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014 - Appendix C - Woman's Relief Corps Memorial · Prison Life in Andersonville

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  Speaker 1: APPENDIXE of Prison Life in Andersonville by John lev Miley.
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  Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain recording by
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  Speaker 1: Jeffrey Smith, New Orleans, Louisiana Woman's Relief Corps Memorial. Among
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  Speaker 1: the heroisms of the Great Civil War, none surpassed the
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  Speaker 1: self sacrificing devotion manifested by the women of the North
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  Speaker 1: and of the South. The latter are represented by an
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  Speaker 1: organization known as the Daughters of the Confederacy, within whose
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  Speaker 1: associations are kept alive ardent memories of heroic days. The
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  Speaker 1: former have wrought enduring deeds of patriotism and of mercy,
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  Speaker 1: chiefly in co operation with the Grand Army of the Republic.
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  Speaker 1: The work of the Woman's Relief Corps in securing and
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  Speaker 1: proving the Andersonville Prison grounds constitutes an imperishable memorial to
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  Speaker 1: their patriotic devotion. To the energy and executive ability of
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  Speaker 1: Missus Elizabeth A. Turner, Chairman of the Andersonville Prison Board,
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  Speaker 1: is due in large measure the complete success attending the
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  Speaker 1: movement to gain possession of and to beautify the site
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  Speaker 1: and surroundings of the historic Andersonville Prison. The following letter,
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  Speaker 1: written two years before the decease of Missus Turner explains
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  Speaker 1: in her own vigorous expressions how these great results were secured.
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  Speaker 1: Woman's Headquarters Relief Corps, Auxiliary to the Grand Army of
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  Speaker 1: the Republic, forty six Camp Street, New Britain, Connecticut, October fourteen,
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  Speaker 1: nineteen oh five. Reverend John L. Miley, Dear comrade. Some
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  Speaker 1: fifteen years ago the Department of Georgia G. A. R.
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  Speaker 1: Considered the idea of buying the Anderson Bill Prison pen
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  Speaker 1: and holding it in memory of the men who there
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  Speaker 1: died for the preservation of the Union. The committee bought
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  Speaker 1: all the land the owners would release, and hope to
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  Speaker 1: raise through the northern posts and their friends, a permanent
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  Speaker 1: fund for the care of the grounds. The plan proved
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  Speaker 1: a failure. The gar in the South is very poor.
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  Speaker 1: Its members are mostly colored men who were able to
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  Speaker 1: make little more than their living. On the property was
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  Speaker 1: a mortgage of about seven hundred fifty dollars, which was
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  Speaker 1: paid by the Woman's Relief Corps, but money for the
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  Speaker 1: care of the place was lacking. The grounds were then
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  Speaker 1: offered to the United States Government on the condition of
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  Speaker 1: providing perpetual care. As Andersonville is not a battle field.
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  Speaker 1: The authorities declined the proposition on two occasions. A like
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  Speaker 1: proposal was made to the National Gaar Encampment, but these
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  Speaker 1: veterans decided that the time is not far distant when
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  Speaker 1: they can care only for themselves with better success. The
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  Speaker 1: responsibility was tendered to the Woman's Relief Corps, which felt
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  Speaker 1: that if there is a place on God's earth that
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  Speaker 1: should be held sacred, it is that prison pen. The
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  Speaker 1: officials accepted the obligation, trusting to Woman's patriotism for support
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  Speaker 1: and care, and they have not trusted in vain. The
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  Speaker 1: adage that God helps those who help themselves has been
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  Speaker 1: true in our case. When we accepted the sacred trust
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  Speaker 1: and looked the ground over, I found a large corner
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  Speaker 1: of the original pen and three forts we did not own.
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  Speaker 1: We bought the extra grounds and the forts, paying for
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  Speaker 1: them several hundred dollars more than they were worth. We
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  Speaker 1: ventured for all or nothing, and all it was. This
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  Speaker 1: occurred in eighteen ninety five, and in that year I
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  Speaker 1: was elected President of the WRC. At the convention, we
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  Speaker 1: raised by personal contributions seven hundred dollars as a beginning.
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  Speaker 1: During several years, each member was asked to give from
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  Speaker 1: three to five cents, some responding, others refusing. Now all
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  Speaker 1: bills are paid from the general fund of the National Organization.
