For Memorial Day:
Samuel Melvin at Andersonville
By Samantha Wilson with help of Melvin descendant Carol Caulkins of New Hampshire. Carol's 4th great-grandfather, Robert, and the Melvin brothers' great-grandfather, David, were brothers. Carol would love to hear from other Melvin descendants (email: snowman@worldpath.net). Also see our memorial tribute to Vietnam Veterans.
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Andersonville, GA. Samuel's grave (also below) is 4th from left. |
The restoration of the Melvin Memorial in Concord's Sleepy Hollow Cemetery has brought greater attention to this beautiful and poignant monument named "Mourning Victory" by Daniel Chester French (photo of detail of the memorial). But this is a memorial -- not a burial place -- for the brothers. Only Asa, the eldest of the three is buried in Concord.
Asa was killed in battle in Petersburg, VA. John, the next younger brother, died at Fort Albany, NY's military hospital and is buried there. The youngest, Samuel, is buried in the Civil War prison camp at Andersonville, Georgia. He died there of dysentery at the age of 20, about four months after his capture. He was one of nearly 50,000 prisoners held there between 1864-5. Close to 14,000 died due to exposure, starvation, and the epidemics of scurvy and dysentery caused by the horrific conditions.
In 1865, the camp's commandant, Major Henry Wirz, was convicted of murder and hanged by a US military court as a result of the conditions at the camp and the deaths of the prisoners. The grounds are now part of the National Park Service (see links at right for more information).
Additional source: Microsoft Encarta
Photos: ©1998 Alan A. Ames
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Related Links
These links are not for the meek; the information in them is truly heartbreaking. Yet, they should not be completely avoided. They hold important information about the history of war and our understanding of it.
Andersonville National Historical Park is the official National Park Service site.
Civil War Prison Camps is devoted to several camps.
Andersonville Archelogical Site
Wirz/Andersonville Trial recounts the camp superintendant's murder trial.
The Sultana Disaster, about the tragic fate of the ship which carried the survivors of the Andersonville Prison.
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