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thousands of new graves at Andersonville； he could say with a quiet
chuckle that he was 〃doing more to kill off the Yankees than twenty
regiments at the front。〃 No twenty regiments in the Rebel Army ever
succeeded in slaying anything like thirteen thousand Yankees in six
months； or any other time。 His cold blooded cruelty was such as to
disgust even the Rebel officers。 Colonel D。 T。 Chandler； of the Rebel
War Department； sent on a tour of inspection to Andersonville； reported
back； under date of August 5； 1864：
〃My duty requires me respectfully to recommend a change in the officer in
command of the post； Brigadier General John H。 Winder； and the
substitution in his place of some one who unites both energy and good
judgment with some feelings of humanity and consideration for the welfare
and comfort； as far as is consistent with their safe keeping； of the vast
number of unfortunates placed under his control； some one who； at least；
will not advocate deliberately； and in cold blood； the propriety of
leaving them in their present condition until their number is
sufficiently reduced by death to make the present arrangements suffice
for their accommodation； and who will not consider it a matter of self…
laudation and boasting that he has never been inside of the Stockadea
place the horrors of which it is difficult to describe； and which is a
disgrace to civilizationthe condition of which he might； by the
exercise of a little energy and judgment； even with the limited means at
his command； have considerably improved。〃
In his examination touching this report； Colonel Chandler says：
〃I noticed that General Winder seemed very indifferent to the welfare of
the prisoners； indisposed to do anything； or to do as much as I thought
he ought to do； to alleviate their sufferings。 I remonstrated with him
as well as I could； and he used that language which I reported to the
Department with reference to itthe language stated in the report。 When
I spoke of the great mortality existing among the prisoners； and pointed
out to him that the sickly season was coming on； and that it must
necessarily increase unless something was done for their reliefthe
swamp； for instance； drained； proper food furnished； and in better
quantity； and other sanitary suggestions which I made to himhe replied
to me that he thought it was better to see half of them die than to take
care of the men。〃
It was he who could issue such an order as this； when it was supposed
that General Stoneman was approaching Andersonville：
HEADQUARTERS MILITARY PRISON；
ANDERSONVILLE； Ga。； July 27；1864。
The officers on duty and in charge of the Battery of Florida Artillery at
the time will； upon receiving notice that the enemy has approached within
seven miles of this post； open upon the Stockade with grapeshot； without
reference to the situation beyond these lines of defense。
JOHN H。 WINDER；
Brigadier General Commanding。
This man was not only unpunished； but the Government is to…day supporting
his children in luxury by the rent it pays for the use of his property
the well…known Winder building； which is occupied by one of the
Departments at Washington。
I confess that all my attempts to satisfactorily analyze Winder's
character and discover a sufficient motive for his monstrous conduct have
been futile。 Even if we imagine him inspired by a hatred of the people
of the North that rose to fiendishness； we can not understand him。
It seems impossible for the mind of any man to cherish so deep and
insatiable an enmity against his fellow…creatures that it could not be
quenched and turned to pity by the sight of even one day's misery at
Andersonville or Florence。 No one man could possess such a grievous
sense of private or national wrongs as to be proof against the daily
spectacle of thousands of his own fellow citizens； inhabitants of the
same country； associates in the same institutions； educated in the same
principles； speaking the same languagethousands of his brethren in
race； creed； and all that unite men into great communities； starving；
rotting and freezing to death。
There is many a man who has a hatred so intense that nothing but the
death of the detested one will satisfy it。 A still fewer number thirst
for a more comprehensive retribution； they would slay perhaps a half…
dozen persons； and there may be such gluttons of revenge as would not be
satisfied with the sacrifice of less than a score or two； but such would
be monsters of whom there have been very few； even in fiction。 How must
they all bow their diminished heads before a man who fed his animosity
fat with tens of thousands of lives。
But； what also militates greatly against the presumption that either
revenge or an abnormal predisposition to cruelty could have animated
Winder； is that the possession of any two such mental traits so strongly
marked would presuppose a corresponding activity of other intellectual
faculties； which was not true of him； as from all I can learn of him his
mind was in no respect extraordinary。
It does not seem possible that he had either the brain to conceive； or
the firmness of purpose to carry out so gigantic and long…enduring a
career of cruelty； because that would imply superhuman qualities in a man
who had previously held his own very poorly in the competition with other
men。
The probability is that neither Winder nor his direct superiorsHowell
Cobb and Jefferson Davisconceived in all its proportions the gigantic
engine of torture and death they were organizing； nor did they comprehend
the enormity of the crime they were committing。 But they were willing to
do much wrong to gain their end； and the smaller crimes of to…day
prepared them for greater ones to…morrow； and still greater ones the day
following。 Killing ten men a day on Belle Isle in January； by starvation
and hardship； led very easily to killing one hundred men a day in
Andersonville； in July； August and September。 Probably at the beginning
of the war they would have felt uneasy at slaying one man per day by such
means； but as retribution came not； and as their appetite for slaughter
grew with feeding； and as their sympathy with human misery atrophied from
long suppression； they ventured upon ever widening ranges of
destructiveness。 Had the war lasted another year； and they lived； five
hundred deaths a day would doubtless have been insufficient to disturb
them。
Winder doubtless went about his part of the task of slaughter coolly；
leisurely； almost perfunctorily。 His training in the Regular Army was
against the likelihood of his displaying zeal in anything。 He instituted
certain measures； and let things take their course。 That course was a
rapid transition from bad to worse； but it was still in the direction of
his wishes； and； what little of his own energy was infused into it was in
the direction of impetus；…not of controlling or improving the course。
To have done things better would have involved soma personal discomfort。
He was not likely to incur personal discomfort