Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-03-17
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The Fiend. Of AndersonviIle.

OF
OMAHA. March 15.-To the Editor OF
The Bee: Nearly fifty years have elapsed
since the last battle Of the war OF the
rebellion was fought. and 80 far as l am
concerned that war Is over and has been
for many years and, with the bare ex-
ception Of the nen who were responsible
for the atrocities OF southern prisons
Andersonville in particular. 1 hold ne
malice or IN will whatever can fraternize
with the ex-confederate soldier as a
friend or brother. but as one who suf-
fered and endured the tortures of south
ern prisons for more than eight months,
most of the time at Andersonvifle, can
not pass unnoticed the utterances Of one
DR.. Charles w. Stiles before the Knife
and Fork club OF Kansas City. wherein
he is credited with having said that TT
was hookworm and not starvation or IN
treatment that caused the death OF 1900
OF the 5000 union soldiers held at the
confederate prison at Andersonvllle dur
ing the civil war" 4 most remarkable
statement; and a man who will in the
light OF history and the mass OF evidence
which has been written and published
broadcast over this country, and the ad-
verse experiences OF men both living and
dead, give utterance to such erroneous
statement displays a gross ignorance OF
inc tacts or an utter disregard for the
truth; either should discredit him.
The commander at Andersonville was
the heartloss old fiend, General John
n. Wtnder, who was the willing tool OF
his superiors i'm their bsrbarous policy OF
disabling by diseases and numbering by
starvation their helpless captives. He
was the Wardly son OF the craven Gen
eral w. II. Winder who fled with his
militia from the battle of Bladensburg
ana left defenseless the national capital
TO be captured and burned by the British
army In 1914. II was the son of this poll
troon. soured, sniveling, white-haired
old renegade of the government that
educated him, who in August. 1864.
ooasted that The could point TO more
Killed and disabled Yankees at Anderson
vile than General Lee had DESTROYED with
twenty OF his best regiments I'm the field.
lor. says he, Took at our S.OS1 new graves
made in one month over in the cemetery
beyond the stockade; every one had
dead Yankee soldier in it." Henri Wirs.
SWISS doctor. was his equally cruel and
cowardly subordinate. who had direct
charge Of the stockadc.
History tells us that Colonel d. r
Chandler. confederate military inspector
In intrepid officer and humane one. re-
ported to the Richmond authorities early,
In August. 1884. that the horrors OF the
prison were difficult to describe and IT'S
condition a disgrace TO civilization " tIo
strongly recommended that General
Winder, in command Of the post. should
be TQnnOVn6 nd
place OF some one who united both mercy
ana Judgment with some feeling of
humanity and consideration for the well
rare and comfort of the vast number OF
unfortunuates placed under his CONTROL
some one at least who does not advocate
deliberately and in cold blood. the nro-
priety Of leaving them in their present
condition until their number has been
sufficiently reduced by Death to make
the present arrangement suffice for their
accommodation" This report. a fearfuI
indictment was sent by General Cooner
the confederate inspector general IN tho
confederate secretary Of war. AUGUST
S' 1854. with the endorsement that the
condition of this prison was a reproacb
to the confederacy as a nation.
Looking little further along in hist
DRY we find that DR.. Joseph Jones a
distinguished confederate surgeon or
Agosta, Ga, made a visit to the Ander-
sonville stockade in the month of August
lho4, and in his report gives the following
statements; In Juno there were % aO1
IN July 5000 and in August e, $50 pris-
oners confined In the stockade. No. shade
tree was left in the entire inclosure. The
stencil arising from this dense popula-
ton crowded together here, performing
all the duties of life-was horrible in the
extreme. The accommodations for the
sick were so defective, and the condi-
ton or the others so pitlable that from
February "A to August q 9,479 died or
nearly one-third OF the entire number in
the stockade. There were nearly. 5n0
prisoners seriously i'll, and the deaths
e1ceeded po per day. Large numbers
were walking about who were not re-
ported SICK who were suffering from
severe and incurable diarrhoea and
scurvy visited 1000 sick-only one
medical officer was in attendance whereas
at least twenty should have been en-
ployed. From the crowded condition. bad
diet, unfearable fifth, detected appear-
ance OF the prisoners, their systems had
become so disordered that the sliRhtesv
abrasion of the skin. from heat OF the
sun or even a mosquito bite. they took
on rapid and frightful liberation and
gangrene. The sick were lying upon the
bare floors of open sheds, without even
straw to rest upon. These haggard. de-
jected. living skeletons, crying for
medical aid and food. and the CHASTITY
corpses with glazed eyebslls, staring up
into vacant space. with flies swarming
down their open mouths and over their
rags infested with swarms OF lice and
maggots, as they lay among the sick and
hying-forned a picture of helpless,
hopeless misery. impossible for words to
portray, Millions OF flies swarmed over
everything and covered the faces OF the
sick patients and crowded down their
open mouths, depositing their maggots
IN the gangrenous wounds OF the living
and in the mouths OF the dead. These
abuses were due to the total absence of
any system or sanitary regulations"
BE II said. to their credit, that the name
Andersonville is a stencil In the nostrils
Of the good people Of the south: so much
so that the name does not appear on their
maps; the name having been changed to
Anderson. The willie" has been dropped
in order, suppose. TO better disguise
the spot that has become synonym OF