Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-08-11
.EX:PR|SONERSI0 OF WAR
Tell EXPERIENCES
Reunion OF Those Who Were Cap
tured is Held at Federation Of
Labor Hall.

Time and the suffering endured In
the prisons of the south have indelibly
left its mark on the ranks OF the mem-
bers OF the National Association OF
Union ex-Prlsoners of War. In all
about 5000 persons are honored with the
distinction of being survivors, but only
about 100 OF these were present at the
annual meeting held yesterday after
noon at the assembly hall in Fedora
ton Of Labor halls.
The meeting was called to order by
General ]. D. Walker, Acknowledgement
and quartermaster of Pittsburg, Pa.
General Harry White, national COM
rnander. was In charge and presided.
General Walker in his address told
of the work at previous encampmerts,
and specially the last encampment, and
made several suggestions as to changes
and plans for the future.
To the handful of survivors General
White related number of the stories
he has gathered in manuscript form
on incidents In the lives of men AS
national historian, he is preserving
these proofs and records, and in time
they will be one Of the most valuable
assets OF history.
We do not gather to glory in the fact
that we were taken as prisoners in the
war and suffered the hardships attend-
ant on our imprisonment said General
White. but every man of US, honorab bly,
discharged. went to war to fight the en-
envy and 1t was through no desire on
our part that we We're taken.''
General White stated that out Of 3D.
072 Union soldiers captured and confined
in prison. 51,172 had died there, accord
ing to statistics recognized by the war
department. More men died In Ander-
sonville than were killed or had died
in the war with Mexico More died in
Andersonville and Salisbury than were
killed in twelve great battles during the
Civil war. He then quoted extracts
taken from stories in southern papers
of that period, denouncing the officers
OF their own army for cruel treatment
inflicted upon northern prisoners in
southern prisons. General White con-
cluded his paper with other Interesting
facts relating to the prison history OF
the war.
An effort is being made by the asso-
citation to have passed In Congress a
bill providing for a pension of 81 per
day each FOR eX-prlsoners for as many
days as they served In any confederate
prison. The bill was introduced IS
years ago by the association, but SO far
the committee never has succeeded in
having 1t passed. AT their own per-
/ SONal EXPENSE IlerlDSTSTp Oh the aSSOGld-
ton have made trips to Washington
in trying to further Its progress toward
final passage. The association Is per-
sistent and General J. p. Walker stat
ed that he will never abandon his eff
forts until he sees the bill made law,
Another bill which the association is
striving to have passed in Congress pro-
vides for the building Of a road from
Andersonville, Ca. on the Central rail-
road of Georgia. to the prison park ma
tional cemetery. also the establishment
pf the Atlanta national military park
The officers We're elected at the meet
Ing as follows: As national command
err General Harry White Of Indiana,
Pa, who was unanimously reelected;
national senior vice commander, Thomas
Loughnew of Salt Lake. reelected: juni-
or vice commander, G. q. Hopkins of
New Jersey, unanimously elected. En-
ecutive committee: o. A. Parsons of
Wilkesbarre. Pa: !. M. Emery, Chicago,
ILL.,: C. c. Shanklin. Cleveland, O., re-
elected, and John L.. Pitkin. The fol-
lowing were reelected to other Offices
National chaplain, Rev. John S. Fergu-
son, Keolkuk, Ia: national historian,
General Harry White, Indiana, Pa; adj
jutant general and auartermaster. Cen
eral j. D. Walker. Pittsburg, Pa