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PAGE TEN
Reminiscences of
Prison
in* *
i at Lawtonville
if
'■ (Mrs. Julia Garlick)
d When has so much been said and
/ritten about the Federal Prison at
"..ndersonville, and not one word has
\er been written about the Federal
,’rison at Lawtonville, Ga. Tis true
hat Andersonville Prison was operat
ed on a much greater scale, and cared
»;or a great many more prisoners, but
why after hostilities had ceased, did
he Federal Government convert
Andersonville into a beautiful Ceme
tery and Park with Monuments to per
petuate the valor and fame of those
miserable sick Soldiers who died there
for their country. Why did the Gov
jk .iinent allow Lawtonville Prison pass
into oblivion, and not one trace left
to tell future posterity of its exis
tence. It was a large enclosure with
a deep ditch on all four sides, and
pine trees were cut and placed in
yngiit position, as close togeth
er as possible, and the walls were
made secure by iron bolts all around
the enclosure. Every farmer was sup
posed to send an able slave to help
build the wall, and 500 were engaged
in buliding the Fort. A beautiful
stream ran thru the stockade, which
was conducive to the health and com
fort of the prisoners. Lovely trees
lined the bank under which they sat
in the heat of the day and thought of
their miserable conditions. It was in
deed a revelation to visit the prison
and see them fed. About 6 large boil
ers filled with bacon ana peas, with
bread was their diet. To say that the
prisoners did not suffer would be
raise, for their sufferings were beyond
the description of men, but under
stand it was not (ne wish of the South
to impose suffering on sick and wound
ed soldier, far from that, but the
South was supporting two immense
armies, hence it was impossible to
care for so many thousand Federal
prisoners. The year 1861 and 1862
crowned our Army with great vic
tory hence so many prisoners. The
Confederate Government seeing the
awful condition of things, asked the
%
Federal Government to send medicine
and food, which they positively de
clined to do. Then they were asked
to ex-change prisoners, and the reply
was that would mean a great re-in
iorcemeni to the Southern Army, and
this was refused. At the close of two
years hard and bloody fighting our
army was growing weaker and weaker
every day, and food stuff getting very
scarce, hence in September 1862 our
. and Old Chieftain, Gen. Lee decided
i le .Maryland thinking he would
get recruits for his Army, but he said
that he left more graves
thaji he got recruits. It was here that
Capt. William R. Holmes of this coun
ty afterward Lieutenant-Col, of the 2d.
Georgia Regiment was killed disput
ing the passage of Anteitam bridge at
the battle of Sharpsburg.
In June 1863 General Lee invaded
Pennsylvania, thinking perhaps he
■nt get beeves for his commissary
u,nd forage for his horses. We remem
ber that on Ist, 2nd, 3rd and 4th of
July 1863 the great battle of Gettys
burg was fought, and it was there
the South lost her prestige, the die
was cast and her bright Star had set.
On July 4th, 1963, Vicksburg surren
dered to General Grant, and with his
Western army moved to Chickamagua
where he was joined by General Sher
man from the east, concentrating their
forces with Gen. Rosencrantz at
Chickamagua, to give a crushing blow
to the South. Our army was command
ed by Gen. Bragg, consequently on Sep
tember 19th and 20th, 1863, those aw
ful two days battle were fought, car
nage ran so high that it was called
(BLOODY LANE) both sides claiming,
the victory.
ere was a gallant knight, Thomas
E. Blount of the 2d. Ga. Regiment who
had been granted a furlough, after
two long years from home. He arriv
ed at home September 17th, 1863, and
on the 18th, news came that the great
armies were gathering for the death
struggle atChicamauga,. Immediately on
learning of this news, he took the
next train, which put him on the bat
tle field September 20th. He also was
Color Bearer, and gathering up his
Flag he advanced and when he had
planted them in front of his Compa
ny, waving his cap said (boys rally
to your colors and remember that
you are not fighting for the Old Do
menion State of Virginia, but for the
Empire State of the South.—just then
a min Die ball pierced his bowels and
stil. with cap in hand fell to rtae no
more for his warfare was over, and
as he was taken to an ambulaoce ask
ed. (if it woe possible for him to get
home to die, but in a few minutes he
had joined the thousands who had
gone before) They continued to fight
tie, until the lost cause was bur
ied atAppcmma.tox in 1865, shrouded
with the Flag of the Southeri Con
federacy.
