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The New York and New Jersey Monuments at Andersonville, Georgia
Posted By Norman Gasbarro on December 15, 2012
Andersonville was the notorious Confederate prisoner of war camp where, of the 45,000 Union soldiers who were incarcerated there, nearly 13,000 died of disease, starvation and communicable diseases. In prior posts, the Pennsylvania Memorial at Andersonville, Georgia, was featured on this blog. In today’s post, the monuments to the soldiers who were from Pennsylvania’s neighboring states of New York and New Jersey will be shown. Some men who had connections to the Lykens Valley area served in the regiments of New York or New Jersey.
The New York monument is located in the Andersonville National Cemetery. The inscription states that it was erected by the State of New York to commemorate the “patriotism, sacrifices and fortitude” of the thousands of New York soldiers of the Union who were confined in the Confederate States Military Prison at Andersonville, Georgia. There are 2261 who are “known to have died in the prison and were buried in this cemetery.”
New Jersey’s monument was the first of the large monuments erected in the Andersonville National Cemetery. It honors the 235 New Jersey soldiers who died at Andersonville. In the middle of the large column is a scroll that reads, “Death Before Dishonor.” On the front and back of the monument are additional inscriptions:
Go, stranger, to New Jersey
Tell her that we lie here
In fulfillment of her mandate
And our pledge,–to maintain the
Proud name of our State unsullied
And place it high on the scroll of honor
Among the States of this Great Nation.Erected by The State of New Jersey in commemoration of the fidelity and heroism of her soldiers, who died at the Confederate Military Prison, Andersonville, Georgia. In faithful adherance to their pledge of patriotism.
The National Park Service guide to the Andersonville National Cemetery and National Historic Site is available as a free download (click on title to download).
For all prior blog posts on Andersonville, including posts which tell of men from the Lykens Valley area who were incarcerated there, click on Andersonville.
The following is a list of posts on the Pennsylvania Memorial at Andersonville, with direct links (click on title to go directly to post).
Pennsylvania Memorial at Andersonville, Georgia
Dedication of the Pennsylvania Memorial at Andersonville, Georgia
Stories of the Pennsylvania Memorial Dedication at Andersonville, Georgia
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