andersonville-第14章

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prices。　　The　men　of　the　Army　of　the　Potomac；　who　were　paid　regularly；
and　were　always　near　their　supplies；　had　their　pockets　filled　with　combs；
silk　handkerchiefs；　knives；　neckties；　gold　pens；　pencils；　silver　watches；
playing　cards；　dice；　etc。　　Such　of　these　as　escaped　appropriation　by
their　captors　and　Dick　Turner；　were　eagerly　bought　by　the　guards；　who
paid　fair　prices　in　Confederate　money；　or　traded　wheat　bread；　tobacco；
daily　papers；　etc。；　for　them。

There　was　also　considerable　brokerage　in　money；　and　the　manner　of　doing
this　was　an　admirable　exemplification　of　the　folly　of　the　〃fiat〃　money
idea。　　The　Rebels　exhausted　their　ingenuity　in　framing　laws　to　sustain
the　purchasing　power　of　their　paper　money。　　It　was　made　legal　tender　for
all　debts　public　and　private；　it　was　decreed　that　the　man　who　refused　to
take　it　was　a　public　enemy；　all　the　considerations　of　patriotism　were
rallied　to　its　support；　and　the　law　provided　that　any　citizens　found
trafficking　in　the　money　of　the　enemyi。e。；　greenbacks；　should　suffer
imprisonment　in　the　Penitentiary；　and　any　soldier　so　offending　should
suffer　death。

Notwithstanding　all　this；　in　Richmond；　the　head　and　heart　of　the
Confederacy；　in　January；　1864long　before　the　Rebel　cause　began　to　look
at　all　desperateit　took　a　dollar　to　buy　such　a　loaf　of　bread　as　now
sells　for　ten　cents；　a　newspaper　was　a　half　dollar；　and　everything　else
in　proportion。　　And　still　worse：　There　was　not　a　day　during　our　stay　in
Richmond　but　what　one　could　go　to　the　hole　in　the　door　before　which　the
guard　was　pacing　and　call　out　in　a　loud　whisper：

〃Say；　Guard：　do　you　want　to　buy　some　greenbacks？〃

And　be　sure　that　the　reply　would　be；　after　a　furtive　glance　around　to　see
that　no　officer　was　watching：

〃Yes；　how　much　do　you　want　for　them？〃

The　reply　was　then：　〃Ten　for　one。〃

〃All　right；　how　much　have　you　got？〃

The　Yankee　would　reply；　the　Rebel　would　walk　to　the　farther　end　of　his
beat；　count　out　the　necessary　amount；　and；　returning；　put　up　one　hand
with　it；　while　with　the　other　he　caught　hold　of　one　end　of　the　Yankee's
greenback。　　At　the　word；　both　would　release　their　holds　simultaneously；
the　exchange　was　complete；　and　the　Rebel　would　pace　industriously　up　and
down　his　beat　with　the　air　of　the　school　boy　who　〃ain't　been　a…doin'
nothing。〃

There　was　never　any　risk　in　approaching　any　guard　with　a　proposition　of
this　kind。　　I　never　heard　of　one　refusing　to　trade　for　greenbacks；　and　if
the　men　on　guard　could　not　be　restrained　by　these　stringent　laws；　what
hope　could　there　be　of　restraining　anybody　else？

One　day　we　were　favored　with　a　visit　from　the　redoubtable　General　John　H。
Morgan；　next　to　J。　E。　B。　Stuart　the　greatest　of　Rebel　cavalry　leaders。
He　had　lately　escaped　from　the　Ohio　Penitentiary。　　He　was　invited　to
Richmond　to　be　made　a　Major　General；　and　was　given　a　grand　ovation　by　the
citizens　and　civic　Government。　　He　came　into　our　building　to　visit　a
number　of　the　First　Kentucky　Cavalry　（loyal）captured　at　New
Philadelphia；　East　Tennesseewhom　he　was　anxious　to　have　exchanged　for
men　of　his　own　regimentthe　First　Kentucky　Cavalry　（Rebel）who　were
captured　at　the　same　time　he　was。　　I　happened　to　get　very　close　to　him
while　he　was　standing　there　talking　to　his　old　acquaintances；　and　I　made
a　mental　photograph　of　him；　which　still　retains　all　its　original
distinctness。　　He　was　a　tall；　heavy　man；　with　a　full；　coarse；　and
somewhat　dull　face；　and　lazy；　sluggish　gray　eyes。　　His　long　black　hair
was　carefully　oiled；　and　turned　under　at　the　ends；　as　was　the　custom　with
the　rural　beaux　some　years　ago。　　His　face　was　clean　shaved；　except　a
large；　sandy　goatee。　　He　wore　a　high　silk　hat；　a　black　broadcloth　coat；
Kentucky　jeans　pantaloons；　neatly　fitting　boots；　and　no　vest。　　There　was
nothing　remotely　suggestive　of　unusual　ability　or　force　of　character；　and
I　thought　as　I　studied　him　that　the　sting　of　George　D。　Prentice's　bon　mot
about　him　was　in　its　acrid　truth。　　Said　Mr。　Prentice：

