The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-05-30

has gone down in history as the Fort
Pillow Massacre, where negro men,
women and children were merciless-
ly bayoneted to death.
The Rebel Citizen and
His Two Handsome Daughters.
Mr.. Crossley told another incident
of the Plymouth siege that shows
once more how Yankee ingenuity
will break down prejudice and win
out in the face of almost insurmount-
able obstacles. In the town liveu
man in whose family there were
two goodlooking daughters. Quite
naturally these girls were magnet
for the Union soldiers; but, alas!
they could not, by hook or crook, get
an introduction or effort an entrance
to the home in which the charmers
dwelt. Finally two bright men con-.
ceived a scheme which they secured
permission from their superior Off
Ger to carry out. In due time they
appeared at the Rebel home with
blank books, and stated that they
were making a census of the town.
They got in the home. The girls
were as pleased to see them as they
were to see the girls. Further than
that the obstinate Rebel father lost
his prejudice, welcomed them to his
family circle, and the friendship thus
begun lasted through the war and
extended into the days of peace that
followed.
If you have guessed that young
Crossley was one of the two happy
Yankees, you are mistaken, and he
doesn't even know the names of
thnCn HnnIuc nf fhn in nj
dent, and that is all.
Crossley Taken From Plymouth
To AndersonvilIe.
About May 1, 1864, the prisoners
were taken from Plymouth, N. c.,
to Andersonville, which is located
about 60 miles south of Macon,
Georgia. Andersonville was opened
as military prison in February,
1864, the last prisoner leaving it's
hateful environs in April, 1865.
The prisoners were met by a
bustling officer in a Captains uni
form who distinguished himself by
uttering the most villainous threats
and the most blasphemous language
imaginable. This individual was
none other than the infamous Cap
tain Wirz who proved himself subse-
quently to be fiend incarnate. AZ
ter the close of the war he was tried
and most properly executed for his
unwarranted cruelty.
How the Prisoners Were
Disposed of-A Resolution.
The prisoners on their arrival at
Andersonville were counted and put
in messes of ninety each, with
Union sergeant over each mess. 1t
was the duty of the sergeants to
look after the sick, the dead and to
draw and distribute the rations. For
this service he received an extra ra-
ton. Mr.. Crossley was chosen as
one of these sergeants.
There were about 5000 prisoners
in the enclosure when Mr.. Crossley
and his unfortunate comrades reach
ed it, Most of these prisoners had
been brought from the Belle Isle and
Libby prisons, and they scarcely re-
sembled white men. They were
starved, emaciated and nearly naked.
The actual condition of the wretched
men was beyond description. The
outlook for the future, or of ever re-
turning to 'the land of the free and
the home of the brave" was gloomy
enough. After witnessing the horri-
BILE sights and listening to the stories
of the prisoners Mr. Crossley resolv-
ed that he would do all in his power
to survive the prison experience and
return to Gods country in Con-
necticut
Description of the Famous
AndersonviIle Prison.
The Andersonville prison was an
enclosure of about II acres surroun-
ded by a stockade of pine logs 25
feet long placed upright side by side
in trench feet deep, thus the top
of the stockade was about 20 feet
above the surface of the camp. Out
side of this stockade 100 feet distant
was another stockade, and 40 feet
farther out was the third stockade,
thus almost effectually shutting out
all hope of escape.
About 16 feet inside the inner
stockade was the celebrated dead
line" which was formed by sinking
posts into the ground about 20 feet
apart and projecting from the
ground about feet. To these posts
were nailed four inch strips. The
dead line" extended around the four
sides of the enclosure, and prisoners
were warned not to lean against it
or to touch it. Violators Of this rule
were liable to be shot. Indeed, a
great many prisoners were shot to
death, and some of them undoubted-
iy chose this short, present and ef-
fectual means of effecting exchange.
For shooting dead liner" a prem
ium was awarded of furlough. The
shooting was done by guards who
were stationed in sheds that were
built into and on top of the stockade.
There were 5S of these sheds and
they were 80 feet apart. The older
Rebel soldiers on guard were not so
much to be feared as were the boy
guards who evidently did not appre-
ciate the awfulness of taking human
life.
More Descriptive Matter
Pertaining to Andersonville.
AS previously stated, the prison