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  Speaker 1: We own eighty eight and one half acres of land,
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  Speaker 1: including the seven forts, all the earthworks and rifle pits,
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  Speaker 1: also the wells dug by the men in trying to
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  Speaker 1: reach water. These are in as perfect condition as when
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  Speaker 1: the war closed. Not a well has caved in or
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  Speaker 1: a fort changed in shape. That hard red clay seems
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  Speaker 1: as unyielding as stone. The grounds are enclosed with a
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  Speaker 1: high wire fence and suitable gates. Roads are laid out
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  Speaker 1: and bridges built over the creek. Bermuda grass roots planted
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  Speaker 1: on the north side will make an even lawn. Grass
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  Speaker 1: Seed for a sward will not germinate in that soil.
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  Speaker 1: We have built over provident spring a stone pavilion, also
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  Speaker 1: a nine room house, well furnished and after the Northern
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  Speaker 1: home pattern. We also have a barn, a henyard, a
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  Speaker 1: good mule, and all kinds of work tools for such
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  Speaker 1: a place. We engage an old veteran in his wife
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  Speaker 1: as caretakers. From a pole one hundred sixteen feet high
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  Speaker 1: floats in the air every day the flag those heroes
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  Speaker 1: died to save. At our last convention, we voted to
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  Speaker 1: build a windmill the coming winter. Last fall we set
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  Speaker 1: out three hundred roses, and this autumn will add two
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  Speaker 1: hundred more. We have also set out one hundred fifty
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  Speaker 1: four year old pecan trees that are from ten to
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  Speaker 1: fifteen feet high. They do finally that soil and when
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  Speaker 1: from ten to twelve years old, will bear a paying crop.
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  Speaker 1: A frieze does not affect them, and they are marketable
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  Speaker 1: without decaying. Ohio, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Michigan have put
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  Speaker 1: up beautiful monuments in the prison pen. Wisconsin will have
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  Speaker 1: hers ready to dedicate on next Memorial Day. Pennsylvania, Iowa,
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  Speaker 1: and Maine have placed monuments in the cemetery. All this
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  Speaker 1: has been done through the work of the WRC. While
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  Speaker 1: I believe the prison pen is the only place for
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  Speaker 1: the monuments, I am thankful to have any state remember
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  Speaker 1: their Andersonville men wherever they think best. Death before dishonor
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  Speaker 1: is the motto on all the monuments within the US
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  Speaker 1: prison grounds. Last year we had markers put down on
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  Speaker 1: all the places of special interest, also on the stockade
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  Speaker 1: and deadlines, trees, have grown up through the forts forty
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  Speaker 1: feet high and are more than two feet through. The
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  Speaker 1: WRC has started a fund for the perpetual care of
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  Speaker 1: the prison pen Park. We began last year and have
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  Speaker 1: already three thousand dollars in the fund. The yearly income
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  Speaker 1: is to be added to the principle, and none to
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  Speaker 1: be used until the proceeds are sufficient to support the place.
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  Speaker 1: We are to set aside annually not less than one
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  Speaker 1: thousand dollars for the increase of the fund. Besides caring
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  Speaker 1: for current expenses, You will, I am sure, be much
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  Speaker 1: interested in the sea situation. I have been chairman of
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  Speaker 1: the board from the beginning and hoped to live long
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  Speaker 1: enough to see sufficient money set aside to care for
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  Speaker 1: the place forever. Yours in F. C. And L. Elizabeth A. Turner,
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  Speaker 1: Chairman Andersonville Prison Board of Control. Missus Turner served as
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  Speaker 1: President of the Woman's Relief Corps Auxiliary to the Grand
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  Speaker 1: Army of the Republic, and was appointed by her compeers
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  Speaker 1: life chairman of the Andersonville Prison Board. Her death occurred
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  Speaker 1: at Andersonville on April twenty seven, nineteen o seven. A
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  Speaker 1: monument suitable to her memory erected by the Woman's Relief
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  Speaker 1: Corps adorns the prison grounds for which she spared not
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  Speaker 1: her life to preserve and beautify. From the annual address
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  Speaker 1: of Missus Fannie E. Magnatt, president of the Woman's Nationtional
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  Speaker 1: Relief Corps, at the twenty third Annual Convention nineteen o
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  Speaker 1: five in March, it was my privilege, in company with
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  Speaker 1: Missus Turner, Missus Wynnan's, and Missus kate E Jones, to
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  Speaker 1: visit Prison Park at Andersonville. As I walked through the
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  Speaker 1: grounds and read and pondered on the suffering there endured,
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  Speaker 1: it seemed indeed a hallowed spot. Just beyond is the
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  Speaker 1: National Cemetery, in whose broad trenches are interred more soldiers
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  Speaker 1: in one group than upon any battlefield on the face
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  Speaker 1: of the globe. A whole army perished rather than deny
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  Speaker 1: the country which gave them birth. The bravery of the
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  Speaker 1: men at Thermopylae has been the theme of song and story.
