The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-06-08
MONUMENT To
SOUTHERN DEAD
MONUMENT TO MEMORY OF
CONFEOERATES BURIED ON
JOHNSONS ISLAND.
STATUE WAS MADE IN ROME

in Unfocm, Peerine Into the Far
Distance Toward the Southland
They We're Mssons.
Sand1sky O., June s.-A monu-
ment TO the memory Of Confederate
officers aad soldiers buried on
Johnsons Island, Sandusky Bay
Lake Erie, was dedicated to-ay. The
movement 10 erect the statue orig
mated with the Robert Patton chap
ter Of the United Daughters of the
Confederacy, OF Cincinnati. o. The
chapter purchased the cemetery IN
1908 when it was found that the
spot around which so many historic
mem ries clustered, vas being veg
lected and practically abandoned. Its
only visitors oyere the veterans OF d
GraHd Army post who every Deco
ration day held memorial services
for their former foes.
Prior to this, however, one effort
had been made TO save the Gene
terry from the neglect into which it
had fallen. In 1889 party of edt.
tors and officials OF the state Of
Georgia visited the island. They
saw only broken fences and weed
grown mounds. Stirred by the sight
they returned home ahd raised a
fund which provided headstones OF
Georgia marble for each of the 206
graves. 1t was then found that fifty
four of them must remain nameless.
for the memory of the buried had
vanished.
Lieutenant Colonel William Hoff-
man, federal commissary general OF
prisoners, leased forty acres OF land
on Johnson's Island in the fall of
/ 1861 from L. b. Johnson. The in
!
ly for the accommodation OF Con
/ federate officers and although dur
ing the subsequent years of the
war small bodies of priyates were
/ from time 10 time sent to the
/ island it was usually through error
and they were invariably promptly
| drafted to other prisons The island
lies in Sandusky Bay about three
miles from the town of Sandusky
and the post was known officially
as Depot Prisoners OF War" John
sons Island, near Sandusky, O."
The greatest number of prisoners
confined on the island at any one
time was about 5000. This was
( just prior to the close of the war.
All in all about 10000 officers and
soldiers were imprisoned there and
220 deaths were recorded. Four
teen of the dead were buried on the
mainland.
When the first prisoners died Maj
Johnson gave his consent to their
burial on the island and the GENE
terry was laid out under his personal
direction. No lease on the land was
ever executed and no compensation
given for its use. Subsequently, at
the close of the war. Mr.. Johnson.
at his own expense, built a wire
fence around the plot and kept it in
repair for several years. Later On
an officer from the Columbus fed
eral barracks visited the island AMI
had the original fence removed and
q more substantial one erected In
its stead For many years after
ward the cemetery was allowed 20
fall into decay until, in 1851 the vet
Grams Of McMeeus post, Grand Army
Of the Republic, of Sandusky o..
paid a generous tribute to the men
who had fought against them. They
had the cemetery wee e3ed and cared
for and on the Memorial day follow
ing held services there similar TO
those held over the Union dead IN
Oakland cemetery, Sandusky.
Every succeeding Memorial day
up to three years ago they carried
out similar services. As the vet
Grams were all men in advanced
years they were forced in 1907 to
discontinue their trips to the island.
They decided also that in view Of
the fac that mp to that time prac-