The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1905-11-23
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'ANDERS WILLIE.
Address Of John L, Younker Before
the G. A. R. and w. R. C.
Of Logan, Ohio.

since tne last lil-lateu prisoner con'
fined at Andersonville prison
; crawled outside of its gates and
breathed the air of freedom. The
cruel was is over, Grant and Lee,
Early and Sheridan, have long
since sheathed their swords, and
but one flag waves to-day from the
confines of Arlington to the confed-
ate hero who sleeps at Camp Chase,
in our own "pretty Ohio" In the
publication of this sketch, it is not
our object to revive war issues, or
sectional animosities, more less to
inclte or infame passions or party
prejudice, No, 1T is written for the
memory of the young to incite pa
triotism, and - interpret the true
meaning of the oil latin proverb:
"Dulce ct decuru,n est pro patria
mort"
The prison was established Feb
ruary Is, 1864, and abanded April
81 1865. The total number, impris-
oned were 40, oe5 and the number of
deaths were 1896. August o, 1854,
SO, ,oO6 prisoners were counted in
side the stockade, while the ceme-
terry detail buried 1913 on the same
date. The prison was rectangular
III form being about 1900 feet long,
and about 500 feet wide, and con-
tained about 36 acres, OF which
about 6 acres was swamp entirely
uninhabltable. The prison lay due
north and south, and was situated
on two hill sides, with swampy
valley between. The hill on the
north being the highest, with an at
titude of between As feet above the
level of the swamp. The stockade
is formed of immense logs, standing
on end, being into the ground some
six feet below the surface, and
twenty feet above, near the top of
which seventy boxes for the guards
were placed one hundr ed feet apart.
There were two gates to the prison,
one on the north west side and one
on the south west side of the stock
ade. Inside the stockade, and
about twenty feet from it was the
''Dead Line" 10 pass its thin strips
of railing nailed on to stakes driv-
ell lnte the ground, about three feet
high, was 10 invite death from the
guards on top the stockade. The
swamp which covered about four
acres was the receptacle for most
of the fifth accumulated of the
prison, and the deadly stencil
which arose therefrom was inde-
scribable, almost daily, prisoners
nearly nude would be wadlng
through this poisoned mass search
ing tor roots etc., which they
would dry In the sun, to use for
fuel to cook the scant rations dealt |
out to them.
Running through the southern
edge of the swamp, from west to
east was a shallow brook, used to
receive all the filth and scum from
the Rebel military camps outside
and all the emptyings of the offal
vaults and other DRAWINGS, and al
ter this poisoned water ran in and
through the prison ground it was
our only source from which we
found our supply for water to drink,
cook and wash. Our rations con-
sisted of about one pint of corn
meal, ia blinded mixture of corn
and cobb,) and about two table
spoons full of molasses per day,
and one teaspoon full of salt per
week. To flavor our cornbread We
made lye from wood ashes and
used it in preparing, the dough, then
laid the mixture upon a wooden
strip held it up before a scant tiie
dried it, then turned it. over and
dried it on that side, and then it
was eaten.
The scene Of the prison, inside.
with its endless confusion is inde-
scribable; all sorts of games were
played; we had concerts, prayer
meetings conducted by Rev. Thos.
Shepard, now of Granville, OHIO,
we had prize fights, with hard
daily skirmishing fo + gray backs
police captains and officers, and on
July II, 1864. six of our men were
hung who were previously found
guilty of murder, tried by court
martial of our own prisoners. When