〃Why　don't　somebody　put　a　pistol　to　Basil　Duke's　head；　and　blow　John
Morgan's　brains　out！〃　＇Basil　Duke　was　John　Morgan's　right　hand　man。＇




CHAPTER　XII。

REMARKS　AS　TO　NOMENCLATUREVACC1NATION　AND　ITS　EFFECTS〃N'YAARKER'S；〃
THEIR　CHARACTERISTICS　AND　THEIR　METHODS　OF　OPERATING。

Before　going　any　further　in　this　narrative　it　may　be　well　to　state　that
the　nomenclature　employed　is　not　used　in　any　odious　or　disparaging　sense。
It　is　simply　the　adoption　of　the　usual　terms　employed　by　the　soldiers　of
both　sides　in　speaking　to　or　of　each　other。　　We　habitually　spoke　of　them
and　to　them；　as　〃Rebels；〃　and　〃Johnnies　；〃　they　of　and　to　us；　as　〃Yanks；〃
and　〃Yankees。〃　　To　have　said　〃Confederates；〃　〃Southerners；〃
〃Secessionists；〃　or　〃Federalists；〃　〃Unionists；〃　〃Northerners〃　or
〃Nationalists；〃　would　have　seemed　useless　euphemism。　　The　plainer　terms
suited　better；　and　it　was　a　day　when　things　were　more　important　than
names。

For　some　inscrutable　reason　the　Rebels　decided　to　vaccinate　us　all。
Why　they　did　this　has　been　one　of　the　unsolved　problems　of　my　life。
It　is　true　that　there　was　small　pox　in　the　City；　and　among　the　prisoners
at　Danville；　but　that　any　consideration　for　our　safety　should　have　led
them　to　order　general　inoculation　is　not　among　the　reasonable　inferences。
But；　be　that　as　it　may；　vaccination　was　ordered；　and　performed。　　By　great
good　luck　I　was　absent　from　the　building　with　the　squad　drawing　rations；
when　our　room　was　inoculated；　so　I　escaped　what　was　an　infliction　to　all；
and　fatal　to　many。　　The　direst　consequences　followed　the　operation。
Foul　ulcers　appeared　on　various　parts　of　the　bodies　of　the　vaccinated。
In　many　instances　the　arms　literally　rotted　off；　and　death　followed　from
a　corruption　of　the　blood。　　Frequently　the　faces；　and　other　parts　of
those　who　recovered；　were　disfigured　by　the　ghastly　cicatrices　of　healed
ulcers。　　A　special　friend　of　mine；　Sergeant　Frank　Beverstockthen　a
member　of　the　Third　Virginia　Cavalry；　（loyal）；　and　after　the　war　a　banker
in　Bowling　Green；　O。；bore　upon　his　temple　to　his　dying　day；　（which
occurred　a　year　ago）；　a　fearful　scar；　where　the　flesh　had　sloughed　off
from　the　effects　of　the　virus　that　had　tainted　his　blood。

This　I　do　not　pretend　to　account　for。　　We　thought　at　the　time　that　the
Rebels　had　deliberately　poisoned　the　vaccine　matter　with　syphilitic
virus；　and　it　was　so　charged　upon　them。　　I　do　not　now　believe　that　this
was　so；　I　can　hardly　think　that　members　of　the　humane　profession　of
medicine　would　be　guilty　of　such　subtle　diabolismworse　even　than
poisoning　the　wells　from　which　an　enemy　must　drink。　　The　explanation　with
which　I　have　satisfied　myself　is　that　some　careless　or　stupid
practitioner　took　the　vaccinating　lymph　from　diseased　human　bodies；
and　thus　infected　all　with　the　blood　venom；　without　any　conception　of
what　he　was　doing。　　The　low　standard　of　medical　education　in　the　South
makes　this　theory　quite　plausible。

We　now　formed　the　acquaintance　of　a　species　of　human　vermin　that　united
with　the　Rebels；　cold；　hunger；　lice　and　the　oppression　of　distraint；　to
leave　nothing　undone　that　could　add　to　the　miseries　of　our　prison　life。

These　were　the　fledglings　of　the　slums　and　dives　of　New　Yorkgraduates
of　that　metropolitan　sink　of　iniquity　where　the　rogues　and　criminals　of
the　whole　world　meet　for　mutual　instruction　in　vice。

