Closing thoughts

Closing thoughts

We are deeply in the debt of Lt. James Madison Page for his courage in telling the unpopular truth at a time when few wanted to hear it.  In that regard, perhaps things have not changed much since Page published  "The True Story of Andersonville Prison" in 1908.

Though many Northerners conspired to hang an innocent man, many others, men who had been prisoners of Wirz at Andersonville, came forward in a courageous effort to save their soldier-brother.  Many Union veterans testified on Wirz's behalf, and many others were denied the opportunity.  For these Northern men of principle, the sons and daughters of the South should be forever grateful.

James Madison Page was no watered-down Yankee.  He believed steadfastly in the Union cause and, after his release from Andersonville in December of 1864,  rejoined his unit and marched in the Grand Review in Washington at the close of the war.  Page wrote his book and defended Wirz's memory with a passion, for one simple reason: he believed that Wirz was innocent.

Page sincerely admired his former opponents in the South, and was devoted to the cause of healing the wounds of the war.  He felt empathy with Southerners for suffering the degradations of defeat.   He lauded the Southern soldier for his bravery in battle and the Southern woman for her sacrifices at home.  He advocated government pensions for Confederate veterans as well as Union. He pleaded for a new union of the American spirit as well as the American states, saying "Then let us wipe out the so-called 'Mason and Dixon's line' and hang out the latch-string for each other."

Page described the purpose of his book in simple terms: "I love my country - my whole country, and was no more loyal to the perpetuity of the Union in 1861 than I am today, but I have come to the conclusion that after forty years we can at least afford to tell the truth."

 It is now 136 years and counting, and there are still many who refuse to do exactly that.