Go passer by
To Sparta tell
Obedient to
Her call we fell.
Ladies Present Flag
to the Burke Sharp
Shooters at Tybee
(MRS. JULIA GARLICK)
Col. John D. Ashton,
Dear Sir:
Permit the undersigned, as deputat
ed by the Ladies, honorary members
of the Burke Sharp Shooters to con- 1
fide to you the presentation to this
liag to your volunteer corps.
The proverbiality of your generous
gallantry in behalf of our sex, we
tender as the only apology, for thus
presuming upon your kindness, the
full assurance that you will appre
ciate the design, and trace the heart
benson which shed their halo from
its fold, imparts the conviction that I
our gift will be received in the elo-1
quent penciling of an artist gen-1
ius and the bright colors of a noble
nature. We request you to say it
has been wrought by the mothers,
sisters and dearer ones of the mem
bers of your company, and as a com
mon contribution, betokens the tender
guardinaship of those hearts you have
left behind you. Tell them whether I
it shall wave o’er them in a silver
shrine of peace, or the ghastly glare
\s flame then will mark it as
the Oriflamme of the heart’s ceaseless
aspirations for their meal, and that
ti*eir brightest virtue may ever be a
Southerner’s Patriotism and their / J
heroic divinity. thj»r Country's Lib- H
erty.
Most respectfully,
We remain yours.
SALLIE JONES
SALLIE BLOUNT
VIC VARNER
JULIA BLOUNT
LOTTIE CARTER
ANNIE MANDELL
FLORENCE BYNE
SARAH WHITEHEAD
Committee of the Ladies honorary
members of Burke Shar Shoot
ers.
Camp Holmes, Tybee Island, May 27th
1861.
At 9 o’clock this morning our com
pany fell into ranks to receive
the beautiful Flag given them by
the noble and patriotic lady hon
roary members of this corps. The com
ply being formed In fw ranke, and
brought to a parade rest. Mr. John
D. Ashton, who had been honored
with the presentation of the banner
spoke as follows:
Capt. Holmes and Brethren in Arms
of the Burke Sharp Shooters:
I am sorry my feebleness will not
permit me to do justice to this inter
esting occasion. But as the accredit
ed representative of the pure and no
ble women of our county, who are
honorary members of this company, I
present to you, with their blessings
and prayers, this beautiful Flag. Be
lieve me it is no ordinary compliment
they pay you. Not only a mark of con
fidence and pride in you; not only a
token of esteem and affection you
but it is a tribute to your courage and
your high character to your lofty pat
riotism and chivalric valor, to your no
ble and unalterable resolve to defend
these altars rendered holy and sacred
by them alone, even through every
weapon should be incornadined to
the hilt.
Soldiers in this Flag I read the un
written 1 isirry of our victory*or death
Already have we learned to love it
with tender and patriotic devotion for
it came to us amid the privation and
vicissitude of the camp, like a burst
of sunlight through the darkness of
the receeding storm. Love it
cherish it It is the handiwork of the
noble matron, upon whose brow sits
the dignity and pride of age; and of
the fair maiden upon whose catstillian
cheek is waged “The War of the Lil
ies and the Roses.” I know, and the
fair heroic donors of this banner
know that you will make it to wave
triumphantly over many a victorious
scene of action, or die on a field all
“recking and sodden with blood.”
When such patriotic demonstration
as this are exhibited to the world.
“Well may the scemers in office be
ware,
The swift retribution that waits up
on crime,
When the Lion resistance shall leap
from his liar,
With a fury that renders his ven
geance sublime.”
I see that you are not unmoved by
ihose mingled emotions of love and
attitude by which the heart of the
soldier is stirred and it is just and
and eloquent acknowledgement of
your affection for those Mothers and
Sisters and “yet dearer ones” who re
member you in their prayers and see
you in their dreams.
You remember now, as you will in
the future, remember with pride and
delight that this was the first military
company formed in Georgia for the
present crisis. We thought we saw
the “handwriting on the wall.” that
we heard the solemn and mysterious
voice of prophecy fortelling the com
ing conflict, and we entered the Arena
as all good patriots should. The
spirit of resistance was thought not
to be strong in a majority of the
Southern States. But Carolina took
the lead and one by one the others fol
lowed, until, Arkansas floated into the
galaxy and now the song of her Trav
eller steals down to mingle with the
music of the Gulf Stream.