They　were　men　who；　as　a　rule；　had　never　known；　a　day　of　honesty　and
cleanliness　in　their　misspent　lives；　whose　fathers；　brothers　and　constant
companions　were　roughs；　malefactors　and；　felons；　whose　mothers；　wives　and
sisters　were　prostitutes；　procuresses　and　thieves；　men　who　had　from
infancy　lived　in　an　atmosphere　of　sin；　until　it　saturated　every　fiber　of
their　being　as　a　dweller　in　a　jungle　imbibes　malaria　by　every　one　of　his；
millions　of　pores；　until　his　very　marrow　is　surcharged　with　it。

They　included　representatives　from　all　nationalities；　and　their
descendants；　but　the　English　and　Irish　elements　predominated。　　They　had
an　argot　peculiar　to　themselves。　　It　was　partly　made　up　of　the　〃flash〃
language　of　the　London　thieves；　amplified　and　enriched　by　the　cant
vocabulary　and　the　jargon　of　crime　of　every　European　tongue。　　They　spoke
it　with　a　peculiar　accent　and　intonation　that　made　them　instantly
recognizable　from　the　roughs　of　all　other　Cities。　　They　called　themselves
〃N'Yaarkers；〃　we　came　to　know　them　as　〃Raiders。〃

If　everything　in　the　animal　world　has　its　counterpart　among　men；　then
these　were　the　wolves；　jackals　and　hyenas　of　the　race　at　once　cowardly
and　fierceaudaciously　bold　when　the　power　of　numbers　was　on　their　side；
and　cowardly　when　confronted　with　resolution　by　anything　like　an　equality
of　strength。

Like　all　other　roughs　and　rascals　of　whatever　degree；　they　were　utterly
worthless　as　soldiers。　　There　may　have　been　in　the　Army　some　habitual
corner　loafer；　some　fistic　champion　of　the　bar…room　and　brothel；　some
Terror　of　Plug　Uglyville；　who　was　worth　the　salt　in　the　hard　tack　he
consumed；　but　if　there　were；　I　did　not　form　his　acquaintance；　and　I　never
heard　of　any　one　else　who　did。　　It　was　the　rule　that　the　man　who　was　the
readiest　in　the　use　of　fist　and　slungshot　at　home　had　the　greatest
diffidence　about　forming　a　close　acquaintance　with　cold　lead　in　the
neighborhood　of　the　front。　　Thousands　of　the　so…called　〃dangerous
classes〃　were　recruited；　from　whom　the　Government　did　not　receive　so　much
service　as　would　pay　for　the　buttons　on　their　uniforms。　　People　expected
that　they　would　make　themselves　as　troublesome　to　the　Rebels　as　they　were
to　good　citizens　and　the　Police；　but　they　were　only　pugnacious　to　the
provost　guard；　and　terrible　to　the　people　in　the　rear　of　the　Army　who　had
anything　that　could　be　stolen。

The　highest　type　of　soldier　which　the　world　has　yet　produced　is　the
intelligent；　self…respecting　American　boy；　with　home；　and　father　and
mother　and　friends　behind　him；　and　duty　in　front　beckoning　him　on。
In　the　sixty　centuries　that　war　has　been　a　profession　no　man　has　entered
its　ranks　so　calmly　resolute　in　confronting　danger；　so　shrewd　and
energetic　in　his　aggressiveness；　so　tenacious　of　the　defense　and　the
assault；　so　certain　to　rise　swiftly　to　the　level　of　every　emergency；　as
the　boy　who；　in　the　good　old　phrase；　had　been　〃well…raised〃　in　a
Godfearing　home；　and　went　to　the　field　in　obedience　to　a　conviction　of
duty。　　His　unfailing　courage　and　good　sense　won　fights　that　the
incompetency　or　cankering　jealousy　of　commanders　had　lost。　　High　officers
were　occasionally　disloyal；　or　willing　to　sacrifice　their　country　to
personal　pique；　still　more　frequently　they　were　ignorant　and　inefficient；
but　the　enlisted　man　had　more　than　enough　innate　soldiership　to　make
amends　for　these　deficiencies；　and　his　superb　conduct　often　brought
honors　and　promotions　to　those　only　who　deserved　shame　and　disaster。

Our　〃N'Yaarkers；〃　swift　to　see　any　opportunity　for　dishonest　gain；　had
taken　to　bounty…jumping；　or；　as　they　termed　it；　〃leppin'　the　bounty；〃
for　a　livelihood。　　Those　who　were　thrust　in　upon　us　had　followed　this
until　it　had　become　dangerous；　and　then　deserted　to　the　Rebels。　　The
latter　kept　them　at　Castle　Lightning　for　awhile；　and　then；　rightly
estimating　their　character；　and　considering　that　it　was　best　to　trade
them　off　for　a