The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-01-17

CAMP FoRNANCE,
January 10. 1899.
EDITOR REPUBLICAN,
DEAR SIR AND FRIENDs-Laet Sunday
morning. news concerning the muster
ing out of the regiment was received and
everything was in state of excitement
for while. The band played Home
Sweet Home," during guard mount, and
every man who wanted it, was given a
pass until eleven o'clock at night.
That evening, Lieut.. R. E. Graham,
sergt's Edward s. Hawker and Jay
L. Harrod, Corp. @. Harry Moore, W
| W. Black and myself secured leave Of
absence and went about a hundred
miles southwest of Macon. We left
Macon about 7:30 p. m. and started for
Andersonville. On the way down We
were informed that we could not find
hotel accommodations at Anderson
vile. so we went on to Americus where
a number of regiments of soldiers are
now csmped, among them the 1st
Territorial, I'd Missouri and 3rd Missis-
sippi.
: We left Americus for Andersonville
: the next morning about five o'clock and
arrived at our destination in about half
an hour. We Immediately started for
, | the old prison grounds arriving there q
, little before dawn.
Il After eating breakfast we started out
;, over the grounds, starting at the west
corner of the old stockade. The wells
dug by tho prisoners are still in good
state of preservation, many of them
/. being very deep. Among the first
q points of interest which we visited was
providence Spring." The spring is
y still flowing and we each drank from it,
. The old stump from under which the
= spring flows is decaying, but yet will
last many years.
Next, we went to the spot where the
!. six Raiders" were hung by their fellow
prisoners for robbing their comrades
!. From here We went to the position onc'
. occupied by the "Dead House." Th'
- only remains of this spot are few piece
- of brick lying on the ground. Leaving
this we went to the we'll into which tn
- Confedt rate soldiers are said to hav'
- thrown their ammunition.
. Near the camp still stands an oil
IL hickory tree which was used as an out
look tree By the Confederate force
guarding the prison.
We next went to the National Gene
% % terry where the noble boys who lost thei
J. lives in the cesspool of disease, starvs
ct ton and inhumanity, lie buried. Nor
n. than 13 900 Union dead are buried hers
y their graves each marked by sma
in slab bearing their name and the Stat
Q. from which they came, where they 81
70. known, and the number of their grave
AZ we stood in that hsllowed groun
~ each one was impressed with its sacred
no ness. We of today who have the hone
~ Of wearing the blue in defense of tt
>, flag for which they gave their live
% were treading where but little mo-
10y than a quarter of century ago. the
s'' were buried uncoffined and unmournt
<0' by friends, except in the far away hom
~, Buried-no; not buried, but thrown in
no the shallow trenches and covered vii
eu brush and mud.
,1' They gave their lives-a precious SO
os' rifice-to preserve the Inheritance r
.'o ceived by them from Revolutions
ne fathers. They bequeathed to us hel
'o' tage of Liberty and Union to be perpe
uate at any cost.
We honored the uniform they wo
and which we wear; they gave the
lives that the flag which we follow, al
which we love, might remain the el
o blem of Liberty and Union, Justice al
~ Equity.
~ Then warning factions grappled es
v.s other in deadly combat. Today un
g. ed nation stretches forth her hands
~. oppressed humanity, and lifts them fro
-. the depths of ignorance and degradatio
..t and places them on the road to civili2
INV tion and honor.
;s After spending more than an hour
the National Cemetery We ate our di
ner and returned to the station, and to
the train for Font Valley, where we v
tied many of the fruit farms; the prin
pie one being the Hale Fruit Far
which contains about HOO acres.
We returned to Macon about Gig
~ o'clock in the evening, much pleas
No. with our trip.
tho We secured number of relics, whi
the we prize very highly, besides we hs
The about fifty different pictures taken wi
49,. kodake.
an We have sent home by Supt. Harrt
mt who has been discharged, a piece of
Oh old stump at Providence Spring, ant
The piece of the stockade from the pls
tb. where it was broken down and ma
ra- soldiers were killed by the guards wh
N. trying to get drink of the pure wa
,ou as it rushed in.
rls These are to be placed on exhibit
M and presented to the Eugene Re- no
PoAt, G. A. r for Memorial Hall.
Mr.. Wilson, the superintendent of |
grounds, which are owned by the w.
O., is q very accommodating gentlem
and he and his wife do all they can
rise make the visitors enjoy their visit.
Lo. Wilson was member OF the 16.h L
that Vol. Inf, and has in his possession
old army blanket, marked ]. G. Low
WY