Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1905-09-05

to their destination at Andersonviue
by all railroads on their route. the site
of the deadhouse, Stockade creek. a
branch of Sweetwater, the flag staff
and the wells and tunnels 1ug by the
prisoners, and the famous Providence
spring
A short distance to the west of "Star
Fort still stands a large hickory tree
which was used as a post of observa-
ton to watch the prisoners within the
stockade. Nothing has been destroyed.
IS those enfeebled soldiers left it 80 it
stands to-day. OF the stockade itself
nothing now remaiGs but the stumps
underground from which the lines may
be easily traced They are mostly
pitch-pine which will last for many
years. The entire property is now en-
closed with wire fence with conven-
lent gates.
The dark and murky creek bed Of
the COS, whose shallow waters in thoee
days were contaminated with the re-
fuse of the two camps of soldiers and
the stables, has been cleared of under
brush and now sparkles and dances in
the sunlight, clear, pure and unGefIed.
On Memorial day, 1898, beautiful
flag staff 115 feet high was erected
within the stockade in front of the
caretaker's house. The staff came
from the Old Soldiers colony at Fitz-
gerald, Ga, and is the gift of W. r. C.
No. ., and members of the G.. A. r. of
that city. From its peak floats a flag.
the gift of the Prisoners of War Asso-
citation of Connecticut.
The w. r. G. No. 8 of Kansas, and
No. 172 of Massachusetts, donated the
graceful arch at the main entrance on
the west boundary of the grounds and
at the beginning of the 100 feet right
of-way leading to the railway station,
which bears the inscription Anderson
vile Prison Park-in memory of the
unknown dead at Andersonville."
One hundred feet north of the north
line of the old stOckade. the w. r. c.
has built a substantial nine-room house
which is occupied by the caretaker
and his family and is commodfous
enough for the entertainment of such
guests as may require accommodations
Grand Army comrades and such old
Federal soldiers who are unable to
pay, are furnished comfortable lodg-
ings by the caretaker, temporarily and
without charge. Illinois furnished the
reception room and Massachusetts,
Ohio and Michigan each furnished a
sleeping room.
Ohio. Massachusetts,. Rhode Island
and Michigan have already placed
beautiful monuments. Each monu-
ment has a block of ground set apart
to its State, pretty stones marking the
corners. A $4,000 monumeAt will soon
be erected by the Wisconsin Monu-
ment Commission. The site selected IS
north of the Rhode Island monument
and taking in the northwest corner,
also inclosing the wells in mat corner
which Mr.. Williams of the commission
helped to dig while a prisoner The
members of this commission were pris-
oners at Andersonville. The wells will
be ornamented each with four granite
pOSlSf EdCA dlelptu Win utdNy -CndiuSs
Iowa will erect a monument during
the summer.
The wells or deep holes dug by the
prisoners in their effort to find shelter
from the scorching sun and in hopes
of finding pure water, still remain. In
the erection of the fagstaffs the blue
outlines of the Union uniform, a row
of brass buttons and some bones were
found 20 feet underground. These
holes are now surrounded by trees
that have sprung up since the war AMI
whose friendly limbs reach out like
sheltering arms. the thick foliage hid
ing the sad remainders as though ma
ture would heal over all wounds.
The most interesting feature Of this
stockade is Provideuce spring, so APP
propriately named by the heroes of
Andersonville. When the furnishing
soldiers had reached a critical moment
when they could no longer endure,
with nothing but the contaminated
water of the creek to sustain them,
during a severe electric storm this liv-
ing stream burst forth. bright, pure
and sparkling. bringing renewed life
and hope--and it came within the
dead-line, where by prison laws it was
protected from being trampled and de-
fled.