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| Hostilities at the Andersonville Prison quickly arose among the prisoners with the
daily increase of population, hunger, poverty and disease. Those with evil
intent preyed upon the well-motivated, the ill, and the dying.
Crimes by these former groups became daily occurrences resulting in
robberies, thefts, bodily harm, and even murder. Eventually, the
number of raiders easily reached 400 to 500. With the uniting of many prisoners who openly opposed the actions of the raiders, appeals were made to the Confederate authorities, and on June 30, 1964, General Winder issued General Order No. 57 authorizing the establishment of a court of prisoners for the trial and punishment of accused thieves and murderers. The inmates organized a police force known as the "Regulators". The outcome of the trials produced a variety of punishments in accord with the gravity of the offense. Six raiders were found guilty of murdering other inmates and were sentenced to death by hanging. |
General Orders A gang of evil-disposed persons among the prisoners of war at this post have banded themselves together for the purpose of assaulting, murdering, and robbing their fellow prisoners and having already committed all these deeds, it becomes necessary to adopt measures to protect the lives and property of the prisoners against the attacks of these men, and in order that this may be accomplished, the well-disposed prisoners may and are authorized to establish a court among themselves for the trial and punishment of all such offenders. II. On such trials, the charges will be distinctly made with specifications setting forth time and place, a copy of which will be furnished the accused. III. The whole proceedings will be promptly kept in writing, all the testimony fairly written out as neatly in the words of the witnesses as possible. IV. The proceedings, findings, and sentence in each case will be sent to the commanding officer for a record, and if found in order and proper, the sentence will be ordered for execution. By order of Brig.-Gen. John H. Winder
Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series II, Vol. VII, p. 426 |
Excerpts from James Diary
| "Monday 11th Pleasant forenoon & evening with thunder
showers at midday. Six of the raiders who have been on trial for their
lives by a jury of our own men, were hung at five P.M. today."
"Their names were..." |
James left space in his journal to record these names but failed to actually write them down. Various sources indicate their names as:
William Collins - Private, 88th Penna.Inf., Co.K ; born in England in 1835; enlisted at Philadelphia Oct 3, 1861; fought at Gettysburg; captured Rapidon, VA and interred in a Richmond prison; sent to Andersonville March 4, 1864
Charles Curtis - Private, 5th RI Heavy Art; born in Canada; 5'5"tall; enlisted at Providence, RI July 27, 1863; captured Croatan, NC May 5, 1864
Patrick Delaney - Private, 83rd Penna Inf.; born in Ireland; drafted at Reading, PA September 1863
Andrew Muir - United States Navy; born in Dublin, Ireland; captured June 3, 1864, while aboard the U.S.S. Water Witch in Albemarle Sound, NC; sent to Andersonville June 7, 1864
John Sarsfield - Private, 144th NY Inf.; born in Ireland 1841; cobbler by profession; enlisted at Brooklyn, NY September 1, 1863; captured in the Wilderness May 5, 1864; interred at Belle Isle and Andersonville prisons
John Sullivan - Private, 76th NY Inf.; born in Ireland; 5'3"tall; enlisted at Rochester, NY September 1, 1863 at the age of 27
James' diary continues immediately with further details of the hanging: "They were hung upon one gallows, all at the same time, near the southwestern gate. They were executed by our own men, having been delivered up for their disposal, after their trial was over, by the C.S. Commander of this post. I did not go near the gallows, having no relish for such scenes & only saw them from the other side of the camp after they were dead. The remainder of the gang who were not acquitted were sentenced to ball & chain for several months."
The graves of the six raiders buried apart from other prisoners.
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