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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/29942-h.zip b/29942-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..e593491 --- /dev/null +++ b/29942-h.zip diff --git a/29942-h/29942-h.htm b/29942-h/29942-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f9f3237 --- /dev/null +++ b/29942-h/29942-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,1544 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of A Letter to Hon. Charles Sumner, with "Statements" of Outrages Upon Freedmen in Georgia, by Rev. H. W. Pierson. + </title> + <style type="text/css"> + + p { margin-top: .75em; text-align: justify; margin-bottom: .75em;} + + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 {text-align: center; clear: both;} + + hr { width: 33%; margin-top: 2em; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; clear: both;} + + table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} + + body{margin-left: 12%; margin-right: 12%;} + + .pagenum {position: absolute; left: 92%; font-size: smaller; text-align: right;} + + .blockquot{margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 10%;} + + .poem {margin-left:15%; margin-right:15%;} + + .right {text-align: right;} + .center {text-align: center;} + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + .u {text-decoration: underline;} + + a:link {color:#0000ff; text-decoration:none} + a:visited {color:#6633cc; text-decoration:none} + + ins.correction {text-decoration:none; border-bottom: thin solid gray;} + + .spacer {padding-left: 5em; padding-right: 5em;} + .spacer2 {padding-left: .7em;} + + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Letter to Hon. Charles Sumner, with +'Statements' of Outrages upon Freedmen in Georgia, by Hamilton Wilcox Pierson + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: A Letter to Hon. Charles Sumner, with 'Statements' of Outrages upon Freedmen in Georgia + +Author: Hamilton Wilcox Pierson + +Release Date: September 9, 2009 [EBook #29942] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LETTER TO HON. CHARLES SUMNER *** + + + + +Produced by Bryan Ness, Stephanie Eason, and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net. (This +book was produced from scanned images of public domain +material from the Google Print project.) + + + + + + +</pre> + + + + +<h2>A LETTER</h2> + +<h5>TO</h5> +<h1>HON. CHARLES SUMNER,</h1> +<h5>WITH "STATEMENTS" OF</h5> +<h3>Outrages Upon Freedmen in Georgia,</h3> +<h5>AND AN ACCOUNT OF MY</h5> +<h3>EXPULSION FROM ANDERSONVILLE, GA.,</h3> +<h5>BY THE</h5> +<h3>KU-KLUX KLAN.</h3> +<h3>BY REV. H. W. PIERSON, D.D.,</h3> + +<h5>FORMERLY PRESIDENT OF CUMBERLAND COLLEGE, KENTUCKY;<br /> +AUTHOR OF JEFFERSON AT MONTICELLO, OR THE PRIVATE<br /> +LIFE OF THOMAS JEFFERSON; CORRESPONDING<br /> +MEMBER N. Y. HISTORICAL SOCIETY, ETC.</h5> + +<p> </p> +<h4>COMPLIMENTS OF THE AUTHOR.</h4> +<p> </p> +<h4>WASHINGTON:<br /> +CHRONICLE PRINT., 511 NINTH STREET.<br /> +1870.</h4> + +<p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> +<table summary="Table of Contents"> +<tr><td align="center"><big><strong>Table of Contents</strong></big></td></tr> +<tr><td><a href="#LAWLESSNESS"><strong>Lawlessness in Georgia.</strong></a></td></tr> +<tr><td><a href="#KU_KLUXED"><strong>Why I Was Ku Kluxed.</strong></a></td></tr> +<tr><td><a href="#Appendix_A"><strong>Appendix A.</strong></a></td></tr></table> +<p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> + +<p class="center">[Copy.]</p> + +<p class="right"><span class="smcap">New York</span>, <i>November, 1861</i></p> + +<p>To the Rev. <span class="smcap">H. W. Pierson</span>, D.D.,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 4em;"><i>President of Cumberland College, Kentucky:</i></span></p> + +<p><span class="smcap">Dear Sir:</span> The undersigned beg leave respectfully to suggest to you the +propriety of repeating your paper read before the Historical Society at +a recent meeting, on the Private Life of Thomas Jefferson, and making +public a larger portion of your ample materials, in the form of public +lectures. The unanimous expression of approbation on the part of the +Society, which your paper elicited, is an earnest of the satisfaction +with which your consent to lecture will be received by the public at +large.</p> + +<p>We have the honor to be, very respectfully, yours,</p> + +<table summary="men"> +<tr><td>GEORGE BANCROFT,</td><td> </td><td>ISAAC FERRIS,</td></tr> +<tr><td>HAMILTON FISH,</td><td> </td><td>GORHAM D. ABBOT,</td></tr> +<tr><td>WM. M. EVARTS,</td><td> </td><td>SAMUEL OSGOOD,</td></tr> +<tr><td>FREDERIC DE PEYSTER,</td><td> </td><td>GEORGE POTTS,</td></tr> +<tr><td>BENJ. H. FIELD,</td><td> </td><td>HENRY W. BELLOWS,</td></tr> +<tr><td>GEORGE FOLSOM,</td><td> </td><td>JOSEPH G. COGSWELL,</td></tr> +<tr><td>L. BRADISH,</td><td> </td><td>HORACE WEBSTER,</td></tr> +<tr><td> </td><td align="center">And many others.</td><td> </td></tr></table> +<p> </p><p> </p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="LAWLESSNESS" id="LAWLESSNESS"></a>LAWLESSNESS IN GEORGIA.</h2> +<p> </p> + +<p class="right"><span class="smcap">Washington, D. C.</span>, <i>March 15, 1870</i>.</p> + +<p><span class="smcap">My Dear Sir:</span> It would not become me to express an opinion upon any of +the legal questions involved in the Georgia bill now before the Senate, +but I respectfully call your attention to the following "statements" of +facts. I certainly am not surprised that Honorable gentlemen whom I +greatly esteem, should express their belief that the outrages committed +upon the Freedmen and Union men in Georgia have been greatly exaggerated +in the statements that have been presented to Congress and the country. +I know that to persons and communities not intimately acquainted with +the state of society, and the civilization developed by the institution +of slavery, they seem absolutely incredible. Allow me to say, from my +personal knowledge, and profoundly conscious of my responsibility to God +and to history, that the statements that have been given to the public +in regard to outrages in Georgia come far short of the real facts in the +case. Permit me to add that I went to Andersonville, Ga., to labor as a +pastor and teacher of the Freedmen, <i>without pay</i>, as I had labored +during the war in the service of the <i>Christian Commission</i>; that I had +nothing at all to do with the political affairs of the State; that I did +not know, and, so far as I am aware, I did not see or speak to any man +who held a civil office in the State, except the magistrate at +Andersonville; that a few days after my arrival there I performed the +first religious<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span> services, and participated in the first public honors +that were ever rendered to the 13,716 "brave boys" who sleep there, by +decorating the cemetery with procession, prayer, and solemn hymns to +God, as described in <a href="#Appendix_A">Appendix A</a>.</p> + +<p>My time and labors were sacredly given to the Freedmen. In addition to +the usual Sabbath services I visited them in their cabins around the +stockades, and in the vicinity of the cemetery, reading the Bible to +them, and talking and praying with them. It was in the prosecution of +these labors that I saw and heard more of sufferings and horrible +outrages inflicted upon the Freedmen than I saw and heard of as +inflicted upon slaves in any five years of constant horseback travel in +the South before the war, when I visited thousands of plantations as +agent of the American Tract society, the American Bible Society, and as +President of Cumberland College, Princeton, Kentucky. As illustrations +of the sufferings of these oppressed, outraged people, and of their +utter helplessness and want of protection from the State or Federal +courts, I give a few of the "statements" that I wrote down from their +own lips. I know these men, and have entire confidence in their +"statements."</p> + +<p> </p> +<p class="center">STATEMENT OF CANE COOK.</p> + +<p>Cane Cook now lives near Americus, Sumter County, Georgia. I heard +through the colored people of the inhuman outrages committed upon him, +and sent word to him to come to me if possible, that I might get a +statement of the facts from his own lips. With the greatest difficulty +he got into the cars at Americus, and came here to-day. He says:</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>"I worked for Robert Hodges, last year, who lives about two +and-a-half miles from Andersonville, Georgia. I had my own stock, +and rented land from him, agreeing to give him one-third of the +corn, and one-fourth of the cotton for rent. We divided the corn by +the wagon load, and had no trouble about that. I made three bags of +cotton, weighing 506, 511, and 479 pounds when it was packed. Mr. +Hodges weighed it again, and I don't know what he has got it down, +but that was the right weight; one-fourth was his, and +three-fourths mine. He told me he would buy my cotton and pay me +the market price, which was twenty-one cents that day, and I told +him he might have<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span> it. I got some meat and corn and other things +from him during the year, and he paid me $50 in cash Christmas. I +went to him last Friday a week ago, (January 29th, 1869) for a +settlement. When he read over his account he had a gallon of syrup +charged to me, and I told him I had not had any syrup of him. He +asked me if I disputed his word. I told him that I did not want to +dispute his word, but I had not had any syrup from him. He got up +very angry, and took a large hickory stick and came towards me. I +went backwards towards the door, and he followed me. He is a strong +man and I did not want to have any trouble with him, and I gave him +no impudence. I had a small piece of clap-board in my hand, that I +had walked with. He told me to throw it down. I made no attempt to +strike him, but held it up to keep off his blow. I went backwards +to the door and to the edge of the porch, and he followed me. As I +turned to go down the steps—there are four steps—he struck me a +powerful blow on the back of my head, and I fell from the porch to +the ground. I was not entirely senseless, but I was stiff and could +not move hand or foot. I lay a long time—I do not know how +long—but he did not touch me. Jolly Low was at work upon the +house, and he came down where I was, and Mr. Hodges told him he +might lift me up if he was a mind to. He lifted me up and set me on +the steps. Mr. Hodges then sent about three miles for Dr. +Westbrook, and he came and bled me in both arms; but I was so cold +my left arm would not bleed at all, and my right arm bled but a +very little. The Doctor then told me to go to my friend's house and +let him take care of me. Two colored men—Anthony Dukes and Edward +Corrillus—took me under each arm and carried me to Burrell +Corrillus' house, about one hundred and fifty yards. I could not +bear my weight upon my feet or stand at all. The Doctor rode by and +told Mrs. Corrillus to take good care of me and keep me there a +couple of days. I staid there until Sunday afternoon, when two men +lifted me into a buggy and Mr. Corrillus carried me to my wife near +Americus. My hands, arms, back, and legs are almost useless. I have +not been able to lift a bit of food to my mouth. I have to be fed +like a baby. I have not gone before any of the courts. I have no +money to pay a lawyer, and I know it would do no good. Mr. Hodges +has not paid me for my cotton, and says he will not settle with me, +but will settle with any man I will send him. While I lay before +his door he told me that if I died he would pay my wife $50. I hope +there will be some law sometime for us poor oppressed people. If we +could only get land and have homes we could get along; but they +won't sell us any land."</p> + +<p><span class="smcap">Andersonville, Ga.</span>, <i>Feb. 7, 1869</i>.</p></div> + +<p> </p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span>Mr. Cook is about fifty years old, has a large frame, has been an +industrious, hard-working man, but is now almost entirely paralized and +helpless. He is the most shattered, complete, and pitiable wreck from +human violence I have ever seen. Mr. Hodges, I am told, owns about six +thousand acres of land, and is one of the most prominent and respected +citizens of Sumter County. He is a Methodist preacher, <ins class="correction" title="original reads 'aad'">and</ins> Mr. Reese +informs me, as I write, that he has heard him preach a great many times +in the last twenty years to both white and colored people at +camp-meetings and different meeting-houses in this region. He refuses to +sell any of his land to the colored people, and will not allow them to +build a school-house on it.</p> + +<p> </p> +<p class="center">STATEMENT OF FLOYD SNELSON.</p> + +<p>Floyd Snelson, foreman of the hands employed by the Government in the +National Cemetery, Andersonville, Georgia, says:</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>"That in July, 1868, after the work was suspended in the cemetery, +and the Lieutenant in charge had gone to Marietta, Georgia, and the +schools for the freedmen were closed, and the teachers had left for +the North, Mr. B. B. Dikes notified all the colored people who +occupied buildings on the land now claimed by him, formerly +occupied by the <ins class="correction" title="original reads 'Confedearte'">Confederate</ins> Government, in connection with the +Andersonville prison, that they must get out of their buildings +within four days, or he would have them put out by the Sheriff, and +they would have the cost to pay. Nearly all of these men had been +in the employ of the Government, at work in the National Cemetery, +many of them from the commencement of this work after the +surrender. They all occupied these buildings by permission of the +officer in charge of the cemetery, by whom they were employed. Many +of them had built these houses at their own expense, and cleared, +fenced, and cultivated gardens of from one to four acres, which +were covered with corn, potatoes, and other vegetables, which, with +their houses, they were required to leave without any compensation. +Including these laborers and their families, about two hundred +persons occupied these buildings. On account of the great +difficulty of getting homes for so many on such short notice, most +of these colored people applied to Mr. Dikes for the priviledge of +occupying their houses and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span> paying rent, either in money or a part +of the crops that they were growing. But he refused, and said they +could not stay on any terms. On the day appointed by Mr. Dikes, +(Wednesday, July 29th, 1868,) the most of the white people in from +six to ten miles around, appeared in Andersonville, with their +arms, and Mr. Souber, the magistrate of the district, and Mr. +Raiford, the Sheriff of the county, accompanied by a party of some +twenty-six or thirty armed white men, went to the houses of all +these people, (except a very few who had vacated their premises,) +and threw all their furniture, and provisions of every kind, out of +doors. They then nailed up the doors of all their cabins, on the +inside, and punched off a part of the roofs, and got out in this +way. By about two P. M., all these people, with their furniture, +bedding, provisions, and everything that they possessed, were +turned out of doors.