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The forgotten soldierGrave No. 4181 in the Andersonville National Cemetery in Georgia marks theresting place of Moses Wisef. a Cambna County native.Memorial Day is to honor all vets, buried near or far from homeThis w a story about a forgotten sol liter, one of many who died for our country This story is atmut my great great grandfather, w ho fought In the Civil War and i* burled far away from W here he was born and raised.lie left his home, his family and his life, as he then knew ami loved it. to answer a call for something he believed in Alter visiting his grave six years ago. I now think about him all the time Also. I think about how sad tt I* that there are so many soldiers buried far from their families and barely. IT ever, thought about Memorial Day should be about honoring those whom we remember, twit also about those whom we never even think or know about Momlt;* Wise! was born and raised in Conemaugh Township. Cambria County-On Oct. 3. IMS. henlie left a w ife and three small children Bonnie who never saw himOlaSS He served in thecavalry under the command of Cap*. Henry J. Blough and. In duly last, fought in the Battle of f*t tysburg. where hr was wounded Ik* thm went on to light in th» Battle of the Wilderness at Mine Run. Va.. where hr was wounded again and was taken prisoner at Brandy Station on May 5,1864.He was transported by train to Antler sonvtile Prison in Macon County. Ga. He was taken In a railroad car similar to a cattle car. which was extremely overcrowded. The prisoners had no find or water on their trip This was in July, when the weather was probably unbear ably hotStories about the prison are horrid Ing Upon arrival, the prisoners were walked to a large stockade where the con dttlons were deplorableHere. Wise! endured unthinkable hard ships.The stockade was exposed to the elements. Tlve walls were 12 fa* high and there wire no roofs and no protection hum the weather. The prisoners had to survive with whatever possessions they had at the time or their capture. They lived in the filthiest conditions one could imagine A tiny stream ran through the camp• It had passed through the officers camp, which was up a hill above them.The stream was filled with human waste and was lian-ly running by the time it reached the prisoners. This lUthy muck was their only water supply for drinking, bathing and disposing of their own waste llwy were starving They were given the most meager rations to prepan* however they could The food they were given was rotten and filthy with bugs and disease.-Many day*, they went with nothing The stockade was built to hold 6.1)00 to lOtt* prisoner* In June 1HM. there were 45X00 prisoners there.It Is no wonder prisoner* were dying daily from diseases and starvation. The mortality rate was extremely high 13.000 prisoners died at this camp.Wlsel was taken to the prison hospital on July 23. and died five days later.The cause of death was listed as diphtheriaHe is buried in Section F. Grave No 41HI. in the Andersonville National Cemetery In Georgia. No. 4181 washes • dead book number The hook was kept by a volunteer at the camp, and each soldier's death was given a sequential num ber and recorded in the book.Visiting this prison was an experience I will always remember. Just being there witnessing the site* and hearing the story of w hat the prisoners went through was so sad anti moving that it is almost indescribable.Seeing my great great grandfather s grave and the graves of so many othersoldiers who probably suffered as he did. and are all twit forgotten, is something that I w ill never forget as long as 1 live.A wonderful visitor* center and museum was built at Andersonville in honor of veterans of all w ar*My father. George Patterson, served m World War II.The visitors center is a very moving place to visit. There was barely a dry eye in the place.This is where I found two mov ing poems written by two prisoners at Ander sonville prison They remind me of all the suffering these soldier* went through while they were far away front their homes and loved ones.They also remind me of how many for gotten soldiers are out there, from all the ware, buried too far from their homes and families and familiar places, so lhal they won't be visited and paid tribute on this very special dayThere is no one to dust off their grave markers, place a wreath or flowers on their grave or stand beside their grave and honor them, tell them thank you and that we love them.This is what Memorial Day means to me honoring all the soldier* of all the wars, but especially honoring those very-brave soldiers w ho died so far awav and never came homeHonme Clast was born and raised In South Fork, the daunhter of George and tirntrm • (Human) Patterson In /SS7. she married David Class, formerly of Mineral Point She now lives In Maxalta. Calif.
Newspaper Details
Johnstown Tribune Democrat
Johnstown, Pennsylvania, US
Mon, May 29, 2006
Page 22
Full Page
Clipped by
Onondaga C.
NY, USA 02 Jan 2018
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