Soldiers, before us are many bat
tlefields. Already has the “Old Domin
ion” drunk the blood if her noblest
son. But he fell at no mean price. To
VIRGINIA he gave the fame of Rome
and to LIBERTY all he had—His
LIFE. He left earth in the arms of
Glory, and entered Heaven in the arms
immortality.
Capt. Holmes, to you, and through
you to your command, I confide this
sacred STANDARD, and when we
shall follow it with bounding hearts
and flashing eyes, to where the blaz
ing guns are the hottest, and the con
flict deadliest, we will remember the
noble women, whose gift it is and be
INVINCIBLE.
Capt. Holmes replied:
Sir—ln behalf of the Burke Sharp
Shooters whom I have the honor to
represent,, I return sincere thanks
fo rthis beautiful present. It is grati
fying for us to receive from the hon
orary lady members of our company
the standard, the Flag of ou> Count
try, bearing upon it eleven stars the
emblem of Southern Independence of
Northern rule and determination to
resist Northern aggression. This Flag
sir, shall be defended and never shall
its bright folds be soiled or descrated
by the touch of a Northern fanatic so
long, as a member of this corps sur
vives.
Sir.—We are proud th t the women
of our Country are equal to those of
ancient Rome and Spara in their
heroism and devotion to their Coun
try, an 1 it nerves us for the contest
to know that we are encouraged by
them to contend for our rights, rights
that have been trampled upon by
“Northern FANATICS” f r the last
forty years.
This Flag shall be our rallying point
around which every Sharp Shooter
will claim no greater honor than to
die under its folds.
Ensign, take this Flag. Never let
ts beautiful folds trail in the dust.
Tiss the dust yourself FIRST.
Memphis Post of
American Legion
Buys Davis Home
The old home of Jefferson Davis, in
Memphis, Tenn., is to be repaired and
preserved as a two-fold memorial *'f
the War between ihe States and i! o
World War The grand old stricture
is to be rnaiDiH’t ed on its i lgiu-ii
plan in the midst of a small group of
mansoins of other days which still
stand in the heart of the downtown
district.
Veterans of the World War have
sponsored the movement, which ha,s
as its object not only the preserva
tion of the Davis home for the histori
cal value of its Confederate war asso
ciations, but also to give Memphis
Post No. 1, American Legion, a home
that is to serve as a memorial of
World War deeds.
Jefferson Davis lived in Memphis
two years a/ter the reconstruction per
iod. His home was located at what is
now Court avenue and Fourth street,
almost within stone’s throw of Main
street. The home was the center of
the city’s social activity, but when Mr.
Davis moved away the dwelling was
permitted to fall into decay.
The Legion asked for $50,000 with
which to buy the property and repair
it, and the major portion of the sum
has been paid in.—Augusta Herald.
COMPLIMENTS OF
11 —• x
vHHi NH VIII
*
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA
\
“SAFEST FOR SAVINGS”
THE TEUE CITIZEN SATURDAY JUNE 7TH, 1984.
President Coolidge Pays Tribute
To Wearers of Gray in Address
At Southern Memorial Exercises
Washington, May 25.—Unstinted tri
bute to the Confederate dead was paid
today by Calvin Coolidge, the first
New Englander to become president
since the Civil War.
Speaking at the Confederate Memor
ial Day exercises at Arlington, Mr.
Coolidge looked across the green
slopes where the Confederate and Un
ion dead sleep almost side by side
and declared:
“A mightier force than ever follow
ed Grant and Lee has leveled both
their hosts, raised up a united nation,
and made us all partakers of a new
glory.”
The chief executive previously had
turned to the few remaining veterans
in gray seated just before him and to
their sons and daughters, and, with
a reminder that “time has softened,
discretion has changed,” the bitter
ness of conflict between north and
south, he said.
“Your country respect you for cher
ishing tha memory of those who wore
the gray. In that mutual respect may
there be a firmer friendship and a
stronger and more glorious union.”
Organizations participating in the
memorial exercises included the Con
federate Southern Memorial Associa
tion, the Unitde Confederate Veterans,
United Daughters of the Confederacy,
Sons of Confederate Veterans, and
Southern Relief Society. Representar
tive Wilson, of Mississippi, also de
livered an address, and after the exer
cises flowers were placed on the
graves of the Confederate dead.