</p> + +<p>"About four o'clock, the most violent rain storm, accompanied with +the most terrific thunder and lightning ever known here, commenced +and continued the most of the night. Every mill-dam and many of the +mills in a circle of ten miles were washed away and so completely +destroyed that but one of them has been repaired so as to be used. +The women—some of them about to be confined—children and invalids +were exposed to this storm during the night. Their beds, clothing, +provisions, and themselves were as completely drenched as if they +had been thrown into a brook. Some of these people got homes by +working for their board. Some able-bodied men got twenty-five cents +a day. Some of them, (Deacon Turner Hall, of the Congregational +Church, Andersonville, among the number,) walked from ten to twenty +miles a day, and could get neither homes nor work at any price at +all. Many women and children lay out of doors guarding their +things, and exposed to the weather nearly a week, before they could +get any shelter at all—their husbands and fathers roaming over the +country to find some kind of a home. The Rev. F. Haley, of the +American Missionary Association, arrived the next day, to look +after the property of the mission. His life was threatened, but the +colored people rallied around him to protect him, and he left the +next day unharmed. Large numbers of the white people, from the +neighborhood, assembled at Andersonville every day until Saturday +night, when they set fire to nine (9) of the buildings, that had +been built by the colored people, and burnt them up, and tore down +their fences and destroyed their crops. The colored people, +supposing that they intended to burn the buildings occupied for the +"Teacher's Home" and the "Freedmen's School," rallied and protected +them. No one of the men<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span> engaged in these outrages, has ever been +arrested or punished in any way, and no one of these freedmen has +ever had any redress for his sufferings and losses. I will make +oath to these statements."</p> + +<p><span class="smcap">Andersonville, Ga.</span>, <i>Feb. 12, 1869</i>.</p></div> + +<p> </p> +<p class="center">STATEMENT OF GEORGE SMITH.</p> + +<p>George Smith now resides five miles from Ellaville, in Schley County, +Georgia. He says:</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>"Before the election of Grant, large bodies of men were riding +about the country in the night for more than a month. They and +their horses were covered with large white sheets, so that you +could not tell them or their horses. They gave out word that they +would whip every Radical in the country that intended to vote for +Grant, and did whip all they could get hold of. They sent word to +me that I was one of the leaders of the Grant club, and they would +whip me. I saw them pass my house one night, and I should think +there were thirty or forty of them. They looked in the night like +Jersey wagons. I supposed they were after me, and I took my blanket +and gun and ran to the woods and lay out all night, and a good many +other nights. Nearly all the Radicals in the neighborhood lay in +the woods every night for two weeks before election. The Kuklux +would go to the houses of all that belonged to the Grant club, call +them to the door, throw a blanket over them and carry them off and +whip them, and try and make them promise to vote for Seymour and +Blair. The night I saw them they went to the house of Mr. Henry +Davis and ordered him out. He refused to come out and they tore +down both of his doors. He fired at them and escaped. I heard a +good many shots fired at him. He lay out about a week in the woods, +and then slipped back in the night and got his family and moved +off. He had bought a place and paid $250 on it but he could not get +a deed, and he has gone off and left it. They then went to the +house of Tom Pitman and Jonas Swanson, called them to the door, +threw blankets over their heads, carried them off and whipped them +tremendously. They told them that they were damned Radicals and +leaders of the Grant club, and that they would whip every one that +voted for Grant, and would not give any work to any but Democrats.</p> + +<p>"Bob Wiggins, a preacher, was whipped all most to death because they +said he was preaching Radical doctrines to the colored<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span> people. It +was supposed for a good many days that he would die, but he finally +recovered.</p> + +<p>"I attended the election at Ellaville. None of the Radicals that had +been Ku-Kluxed tried to vote; but a good many Radicals did try to +vote, but the judges made them all show their tickets, and if they +were for Grant they would not let them vote. I saw how they treated +others and did not try to put my vote in. I went early in the +morning, and the white and colored Democrats voted until about +noon, when I went home."</p> + +<p><span class="smcap">Andersonville</span>, <i>February 7, 1869</i>.</p></div> + +<p> </p> +<p class="center">STATEMENT OF RICHARD REESE.</p> + +<p>Richard Reese, President of the Grant club of Schley County, confirms +the statements of George Smith in regard to the treatment of the +Radicals in Schley County. He says:</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>"When the Ku-Klux commenced riding about the country I was at Macon +attending the colored convention. When I got home some white men, +Democrats, who were friends of mine, told me that the Ku-Klux would +certainly kill me if I staid at home at nights. I took my blanket +and hid in the woods. I have never had a gun or pistol in my life. +I lay in the woods every night until after election. Day times I +came home and worked my crop. One day, as I was in my yard, Mr. +Jack Childers, a Democrat, came along from Americus, and said to +me, 'Where is old Dick, the damned old Radical?' I said, 'Here I +am.' He said, 'Well, you will be certain to be killed.' I said, +'Well, if they kill me they will kill a good old Radical, and I +haven't got much longer to live noway.' He then started to get out +of his buggy and come at me, but the man with him held him in and +drove on. I had the Grant tickets in my house, and went to the +Bumphead precinct, but there were more Radicals than Democrats +there, and they would not open the polls at all. We staid there +till twelve o'clock, then started for Ellaville. The white and +colored Democrats were voting, but they would not let a Radical +vote until about two o'clock, when Charley Hudson got upon a stump +and said no man could vote unless he had paid his taxes. He then +got down, and he and nearly every white man there went around to +the colored voters and told them that if they would vote the +Democratic ticket their tax was paid. I offered my ticket, and they +said my tax was not paid, and if I put in my ticket they would put +me in jail, and send me to the penitentiary. I had already agreed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span> +with a white man, who owed me $50, to pay my tax, and he said he +had done it, but when I found him, and he found what was the +matter, he said he had not paid it. They demanded $4.50 poll-tax, +and I paid it and put in my vote. They were determined that I +should not vote, and I was determined that I would vote for Grant +any way, as I was the president of the club. They told me if I +would vote for Seymour and Blair I need not pay my taxes. After I +got my vote in I took all my Grant tickets and scattered them among +the crowd, and told my club they need not try to vote, it would do +no good. Grant would be elected without Schley County, and we all +went home.</p> + +<p>"Last spring we built a school-house, and hired a white lady to +teach our school for several months. We held meetings and schools +every Sunday. Friday night, February 5, 1869, our school-house was +burned up.</p> + +<p>"Last night we had a meeting to see what we could do about building +another house. We have a deed of one-and-a-half acres of land, but +there is no timber on it, and the owners of the land around have +put up a paper forbidding us to cut a stick on their's, and see how +tight they have got us. We want the Government or somebody to help +us build. We want some law to protect us. We know that we could +burn their churches and schools, but it is against the law to burn +houses, and we don't want to break the law or harm anybody. We want +the law to protect us, and all we want is to live under the law."</p> + +<p><span class="smcap">Andersonville</span>, <i>Feb. 7, 1869</i>.</p></div> + +<p> </p> +<p class="center">STATEMENT OF REV. CHARLES ENNIS.</p> + +<p>Charles Ennis informs me that he was sixty-two years old last June; that +he was the slave of Mr. G. C. McBee, who kept the ferry on the Holston +river, fifteen miles from Knoxville Tennessee; that he has often ferried +the Hon. Messrs. Brownlow and Maynard over the river; that he learned to +read when a small boy, and that he is now a preacher and teacher. He is +the most intelligent colored man I have seen at Andersonville. He says:</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>"My wife has been a midwife for many years, and has attended upon a +good many white and colored women in child-birth. Last year we +lived in Mitchell County, and Mr. Henry Adams, of Baker County, +sent for her to attend his wife, who was about<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span> to be confined. The +child was born and did well. After the riot at Camilla we were +afraid to remain in Mitchell County. I lived within three miles of +Camilla, and a good many of the dead were very near me, but I did +not see any of them. I was afraid to go from home. Dr. Sanders, who +attended upon those who were shot, told me that more than fifty +were killed and wounded. Mr. Adams said his wife liked my wife so +well that he wanted us to go to Houston County with him, and he +would pay our expenses there; and then he would certainly get me a +school, and I could live on his place with my wife, and he would +pay her $50 a year wages. I told him we would not engage by the +year, but only by the month, so long as we could agree. Mr. Robert +Adams, his uncle, was his partner, and managed the plantation. On +the 19th of January, 1869, he told my wife he wanted breakfast very +early, as he was going to attend the burying of his nephew's wife +next morning. She got up before day and got it, and I carried it to +him and he ate it by candle light. After breakfast, as my wife was +going to milk, he came out doors, and when he saw her he said: 'O +you d——d old b——h, I have catched up to you, you G—d d——d +old rogue,' and a good deal more of the same sort. I was surprised +at this, as I knew she had got the breakfast all right, and I had +carried it in to him. I went out and asked him in a mild manner, +'Mr. Adams, what is the matter? what has she done?' He made no +reply at all, but rushed at me and caught me by the hair and +commenced beating me. He struck me several times on the head. I +made no resistance at all, but said, 'Mr. Adams, I will make you +pay, for this.' This made him still worse, and he took out his +knife and said he would give me something to make him pay for—he +would kill me.</p> + +<p>"Henry Ottrecht, a German, and a colored boy named Wash caught him +and begged him not to kill me, and told me to promise him that I +would not report him. He held on to me until I promised him that I +would not report him, and then let me go. He told these men that he +would have killed me if they had not prevented him. As he started +away to attend the burying of his nephew's wife, he said to me, +'Now you may go to Perry,' (the county seat,) 'and report me if you +want; but if you do I'll be d——d if I don't kill you.' At night +my wife heard him tell Charles Evart, a freedman, about the scrape, +and he said he would have killed me if they had not held him, and +he would kill me anyway, if I reported him. I was a slave until +freed the by war, but I never received such treatment during all my +life as a slave. I waited on officers in the Confederate army from +1862 until the surrender. The last six months<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> I was with Lt. Col. +Jones, Second Georgia Reserves, at Andersonville. I never received +a blow or a harsh word from one of them. I have traveled a great +deal before and since the war. I know that the colored people are +more brutally treated now than they were in slavery times. A great +many more are beaten, wounded and killed now than then. I know a +great many cases where they have been beaten to death with clubs, +killed with knives and dirks, shot and hung. We have no protection +at all from the laws of Georgia. We had rather die than go back +into slavery, but we are worse treated than we ever were before. We +cannot protect ourselves; we want the Government to protect us. A +great many freedmen have told me that we should be obliged to rise +and take arms and protect ourselves, but I have always told them +this would not do; that the whole South would then come against us +and kill us off, as the Indians have been killed off. I have always +told them the best way was for us to apply to the Government for +protection, and let them protect us."</p> + +<p><span class="smcap">Andersonville, Ga.</span>, <i>February 10, 1869</i>.</p></div> + +<p> </p><p> </p> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="KU_KLUXED" id="KU_KLUXED"></a>WHY I WAS KU KLUXED.</h2> +<p> </p> + +<p>Mr. B. B. Dikes, referred to in the foregoing statement of Floyd +Snelson, is not the only claimant who has endeavored to secure +possession of the grounds in and around the stockades at <i>Andersonville, +Georgia</i>. I should have said that he has entered a suit in the U. S. +Court for the possession of these lands, but in the absence of the +military he judged the ejectment of the freedmen, and getting possession +in the manner I have described, as more sure and speedy than the "law's +delay."