andersonville-第16章

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In　the　mean　time　everybody　in　the　car　would　pack　closely　around　the　door；
so　as　to　give　the　impression　that　the　car　was　densely　crowded。　　The　Rebel
would　look　convinced；　and　demand：

〃Why；　how　many　men　have　you　got　in　de　cah？〃

Then　one　of　us　would　order　the　imaginary　host　in　the　invisible　recesses
to

〃Stand　still　there；　and　be　counted；〃　while　he　would　gravely　count　up　to
one　hundred　or　one　hundred　and　twenty；　which　was　the　utmost　limit　of　the
car；　and　the　Rebel　would　hurry　off　to　put　his　prisoners　somewhere　else。
We　managed　to　play　this　successfully　during　the　whole　journey；　and　not
only　obtained　room　to　lie　down　in　the　car；　but　also　drew　three　or　four
times　as　many　rations　as　were　intended　for　us；　so　that　while　we　at　no
time　had　enough；　we　were　farther　from　starvation　than　our　less　strategic
companions。

The　second　afternoon　we　arrived　at　Raleigh；　the　capitol　of　North
Carolina；　and　were　camped　in　a　piece　of　timber；　and　shortly　after　dark
orders　were　issued　to　us　all　to　lie　flat　on　the　ground　and　not　rise　up
till　daylight。　　About　the　middle　of　the　night　a　man　belonging　to　a　New
Jersey　regiment；　who　had　apparently　forgotten　the　order；　stood　up；　and
was　immediately　shot　dead　by　the　guard。

For　four　or　five　days　more　the　decrepit　little　locomotive　strained　along；
dragging　after　it　the　rattling'　old　cars。　　The　scenery　was　intensely
monotonous。　　It　was　a　flat；　almost　unending；　stretch　of　pine　barrens　and
the　land　so　poor　that　a　disgusted　Illinoisan；　used　to　the　fertility　of
the　great　American　Bottom；　said　rather　strongly；　that；

〃By　George；　they'd　have　to　manure　this　ground　before　they　could　even　make
brick　out　of　it。〃

It　was　a　surprise　to　all　of　us　who　had　heard　so　much　of　the　wealth　of
Virginia；　North　Carolina；　South　Carolina　and　Georgia；　to　find　the　soil　a
sterile　sand　bank；　interspersed　with　swamps。

We　had　still　no　idea　of　where　we　were　going。　　We　only　knew　that　our
general　course　was　southward；　and　that　we　had　passed　through　the
Carolinas；　and　were　in　Georgia。　　We　furbished　up　our　school　knowledge　of
geography　and　endeavored　to　recall　something　of　the　location　of　Raleigh；
Charlotte；　Columbia　and　Augusta；　through　which　we　passed；　but　the　attempt
was　not　a　success。

Late　on　the　afternoon　of　the　25th　of　February　the　Seventh　Indiana
Sergeant　approached　me　with　the　inquiry：

〃Do　you　know　where　Macon　is？〃

The　place　had　not　then　become　as　well　known　as　it　was　afterward。

It　seemed　to　me　that　I　had　read　something　of　Macon　in　Revolutionary
history；　and　that　it　was　a　fort　on　the　sea　coast。　　He　said　that　the　guard
had　told　him　that　we　were　to　be　taken　to　a　point　near　that　place；　and　we
agreed　that　it　was　probably　a　new　place　of　exchange。　　A　little　later　we
passed　through　the　town　of　Macon；　Ga；　and　turned　upon　a　road　that　led
almost　due　south。

About　midnight　the　train　stopped；　and　we　were　ordered　off。　　We　were　in
the　midst　of　a　forest　of　tall　trees　that　loaded　the　air　with　the　heavy
balsamic　odor　peculiar　to　pine　trees。　　A　few　small　rude　houses　were
scattered　around　near。

Stretching　out　into　the　darkness　was　a　double　row　of　great　heaps　of
burning　pitch　pine；　that　smoked　and　flamed　fiercely；　and　lit　up　a　little
space　around　in　the　somber　forest　with　a　ruddy　glare。　　Between　these　two
rows　lay　a　road；　which　we　were　ordered　to　take。

The　scene　was　weird　and　uncanny。　　I　had　recently　read　the　〃Iliad；〃　and
the　long　lines　of　huge　fires　reminded　me　of　that　scene　in　the　first　book；
where　the　Greeks　burn　on　the　sea　shore　the　bodies　of　those　smitten　by
Apollo's　pestilential…arrows

　　　　　　　　　　For　nine　long　nights；　through　all　the　dusky　air；
　　　　　　　　　　The　pyres；　thick　flaming　shot　a　dismal　glare。

