The Wolf Point herald., 1921-06-30
COMMANDER PAGE
ON LIBBY PRISON
TWIN BRIDGES VETERAN WROTE
BOOK OF HORRORS OF CON-
FEDERATE PRISON CAMP
Hale, Hearty and Jovial at the Age of
80, Veteran Lived to Laugh at
Hardships; Served Montana as
United States Surveyor General
For a Number of Years.


; For a Number of Years.
Department Commander J. M
Page, member of Lincoln post, No. |
of Butte, but now living at TwiI
Bridges, will reach his eight-secont
birthday next month. Notwithstand
ing his years and hardships under
the American flag, and hardships
that would have broken a more hardy
man, he is active, hale and hearty
and bears most pleasing personal
ity He served the state as surveyor
general, federal office, number
of years ago.
Like many of the soldiers who ex-
perienced the awful agonies of war,
he Is not fond of discussing his depri-
vations, but recently in response to
the clamor of some of his friends he
related some of the inside history of
the most terrible army prisons of the
south.
For total of more than a year
Commander Page was behind prison
walls or stockades. He was in Libby
prison, on the more terrible Bell
island, and was confined in Ander-
sonville when the miraculous spring
burst from the ground and furnished
the remnants of $4,000 prisoners
with pure, fresh drinking water The
spring guarded to this day is known
as Providence" spring, or as some
call it, the .ProvidentiaP' spring.
Concerning the Proyidential aspect
of the strange occurrence, Mr.. Page
says:
Was 1t Providence?
"Proyidential? Yes, it was provi-
Dental, and yet I have heard sermons
preached upon that incident that
make me tired, for there are few who
discuss it who are willing to attri-
butte to it the natural causes that we
know brought about the flow of
water" he said.
There were $4,000 men camped
in the 11-acre tract inclosed with q
stockade and they had begun to die
from fever and diseases brought on
by drinking the water from the creek |
that ran through the prison ground. |
Guards were camped above us on the |
banks of the stream and the water |
had become polluted. A heavy sum-
mer rain, which was really a cloud
burst, descended upon the disease
and vermin infested camp and wash
ed it out clean. When the rain stop
ped falling, a spring of pure water
continued to gurgle from the ground
and this supplied the men with drink
ing water.
s'The causes of the spring were
toward the stream and the torrent of
water which was precipitated upon
he ground washed deep furrow as
t passed around an old stump and
his furrow was simply deep enough
20 reach and release a vein of water.
The cause can be explained, but it
vas providentia1. We fixed a wood
IN trough for the water to run !
through and all day long hundreds
If men stood in line to get water"
The Funny Side
Years after the horrible experience
n the Andersonville prison, Comman-
ler Page revisited the scene and
mile crept over his face as he des-
ribbed the humorous experience that
,efell him there.
"a small boy met Mrs. Page and $
It the station and announced that
lie was guide" said Page. 1--WE
the lad, who was about 10
ears of age, to conduct us about the
ity and to show us the principal
oints of interest. He took us to |
Providence spring and told us its /
anne.
II asked him why it was called I
spring. The boy had the
tory down pretty good. He made it a
ppear that a large body of men, bad I
len and desperate characters, were q
onfined in the place long ago. But s
here was one good man, according
D the boys story. This man, the e
I'd said, knelt down and prayed, and q
e showed the exact spot. The Lord 9
earkened to the petition of this 7
ne good man and the water burst T
-om the ground" T
did you tell the boy what you +
new of the spring." Commander +
age was asked. s.
mo, I did not disil1usion him." d
le old veteran answered. HE has II
good story and 1t would be shame Y
, spoil it with the material facts"
Commander Page is the author of "
book, ''The True Story of Anderson n
Ille," for the purpose of giving the p
eight of his first-hand testimony to Il
le controversy that arose after the IL
ar concerning the treatment of the a.
risoners there. Although he had ef
filtered greatly, as had his comrades,
? takes the position that Captain ct
'irz, the only man executed after the CT
ar, was not to blame for the treat pl
ent the prisoners received. Cen m
al Winder, under whose orders the tt
Iptain acted, died Immediately fol- b.
wing the cessation of hostilities and pl
was not called to account. M
atch Cuticura Improve Your Skin