Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 November 1898 — Bates’ Lecture on Andersonville. [ARTICLE]

Bates’ Lecture on Andersonville.

A very large audience, with the largest proportion of them school children attended Ralph O Bates’ lecture on Andersonville, and other southern prisons, evening. Mr. Bates’ leotufe requires two hours for its delivery,, but its matter is so interesting and'his method of relating it so vivid that the attention of the audience was unflagging to tlio end The story of his experiences is undoubtedly the plain, unvarnished truth, and while it is free from malice or reproach, it also does not extenuate not excuse the management of the southern prisons. Above all he does not gloss over, belittle and excuse the terrible conditions prevailing in those prisons. In this respect his aocount of Audersonville is in marked contrast to the alleged account given of the same prison, some years ago, by a certain Copperhead, and since disgraced, preacher. The school library fund will gain a little over s2l clear money from Mr. Bates’ lecture.