of the 9TH
ers, 337 are from Virginia, 1873 from Ken
lucky, 337 from Tennessee, 431 from Ala
bama, % from Texas, 265 from Georgia So
from South Carolina. 50 from North Caro-
lima, % from Arkansas 2O2 from Missis-
sippi, 60 from Florida, from Maryland. s
from Missouri and 50 from Louisiana
Camp Chase is one of the few confederate
burial places that in the past have been
cared for by the Grand Army of the Re-
public, and that this generous action was
taken is due to Col William H. Knauss Of
Columbus, a gallant federal soldier, who
decorated the graves with flowers June 4
last. The Robert f. Lee Post Confedera la
Veterans of Richmond then took the mat
ter up, and the following circular was is
sued:
There lie in prison cemeteries through
out the north 10000 of our dead With
two exceptions Camp Chase and Camp
Douglas) no stone marks their resting
place Soon even the localities will be for
gotten. Died in prison., these boys of ours :;
many from the far south. in their blue
jeans and brown cotton clothes, shivering
from the cold blasts of the north, even be-
fore the icy hand of death touched them
Who has reminded us of our duty to the
memory of these dead heroes? A generous
federal officer, bearing the scars and still
suffering from wounds won honorably in
battle with these men. All honor to Col.
William II. Knauss of Columbus Ohio who
in May, 1897, sent out an appeal to United
Confederate Veterans, asking that the
graves of the confederate prisoners buried
at Camp Chase should be remembered
This was done, but there are still 10000
who rest in unmarked graves. Had we for
gotten our dead? No: but the cry of the
needy wives and children of these dead
have ever been at our door, and we could
not reach beyond.
Necessity for Marking Graves
1.-The time has now come when these
graves must be marked. To accomplish
this object it will be necessary to raise
about $4,000. We only ask for a simple
shaft at these places, to be erected before
the next annual meeting of the United
Confederate Veterans in July, 1899 What
ever sum this committee has in hand by
next spring will be divided equally be-
tween the following thirteen prison GEM
eteres:
Alton, ILL.,. Camp Butler, Rfverton, ILL.,;
Camp Morton, Indianapolis Ind; EImira,
N. Y; Firms Point cemetery. New Jersey;
Johnsons Island, Ohio; Harris Island New
York; Old Capitol prison, Washington, D.
C.; Point Lookout Maryland; Rock Island
ILL.,; Sandusky, Ohio; Philadelphia, Pa; Pea
Patch Island, Del.
This fund is to be known as the 'monu-
ment fund Of confederate prisoners buried
in northern graves and all contributions
are to be sent to the treasurer. Col. James
T. Gray, past commander r. E. Lee Camp,
No. !, c. ", Richmond, Va, and nothing
can be drawn from this fund except over
his signature.
These dead hero es of ours from every
n hnir
throughout our land. Remember their sac
rifices and sufferings. All should feel it
their privilege to contribute to this cause.
Those who have relatives or friends still
wounded and missing may join in these
monuments and feel that their loved ones
will now be recognized 1t is such mod
est sum that is asked it ought to be read
lily got at once from our camps and con-
federate organizations alone but to insure
success, we cordially invite every one who
is interested in the confederate cause to
contribute their mite toward the accom-
plishment of this noble object
Individual Efforts.
ut has been ascertained that, while the
graves of our southern soldiers who died
as prisoners of war have been generally
neglected there are a few instances in
which patriotic and humane efforts have
been made to remove the reproach Of this
neglect from our country's name. Among
INDIVIDUAL euortS StaNQS conspicuous the
work of a widowed southern born woman
Mrs. Alice W. Waterman, who found a
lonely cemetery near Madison, Wis, where
1877 confederate prisoners had been buried
Her personal liberalty and labor turned
the spot into a place now called 'Confed-
crate Rest "
The report then gives the result of it's
Investigations in the following table:
AT Chicago, known graves, 1929; and
estimated on the records, which ware de-
stroyed by fire, 100; at Alton, 221S; at
Camp Butler. 40; at Rock Island. 1 $50;
at Mound City. "a, Total in Illinois. 1914
'Indiana-Indianapolis 1,4s4; New Jersey,
Firms Point 1.434; New York, Elmira and
Long Island, 3,435; Ohio johnson Island
and Columbus, 1857; Pennsylvania PhiIa-