</p> + +<p>A Mr. Crawford claims that the land which lies within and around the +south stockade, in which are the hospital sheds, where so many of our +soldiers died, where even now the bare ground upon which they lay shows +the indenture made by the bodies of our suffering dying soldiers, +belongs to certain heirs, and he, too, has been endeavoring to get +possession of these grounds. My pastoral visitations led me to the +cabins in and around the stockades, that have been built upon the land +now claimed by Mr. Crawford. As was most natural, they poured into my +ears the sad, the almost incredible, accounts of the wrongs they have +suffered "since freedom came," or, as they more frequently expressed it, +"since the surrender came through." One of these men came to me in +January, in great distress, and told me that the day before he had been +notified by Mr. Souber, the magistrate of the district, that he must +leave his house by the next Monday night, or he would bring the Sheriff +and turn him out. Mr. Souber told him that he had charge of the land for +Mr. Crawford, <i>and that he was agoing to fence it in, and raise a cotton +crop in and around these stockades</i>. There are thousands who know how +this soil has been ensanguined<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> and enriched. I had frequently walked +over these grounds, and seen evidences of what is both too indelicate +and too horrible to be described. I confess that my indignation was +roused to the highest degree. I sat down <ins class="correction" title="original reads 'immedately'">immediately</ins> and wrote a +statement of these facts to Hon. J. M. Ashley, and begged him to call on +General Grant, and see if there was any power in the Government to +prevent these outrages.</p> + +<p>The Lieutenant in charge at Andersonville called upon me some days +later, and informed me that my letter to Congressman Ashley had been +referred, by General Grant to General Meade, who had referred it to him. +I furnished him the facts upon which it was based, and also wrote +General Meade as follows:</p> + +<p> </p> +<div class="blockquot"> +<p class="center">[Copy.]</p> + +<p class="right"><span class="smcap">Andersonville, Ga.</span>, <i>January 30, 1869</i>.</p> + +<p><span class="smcap">General:</span> I send you the accompanying "statements" in regard to the +matters referred to in my letter to the Hon. J. M. Ashley, M.C. My +letter was based upon <i>part</i> of these statements. Those additional +to what had then been communicated to me are the result of +investigations made since Lieutenant Corliss informed me that my +letter had been referred to General Meade and to himself.</p> + +<p>I have been acquainted with colored people in the South more than +twenty-five years I know the difficulty of getting at the truth in +such matters. But I think these "statements" can be depended upon.</p> + + +<p><span style="margin-left: 4em;">With great respect, yours very truly,</span></p> + +<p><span style="margin-left: 10em;">H. W. PIERSON.</span></p> + +<p>To <span class="smcap">Major General Meade</span>.</p></div> + + +<p> </p><p> </p> +<p class="center">STATEMENTS OF ALBERT WILLIAMS, MARTHA RANDALL, JANE ROGERS, AND BENJAMIN WESTON.</p> + +<p>Albert Williams states to me that in January after the surrender he was +employed by the Government to work in the cemetery, and worked there +until last spring. That Mr. Van<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> Dusen, Supt. of the cemetery, gave him +the privilege of moving into the house he now occupies, near the +stockade that enclosed the hospital buildings; that afterwards Captain +Rench gave him the privilege of clearing off the ground east of the +stockade and raising a crop; that he hired hands and cleared and fenced +about fifteen acres; that his wife and children helped to raise a crop; +that after it was "laid by," Mr. Crawford, who claims the land, called +on him and demanded rent, that he also called on Lewis Williams, Howard +Ingraham, and Butler Johnson, who were raising crops around the +stockades by permission of Captain Rench, and demanded rent, that Mr. +Crawford called upon us four, with Mr. B. B. Dikes and Esquire Souber, +and compelled us to sign a written contract, which they had prepared, +that each of us four would pay forty bushels of corn each for rent; that +he (Williams) was unable to pay the forty bushels of corn, but did pay +ten dollars in money, ten bushels of corn which he gathered and hauled +to Mr. Dikes' crib, for which he was allowed fifteen dollars in rent. +None of the four men were able to pay the forty bushels of corn; but Mr. +Crawford brought the Bailiff, John Law, and took what corn he could, and +a sow and pig from Howard Ingraham. All these men but me have left their +places that they had cleared and fenced, because they could not pay such +rent, and Mr. Crawford has put the places in charge of Mr. Souber, and +brought him two males to cultivate the grounds. Mr. Williams states that +twice the stockade has been set on fire in the night, and he and his +boys have toted water and put it out.</p> + +<p>Mr. Williams states that Mr. Souber came to his house some two or three +weeks ago, and told him he must get out of the house and leave the +place, that he had charge of it now, that he was going to fence in the +grounds and raise a crop in and around the stockade, and that he would +not let any body live there but those that worked the place. That some +time after this Mr. Souber sent him word by Bob Stevens that he had +rented the place to him, and that he must get out or Mr. Souber would +have him put out by the Sheriff, Mr. Raiford; that Mr. Stevens and his +wife have both been to his house several times with this message from +Mr. Souber; that last Saturday (January 23,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> 1869,) his wife told him +that Mr. Souber came to his house while he was away and told her we must +get out by Monday night or he would bring the Sheriff and have us put +out. Mr. Williams says he will make oath to these statements.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Martha Randall and Mrs. Jane Rogers live very near Mr. Williams. +They state to me that they occupy the house by permission of Mr. Souber, +as they have agreed to work for him. They both say to me that they heard +Mr. Souber tell Mrs. Williams, last Saturday, that "they must get out of +the house or he would have the Sheriff put them out."</p> + +<p><span class="smcap">Note</span>—You will see that there are three witnesses to these statements of +Mr. Souber. I saw each of them "separate and apart" from the others, and +no one knew what the others had said, and their statements agreed in +every particular.</p> + +<p>Benjamin Weston states to me that Major Anthony gave him permission to +raise a crop east of the stockade, where the small-pox hospital was +located. That he cleared and fenced about six acres; that there was no +clearing on the land—only some of the underbrush was cut out; that +there was not a rail on the place; that he cut and split all the rails +and made a good fence, and raised a crop of corn; that about the first +of August Mr. Crawford came to him and said the land was his, and +demanded thirty-five bushels of corn for rent, and required him to sign +a contract and give security for that amount; that the place only +yielded about twenty bushels, of which his family and stock used ten +bushels, and he gave ten bushels for rent.</p> + +<p>Mr. Weston states that he heard that Mr. Souber had charge of the land, +and about the first of January he applied to him to rent what he had +cleared and fenced. Mr. Souber told him that he had charge of the land +but it was not for rent; he was agoing to tend it himself. He then asked +me what Mr. Williams was agoing to do. I told him I did not know. He +said well, he had better hunt him a house, for I am agoing to tend that +place myself. Mr. Weston says he has never had any pay for clearing and +fencing the land, only about ten bushels of corn, as above stated. He +says he will make oath to the above statements.</p> +<p> </p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p><i>January 29, 1869.</i><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span></p> + +<p><span class="smcap">General:</span> I do not know the boundaries of the land claimed by +Crawford, but as far as I am able to learn, the mob that burnt the +buildings here last summer, and threats and treatment like that +detailed above, have driven off all the families that occupied +these grounds by authority of officers of the United States +Government, except Mr. Williams, and Mr. Rhodes who occupies a +building in the large stockade, which he tells me he has been +warned to leave. Through the means above detailed Mr. C. has very +nearly secured possession, which is nine-tenths in law.</p> + +<p><span style="margin-left: 4em;">With great respect, yours, very truly,</span></p> + +<p><span style="margin-left: 10em;">H. W. PIERSON.</span></p> + +<p>To <span class="smcap">Major General Meade</span>.</p></div> + + +<p> </p><p> </p> +<p>On the 10th of February, 1869, Captain Bean called on me and introduced +himself as a member of General Meade's staff, and said he had come from +Atlanta to <ins class="correction" title="original reads 'Andersonvile'">Andersonville</ins> by order of General Meade to make +investigations in regard to the matters referred to in my letters. I +went with him to the stockade and pointed out the new fences made and +the grounds claimed by Mr. Souber. At his request I went with him to the +office of Mr. Williams, the superintendent of the cemetery, and in my +presence he told him <i>to notify Mr. Souber to suspend all work upon +these grounds</i>.</p> + +<p>I confess that I was exceedingly gratified at this complete success of +my efforts. I felt that these historic grounds, this Gethsemane of the +nation, had been rescued from what I could but esteem a <ins class="correction" title="original reads 'sacreligious'">sacrilegious</ins> use +and possession, and that the flag that floated over the dead at +Andersonville had been honored by this order. When I told the Freedmen +the result of Captain Bean's visit their joy was great. In describing to +me, as they often had, the suffering and losses they had endured when +they were driven from their homes, and their cabins were burnt last +summer, they always, in their simplicity, spoke of it as the time "when +the Government busted up." And this truly described the condition of the +Government from that time to the present,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> so far as they were +concerned, for these facts show that no matter how horrible and brutal +the outrage and personal violence committed upon them there had been no +punishment to the perpetrators and no redress to the Freedmen. Now they +felt that the Government would again afford them some protection.</p> + +<p>But great as was my joy, and the joy of the suffering Freedmen, it was +nothing to the <i>rage</i> of those who, after so long a struggle, had been +defeated in their efforts to get possession of these grounds just as +they were about to become completely successful. Captain Bean visited +and left Andersonville on the 10th. On the 12th I received a Ku-Klux +letter, of which the following is a true copy:</p> + +<p> </p> +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p> +*************<br /> +* Skull and<span class="spacer2"> </span>*<br /> +* cross-bones.*<br /> +*************<span class="spacer"> </span>"<span class="smcap">February 12, 1869.</span></p> + +<p>"Dr. <span class="smcap">Pearson</span> (so-called).</p> + +<p>"<span class="smcap">Sir:</span> For your especial benefit I am instructed to write you this +special communication of warning and instruction.</p> + +<p>"The citizens of this place are aware of a few facts relative to +yourself that I will proceed to designate: In the first place, they know +you to be a wandering <i>vagrant carpet bagger</i>, without visible means of +support, and living at present on the earnings of those who are +endeavoring to make an honest living by teaching. You have also proved +yourself a <i>scoundrel</i> of the deepest dye by maliciously interfering in +matters which do not in the least concern you, to the detriment of some +of our citizens.</p> + +<p>"This, therefore, is to warn you to <span class="smcap">leave</span> this county forthwith. +Twenty-four (24) hours from the above date is the time allowed for you +to leave. If after the said time your devilish countenance is seen at +<i>this place or vicinity your worthless life will pay the forfeit</i>. +Congressional reconstruction, the military, nor anything else under +Heaven, will prevent summary justice being meted out to such an +incarnate fiend as yourself.</p> + +<p><span style="margin-left: 4em;">"By order of committee."</span></p></div> + +<p> </p> +<p>I should do great injustice to Mr. Dikes, Mr. Souber, and Mr. Crawford, +and their sympathising friends, the author and inspirers of the above +letter, were I to say, or convey the impression, that they were worse +men than their neighbors. From what I have seen and heard of them I am +sure that in <i>mental</i><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span> <i>culture</i>, in <i>kindness of heart</i>, in <i>loyalty</i>, +and in <i>Christian civilization</i> they are decidedly <i>above</i> rather than +<i>below</i> the over-whelming majority of their fellow citizens. They +represent not the <i>lowest</i> but the <i>highest</i> type of patriotism, +philanthropy, and Christianity prevailing in that region. I challenge +their late Congressional representative, the Hon. Nelson Tift, to go +before his constituents and deny my statements in regard to the social +standing of these men.</p> + +<p>The above letter states my offence: "You have proved yourself a +<i>scoundrel</i> of the deepest dye, by maliciously interfering in matters +which do not in the least concern you, to the <i>detriment</i> of some of our +citizens." But General Grant, General Wade, and Captain Bean interfered +far more potentially than I did. If I am a "<i>scoundrel</i> of the deepest +dye" what must they be?</p> + +<p>The "skull and bones," the insignia of the Ku-Klux Klan and not the +stars and stripes, represent the dominant power in that region. +"Congressional reconstruction, the military, &c.," are successfully +defied. The power of the United States Government is not felt or feared. +They only know it as powerless to prevent the atrocities enacted before +their eyes during and since the war.</p> + +<p>The flag that I had united with others to honor with procession, songs, +and cheers, was powerless to protect me, and floats dishonored above the +graves of the 12,848 martyr heroes who suffered and died in the +stockades at Andersonville, as prisoners of war never suffered and died +before.