Five　hundred　weary　men　moved　along　slowly　through　double　lines　of　guards。
Five　hundred　men　marched　silently　towards　the　gates　that　were　to　shut　out
life　and　hope　from　most　of　them　forever。　　A　quarter　of　a　mile　from　the
railroad　we　came　to　a　massive　palisade　of　great　squared　logs　standing
upright　in　the　ground。　　The　fires　blazed　up　and　showed　us　a　section　of
these；　and　two　massive　wooden　gates；　with　heavy　iron　hinges　and　bolts。
They　swung　open　as　we　stood　there　and　we　passed　through　into　the　space
beyond。

We　were　in　Andersonville。




CHAPTER　XV。

GEORGIAA　LEAN　AND　HUNGRY　LANDDIFFERENCE　BETWEEN　UPPER　AND　LOWER
GEORGIATHE　PILLAGE　OF　ANDERSONVILLE。

As　the　next　nine　months　of　the　existence　of　those　of　us　who　survived　were
spent　in　intimate　connection　with　the　soil　of　Georgia；　and；　as　it
exercised　a　potential　influence　upon　our　comfort　and　well…being；　or
rather　lack　of　thesea　mention　of　some　of　its　peculiar　characteristics
may　help　the　reader　to　a　fuller　comprehension　of　the　conditions
surrounding　usour　environment；　as　Darwin　would　say。

Georgia；　which；　next　to　Texas；　is　the　largest　State　in　the　South；　and　has
nearly　twenty…five　per　cent。　more　area　than　the　great　State　of　New　York；
is　divided　into　two　distinct　and　widely　differing　sections；　by　a
geological　line　extending　directly　across　the　State　from　Augusta；　on　the
Savannah　River；　through　Macon；　on　the　Ocmulgee；　to　Columbus；　on　the
Chattahoochie。　　That　part　lying　to　the　north　and　west　of　this　line　is
usually　spoken　of　as　〃Upper　Georgia；〃　while　that　lying　to　the　south　and
east；　extending　to　the　Atlantic　Ocean　and　the　Florida　line；　is　called
〃Lower　Georgia。〃　　In　this　part　of　the　Statethough　far　removed　from　each
otherwere　the　prisons　of　Andersonville；　Savannah；　Millen　and
Blackshear；　in　which　we　were　incarcerated　one　after　the　other。

Upper　Georgiathe　capital　of　which　is　Atlantais　a　fruitful；
productive；　metalliferous　region；　that　will　in　time　become　quite　wealthy。
Lower　Georgia；　which　has　an　extent　about　equal　to　that　of　Indiana；　is　not
only　poorer　now　than　a　worn…out　province　of　Asia　Minor；　but　in　all
probability　will　ever　remain　so。

It　is　a　starved；　sterile　land；　impressing　one　as　a　desert　in　the　first
stages　of　reclamation　into　productive　soil；　or　a　productive　soil　in　the
last　steps　of　deterioration　into　a　desert。　　It　is　a　vast　expanse　of　arid；
yellow　sand；　broken　at　intervals　by　foul　swamps；　with　a　jungle…life
growth　of　unwholesome　vegetation；　and　teeming　With　venomous　snakes；　and
all　manner　of　hideous　crawling　thing。

The　original　forest　still　stands　almost　unbroken　on　this　wide　stretch　of
thirty　thousand　square　miles；　but　it　does　not　cover　it　as　we　say　of
forests　in　more　favored　lands。　　The　tall；　solemn　pines；　upright　and
symmetrical　as　huge　masts；　and　wholly　destitute　of　limbs；　except　the
little；　umbrella…like　crest　at　the　very　top；　stand　far　apart　from　each
other　in　an　unfriendly　isolation。　　There　is　no　fraternal　interlacing　of
branches　to　form　a　kindly；　umbrageous　shadow。　　Between　them　is　no　genial
undergrowth　of　vines；　shrubs；　and　demi…trees；　generous　in　fruits；　berries
and　nuts；　such　as　make　one　of　the　charms　of　Northern　forests。　　On　the
ground　is　no　rich；　springing　sod　of　emerald　green；　fragrant　with　the
elusive　sweetness　of　white　clover；　and　dainty　flowers；　but　a　sparse；
wiry；　famished　grass；　scattered　thinly　over　the　surface　in　tufts　and
patches；　like　the　hair　on　a　mangy　cur。

The　giant　pines　seem　to　have　sucked　up　into　their　immense　boles　all　the
nutriment　in　the　earth；　and　starved　out　every　minor　growth。　　So　wide　and
clean　is　the　space　between　them；　that　one　can　look　through　the　forest　in
any　direction　for　miles；　with　almost　as　little　interference　with　the　view
as　on　a　prairie。　　In　the　swampier　parts　the　trees　are　lower；　and　their
limbs　are　hung　with　heavy　festoons　of　the　gloomy　Spanish　moss；　or　〃death
moss；〃　as　it　is　more　frequently　called；　because　where　it　grows　rankest
the　malaria　is　the　deadliest。　　Everywhere　Nature　seems　sad；　subdued　and
somber。

