The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1906-02-08
ANDERsoNvfI.LE.
Csmrade Niece Mako sstisat to the site
Of the Place ~ Torture.


Of the Place - Torture.
Editor National Tribune: On the
18th and 18th Of Deceihber I spent a
very pleasant night end part Of a day
with Comrade Alonzo Turner. Of the
4th Mich. Cav. visitinglthe grounds OF
the Andersonville Prison-pen.
The w. r. C. have purchased the
ground and sufficient land outside OF
the prison-pen to aggregate in all so
acres. They have put up a substantial
wire fence around the prison grounds
marking the line of the old stockade
and run line indicating the dead line.
They have also erected a substantial
cottage OF nine rooms, several Of which
have been very nicely furnished by the
w. r. c. of the different States.
They are putting up boards having
suggestive information, impaired to
them by comrades who from time to
time visit the grounds. which are now
called the Andersonville Prison Park.
substantial and elegant marble pa
Vilion has been erected over Providence
Spring. Everything Is being done to
put the grounds in good condition and
make them an object-lesson in patriot
ism for the generations to come
A number of monuments have been
erected on the grounds by the States
of Wisconsin. Massachusetts,, Rhode
Island. Ohio and Michigan. These
monuments are works of art, and are
intended to perpetuate the memory of
the comrades who suffered and died as
result of the brutalities inflicted on
them by Wirz
and are intended to perpetuate the
memory Of the comrades who suffered
and died as a result of the brutalities
inflicted on them by Wirz.
Much yet remains that should be
done. and the most important Of the
immediate necessities that impressed
me was the fact that the means of
conveying visitors from Andersonville
Station to the Prison Park consists of
an old blind mule and box wagon.
Something better ought to be provided,
and as the w. r. C.. are doing the ut
most they can to improve the grounds
and park In other respects 1t occurs to
me that the comrades who we're pris-
oners In the prisOn-pen and others
throughout the country would be glad
to contribute toward securing a good
horse and station wagon that would
many more might be induced to visit
the grounds and study the history of
AndersOnville Prison-pen.
AS Secretary of the u. s. Manned
Soldiers League would be pleased, in
deed, to take the matter up, and receive
suggestions and contributions from
comrades in any part of the country
| have already prepared and will have
introduced in Congress bill directing
the Secretary of War to purchase land
and construct a road from the line of
the Southern Railway to the entrance
of the park. thence along the park to
the side of the National Cemetery near
est to 1t, to connect the prison grounds
and the cemetery, for the reason that
at present. without making a long de-
tour. the nearest way Is across cult
waited fields, and to build q bridge over
the branch of Sweetwater Creek. which
crosses the road. BY this means the
grounds will be much more easily
reached than they now are. During the
floods OF that country I'M the rainy sea-
son the branch Of .Sweetwater Creek
that crosses the road and then runs
through the southwest end Of the pris-
on grounds rises to such an extent as
to become impassa BILE l5lt
| trust that many Of the comrades
will take the matter up So that Com
rade Turner. who with his good wife
are doing such splendid work. may have
better means Of accomplishing it than
they now have. And let me say that
COmrade Turner's wife is splendid
cook: the two best meals that 7 had
during my IL days' tfaVer In the South
land were eaten at her table, and can
tcH you lHdt tHey were thoroughly Ell
joyed. BY helping Comrade Turner in
this matter 1t will go far toward plac-
ing the Prison Park in a position to be
because since he has
been in charge of it he has planted
several hundred pecan trees, which in
the course Of three or four years will
be large enough to produce an income
sufficient from the nuts that will grow
on them to meet all expenses.--James
M. McGee. M. D., d. o.. 1112 Chestnut
St. Philadelphia, Pa.