</p> + +<p>I need hardly say that with my knowledge of the condition of things +around me, as presented <i>only in part</i> in this communication, I left +Andersonville as desired by the <i>Ku-Klux Klan</i>. I knew that human +life—that my life was not worth as much as the life of a chicken in any +law-abiding, law-governed community, for should any evil disposed person +there maliciously kill his neighbor's chicken he would be compelled to +pay some slight fine or endure some brief imprisonment; but no one of +all the perpetrators of the crimes I have named has suffered or has +dreamed or suffering any fine, imprisonment, or punishment<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span> whatever. I +knew that in their own language my life was "<i>worthless</i>." I went South +to reside in 1843, and there are few who know it as thoroughly. As agent +of the American Bible Society, and in other capacities, I have traveled +tens of thousands of miles over different States on horseback before the +war. Bishop Kavenaugh, of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, in +introducing me to the Louisville Conference in 1858, told them that +though a Presbyterian I had "out itinerated the itineracy itself." And +yet I have never seen or heard as much of outrage and personal violence +upon the colored people in any five years of slavery as I heard and saw +at Andersonville, Georgia, from December 22, 1868, to February 12, 1869. +I have never known crime to be committed in any community with such +perfect impunity. I have yet to learn of a <i>single</i> instance where the +civil courts in that part of the State have rendered any punishment or +redress for outrages like those I have detailed. The fact that such +crimes have for years been committed with perfect impunity—that the men +who perpetrate them have not the slightest fear or thought of ever being +punished—that the Freedmen who have suffered outrages such as these, +and others entirely too gross for me to repeat, have not the faintest +shadow of a hope that their wrongs will ever be redressed, has reduced +these poor people to a state of almost utter hopelessness and despair.</p> + +<p>Turner Hall, a freedman, a deacon in the Congregational church in +Andersonville, under whose black skin beats one of the most patriotic +and noble Christian hearts I have ever known, writes: "We seem to be +forsaken of God and man."</p> + +<p>I have talked with many of these men, who in the late Presidential +election, with a spirit as noble as ever beat in the heart of a martyr, +slept in swamps for weeks, were hunted like wild beasts, and perilled +all means of livelihood for their wives and children, and their own +lives, that they might vote for General Grant for President. Those of +them that were employed in the National Cemetery at Andersonville, +Georgia, were threatened with dismission in case they voted for General +Grant. Notwithstanding this threat some of them went to the polls, +voted<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span> for General Grant, and were immediately dismissed by Henry +Williams, superintendent of the cemetery. This was done to deter the +others, but they went forward and executed a "freeman's will" by voting +for General Grant. (Mr. Williams has since been removed.) And what to +this hour has been their reward from their friends? I forbear to press +this question.</p> + +<p>But with facts like these in mind can anyone suppose that a fair +election—an election in which the thousands of Freedmen in Georgia +shall give expression to their political wishes—can be held in that +State in 1870. The thing is simply impossible. Until these ignorant, +outraged people shall have some demonstration that there is power, +either in the State or Federal <ins class="correction" title="original reads 'Govvernment'">Government</ins>, to afford them protection, +and punish such outrages as that of Rev. Robert Hodges upon Cane Cook, +the Freedmen cannot be expected again to risk their <i>livings</i> and their +<i>lives</i> in voting for those whom they know to be their only friends.</p> + +<p>It will be proper for me to add that I did not come to Washington at the +suggestion or with the knowledge of any party in Georgia. I belong to no +"delegation." I came here at my own charges, in the interests of +patriotism and suffering humanity, to lay these facts before Congress +and the highest officers of the Government. All my self respect and +honor as a man, all my regard for the rights of <i>American citizenship</i>, +all my toils for the triumph of the starry banner, all my labors for the +education and protection of the ignorant and outraged Freedmen, and all +the emotions stirred in my soul as again and again I have walked amid +the graves of the nation's martyred dead at Andersonville, compelled me +to the performance of these unsought labors. <i>I ask that these Freedmen +may be protected and their wrongs redressed. I ask for the vindication +of the rights of American citizenship in Georgia and everywhere beneath +our own flag upon our own soil.</i></p> + +<p><span style="margin-left: 4em;">With great respect, your obedient servant,</span><br /> + +<span style="margin-left: 10em;">H. W. PIERSON.</span><br /> +<br /> +Hon. <span class="smcap">Charles Sumner</span>,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 4em;"><i>United States Senate</i>.</span></p> + +<p> </p> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span></p> +<p> </p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span></p> +<h4><a name="Appendix_A" id="Appendix_A"></a><span class="smcap">Appendix A.</span></h4> + +<h2>Emancipation Day in Andersonville, Ga.</h2> + +<h4>JANUARY 1, 1869.</h4> + +<h5>BY REV. H. W. PIERSON, D.D.</h5> + + +<p>This day so full of interest to the freedmen, so identified with the +name and fame of the lamented Lincoln, and so glorious in the history of +our country, was duly celebrated in Andersonville, Georgia.</p> + +<p>If called upon to state what have been the instrumentalities at work +among this people that have led to what I think all must esteem a most +appropriate and beautiful celebration of the day, I must name as first +and most efficient the <i>School for Freedmen</i>, established here by the +American Missionary Association, in the fall of 1866, and successfully +carried on up to the present time. Its first teachers were Miss M. L. +Root, of Sheffield, Ohio, and Miss M. F. Battey, of Providence, R. I., +who labored here for two years, with a Christian heroism, wisdom and +success that have left their names indelibly engraved upon the grateful +hearts of all those for whom they toiled. During the second year, Miss +M. C. Day, of Sheffield, Ohio, aided them, and was a worthy and +efficient co-laborer.</p> + +<p>For reasons unknown to the writer, none of these ladies returned the +third year, but were succeeded by Miss Laura Parmelee, of Toledo, Ohio, +and Miss Amelia Johnson, of Enfield, Conn., who are carrying forward the +work so successfully inaugurated with undiminished success. The colored +people have become so impressed with the value of the school that they +are contributing to its support with increasing liberality and +enthusiasm.</p> + +<p>As the schools for the freedmen are all suspended during the Christmas +holidays, a number of teachers and their friends, in other places, had +availed themselves of this opportunity to visit Andersonville. At a +social gathering at the "Teachers' Home"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> it was found that, including +the visitors, the clerks in the service of the government, and the +teachers here, there were present representatives of seven northern +States, and all were ready to unite heartily with the freedmen in the +celebration of Emancipation Day. They were Miss Russell, of Maine; Miss +Champney and Miss Stowell, of Massachusetts; Miss Johnson and Misses +Smith, of Connecticut: Mr. Pond, of Rhode Island; Mr. North, of Indiana; +Mr. Haughton, of New York; Miss Parmelee, of Ohio, and Rev. Dr. H. W. +Pierson.</p> + +<p>The committee appointed to make arrangements for the appropriate +celebration of the day, anxious to make the fullest possible exhibition +of the loyalty of all who were to unite with them in its celebration, +determined that it should include (1st,) Services in the Freedmens' +Chapel; (2d,) The decoration of the Cemetery; and (3d,) The Salutation +of the "Dear Old Flag," at the depot.</p> + +<p>All entered with alacrity and delight upon the work of preparation for +these services. The colored people ranged the woods to find the choicest +evergreens, and the young ladies, with willing hearts and skillful hands +wrought the most elaborate and beautiful wreaths from the Magnolia, Bay, +Holly, Cedar, and other boughs with which they were so bountifully +furnished. Songs were rehearsed, and all arrangements were duly +completed.</p> + +<p>On New Year's morning a deeply interested audience met in the room +occupied both for school-room and chapel, and at 10 a. m., Mr. Floyd +Snelson, (colored) President of the day, called the meeting to order, +and services were conducted as follows: (1.) Singing—"From all that +dwell below the skies." (2) Reading the Scriptures, by Miss Johnson, of +Enfield, Connecticut. (3.) Prayer, by Deacon Stickney, (colored.) (4.) +Reading of the Emancipation Proclamation, by Miss Parmelee, of Toledo, +Ohio. (5) Singing—"Oh, praise and thanks,"—Whittier. (6) Address by +Rev. Dr. H. W. Pierson. This programme having been carried out, the +entire audience was formed into a procession and marched to the +Cemetery, about half a mile north of us, under the direction of Mr. +Houghton, of Brooklyn, New York, Marshal of the day. That procession, +embracing so many happy Freedmen and representatives from so many +States, moving with so much order, and bearing such beautiful wreaths, +was certainly one of the most impressive and beautiful I have ever seen. +I am sure the sight would have melted tens of thousands of hearts could +they have looked upon it. Onward they marched upon their sacred mission, +singing at times most appropriate and beautiful songs:<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span> winding down the +hillside, crossing upon a single scantling the muddy stream that +furnished water for our own prisoners, passing near the rude cabin where +the blood-hounds were penned, in full view of the stockades where so +many thousands yielded up their lives, moving onward and up the gentle +elevation with slow and solemn tread, they at length reached the front +(south) entrance of the Cemetery, where the procession halted. On the +right (east) of the gate is a post and tablet in the form of a cross, +bearing this inscription: "National Cemetery, Andersonville, Georgia." +On the left (west) of the gate is a similar post and tablet, bearing +this inscription:</p> + +<div class="poem"> +"On Fame's eternal camping-ground<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Their silent tents are spread,</span><br /> +And Glory guards, with solemn round,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">This bivouac of the dead."</span></div> + +<p> </p> +<p>A young lady, designated for the purpose, left the procession and hung +one of our most beautiful wreaths upon the cross above this inscription.</p> + +<p>The gates were then thrown open, and the entire procession entered the +Cemetery. But how shall I describe the scene spread out before us as we +entered this solemn, silent city of the nation's dead? The Cemetery +contains forty-three acres, which are enclosed by a high board fence. It +is divided into four principal sections by broad avenues, running north +and south, and east and west, intersecting each other at right angles at +the center of the grounds. There is a sidewalk and row of young trees on +each side of these avenues. And then on either side of these avenues and +walks, what fields, what fields of white head-boards, stretching away in +long white parallel lines to the north and south, each with its simple +record of the name, regiment, and date of death of him who lies beneath +it. So they sleep their long sleep, lying shoulder to shoulder in their +graves as they had stood together in serried ranks on many a field of +battle.</p> + +<p>Resuming our march, and moving up the broad avenue, with rank upon rank, +and thousands upon thousands of these solemn sentinels upon either side +of us, we find on the left (west) side of the avenue, a tablet with this +inscription:</p> + +<div class="poem"> +"The hopes, the fears, the blood, the tears,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">That marked the bitter strife,</span><br /> +Are now all crowned by victory<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">That saved the nation's life."</span></div> + +<p> </p> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span>We paused, and hung a wreath above this inscription, and then moved on +to a tablet on the right (east) side of the avenue, with this +inscription:</p> + +<div class="poem"> +"Whether in the prison drear,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Or in the battle's van,</span><br /> +The fittest place for man to die,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Is where he dies for man."</span></div> + +<p> </p> +<p>We hung a wreath here, and again our procession moved forward and halted +on the left (west) side of the avenue, at a tablet bearing the inspired +words:</p> + +<div class="blockquot">"Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was; and the spirit +shall return unto God who gave it."</div> + +<p> </p> +<p>Here we placed another wreath, and moved onward to a tablet on the right +(east) side of the avenue, where we read—</p> + +<div class="poem"> +"A thousand battle-fields have drunk<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">The blood of warriors brave,</span><br /> +And countless homes are dark and drear,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Thro' the land they died to save."</span></div> + +<p> </p> +<p>Another wreath was placed here, and we marched to the last tablet in the +north of the Cemetery, standing in the midst of a section of graves +numbering thousands, and inscribed—</p> + +<div class="poem"> +"Through all rebellion's horrors<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Bright shines our nation's fame,</span><br /> +Our gallant soldiers, perishing,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Have won a deathless name."</span></div> + +<p> </p> +<p>After hanging a wreath here, we marched to the center of the Cemetery, +and hung our last wreath upon the flag-staff from which the stars and +stripes shall ever float above those who died in its defence.</p> + +<p>It was no place for speech. The surroundings were too solemn. Our only +other services were to unite in singing "My Native Country, Thee," +(America,) and Rev. Dr. Pierson offered prayer. And so we decorated the +National Cemetery at Andersonville, Georgia. It was little, very little, +we did, but we could not do more, and we dared not do less. Here are the +graves of 12,848 "brave boys," who died as prisoners of war in the +stockades. Eight hundred and sixty-eight other soldiers have<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span> been +disinterred and brought here from Macon, Columbus, Eufaula, Americus, +and other places in Georgia, so that now this Cemetery numbers 13,716 +graves. We could not decorate them all, and we dared not decorate those +of the States we represented, or of any particular class. We dared not +single out any for special honors. We felt that all were worthy of equal +honor from us, and from the nation they died to save. And so we +decorated the Cemetery as a whole, as best we could, and our tribute of +affection was bestowed equally upon each one of all these 13,716 +hallowed graves. And most earnestly did we implore the blessing of +Almighty God to rest upon our whole country, and upon all the fathers, +mothers, sisters, brothers, widows, and orphans, whose "dead" we thus +attempted to honor.