I　have　long　entertained　a　peculiar　theory　to　account　for　the　decadence
and　ruin　of　countries。　　My　reading　of　the　world's　history　seems　to　teach
me　that　when　a　strong　people　take　possession　of　a　fertile　land；　they
reduce　it　to　cultivation；　thrive　upon　its　bountifulness；　multiply　into
millions　the　mouths　to　be　fed　from　it；　tax　it　to　the　last　limit　of
production　of　the　necessities　of　life；　take　from　it　continually；　and　give
nothing　back；　starve　and　overwork　it　as　cruel；　grasping　men　do　a　servant
or　a　beast；　and　when　at　last　it　breaks　down　under　the　strain；　it　revenges
itself　by　starving　many　of　them　with　great　famines；　while　the　others　go
off　in　search　of　new　countries　to　put　through　the　same　process　of
exhaustion。　　We　have　seen　one　country　after　another　undergo　this　process
as　the　seat　of　empire　took　its　westward　way；　from　the　cradle　of　the　race
on　the　banks　of　the　Oxus　to　the　fertile　plains　in　the　Valley　of　the
Euphrates。　　Impoverishing　these；　men　next　sought　the　Valley　of　the　Nile；
then　the　Grecian　Peninsula；　next　Syracuse　and　the　Italian　Peninsula；
then　the　Iberian　Peninsula；　and　the　African　shores　of　the　Mediterranean。
Exhausting　all　these；　they　were　deserted　for　the　French；　German　and
English　portions　of　Europe。　　The　turn　of　the　latter　is　now　come；　famines
are　becoming　terribly　frequent；　and　mankind　is　pouring　into　the　virgin
fields　of　America。

Lower　Georgia；　the　Carolinas　and　Eastern　Virginia　have　all　the
characteristics　of　these　starved　and　worn…out　lands。　　It　would　seem　as
if；　away　back　in　the　distance　of　ages；　some　numerous　and　civilized　race
had　drained　from　the　soil　the　last　atom　of　food…producing　constituents；
and　that　it　is　now　slowly　gathering　back；　as　the　centuries　pass；　the
elements　that　have　been　wrung　from　the　land。

Lower　Georgia　is　very　thinly　settled。　　Much　of　the　land　is　still　in　the
hands　of　the　Government。　　The　three　or　four　railroads　which　pass　through
it　have　little　reference　to　local　traffic。　　There　are　no　towns　along　them
as　a　rule；　stations　are　made　every　ten　miles；　and　not　named；　but
numbered；　as　〃Station　No。　4〃　No。　10；〃　etc。　　The　roads　were　built　as
through　lines；　to　bring　to　the　seaboard　the　rich　products　of　the
interior。

Andersonville　is　one　of　the　few　stations　dignified　with　a　same；　probably
because　it　contained　some　half　dozen　of　shabby　houses；　whereas　at　the
others　there　was　usually　nothing　more　than　a　mere　open　shed；　to　shelter
goods　and　travelers。　　It　is　on　a　rudely　constructed；　rickety　railroad；
that　runs　from　Macon　to　Albany；　the　head　of　navigation　on　the　Flint
River；　which　is；　one　hundred　and　six　miles　from　Macon；　and　two　hundred
and　fifty　from　the　Gulf　of　Mexico。　　Andersonville　is　about　sixty　miles
from　Macon；　and；　consequently；　about　three　hundred　miles　from　the　Gulf。
The　camp　was　merely　a　hole　cut　in　the　wilderness。　　It　was　as　remote　a
point　from；　our　armies；　as　they　then　lay；　as　the　Southern　Confederacy
could　give。　　The　nearest　was　Sherman；　at　Chattanooga；　four　hundred　miles
away；　and　on　the　other　side　of　a　range　of　mountains　hundreds　of　miles
wide。

To　us　it　seemed　beyond　the　last　forlorn　limits　of　civilization。　　We　felt
that　we　were　more　completely　at　the　mercy　of　our　foes　than　ever。　　While
in　Richmond　we　were　in　the　heart　of　the　Confederacy；　we　were　in　the　midst
of　the　Rebel　military　and；　civil　force；　and　were　surrounded　on　every　hand
by　visible　evidences　of　the　great　magnitude　of　that　power；　but　this；
while　it　enforced　our　ready　submission；　did　not　overawe　us　depressingly；
We　knew　that　though　the　Rebels　were