Addressing those met to honor the
Confederate dead as “My fellow coun
trymen,” the president spoke as fol
lows:
“If I am correctly informed by his
tory, it is fitting that the Sabbath
should be your Memorial Day. This
follows from the belief that except for
the forces* of Oliver Cromwell, no
army was ever more thoroughly relig
ious than that which was commanded
by General Lee. Moreover, these cere
monies necessarily are expressive of
a hope and a belief that rise above the
things of this life. It was Lincoln
that pointed out that both sides pray
ed to the same God. When tha,t is the
case, it is only a matter of time when
each will seek a common ..end. We
can now see clearly what that end is.
It is the maintenance of our American
form of government ,of our American
institutions, and of our American
ideals beneath a common flag under
the blessing of Almighty God.
“It was for this purpose that this
nation was brought forth. Our whole
course) of history has been proceeding
in that direction. Out of a common ex
perience, made more enduring by a
common sacrifice, we have reached a
common conclusion. On this day we
pause in memory of those who made
their sacrifice in one way. In a few
days we shall pause again in memory
of those who made their sacrifice in an
other way. They were all Americans
all contending for what they believed
were their rights. On many a battle
field they sleep side by side. Here in
a place where is set a,side for the rest
ing place of those who have performed
military duty, both make their final
bivouac. But their country lives.
“The bitterness of conflict is past.
Time has softened,, discretion has
changed it. You rcountrv respects you
for cherishing the memory of those
who were the Gray. You respect oth
ers who cherish the memory of these
who wore the Blue. In that mutual
respect may there be a firmer friend
ship and a stronger and more glorious)
union.
“When I delivered the address, ded
icating the great monument to Gen
eral Grant, in the city of Washington,
General Carr was present with others
of his comrades, and responded for the
Confederacy with a most appropriate
tribute. He ha,s lately passed away,
one of the last of a talented and gal
lant corps of officers. To the memory
of him, whom I had seen and heard
and knew as the representative of that
now silent throng whom I did
not know, I now offer my tribute. We
know that it is Providence that would
have it sc. We see and we obey. A
mightier force than ever followed Gen
eral Grant or Lee ha,s levelled both
their hosts, raised up a united nation
and made us all partakers of a new
glory.
“It is not for us to forget the past,
but to remember it, that we may profit
by it. But it is gone, we cannot change
it. "We must put our emphasis on the
COMPLIMENTS OF
*
Wm. Schweigert, President
Thos. S. Gray, Vice President and Cashier
R. M. Riley, Assistant Cashier
i
UNION SAVINGS BANK
AUGUSTA, GA.
lessons the past has taught us All
a,bout us sleep those many different
beliefs and many divergent actions.
But America claims them all. Her
flag floats over them. Her government
protects them. They all "'est in the
same divine peace.’ 1
Lem Statue Gigantic
The height of the Goddess of Lib
erty is 111 feet; 151.41 feet to the ex
tremity of the torch. The figure ef
General Lee on Stone mountain Is te
be 140 feet from the top of hl» hat te
the bottom of the horse’s hoofs. It 1*
said that a man standing on the gen
eral’s shoulder would need a steplad
der to reach his ear. The sculptor
says: “The distance from the horse’*
knees to the top of General Lee’s hat
Is 120 feet. The depth of the relief
on the extreme point will be about
20 feet, while the average depth of
atone to be removed over the whole
surface —300-c*dd feet In length, by
about 200 in height—will be about 4
feet.”
Georgia Fire Law
Article Firing Woods.
Sec 227. Why May. No person but a
resident of the county where the fir
ing is done, owning lands therein, or
domiciled there on,outside of any town
incorporation, shall set on fire any
woods, lands or marshes, nor shall
such persons, except between the twen
tieth of Febraury and the first of Ap
ril annually.
Sec. 228. Notice. When such per
son shall desire to set fire within said
said time, he shall notify all persons
who occupy lands adjoining him, by
residence thereon, or cultivation, or
enclosure of any portion of the tract
or settlement, or the day and hour of
the firing, at least one day prior there
to. Such notice need not be given if
on sudden emergency, due caution
should require firing to render one’s
premises safe.
Sec. 229. Penalty. Any person set
ting fire in violation of the preceding
sections shall be guilty of a misde
meanor.
Sec. 230. Penalty for letting woods
catch, etc. Fersons, either by them
selves or agents, who permit fire to
get into the woods, lands or marshes,
through neglect are within the mean
ing of the three preceding sections.