</p> + +<p>It will gratify the relatives and friends of all those buried here, to +know that the nation is watching over their dead with pious care. +Hundreds of men have been employed in making the improvements already +mentioned, and many others I have not time to notice, and a number are +still at work. They are planting trees, making and improving walks, +placing sod upon the graves, and otherwise beautifying the grounds.</p> + +<p>But I am detaining my readers too long from what I have already +indicated as the third and final part of our programme.</p> + +<p>Day after day the starry banner, the banner of peace ("Let us have +Peace") is thrown to the breeze from the flag staff in front of the +office of First Lieutenant A. W. Corliss, near the Andersonville depot. +This is the most beautiful sight; indeed, almost the only beautiful +sight that greets the vision of a lover of his country here.</p> + +<p>We wished to give expression to the warm feelings of our own hearts, and +also to make a demonstration of our loyalty and love for the flag in the +presence of the unusual concourse of people assembled at the station for +the business or pleasure of New Year's day.</p> + +<p>Our procession was re-formed in the Cemetery, and taking the broad +avenue that has been constructed by the government from the depot, a +distance of about half a mile, we marched slowly back in the same order, +and singing beautiful songs, as when we came. A part of the way our +procession was in full view of the residents of the place, and the +visitors there. Fortunately, as we reached the depot, the passenger +train arrived from the south, and witnessed our loyal demonstrations. +Arriving at the flag-staff, the entire procession formed in a circle<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> +around it, and sang with enthusiasm Mr. William B. Bradbury's "See the +flag, the dear old flag," with the heart-stirring chorus—</p> + +<div class="poem"> +"Wave the starry banner high,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Strike our colors, never!</span><br /> +Here we stand to live or die,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">The Stripes and Stars forever."</span></div> + +<p> </p> +<p>Mr. Snelson, the President of the day, then proposed three cheers for +the "Dear old Flag," which were given with a will. Three <ins class="correction" title="original reads 'cherrs'">cheers</ins> were +then proposed for Lieutenant Corliss and others, which were given in the +same hearty manner. Other patriotic songs were then sung, and after a +brief prayer and the benediction, by Rev. Dr. Pierson, the audience +quietly dispersed.</p> + +<p>So we celebrated Emancipation Day in Andersonville, Georgia. To all of +us who participated in it, it was a joyful day. We also hope our +services may gladden and cheer many other hearts all over our broad +land.</p> + +<hr style="width: 15%;" /> +<p><span class="smcap">Note.</span>—I may be mistaken in the name of the Captain who made the brief +visit to Andersonville, February 10, 1869.—See page 17. I shall regret +if I have not properly honored one whose bearing was so gallant and +gentlemanly. <span class="spacer"> </span>H. W. P.</p> + +<p> </p><p> </p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class="u">Transcriber's Notes:</span></p> + +<p>Additional spacing after some of the quotes is intentional to indicate both the end of a quotation and the beginning of a new paragraph as +presented in the original text.</p> + +<p>When referring to a specific county, the "c" in the word "county" has been capitalized for standard presentation.</p> + +<p>The Table of Contents, which did not appear in the original text, was generated as an aid for the reader.</p> + + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Letter to Hon. Charles Sumner, with +'Statements' of Outrages upon Freedmen in Georgia, by Hamilton Wilcox Pierson + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LETTER TO HON. CHARLES SUMNER *** + +***** This file should be named 29942-h.htm or 29942-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/9/9/4/29942/ + +Produced by Bryan Ness, Stephanie Eason, and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net. (This +book was produced from scanned images of public domain +material from the Google Print project.) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: A Letter to Hon. Charles Sumner, with 'Statements' of Outrages upon Freedmen in Georgia + +Author: Hamilton Wilcox Pierson + +Release Date: September 9, 2009 [EBook #29942] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LETTER TO HON. CHARLES SUMNER *** + + + + +Produced by Bryan Ness, Stephanie Eason, and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net. (This +book was produced from scanned images of public domain +material from the Google Print project.) + + + + + + + + + + A LETTER + TO + HON. CHARLES SUMNER, + WITH "STATEMENTS" OF + Outrages Upon Freedmen in Georgia, + AND AN ACCOUNT OF MY + EXPULSION FROM ANDERSONVILLE, GA., + BY THE + KU-KLUX KLAN. + + + BY REV. H. W. PIERSON, D.D., + + FORMERLY PRESIDENT OF CUMBERLAND COLLEGE, KENTUCKY; + AUTHOR OF JEFFERSON AT MONTICELLO, OR THE PRIVATE + LIFE OF THOMAS JEFFERSON; CORRESPONDING + MEMBER N. Y. HISTORICAL SOCIETY, ETC. + + COMPLIMENTS OF THE AUTHOR. + + + WASHINGTON: + CHRONICLE PRINT., 511 NINTH STREET. + 1870. + + + + +[Copy.] + +NEW YORK, _November, 1861_ + +To the Rev. H. W. PIERSON, D.D., + +_President of Cumberland College, Kentucky:_ + +DEAR SIR: The undersigned beg leave respectfully to suggest to you the +propriety of repeating your paper read before the Historical Society at +a recent meeting, on the Private Life of Thomas Jefferson, and making +public a larger portion of your ample materials, in the form of public +lectures. The unanimous expression of approbation on the part of the +Society, which your paper elicited, is an earnest of the satisfaction +with which your consent to lecture will be received by the public at +large. + +We have the honor to be, very respectfully, yours, + + GEORGE BANCROFT, + HAMILTON FISH, + WM. M. EVARTS, + FREDERIC DE PEYSTER, + BENJ. H. FIELD, + GEORGE FOLSOM, + L. BRADISH, + ISAAC FERRIS, + GORHAM D. ABBOT, + SAMUEL OSGOOD, + GEORGE POTTS, + HENRY W. BELLOWS, + JOSEPH G. COGSWELL, + HORACE WEBSTER, + And many others. + + + + +LAWLESSNESS IN GEORGIA. + + +WASHINGTON, D. C., _March 15, 1870_. + +MY DEAR SIR: It would not become me to express an opinion upon any of +the legal questions involved in the Georgia bill now before the Senate, +but I respectfully call your attention to the following "statements" of +facts. I certainly am not surprised that Honorable gentlemen whom I +greatly esteem, should express their belief that the outrages committed +upon the Freedmen and Union men in Georgia have been greatly exaggerated +in the statements that have been presented to Congress and the country. +I know that to persons and communities not intimately acquainted with +the state of society, and the civilization developed by the institution +of slavery, they seem absolutely incredible. Allow me to say, from my +personal knowledge, and profoundly conscious of my responsibility to God +and to history, that the statements that have been given to the public +in regard to outrages in Georgia come far short of the real facts in the +case. Permit me to add that I went to Andersonville, Ga., to labor as a +pastor and teacher of the Freedmen, _without pay_, as I had labored +during the war in the service of the _Christian Commission_; that I had +nothing at all to do with the political affairs of the State; that I did +not know, and, so far as I am aware, I did not see or speak to any man +who held a civil office in the State, except the magistrate at +Andersonville; that a few days after my arrival there I performed the +first religious services, and participated in the first public honors +that were ever rendered to the 13,716 "brave boys" who sleep there, by +decorating the cemetery with procession, prayer, and solemn hymns to +God, as described in Appendix A. + +My time and labors were sacredly given to the Freedmen. In addition to +the usual Sabbath services I visited them in their cabins around the +stockades, and in the vicinity of the cemetery, reading the Bible to +them, and talking and praying with them. It was in the prosecution of +these labors that I saw and heard more of sufferings and horrible +outrages inflicted upon the Freedmen than I saw and heard of as +inflicted upon slaves in any five years of constant horseback travel in +the South before the war, when I visited thousands of plantations as +agent of the American Tract society, the American Bible Society, and as +President of Cumberland College, Princeton, Kentucky. As illustrations +of the sufferings of these oppressed, outraged people, and of their +utter helplessness and want of protection from the State or Federal +courts, I give a few of the "statements" that I wrote down from their +own lips. I know these men, and have entire confidence in their +"statements." + + +STATEMENT OF CANE COOK. + +Cane Cook now lives near Americus, Sumter County, Georgia. I heard +through the colored people of the inhuman outrages committed upon him, +and sent word to him to come to me if possible, that I might get a +statement of the facts from his own lips. With the greatest difficulty +he got into the cars at Americus, and came here to-day. He says: + + "I worked for Robert Hodges, last year, who lives about two + and-a-half miles from Andersonville, Georgia. I had my own stock, + and rented land from him, agreeing to give him one-third of the + corn, and one-fourth of the cotton for rent. We divided the corn by + the wagon load, and had no trouble about that. I made three bags of + cotton, weighing 506, 511, and 479 pounds when it was packed. Mr. + Hodges weighed it again, and I don't know what he has got it down, + but that was the right weight; one-fourth was his, and + three-fourths mine. He told me he would buy my cotton and pay me + the market price, which was twenty-one cents that day, and I told + him he might have it. I got some meat and corn and other things + from him during the year, and he paid me $50 in cash Christmas. I + went to him last Friday a week ago, (January 29th, 1869) for a + settlement. When he read over his account he had a gallon of syrup + charged to me, and I told him I had not had any syrup of him. He + asked me if I disputed his word. I told him that I did not want to + dispute his word, but I had not had any syrup from him. He got up + very angry, and took a large hickory stick and came towards me. I + went backwards towards the door, and he followed me. He is a strong + man and I did not want to have any trouble with him, and I gave him + no impudence. I had a small piece of clap-board in my hand, that I + had walked with. He told me to throw it down. I made no attempt to + strike him, but held it up to keep off his blow. I went backwards + to the door and to the edge of the porch, and he followed me. As I + turned to go down the steps--there are four steps--he struck me a + powerful blow on the back of my head, and I fell from the porch to + the ground. I was not entirely senseless, but I was stiff and could + not move hand or foot. I lay a long time--I do not know how + long--but he did not touch me. Jolly Low was at work upon the + house, and he came down where I was, and Mr. Hodges told him he + might lift me up if he was a mind to. He lifted me up and set me on + the steps. Mr. Hodges then sent about three miles for Dr. + Westbrook, and he came and bled me in both arms; but I was so cold + my left arm would not bleed at all, and my right arm bled but a + very little. The Doctor then told me to go to my friend's house and + let him take care of me. Two colored men--Anthony Dukes and Edward + Corrillus--took me under each arm and carried me to Burrell + Corrillus' house, about one hundred and fifty yards. I could not + bear my weight upon my feet or stand at all. The Doctor rode by and + told Mrs. Corrillus to take good care of me and keep me there a + couple of days. I staid there until Sunday afternoon, when two men + lifted me into a buggy and Mr. Corrillus carried me to my wife near + Americus. My hands, arms, back, and legs are almost useless. I have + not been able to lift a bit of food to my mouth. I have to be fed + like a baby. I have not gone before any of the courts. I have no + money to pay a lawyer, and I know it would do no good. Mr. Hodges + has not paid me for my cotton, and says he will not settle with me, + but will settle with any man I will send him. While I lay before + his door he told me that if I died he would pay my wife $50. I hope + there will be some law sometime for us poor oppressed people. If we + could only get land and have homes we could get along; but they + won't sell us any land." + + ANDERSONVILLE, GA., _Feb. 7, 1869_. + + +Mr. Cook is about fifty years old, has a large frame, has been an +industrious, hard-working man, but is now almost entirely paralized and +helpless. He is the most shattered, complete, and pitiable wreck from +human violence I have ever seen. Mr. Hodges, I am told, owns about six +thousand acres of land, and is one of the most prominent and respected +citizens of Sumter County. He is a Methodist preacher, and Mr. Reese +informs me, as I write, that he has heard him preach a great many times +in the last twenty years to both white and colored people at +camp-meetings and different meeting-houses in this region. He refuses to +sell any of his land to the colored people, and will not allow them to +build a school-house on it. + + +STATEMENT OF FLOYD SNELSON. + +Floyd Snelson, foreman of the hands employed by the Government in the +National Cemetery, Andersonville, Georgia, says: + + "That in July, 1868, after the work was suspended in the cemetery, + and the Lieutenant in charge had gone to Marietta, Georgia, and the + schools for the freedmen were closed, and the teachers had left for + the North, Mr. B. B. Dikes notified all the colored people who + occupied buildings on the land now claimed by him, formerly + occupied by the Confederate Government, in connection with the + Andersonville prison, that they must get out of their buildings + within four days, or he would have them put out by the Sheriff, and + they would have the cost to pay. Nearly all of these men had been + in the employ of the Government, at work in the National Cemetery, + many of them from the commencement of this work after the + surrender. They all occupied these buildings by permission of the + officer in charge of the cemetery, by whom they were employed. Many + of them had built these houses at their own expense, and cleared, + fenced, and cultivated gardens of from one to four acres, which + were covered with corn, potatoes, and other vegetables, which, with + their houses, they were required to leave without any compensation. + Including these laborers and their families, about two hundred + persons occupied these buildings. On account of the great + difficulty of getting homes for so many on such short notice, most + of these colored people applied to Mr. Dikes for the priviledge of + occupying their houses and paying rent, either in money or a part + of the crops that