The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-06-11
DAUGHTERS
CONTRIBUTE
MONUMENT
TRIBUTE TO MEMORY OF
DEAD CONFEDERATE
SOLDIERS
WERE PRISONERS ON
FAMOUS JOHNSON ISLAND
m - - .
Scene Of Many Daring Attempts
TO Escape During
Civil War
(By Associated Press.l


ment to the memory of Confederate
officers and soldiers buried on John
sons isli,nG, Sandusky Bay, Lake
Erie. was dedicated this week. The
movement to erect the statue origin.
ated with the Robert Patton. chapter
Eof the United States Daughters of the
Confederacy, Of Cincinnati 0. The
chapter purchased the cemetery in
1903 when 1t was found that the splt
around which SO many historic mem
ories clustered, was being neglected
and practically Abandoned Its only
visitors were the veterans of Grand
Army post who every Decoration day
held memorial services for their for.
mer foes.
Prior to this, however, one effo~t
had been made to save the cemetery
from neglect into which II had fallan.
In 1883 a party Of editors and Off
cials Of the state Of Georgia visitegi
the island. They saw only broken
fences and weed-grown mounds. STIR.
ed by the sight, they returned home
and raised fund which provided
headstones OF Georgia marble ios
each Of the zoe graves. It was then
found that fifty-fou' 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 intention
was to use this land solely for the ac-
comnlodation OF Confederate Officers
and although during the subsequent
years OF the war small bodies OF prl-
Yates were from time to time sent TO
the island It was usually through
error and they were invariably
promptly drafted 70 other prisons The.
island lies in Sandusky Bay about
three miles from the town OF Sandis-
ky and the post was known ofliciai-.
" as "Depot Prisoners Of War, joan.
cons Island. near Sandusly, Ohio.
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 ana soIl-
ers were imprisoned there and 22O
deaths were recorded. Fourteen cf
the dead were buried on the mainland.
When the first prisoners died Mr..
Johnson gave his consent to their
burial on the island and the Gene
'ery was laid out under his personal
direction. No lease on the land was
ayer executed and no compensation
given for its use Subsequently, at the
close of the war, Mr., Johnson at his
pwn expense. built wire fencc
round the plot aud kept II in repair
for several years. Later on m If
ficer from the Columbus Federal oar
ricks visited the Island and had ,he
original fence removed and q more
substantial one erected in its steal.
for many years afterwards the ceme-
'ery was allowed to fall into decay
until. in 1881 the veterans OF NJ.
Meens post, Grand Army Of the Re-
public. OF Sandusky, Ohio paid a.
generous tribute TO the man who FL
fought against them They had tle
cemetery weeded and cared for ami
on the Memorial day following heliI
services there Similar to those held
over the Union dead In Oakland cea-
atery Sandusty.
Every succeeding Memorial day uDl
70 three years ago ihey carried or.
similar services. AS the veterans were
all men in advanced years were fore
ed In 1907 10 discontinue their tFl,s
to the island. They decided also that
in view of the fact thai up to that
time practically no interest had been
shown in the Confederate graves ny
either the relatives or friends OF those |
buried there there was no demand on (
them TO continue the services.
This action by the Grand Army |
post became widely known and drew /
attention Of the various Confederate I
organizations throughout the county
10 the neglected condition Of one Of /
the most memorable land mark of the I
great struggle, The Daughters OF the /
bccamc interested The /
was headed by the Rob |
ert Patton post which raised the funds |
fos the purchase OF the cemetery aud |
then Issued another appeal for fund |
to provide a suitable monument TO
The dead.
Money was literally contributed |
throughout the South and q substsn
tial amount was also raised in they
North- The commission for the mon I
ument was given to Sir Moses Ezekiel I
who executed the statue In his stniio /
IN Rome and shipped 1t here a few
weeks ago. lhe first photographs oi
/ will be copyrighted by the Daught-
ars of the Confedcracy aud sold. the
to be added to the morn
nent fund.
The historic value of Johnson's Is