Arizona republican., 1903-05-04

dersonville noted down many of his experiences and it is from these rec ords that the following description or prison life in Andersonville is drawn. It is picture reflected from the ex- perience of Mr. Watson, who under went most of the suffering depicted here.
 Andersonville prison was built in Sumpter county, Ga, sixty miles from Macon and one-half mile from the rail- road that runs down into Alabama The site previous to the building of the stockade had been a great wilderness
 The prison covered eighteen acres Of ground and was composed of trees cut and hewn into timbers twenty iour feet long. These were set on end Tn trenches so as to make solid and con- tinuous wall. The dirt WAS packed solidly about the bottom and on the outside of the wall and within four feet of the top heavy timbers were bolted all the way around It will be readily seen that this wall was very strong, equal to any emergency that would be required of it. On the outside of the wall near the top were the sentry boxes about thirty in number and built probably thirty feet apart. These boxes were so constructed that only the lower portion O: the sentry's body was concealed. Stairs led up to the boxes from the inside of the enclosure. Directly within the prison wall was space of ground sixteen feet wide ex- tending around the entire enclosure which was called the dead lire. Any prisoner who attempted to cross this line was shct. On the west side of the .I-, g.r double doors.
 The prison was constructed on slOp- ing ground and through the center Of the enclosure ran muddy little stream. About a third of this ground was swamp and could be used for no other purpose than a dumping ground for the excretion of the many prison CTS confined there The ground slOped down toward this swamp at an angle of about 90 degrees on both sides of the stream. The prison was guarded by eight forts built directly around the prison. They contained about thirty cannon and were placed so that the forts or the north side could command the south side of the prison and the cannon on the south side of the en- closure could cover the north wall. They were so constructed that the guns could reach every available part Of the prison.
 "On the outside southwestern corner of the prison. located on high ground near the Star fort. was Captain Wirz's Headquarters, says MT. Watson's mar rative. Here the death sentences were signed This was where General Wirder made his headquarters while inspecting. Across the brook from the cook house was a place called the greenhouse, but the proper name was the dead house. This was constructed by two parallel rows Of posts eight feet high in the ground. These posts had forks at the top in which were laid long poles that extended the entire length of the forks. On top of these and at right angles tc them. were thrown other posts. forming a flat roof On this roof were thrown tons of pine trees that had been chopped down for the prison. This covering would keep out the sun, but nothing more. In this place the dead were deposited before they were finally buried. They were laid on the ground in rows with their heads toward the outside As there were no side walls, hogs and oth er