they were growing. But he refused, and said they + could not stay on any terms. On the day appointed by Mr. Dikes, + (Wednesday, July 29th, 1868,) the most of the white people in from + six to ten miles around, appeared in Andersonville, with their + arms, and Mr. Souber, the magistrate of the district, and Mr. + Raiford, the Sheriff of the county, accompanied by a party of some + twenty-six or thirty armed white men, went to the houses of all + these people, (except a very few who had vacated their premises,) + and threw all their furniture, and provisions of every kind, out of + doors. They then nailed up the doors of all their cabins, on the + inside, and punched off a part of the roofs, and got out in this + way. By about two P. M., all these people, with their furniture, + bedding, provisions, and everything that they possessed, were + turned out of doors. + + "About four o'clock, the most violent rain storm, accompanied with + the most terrific thunder and lightning ever known here, commenced + and continued the most of the night. Every mill-dam and many of the + mills in a circle of ten miles were washed away and so completely + destroyed that but one of them has been repaired so as to be used. + The women--some of them about to be confined--children and invalids + were exposed to this storm during the night. Their beds, clothing, + provisions, and themselves were as completely drenched as if they + had been thrown into a brook. Some of these people got homes by + working for their board. Some able-bodied men got twenty-five cents + a day. Some of them, (Deacon Turner Hall, of the Congregational + Church, Andersonville, among the number,) walked from ten to twenty + miles a day, and could get neither homes nor work at any price at + all. Many women and children lay out of doors guarding their + things, and exposed to the weather nearly a week, before they could + get any shelter at all--their husbands and fathers roaming over the + country to find some kind of a home. The Rev. F. Haley, of the + American Missionary Association, arrived the next day, to look + after the property of the mission. His life was threatened, but the + colored people rallied around him to protect him, and he left the + next day unharmed. Large numbers of the white people, from the + neighborhood, assembled at Andersonville every day until Saturday + night, when they set fire to nine (9) of the buildings, that had + been built by the colored people, and burnt them up, and tore down + their fences and destroyed their crops. The colored people, + supposing that they intended to burn the buildings occupied for the + "Teacher's Home" and the "Freedmen's School," rallied and protected + them. No one of the men engaged in these outrages, has ever been + arrested or punished in any way, and no one of these freedmen has + ever had any redress for his sufferings and losses. I will make + oath to these statements." + + ANDERSONVILLE, GA., _Feb. 12, 1869_. + + +STATEMENT OF GEORGE SMITH. + +George Smith now resides five miles from Ellaville, in Schley County, +Georgia. He says: + + "Before the election of Grant, large bodies of men were riding + about the country in the night for more than a month. They and + their horses were covered with large white sheets, so that you + could not tell them or their horses. They gave out word that they + would whip every Radical in the country that intended to vote for + Grant, and did whip all they could get hold of. They sent word to + me that I was one of the leaders of the Grant club, and they would + whip me. I saw them pass my house one night, and I should think + there were thirty or forty of them. They looked in the night like + Jersey wagons. I supposed they were after me, and I took my blanket + and gun and ran to the woods and lay out all night, and a good many + other nights. Nearly all the Radicals in the neighborhood lay in + the woods every night for two weeks before election. The Kuklux + would go to the houses of all that belonged to the Grant club, call + them to the door, throw a blanket over them and carry them off and + whip them, and try and make them promise to vote for Seymour and + Blair. The night I saw them they went to the house of Mr. Henry + Davis and ordered him out. He refused to come out and they tore + down both of his doors. He fired at them and escaped. I heard a + good many shots fired at him. He lay out about a week in the woods, + and then slipped back in the night and got his family and moved + off. He had bought a place and paid $250 on it but he could not get + a deed, and he has gone off and left it. They then went to the + house of Tom Pitman and Jonas Swanson, called them to the door, + threw blankets over their heads, carried them off and whipped them + tremendously. They told them that they were damned Radicals and + leaders of the Grant club, and that they would whip every one that + voted for Grant, and would not give any work to any but Democrats. + + "Bob Wiggins, a preacher, was whipped all most to death because they + said he was preaching Radical doctrines to the colored people. It + was supposed for a good many days that he would die, but he finally + recovered. + + "I attended the election at Ellaville. None of the Radicals that had + been Ku-Kluxed tried to vote; but a good many Radicals did try to + vote, but the judges made them all show their tickets, and if they + were for Grant they would not let them vote. I saw how they treated + others and did not try to put my vote in. I went early in the + morning, and the white and colored Democrats voted until about + noon, when I went home." + + ANDERSONVILLE, _February 7, 1869_. + + +STATEMENT OF RICHARD REESE. + +Richard Reese, President of the Grant club of Schley County, confirms +the statements of George Smith in regard to the treatment of the +Radicals in Schley County. He says: + + "When the Ku-Klux commenced riding about the country I was at Macon + attending the colored convention. When I got home some white men, + Democrats, who were friends of mine, told me that the Ku-Klux would + certainly kill me if I staid at home at nights. I took my blanket + and hid in the woods. I have never had a gun or pistol in my life. + I lay in the woods every night until after election. Day times I + came home and worked my crop. One day, as I was in my yard, Mr. + Jack Childers, a Democrat, came along from Americus, and said to + me, 'Where is old Dick, the damned old Radical?' I said, 'Here I + am.' He said, 'Well, you will be certain to be killed.' I said, + 'Well, if they kill me they will kill a good old Radical, and I + haven't got much longer to live noway.' He then started to get out + of his buggy and come at me, but the man with him held him in and + drove on. I had the Grant tickets in my house, and went to the + Bumphead precinct, but there were more Radicals than Democrats + there, and they would not open the polls at all. We staid there + till twelve o'clock, then started for Ellaville. The white and + colored Democrats were voting, but they would not let a Radical + vote until about two o'clock, when Charley Hudson got upon a stump + and said no man could vote unless he had paid his taxes. He then + got down, and he and nearly every white man there went around to + the colored voters and told them that if they would vote the + Democratic ticket their tax was paid. I offered my ticket, and they + said my tax was not paid, and if I put in my ticket they would put + me in jail, and send me to the penitentiary. I had already agreed + with a white man, who owed me $50, to pay my tax, and he said he + had done it, but when I found him, and he found what was the + matter, he said he had not paid it. They demanded $4.50 poll-tax, + and I paid it and put in my vote. They were determined that I + should not vote, and I was determined that I would vote for Grant + any way, as I was the president of the club. They told me if I + would vote for Seymour and Blair I need not pay my taxes. After I + got my vote in I took all my Grant tickets and scattered them among + the crowd, and told my club they need not try to vote, it would do + no good. Grant would be elected without Schley County, and we all + went home. + + "Last spring we built a school-house, and hired a white lady to + teach our school for several months. We held meetings and schools + every Sunday. Friday night, February 5, 1869, our school-house was + burned up. + + "Last night we had a meeting to see what we could do about building + another house. We have a deed of one-and-a-half acres of land, but + there is no timber on it, and the owners of the land around have + put up a paper forbidding us to cut a stick on their's, and see how + tight they have got us. We want the Government or somebody to help + us build. We want some law to protect us. We know that we could + burn their churches and schools, but it is against the law to burn + houses, and we don't want to break the law or harm anybody. We want + the law to protect us, and all we want is to live under the law." + + ANDERSONVILLE, _Feb. 7, 1869_. + + +STATEMENT OF REV. CHARLES ENNIS. + +Charles Ennis informs me that he was sixty-two years old last June; that +he was the slave of Mr. G. C. McBee, who kept the ferry on the Holston +river, fifteen miles from Knoxville Tennessee; that he has often ferried +the Hon. Messrs. Brownlow and Maynard over the river; that he learned to +read when a small boy, and that he is now a preacher and teacher. He is +the most intelligent colored man I have seen at Andersonville. He says: + + "My wife has been a midwife for many years, and has attended upon a + good many white and colored women in child-birth. Last year we + lived in Mitchell County, and Mr. Henry Adams, of Baker County, + sent for her to attend his wife, who was about to be confined. The + child was born and did well. After the riot at Camilla we were + afraid to remain in Mitchell County. I lived within three miles of + Camilla, and a good many of the dead were very near me, but I did + not see any of them. I was afraid to go from home. Dr. Sanders, who + attended upon those who were shot, told me that more than fifty + were killed and wounded. Mr. Adams said his wife liked my wife so + well that he wanted us to go to Houston County with him, and he + would pay our expenses there; and then he would certainly get me a + school, and I could live on his place with my wife, and he would + pay her $50 a year wages. I told him we would not engage by the + year, but only by the month, so long as we could agree. Mr. Robert + Adams, his uncle, was his partner, and managed the plantation. On + the 19th of January, 1869, he told my wife he wanted breakfast very + early, as he was going to attend the burying of his nephew's wife + next morning. She got up before day and got it, and I carried it to + him and he ate it by candle light. After breakfast, as my wife was + going to milk, he came out doors, and when he saw her he said: 'O + you d----d old b----h, I have catched up to you, you G----d d----d + old rogue,' and a good deal more of the same sort. I was surprised + at this, as I knew she had got the breakfast all right, and I had + carried it in to him. I went out and asked him in a mild manner, + 'Mr. Adams, what is the matter? what has she done?' He made no + reply at all, but rushed at me and caught me by the hair and + commenced beating me. He struck me several times on the head. I + made no resistance at all, but said, 'Mr. Adams, I will make you + pay, for this.' This made him still worse, and he took out his + knife and said he would give me something to make him pay for--he + would kill me. + + "Henry Ottrecht, a German, and a colored boy named Wash caught him + and begged him not to kill me, and told me to promise him that I + would not report him. He held on to me until I promised him that I + would not report him, and then let me go. He told these men that he + would have killed me if they had not prevented him. As he started + away to attend the burying of his nephew's wife, he said to me, + 'Now you may go to Perry,' (the county seat,) 'and report me if you + want; but if you do I'll be d----d if I don't kill you.' At night + my wife heard him tell Charles Evart, a freedman, about the scrape, + and he said he would have killed me if they had not held him, and + he would kill me anyway, if I reported him. I was a slave until + freed the by war, but I never received such treatment during all my + life as a slave. I waited on officers in the Confederate army from + 1862 until the surrender. The last six months I was with Lt. Col. + Jones, Second Georgia Reserves, at Andersonville. I never received + a blow or a harsh word from one of them. I have traveled a great + deal before and since the war. I know that the colored people are + more brutally treated now than they were in slavery times. A great + many more are beaten, wounded and killed now than then. I know a + great many cases where they have been beaten to death with clubs, + killed with knives and dirks, shot and hung. We have no protection + at all from the laws of Georgia. We had rather die than go back + into slavery, but we are worse treated than we ever were before. We + cannot protect ourselves; we want the Government to protect us. A + great many freedmen have told me that we should be obliged to rise + and take arms and protect ourselves, but I have always told them + this would not do; that the whole South would then come against us + and kill us off, as the Indians have been killed off. I have always + told them the best way was for us to apply to the Government for + protection, and let them protect us." + + ANDERSONVILLE, GA., _February 10, 1869_. + + + + +WHY I WAS KU KLUXED. + + +Mr. B. B. Dikes, referred to in the foregoing statement of Floyd +Snelson, is not the only claimant who has endeavored to secure +possession of the grounds in and around the stockades at _Andersonville, +Georgia_. I should have said that he has entered a suit in the U. S. +Court for the possession of these lands, but in the absence of the +military he judged the ejectment of the freedmen, and getting possession +in the manner I have described, as more sure and speedy than the "law's +delay." + +A Mr. Crawford claims that the land which lies within and around the +south stockade, in which are the hospital sheds, where so many of our +soldiers died, where even now the bare ground upon which they lay shows +the indenture made by the bodies of our suffering dying soldiers, +belongs to certain heirs, and he, too, has been endeavoring to get +possession of these grounds. My pastoral visitations led me to the +cabins in and around the stockades, that have been built upon the land +now claimed by Mr. Crawford. As was most natural, they poured into my +ears the sad, the almost incredible, accounts of the wrongs they have +suffered "since freedom came," or, as they more frequently expressed it, +"since the surrender came through." One of these men came to me in +January, in great distress, and told me that the day before he had been +notified by Mr. Souber, the magistrate of the district, that he must +leave his house by the next Monday night, or