Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-09-01
ATWATER MEMORIAL
Man Was Courtmartialsd and Im- prisoned by the Covsrnmst.

TerryvlIE , spt -TiSa agitation against t1 )n of memorial to Dorrence IT at TerryviIle has taketi more definite form In formal ac- tion lby the local Grand Army post, which has put itself on record as not fin sympathy with the project. Sey- eral Grand Army men who are op- posed to the Atwater memorial, say that they regard Atwater as little bet ter than a deserter, inasmuch as he served as a clerk in Andersonville prison. thus releasing an able-bodied confederate soldier to fight against the union army.
 Judge Jason c. Fem, the promoter of the Atwater memorial, had about completed his plans for the location of the Rodman gun and was preparing the dedicatory arrangements when. at the last meeting of Gilbert w.. Thompson post, the following minute disappearing the memorial was adopt ed:
 Headquarters Gilheri. W. Thompson
 Post. No B. Dept ot' Conn. C. A. R.,
 Bristol. Conn. Aug g, 1905.
 Tt was voted unanimously to place on record that Gilbert w Thompson post, c. A. R.. is not in sympathy with the idea of erecting memorial or monument to Dorence Atwater.
 "Ira B. Smith. Adjutant."
 This action was taken after mem Der of the post acquainted with the facts had made statement and the matter had been thoroughly discussed. Just what the outcome of the situation will be cannot now be~told, but Judge Fenn says that subscriptions for the memorial are coming in satisfactorily and the dedicatory exercises will be carried out with as little i'll feeling and animosity as possible"
 The plans of the Baldwin Park as- sociation directors incluGa the placing of 1he gun on the knoll in the eastern side of the park The gun will be swung between two blocks of granite and bronze tablet, suitably inscribed. will be attached to the pedestal. Tn front of the stone work. directly un- der the muzZle of the gun. q pyramln of twenty cannon balls will be placed.
 The kernel of the opposition to a memorial to D0rrence Atwater may be found in tie following extract from history of Connecticut's par ticipation in the civil war, compiled by John NJ. Morris and w. A. Croffut, several years after the close of the war. The following note is printed at the head of a list of "Our Martyrs at Andersonville' appearing in the ap- pendix:
 For the only complete roll of the martyrs who perished at Anderson vile. the nation is indebted to Private Dorrence Atwater. of Plymouth, Conn. Young Atwater was captured with others of the First Squadron. near Hagerstown. Md. In fight with Lees retreating army. and was taken to various prisons. ultimately arriving at Andersonville in February, 1861. Being a neat penman. he was soon de- tailed as a clerk in the surgeons of flee. to keep the daily record of deaths. While serving in this capacity. know ing of the appalling mortality inside the stoekade. he secretly made du- pleate roll of all the deaths, which
 
 he surreptitiOusly brought away with him in March. 1865. He alleges that he sold sfg e,uioneI~ Brock of the war department. fors$300 the privilege of copying the rolls: the originals to he returned to him. Breck retained the whole. Afterward in visiting Ander- sonville with Miss Clara Barton to mark the graves. Atwater recovered possession of this list and. on refus- ing to deliver it to the war depart ment was seized by Colonel Breck, courr. r.martialed. convicted of theft and sent to the Albany penitentiary as criminal. He was releaseu with impaired health under a general am 1esty. and. with the encouragement and assistance of Miss Barton. pub lished the roll for the benefit of sur viving friends
 Members of the local q. X. R. post claim that Atwater was dishonorably discharged from the service. recelv- Ing. however. an honorable discharge by act of congress some years later.