Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-02-22
CAPT. COBB TELLS
OF WAR INCIDENT


Macon. Georgia.
Dear Sir: In your fine article in,
The Telegraph of the 29th in regard
to Golfers Weekly's infamous attack
on. Capt Henry Wirz, you give me
credit for something that belongs to-
another member of Gen. Howell Cobb's
staff, Capt. John Cobb Rutherford. a
nephew of Gen. Cobb, and at the time
of his death a prominent, leading law
yer in Macon, a member of the firm of
Bacon & Rutherford.
He it was who carried the Federal
prisoners from Andersonville to Jack
sonville, Fla.
Reading your article brings up mem
cries connected with the Andersonville
prison. Gen. Sherman said War is
hell" and no man did as much to
make this true as he did The saddest
and most heart-rending incident it was
ever my misfortune to witness was by
g heartless, brutal act of his. When
he with his army in Atlanta, notice
came to Gen. Howell Cobb that six
hundred Confederate prisoners then
held in Atlanta would be exchanged
for similar number of Federal
prisoners from Andersonville prison.
Six hundred were selected, being TAX
en- from those who had been the long
est time in the Andersonville prison.
They were put on cars and sent and
sent to Lovejoy's Station, where the
exchange was to be made. When they
reached Lovejoy's Station, they were
met by a train from Atlanta, with the
Confederate prisoners.
The officers in charge of each lot Of
prisoners met and exchanged rolls of
the prisoners. When the Federal of
ficer looked at the Andersonville roll,
he said, Il will have to show this roll
to General Sherman" He returned to
Atlanta for that purpose and when he
returned to Lovejoy's Station he told
the Confederate officer. General Sher-
man declines to exchange for these
prisoners" In reply to the question,
"Why?", he said, THE terms Of ser
vice of all of these men have expired,
and we have no authority to require
military service of them and every one
of your men we hold you would i'm
mediately place in actice service
against u.s." 1t is almost impossible
to realize the feeling of these six
hundred, cheered and happy at the
prospect of returning to their homes
and families, after long prison con-
finement, to be told that they had been
rejected and disowned by their own
people and would have to return to
prison, with no hope of release until
after the war closed.
was on my way from Americas to
Macon and the train bearing the poor
unfortunates and the one I was on,
met near Andersonville and stood near
each other for ten minutes or more.
The looks on the faces of these poor
men wrung my heart in deepest SYM
patty and aroused in my berast bit
ter feeling of indignation for the man
that caused their distress, that has
never ceased to pulsate.
Feeling a deep interest in what eff
feet and results would come to these
poor unfortunates. made inquiries in
regard to them and was informed that
: majority of them died and their bod
les now rest in the National Cemetery
at Andersonville.
Who murdered these men? There
can be no doubt as to the answer to
that question, any more than to doubt
that Gen. w. T. Sherman now fully re-
allies what hell is
Yours truly,
JOHN ADDISON COBB.