he would bring the Sheriff +and turn him out. Mr. Souber told him that he had charge of the land for +Mr. Crawford, _and that he was agoing to fence it in, and raise a cotton +crop in and around these stockades_. There are thousands who know how +this soil has been ensanguined and enriched. I had frequently walked +over these grounds, and seen evidences of what is both too indelicate +and too horrible to be described. I confess that my indignation was +roused to the highest degree. I sat down immediately and wrote a +statement of these facts to Hon. J. M. Ashley, and begged him to call on +General Grant, and see if there was any power in the Government to +prevent these outrages. + +The Lieutenant in charge at Andersonville called upon me some days +later, and informed me that my letter to Congressman Ashley had been +referred, by General Grant to General Meade, who had referred it to him. +I furnished him the facts upon which it was based, and also wrote +General Meade as follows: + + [Copy.] + + ANDERSONVILLE, GA., _January 30, 1869_. + + GENERAL: I send you the accompanying "statements" in regard to the + matters referred to in my letter to the Hon. J. M. Ashley, M.C. My + letter was based upon _part_ of these statements. Those additional + to what had then been communicated to me are the result of + investigations made since Lieutenant Corliss informed me that my + letter had been referred to General Meade and to himself. + + I have been acquainted with colored people in the South more than + twenty-five years I know the difficulty of getting at the truth in + such matters. But I think these "statements" can be depended upon. + + + With great respect, yours very truly, + + H. W. PIERSON. + + To MAJOR GENERAL MEADE. + + +STATEMENTS OF ALBERT WILLIAMS, MARTHA RANDALL, JANE ROGERS, AND BENJAMIN +WESTON. + +Albert Williams states to me that in January after the surrender he was +employed by the Government to work in the cemetery, and worked there +until last spring. That Mr. Van Dusen, Supt. of the cemetery, gave him +the privilege of moving into the house he now occupies, near the +stockade that enclosed the hospital buildings; that afterwards Captain +Rench gave him the privilege of clearing off the ground east of the +stockade and raising a crop; that he hired hands and cleared and fenced +about fifteen acres; that his wife and children helped to raise a crop; +that after it was "laid by," Mr. Crawford, who claims the land, called +on him and demanded rent, that he also called on Lewis Williams, Howard +Ingraham, and Butler Johnson, who were raising crops around the +stockades by permission of Captain Rench, and demanded rent, that Mr. +Crawford called upon us four, with Mr. B. B. Dikes and Esquire Souber, +and compelled us to sign a written contract, which they had prepared, +that each of us four would pay forty bushels of corn each for rent; that +he (Williams) was unable to pay the forty bushels of corn, but did pay +ten dollars in money, ten bushels of corn which he gathered and hauled +to Mr. Dikes' crib, for which he was allowed fifteen dollars in rent. +None of the four men were able to pay the forty bushels of corn; but Mr. +Crawford brought the Bailiff, John Law, and took what corn he could, and +a sow and pig from Howard Ingraham. All these men but me have left their +places that they had cleared and fenced, because they could not pay such +rent, and Mr. Crawford has put the places in charge of Mr. Souber, and +brought him two males to cultivate the grounds. Mr. Williams states that +twice the stockade has been set on fire in the night, and he and his +boys have toted water and put it out. + +Mr. Williams states that Mr. Souber came to his house some two or three +weeks ago, and told him he must get out of the house and leave the +place, that he had charge of it now, that he was going to fence in the +grounds and raise a crop in and around the stockade, and that he would +not let any body live there but those that worked the place. That some +time after this Mr. Souber sent him word by Bob Stevens that he had +rented the place to him, and that he must get out or Mr. Souber would +have him put out by the Sheriff, Mr. Raiford; that Mr. Stevens and his +wife have both been to his house several times with this message from +Mr. Souber; that last Saturday (January 23, 1869,) his wife told him +that Mr. Souber came to his house while he was away and told her we must +get out by Monday night or he would bring the Sheriff and have us put +out. Mr. Williams says he will make oath to these statements. + +Mrs. Martha Randall and Mrs. Jane Rogers live very near Mr. Williams. +They state to me that they occupy the house by permission of Mr. Souber, +as they have agreed to work for him. They both say to me that they heard +Mr. Souber tell Mrs. Williams, last Saturday, that "they must get out of +the house or he would have the Sheriff put them out." + +NOTE--You will see that there are three witnesses to these statements of +Mr. Souber. I saw each of them "separate and apart" from the others, and +no one knew what the others had said, and their statements agreed in +every particular. + +Benjamin Weston states to me that Major Anthony gave him permission to +raise a crop east of the stockade, where the small-pox hospital was +located. That he cleared and fenced about six acres; that there was no +clearing on the land--only some of the underbrush was cut out; that +there was not a rail on the place; that he cut and split all the rails +and made a good fence, and raised a crop of corn; that about the first +of August Mr. Crawford came to him and said the land was his, and +demanded thirty-five bushels of corn for rent, and required him to sign +a contract and give security for that amount; that the place only +yielded about twenty bushels, of which his family and stock used ten +bushels, and he gave ten bushels for rent. + +Mr. Weston states that he heard that Mr. Souber had charge of the land, +and about the first of January he applied to him to rent what he had +cleared and fenced. Mr. Souber told him that he had charge of the land +but it was not for rent; he was agoing to tend it himself. He then asked +me what Mr. Williams was agoing to do. I told him I did not know. He +said well, he had better hunt him a house, for I am agoing to tend that +place myself. Mr. Weston says he has never had any pay for clearing and +fencing the land, only about ten bushels of corn, as above stated. He +says he will make oath to the above statements. + + _January 29, 1869._ + + GENERAL: I do not know the boundaries of the land claimed by + Crawford, but as far as I am able to learn, the mob that burnt the + buildings here last summer, and threats and treatment like that + detailed above, have driven off all the families that occupied + these grounds by authority of officers of the United States + Government, except Mr. Williams, and Mr. Rhodes who occupies a + building in the large stockade, which he tells me he has been + warned to leave. Through the means above detailed Mr. C. has very + nearly secured possession, which is nine-tenths in law. + + + With great respect, yours, very truly, + + H. W. PIERSON. + + To MAJOR GENERAL MEADE. + + +On the 10th of February, 1869, Captain Bean called on me and introduced +himself as a member of General Meade's staff, and said he had come from +Atlanta to Andersonville by order of General Meade to make +investigations in regard to the matters referred to in my letters. I +went with him to the stockade and pointed out the new fences made and +the grounds claimed by Mr. Souber. At his request I went with him to the +office of Mr. Williams, the superintendent of the cemetery, and in my +presence he told him _to notify Mr. Souber to suspend all work upon +these grounds_. + +I confess that I was exceedingly gratified at this complete success of +my efforts. I felt that these historic grounds, this Gethsemane of the +nation, had been rescued from what I could but esteem a sacrilegious use +and possession, and that the flag that floated over the dead at +Andersonville had been honored by this order. When I told the Freedmen +the result of Captain Bean's visit their joy was great. In describing to +me, as they often had, the suffering and losses they had endured when +they were driven from their homes, and their cabins were burnt last +summer, they always, in their simplicity, spoke of it as the time "when +the Government busted up." And this truly described the condition of the +Government from that time to the present, so far as they were +concerned, for these facts show that no matter how horrible and brutal +the outrage and personal violence committed upon them there had been no +punishment to the perpetrators and no redress to the Freedmen. Now they +felt that the Government would again afford them some protection. + +But great as was my joy, and the joy of the suffering Freedmen, it was +nothing to the _rage_ of those who, after so long a struggle, had been +defeated in their efforts to get possession of these grounds just as +they were about to become completely successful. Captain Bean visited +and left Andersonville on the 10th. On the 12th I received a Ku-Klux +letter, of which the following is a true copy: + + **************** + * Skull and * + * cross-bones. * + **************** "FEBRUARY 12, 1869. + + "Dr. PEARSON (so-called). + + + "SIR: For your especial benefit I am instructed to write you this + special communication of warning and instruction. + + "The citizens of this place are aware of a few facts relative to + yourself that I will proceed to designate: In the first place, they + know you to be a wandering _vagrant carpet bagger_, without visible + means of support, and living at present on the earnings of those who + are endeavoring to make an honest living by teaching. You have also + proved yourself a _scoundrel_ of the deepest dye by maliciously + interfering in matters which do not in the least concern you, to the + detriment of some of our citizens. + + "This, therefore, is to warn you to LEAVE this county forthwith. + Twenty-four (24) hours from the above date is the time allowed for you + to leave. If after the said time your devilish countenance is seen at + _this place or vicinity your worthless life will pay the forfeit_. + Congressional reconstruction, the military, nor anything else under + Heaven, will prevent summary justice being meted out to such an + incarnate fiend as yourself. + + "By order of committee." + + +I should do great injustice to Mr. Dikes, Mr. Souber, and Mr. Crawford, +and their sympathising friends, the author and inspirers of the above +letter, were I to say, or convey the impression, that they were worse +men than their neighbors. From what I have seen and heard of them I am +sure that in _mental culture_, in _kindness of heart_, in _loyalty_, +and in _Christian civilization_ they are decidedly _above_ rather than +_below_ the over-whelming majority of their fellow citizens. They +represent not the _lowest_ but the _highest_ type of patriotism, +philanthropy, and Christianity prevailing in that region. I challenge +their late Congressional representative, the Hon. Nelson Tift, to go +before his constituents and deny my statements in regard to the social +standing of these men. + +The above letter states my offence: "You have proved yourself a +_scoundrel_ of the deepest dye, by maliciously interfering in matters +which do not in the least concern you, to the _detriment_ of some of our +citizens." But General Grant, General Wade, and Captain Bean interfered +far more potentially than I did. If I am a "_scoundrel_ of the deepest +dye" what must they be? + +The "skull and bones," the insignia of the Ku-Klux Klan and not the +stars and stripes, represent the dominant power in that region. +"Congressional reconstruction, the military, &c.," are successfully +defied. The power of the United States Government is not felt or feared. +They only know it as powerless to prevent the atrocities enacted before +their eyes during and since the war. + +The flag that I had united with others to honor with procession, songs, +and cheers, was powerless to protect me, and floats dishonored above the +graves of the 12,848 martyr heroes who suffered and died in the +stockades at Andersonville, as prisoners of war never suffered and died +before. + +I need hardly say that with my knowledge of the condition of things +around me, as presented _only in part_ in this communication, I left +Andersonville as desired by the _Ku-Klux Klan_. I knew that human +life--that my life was not worth as much as the life of a chicken in any +law-abiding, law-governed community, for should any evil disposed person +there maliciously kill his neighbor's chicken he would be compelled to +pay some slight fine or endure some brief imprisonment; but no one of +all the perpetrators of the crimes I have named has suffered or has +dreamed or suffering any fine, imprisonment, or punishment whatever. I +knew that in their own language my life was "_worthless_." I went South +to reside in 1843, and there are few who know it as thoroughly. As agent +of the American Bible Society, and in other capacities, I have traveled +tens of thousands of miles over different States on horseback before the +war. Bishop Kavenaugh, of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, in +introducing me to the Louisville Conference in 1858, told them that +though a Presbyterian I had "out itinerated the itineracy itself." And +yet I have never seen or heard as much of outrage and personal violence +upon the colored people in any five years of slavery as I heard and saw +at Andersonville, Georgia, from December 22, 1868, to February 12, 1869. +I have never known crime to be committed in any community with such +perfect impunity. I have yet to learn of a _single_ instance where the +civil courts in that part of the State have rendered any punishment or +redress for outrages like those I have detailed. The fact that such +crimes have for years been committed with perfect impunity--that the men +who perpetrate them have not the slightest fear or thought of ever being +punished--that the Freedmen who have suffered outrages such as these, +and others entirely too gross for me to repeat, have not the faintest +shadow of a hope that their wrongs will ever be redressed, has reduced +these poor people to a state of almost utter hopelessness and despair. + +Turner Hall, a freedman, a deacon in the Congregational church in +Andersonville, under whose black skin beats one of the most patriotic +and noble Christian hearts I have ever known, writes: "We seem to be +forsaken of God and man." + +I have talked with many of these men, who in the late Presidential +election, with a spirit as noble as ever beat in the heart of a martyr, +slept in swamps for weeks, were hunted like wild beasts, and perilled +all means of livelihood for their wives and children, and their own +lives, that they might vote for General Grant for President. Those of +them that were employed in the National Cemetery at Andersonville, +Georgia, were threatened with dismission in case they voted for General +Grant. Notwithstanding this threat