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  Speaker 1: But they fought in the shadows of their soul inspiring mountains.
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  Speaker 1: While these men removed from the activities of war, the
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  Speaker 1: flash of arms, the long array of men eager for
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  Speaker 1: the contest, dragged out a miserable existence till death came
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  Speaker 1: to their relief. If ever men were loyal, true and
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  Speaker 1: brave whose names should be inscribed on Honor's roll, It
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  Speaker 1: was these who tasted death at every breath and bravely
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  Speaker 1: met their martyrdom. How fitting that the magic touch of
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  Speaker 1: woman should consecrate this prison pen and make it a
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  Speaker 1: prison park. Only patient persistent effort has made the change possible.
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  Speaker 1: For the soil is unresponsive and tangled vines and underbrush
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  Speaker 1: had run riot for many years. But on this visit
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  Speaker 1: we found the grounds suitably enclosed. The bermuda grass takers
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  Speaker 1: king root, the moats and creek cleared of the vines,
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  Speaker 1: and the canopy erected over that wonderful providence spring. The
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  Speaker 1: house erected for the caretaker much exceeded my expectations for
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  Speaker 1: comfort and convenience. Honeysuckles and roses clambered over the porch,
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  Speaker 1: and the rose garden planned by Missus Turner gave promise
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  Speaker 1: of beauty and fragrance where formerly had been barrenness and
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  Speaker 1: foul odours on these grounds. Ohio has raised a beautiful
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  Speaker 1: granite shaft. Massachusetts has placed a substantial monument nearby. Rhode
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  Speaker 1: Island has honored her dead in bronze and stone, and
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  Speaker 1: last Memorial Day, the Governor of Michigan came with friends
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  Speaker 1: to dedicate, with appropriate ceremonies, a monument to the brave
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  Speaker 1: sons of that state. Wisconsin has selected a site near
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  Speaker 1: the spot where some of her men encamped, and other
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  Speaker 1: states are planning to erect monuments, but wish first to
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  Speaker 1: be assured that the park will have permanent care. Planting
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  Speaker 1: the flag at Andersonville by Missus Annie Whittenmeier, we lift
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  Speaker 1: up the banner of freedom to day and let the
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  Speaker 1: world know that due honor we pay to Liberty's martyrs
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  Speaker 1: who starved for the right, and crown them with heroes
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  Speaker 1: who fell in the fight. Their chalice of woe was
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  Speaker 1: filled up to the brim. They drank to the dregs
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  Speaker 1: with high courage, and them nor faltered, nor wavered, but
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  Speaker 1: loyal and true, stood firm by their colors, the red, white,
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  Speaker 1: and blue. The earth was their pillow, their covering the sky,
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  Speaker 1: and thousands lay down on the bare ground to die.
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  Speaker 1: No artist can paint, no pen tell the story of
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  Speaker 1: all they endured for love of old glory. The Lord
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  Speaker 1: in compassion took note of their grief, and came in
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  Speaker 1: his majesty to their relief. He wrote on the wind
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  Speaker 1: where swift lightnings played, and hallowed the ground where the
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  Speaker 1: prisoners laid. They panted with thirst. Ere the presence passed by,
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  Speaker 1: but flashes of glory lit up the dark sky. A
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  Speaker 1: thunderbolt fell with omnipotent ring and opened the fountain of providence.
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  Speaker 1: Spring and peace came at last, Ah for thousands too late.
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  Speaker 1: We mourn as a people their pitiful fate, and hold
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  Speaker 1: the ground sacred, our care and our prime, and plant
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  Speaker 1: the flag over the place where they died. But the
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  Speaker 1: nation is saved. They died not in vain. Our people
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  Speaker 1: are all reunited again, from ocean to ocean, the lakes
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  Speaker 1: to the sea, one country, one people, one flag of
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  Speaker 1: the free. End of Appendix Sea