Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1923-06-20

uort given it in this respect: Com
name of writer will not be printed ex-
.rpi by permission. Commun1catlons
vii he subject to approval or rejection
lin be rejected without good reason.
,ddress all communications to Tne
American. Ellsworth, Me.
| should like to sound bugle-call
10 all ex-service men into whose
hands this issue of The American may
fail, for | want you to read letter
which is most interesting-one you
would all appreciate. AS preface
to it, | am using the following poem
taken from ''The Dixie Book or
Days"-a prettily bound volume with
n quotation, either prose or poetry,
for each day in the year, written by
some resident of the South;
On the future some historian shall
come forth, both strong and wise
With \ love of the republic, and the
truth before his eyes.
He will show the subtle causes of the
war between the states,
He will go back in his studies far pc
yond our modern dates;
He will trace our hostile ideas as the
miner does the lodes.
Ne will show the different habits of
different social codes
He will show the Union rlNeh, ana inc
picture will deplore,
He will show it reunited ana nhaue
stronger than before"
James Barron Hope.
n
Fort Benning, Ga, May 81
Dear Aunt Madge and NJ. BIS:
Won must think that I am very
hod NJ u and I must own that l am
am very much interested IN the
column and read every letter and re-
cine. and l get a great deal Oh he'p'
am ashamed that l have been TAKING
90 much and not giving anything ou,
a. van will forgive me this time WIN
try to do better.
os called here in February last
-. my, con who was very i'll of pneu-
,,ori. He is gaining rapidly; in fact,
he is very well now. l shall stay ioi
a while. l have taken great "''"'
rides through the country and seen a
great many interesting places, put
am going to write to-day ABOUT my
trim to Andersonville to the national
cemetery, and also the prison
Last Sunday morning, May II, eight
of us started in two cars, at 80 we
had to start early, as it is over l4o
miles there and back. The ride was
very beautiful. especially through
Buena Vista. Ga, with such an aouh-
dance of flowers and acres and acres
of peach trees, full of peaches almost
ripe. We arrived at the cemetery
about 10 o'clock.
After registering at the office, we
went over where the Union soldiers
were buried-nearly $4,000 graves
about 400 unknown, the others with
the names and state from which they
came The monuments from the uii-
ferent states We're very peautllu''
especially the one from Maine, whlch
stood so tall. stately, and grand above
the rest, and the image of the soldier
on the top looking out over the graves
of the heroes. The inscription on the
monument as l remember it is;
In memory of those brave heroes
who gave their lives that this republic
might live, and of those others who
willing to die, yet survived the horrors
and tortures of Andersonville military
prison. 1S64-1S65."
After looking at other monuments,
we went over to the prison area. My
eyes filed with tears when | saw the
holes that those brave men of long
ago dug trying TO get water. l felt as
if l was walking on holy ground. We
went over the dead line and we also
had a drink from providence spring
We came back through the center of
the town of AndersonVille so that we
might take a look at the monument OF
Henry e. Wirzo, who, as you all know,
was the keeper of that prison and after
the war was tried, convicted and
hung. This monument was erected by
the southern women. There we found
a pretty spot and ate our picnic lunch
then started for home, arriving in FIT
Benning at $50 in the evening.
Now, if this letter is accepted, l will
write again. With kind wishes to you
all, l am
Laura from lynn"
Accompanying this letter was a
printed program of four pages, in
red white and blue. Near the top
and bottom of the first page was
row of twenty-four little flags in
dark blue, with red and white
stripe above and below them. There
was an American flag in colors Just
above Memorial Day. in old
English letters. Beneath that, MAY
thirtieth, nineteen hundred twenty
three. Fort Benning, Georgia.
Brigadier General Walter H. Gordon
Commanding"
The second page, outlined in
black, had a "Roll of Our Dead"
Some fifteen died in the past year,
order or ever