some of them went to the polls, +voted for General Grant, and were immediately dismissed by Henry +Williams, superintendent of the cemetery. This was done to deter the +others, but they went forward and executed a "freeman's will" by voting +for General Grant. (Mr. Williams has since been removed.) And what to +this hour has been their reward from their friends? I forbear to press +this question. + +But with facts like these in mind can anyone suppose that a fair +election--an election in which the thousands of Freedmen in Georgia +shall give expression to their political wishes--can be held in that +State in 1870. The thing is simply impossible. Until these ignorant, +outraged people shall have some demonstration that there is power, +either in the State or Federal Government, to afford them protection, +and punish such outrages as that of Rev. Robert Hodges upon Cane Cook, +the Freedmen cannot be expected again to risk their _livings_ and their +_lives_ in voting for those whom they know to be their only friends. + +It will be proper for me to add that I did not come to Washington at the +suggestion or with the knowledge of any party in Georgia. I belong to no +"delegation." I came here at my own charges, in the interests of +patriotism and suffering humanity, to lay these facts before Congress +and the highest officers of the Government. All my self respect and +honor as a man, all my regard for the rights of _American citizenship_, +all my toils for the triumph of the starry banner, all my labors for the +education and protection of the ignorant and outraged Freedmen, and all +the emotions stirred in my soul as again and again I have walked amid +the graves of the nation's martyred dead at Andersonville, compelled me +to the performance of these unsought labors. _I ask that these Freedmen +may be protected and their wrongs redressed. I ask for the vindication +of the rights of American citizenship in Georgia and everywhere beneath +our own flag upon our own soil._ + + With great respect, your obedient servant, + H. W. PIERSON. + + Hon. CHARLES SUMNER, + _United States Senate_. + + + + +APPENDIX A. + +Emancipation Day in Andersonville, Ga. + +JANUARY 1, 1869. + +BY REV. H. W. PIERSON, D.D. + + +This day so full of interest to the freedmen, so identified with the +name and fame of the lamented Lincoln, and so glorious in the history of +our country, was duly celebrated in Andersonville, Georgia. + +If called upon to state what have been the instrumentalities at work +among this people that have led to what I think all must esteem a most +appropriate and beautiful celebration of the day, I must name as first +and most efficient the _School for Freedmen_, established here by the +American Missionary Association, in the fall of 1866, and successfully +carried on up to the present time. Its first teachers were Miss M. L. +Root, of Sheffield, Ohio, and Miss M. F. Battey, of Providence, R. I., +who labored here for two years, with a Christian heroism, wisdom and +success that have left their names indelibly engraved upon the grateful +hearts of all those for whom they toiled. During the second year, Miss +M. C. Day, of Sheffield, Ohio, aided them, and was a worthy and +efficient co-laborer. + +For reasons unknown to the writer, none of these ladies returned the +third year, but were succeeded by Miss Laura Parmelee, of Toledo, Ohio, +and Miss Amelia Johnson, of Enfield, Conn., who are carrying forward the +work so successfully inaugurated with undiminished success. The colored +people have become so impressed with the value of the school that they +are contributing to its support with increasing liberality and +enthusiasm. + +As the schools for the freedmen are all suspended during the Christmas +holidays, a number of teachers and their friends, in other places, had +availed themselves of this opportunity to visit Andersonville. At a +social gathering at the "Teachers' Home" it was found that, including +the visitors, the clerks in the service of the government, and the +teachers here, there were present representatives of seven northern +States, and all were ready to unite heartily with the freedmen in the +celebration of Emancipation Day. They were Miss Russell, of Maine; Miss +Champney and Miss Stowell, of Massachusetts; Miss Johnson and Misses +Smith, of Connecticut: Mr. Pond, of Rhode Island; Mr. North, of Indiana; +Mr. Haughton, of New York; Miss Parmelee, of Ohio, and Rev. Dr. H. W. +Pierson. + +The committee appointed to make arrangements for the appropriate +celebration of the day, anxious to make the fullest possible exhibition +of the loyalty of all who were to unite with them in its celebration, +determined that it should include (1st,) Services in the Freedmens' +Chapel; (2d,) The decoration of the Cemetery; and (3d,) The Salutation +of the "Dear Old Flag," at the depot. + +All entered with alacrity and delight upon the work of preparation for +these services. The colored people ranged the woods to find the choicest +evergreens, and the young ladies, with willing hearts and skillful hands +wrought the most elaborate and beautiful wreaths from the Magnolia, Bay, +Holly, Cedar, and other boughs with which they were so bountifully +furnished. Songs were rehearsed, and all arrangements were duly +completed. + +On New Year's morning a deeply interested audience met in the room +occupied both for school-room and chapel, and at 10 a. m., Mr. Floyd +Snelson, (colored.) President of the day, called the meeting to order, +and services were conducted as follows: (1.) Singing--"From all that +dwell below the skies." (2) Reading the Scriptures, by Miss Johnson, of +Enfield, Connecticut. (3.) Prayer, by Deacon Stickney, (colored) (4.) +Reading of the Emancipation Proclamation, by Miss Parmelee, of Toledo, +Ohio. (5) Singing--"Oh, praise and thanks,"--Whittier. (6) Address by +Rev. Dr. H. W. Pierson. This programme having been carried out, the +entire audience was formed into a procession and marched to the +Cemetery, about half a mile north of us, under the direction of Mr. +Houghton, of Brooklyn, New York, Marshal of the day. That procession, +embracing so many happy Freedmen and representatives from so many +States, moving with so much order, and bearing such beautiful wreaths, +was certainly one of the most impressive and beautiful I have ever seen. +I am sure the sight would have melted tens of thousands of hearts could +they have looked upon it. Onward they marched upon their sacred mission, +singing at times most appropriate and beautiful songs: winding down the +hillside, crossing upon a single scantling the muddy stream that +furnished water for our own prisoners, passing near the rude cabin where +the blood-hounds were penned, in full view of the stockades where so +many thousands yielded up their lives, moving onward and up the gentle +elevation with slow and solemn tread, they at length reached the front +(south) entrance of the Cemetery, where the procession halted. On the +right (east) of the gate is a post and tablet in the form of a cross, +bearing this inscription: "National Cemetery, Andersonville, Georgia." +On the left (west) of the gate is a similar post and tablet, bearing +this inscription: + + "On Fame's eternal camping-ground + Their silent tents are spread, + And Glory guards, with solemn round, + This bivouac of the dead." + + +A young lady, designated for the purpose, left the procession and hung +one of our most beautiful wreaths upon the cross above this inscription. + +The gates were then thrown open, and the entire procession entered the +Cemetery. But how shall I describe the scene spread out before us as we +entered this solemn, silent city of the nation's dead? The Cemetery +contains forty-three acres, which are enclosed by a high board fence. It +is divided into four principal sections by broad avenues, running north +and south, and east and west, intersecting each other at right angles at +the center of the grounds. There is a sidewalk and row of young trees on +each side of these avenues. And then on either side of these avenues and +walks, what fields, what fields of white head-boards, stretching away in +long white parallel lines to the north and south, each with its simple +record of the name, regiment, and date of death of him who lies beneath +it. So they sleep their long sleep, lying shoulder to shoulder in their +graves as they had stood together in serried ranks on many a field of +battle. + +Resuming our march, and moving up the broad avenue, with rank upon rank, +and thousands upon thousands of these solemn sentinels upon either side +of us, we find on the left (west) side of the avenue, a tablet with this +inscription: + + "The hopes, the fears, the blood, the tears, + That marked the bitter strife, + Are now all crowned by victory + That saved the nation's life." + + +We paused, and hung a wreath above this inscription, and then moved on +to a tablet on the right (east) side of the avenue, with this +inscription: + + "Whether in the prison drear, + Or in the battle's van, + The fittest place for man to die, + Is where he dies for man." + + +We hung a wreath here, and again our procession moved forward and halted +on the left (west) side of the avenue, at a tablet bearing the inspired +words: + + "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was; and the spirit + shall return unto God who gave it." + + +Here we placed another wreath, and moved onward to a tablet on the right +(east) side of the avenue, where we read-- + + "A thousand battle-fields have drunk + The blood of warriors brave, + And countless homes are dark and drear, + Thro' the land they died to save." + + +Another wreath was placed here, and we marched to the last tablet in the +north of the Cemetery, standing in the midst of a section of graves +numbering thousands, and inscribed-- + + "Through all rebellion's horrors + Bright shines our nation's fame, + Our gallant soldiers, perishing, + Have won a deathless name." + + +After hanging a wreath here, we marched to the center of the Cemetery, +and hung our last wreath upon the flag-staff from which the stars and +stripes shall ever float above those who died in its defence. + +It was no place for speech. The surroundings were too solemn. Our only +other services were to unite in singing "My Native Country, Thee," +(America,) and Rev. Dr. Pierson offered prayer. And so we decorated the +National Cemetery at Andersonville, Georgia. It was little, very little, +we did, but we could not do more, and we dared not do less. Here are the +graves of 12,848 "brave boys," who died as prisoners of war in the +stockades. Eight hundred and sixty-eight other soldiers have been +disinterred and brought here from Macon, Columbus, Eufaula, Americus, +and other places in Georgia, so that now this Cemetery numbers 13,716 +graves. We could not decorate them all, and we dared not decorate those +of the States we represented, or of any particular class. We dared not +single out any for special honors. We felt that all were worthy of equal +honor from us, and from the nation they died to save. And so we +decorated the Cemetery as a whole, as best we could, and our tribute of +affection was bestowed equally upon each one of all these 13,716 +hallowed graves. And most earnestly did we implore the blessing of +Almighty God to rest upon our whole country, and upon all the fathers, +mothers, sisters, brothers, widows, and orphans, whose "dead" we thus +attempted to honor. + +It will gratify the relatives and friends of all those buried here, to +know that the nation is watching over their dead with pious care. +Hundreds of men have been employed in making the improvements already +mentioned, and many others I have not time to notice, and a number are +still at work. They are planting trees, making and improving walks, +placing sod upon the graves, and otherwise beautifying the grounds. + +But I am detaining my readers too long from what I have already +indicated as the third and final part of our programme. + +Day after day the starry banner, the banner of peace ("Let us have +Peace") is thrown to the breeze from the flag staff in front of the +office of First Lieutenant A. W. Corliss, near the Andersonville depot. +This is the most beautiful sight; indeed, almost the only beautiful +sight that greets the vision of a lover of his country here. + +We wished to give expression to the warm feelings of our own hearts, and +also to make a demonstration of our loyalty and love for the flag in the +presence of the unusual concourse of people assembled at the station for +the business or pleasure of New Year's day. + +Our procession was re-formed in the Cemetery, and taking the broad +avenue that has been constructed by the government from the depot, a +distance of about half a mile, we marched slowly back in the same order, +and singing beautiful songs, as when we came. A part of the way our +procession was in full view of the residents of the place, and the +visitors there. Fortunately, as we reached the depot, the passenger +train arrived from the south, and witnessed our loyal demonstrations. +Arriving at the flag-staff, the entire procession formed in a circle +around it, and sang with enthusiasm Mr. William B. Bradbury's "See the +flag, the dear old flag," with the heart-stirring chorus-- + + "Wave the starry banner high, + Strike our colors, never! + Here we stand to live or die, + The Stripes and Stars forever." + + +Mr. Snelson, the President of the day, then proposed three cheers for +the "Dear old Flag," which were given with a will. Three cheers were +then proposed for Lieutenant Corliss and others, which were given in the +same hearty manner. Other patriotic songs were then sung, and after a +brief prayer and the benediction, by Rev. Dr. Pierson, the audience +quietly dispersed. + +So we celebrated Emancipation Day in Andersonville, Georgia. To all of +us who participated in it, it was a joyful day. We also hope our +services may gladden and cheer many other hearts all over our broad +land. + + +NOTE.--I may be mistaken in the name of the Captain who made the brief +visit to Andersonville, February 10, 1869.--See page 17. I shall regret +if I have not properly honored one whose bearing was so gallant and +gentlemanly. H. W. P. + + + + +Transcriber's Notes: + + Passages in italics are indicated by _underscore_. + + Additional spacing after some of the quotes is intentional to indicate + both the end of a quotation and the beginning of a new paragraph as + presented in the original text. + + The following misprints have been corrected: + "aad" corrected to "and" (page 6) + "Confedearte" corrected to "Confederate" (page 6) + "immedately" corrected to "immediately" (page 14) + "Andersonvile" corrected to "Andersonville" (page 17) + "sacreligious" corrected to "sacrilegious" (page 17) + "Govvernment" corrected to "Government" (page 21) + "cherrs" corrected to "cheers" (page 28) + + All other spelling is presented as in the original. + + When referring to a specific county, the "c" in the word "county" has + been capitalized for standard presentation. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Letter to Hon. 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