Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-04-09

each corner of the stockade were
strengthened earthworks upon com
manding eminencies, from which can
non, in case of an outbreak among the
the prisoners, could sweep the entire
Enclosure with grape shot and can
mister. At the top of the stOckade,
and fifty feet apart, were built line
of sentry boxes, we'll sheltered from
the storm and sun, in each of which
stood a sentinel with cooked gun, and
finger upon the trigger, with orders
! to shoot the first Yankee that dared
to cross or lay hand upon the dead
line.
The commander in chief of the pris-
on, as well, in fact, as of all other mill
tary prisons east Of the Mississippi, was
that hoary headed old General, John
A. Winder, father of William S., be-
fore mentioned, renegade from
Maryland, who left his country for
his country's good; "The personal
and trusted friend, warm partisan
and willing tool of jefferson Davis,
who was his intimate friend and pro-
tector. When his crimes had driven
others to protest against his retention
in the service of the Confederacy, the
influence of Davis saved him from re-
moval and disgrace"
''Lo! like the devil in regions lost, there's
General Winder,
Renegade from the north and native Mary
lander;
He snaps and snarls, he rips and swears
whether sober tight
The old Williams heart is as black as his head
is white.''
Winder formerly had charge of the
prisons at Richmond and when he left
there, the Richmond Examiner ex
claimed ''Thank God that Richmond
is at last rid of Old Winder! God have
mercy upon those to whom he has
been sent" On the 10th of July when
Sherman was in the vicinity of At
lanta and there began to be rumors
that he was preparing to make raid
to release US, the authorities became
very nervous and on the 9th Winder
issued the following order:
Headquarters Confederate States.
Military Prison,
unreasonable, JuJy 27, 1864.
The officers on duty and in charge
of the battery of ''Florida artillery"
at the tim e, will, upon receiving no
tice that the enemy have approached
within seven miles of this post, open
fire upon the stockade with grape
shot, without reference to the situa
ton beyond these lines of defe nse.
It is better that the last federal be
exter minated than be permitted to
burn and pillage the property of loyal
citizens, as they will do, if permitted
to make their escape from prison.
By order of John I'll. Winder, brig
adler general.
w. S. WINDER, Adjutant general.
General Winder also brought with
him to Andersonville, besides his son
William S., his nephew, Richard B. !
Winder, whom he made Quarter mas
ter of the Post. They were all very
bitter against the North and seemed
to lose no opportunity to vent their
spleen and sour disdain upon the Union !
soldier. cold Winder," as he was
called, dropped dead in
his tent at Florence, and there was
general rejoicing among the prisoners
all through the South at the news
thereof. Outside the stockade, were
the rebel encampments, cook, com
missary and store houses, officers
quarters, several PACKS of hounds for
bunting men, the chain gang, stocks,
and other implements of punishment
and torture, and ''hospital'' where
they carried the sick-the threadbare,
hungry, lean faced, sharp looking
wretches, the living dead men-and
5he mountebank doctor came and
ooked in their hollow eyes, felt the
pulse, and said, "he's dead, take him
% the dead house.''
e. FL WEBSTER.
TO BE CONTINUED.