andersonville-第18章

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distant　from　the　scene　of　hostilities；　was　the　tormentor　of　those　whom
the　fortunes　of　war；　and　the　arms　of　brave　men　threw　into　his　hands。

Winder　gazed　at　us　stonily　for　a　few　minutes　without　speaking；　and；
turning；　rode　out　again。

Our　troubles；　from　that　hour；　rapidly　increased。




CHAPTER　XVII。

THE　PLANTATION　NEGROSNOT　STUPID　TO　BE　LOYALTHEIR　DITHYRAMBIC　MUSIC
COPPERHEAD　OPINION　OF　LONGFELLOW。

The　stockade　was　not　quite　finished　at　the　time　of　our　arrivala　gap　of
several　hundred　feet　appearing　at　the　southwest　corner。　　A　gang　of　about
two　hundred　negros　were　at　work　felling　trees；　hewing　legs；　and　placing
them　upright　in　the　trenches。　　We　had　an　opportunitysoon　to　disappear
foreverof　studying　the　workings　of　the　〃peculiar　institution〃　in　its
very　home。　　The　negros　were　of　the　lowest　field…hand　class；　strong；　dull；
ox…like；　but　each　having　in　our　eyes　an　admixture　of　cunning　and
secretiveness　that　their　masters　pretended　was　not　in　them。　　Their
demeanor　toward　us　illustrated　this。　　We　were　the　objects　of　the　most
supreme　interest　to　them；　but　when　near　us　and　in　the　presence　of　a　white
Rebel；　this　interest　took　the　shape　of　stupid；　open…eyed；　open…mouthed
wonder；　something　akin　to　the　look　on　the　face　of　the　rustic　lout；　gazing
for　the　first　time　upon　a　locomotive　or　a　steam　threshing　machine。
But　if　chance　threw　one　of　them　near　us　when　he　thought　himself
unobserved　by　the　Rebels；　the　blank；　vacant　face　lighted　up　with　an
entirely　different　expression。　　He　was　no　longer　the　credulous　yokel　who
believed　the　Yankees　were　only　slightly　modified　devils；　ready　at　any
instant　to　return　to　their　original　horn…and…tail　condition　and　snatch
him　away　to　the　bluest　kind　of　perdition；　he　knew；　apparently　quite　as
well　as　his　master；　that　they　were　in　some　way　his　friends　and　allies；
and　he　lost　no　opportunity　in　communicating　his　appreciation　of　that
fact；　and　of　offering　his　services　in　any　possible　way。　　And　these　offers
were　sincere。　　It　is　the　testimony　of　every　Union　prisoner　in　the　South
that　he　was　never　betrayed　by　or　disappointed　in　a　field…negro；　but　could
always　approach　any　one　of　them　with　perfect　confidence　in　his　extending
all　the　aid　in　his　power；　whether　as　a　guide　to　escape；　as　sentinel　to
signal　danger；　or　a　purveyor　of　food。　　These　services　were　frequently
attended　with　the　greatest　personal　risk；　but　they　were　none　the　less
readily　undertaken。　　This　applies　only　to　the　field…hands；　the　house
servants　were　treacherous　and　wholly　unreliable。　　Very　many　of　our　men
who　managed　to　get　away　from　the　prisons　were　recaptured　through　their
betrayal　by　house　servants；　but　none　were　retaken　where　a　field　hand
could　prevent　it。

We　were　much　interested　in　watching　the　negro　work。　　They　wove　in　a　great
deal　of　their　peculiar；　wild；　mournful　music；　whenever　the　character　of
the　labor　permitted。　　They　seemed　to　sing　the　music　for　the　music's　sake
alone；　and　were　as　heedless　of　the　fitness　of　the　accompanying　words；
as　the　composer　of　a　modern　opera　is　of　his　libretto。　　One　middle　aged
man；　with　a　powerful；　mellow　baritone；　like　the　round；　full　notes　of　a
French　horn；　played　by　a　virtuoso；　was　the　musical　leader　of　the　party。
He　never　seemed　to　bother　himself　about　air；　notes　or　words；　but
improvised　all　as　he　went　along；　and　he　sang　as　the　spirit　moved　him。
He　would　suddenly　break　out　with

　　　　　〃Oh；　he's　gone　up　dah；　nevah　to　come　back　agin；〃

At　this　every　darkey　within　hearing　would　roll　out；　in　admirable
consonance　with　the　pitch；　air　and　time　started　by　the　leader

　　　　　〃O…o…o…o…o…o…o…o…o…o…o…o…o…o…o！〃

Then　would　ring　out　from　the　leader　as　from　the　throbbing　lips　of　a
silver　trumpet

　　　　　〃Lord　bress　him　soul；　I　done　hope　he　is　happy　now！〃

And　the　antiphonal　two　hundred　would　chant　back

　　　　　〃O…o…o…o…o…o…o…o…o…o…o…o…o…o…o！〃

And　so　on　for　hours。　　They　never　seemed　to　weary　of　singing；　and　we
certainly　did　not　of　listening　to　them。　　The　absolute　independence　of　the
conventionalities　of　tune　and　sentiment；　gave　them　freedom　to　wander
through　a　kaleideoscopic　variety　of　harmonic　effects；　as　spontaneous　and
changeful　as　the　song　of　a　bird。

I　sat　one　evening；　long　after　the　shadows　of　night　had　fallen　upon　the
hillside；　with　one　of　my　chumsa　Frank　Berkstresser；　of　the　Ninth
Maryland　Infantry；　who　before　enlisting　was　a　mathematical　tutor　in
college　at　Hancock；　Maryland。　　As　we　listened　to　the　unwearying　flow　of
melody　from　the　camp　of　the　laborers；　I　thought　of　and　repeated　to　him
Longfellow's　fine　lines：

THE　SLAVE　SINGING　AT　MIDNIGHT。

And　the　voice　of　his　devotion
Filled　my　soul　with　strong　emotion；
For　its　tones　by　turns　were　glad
Sweetly　solemn；　wildly　sad。

　　　　　　　　　　Paul　and　Silas；　in　their　prison；
　　　　　　　　　　Sang　of　Christ；　the　Lord　arisen；
　　　　　　　　　　And　an　earthquake's　arm　of　might
　　　　　　　　　　Broke　their　dungeon　gates　at　night。

　　　　　　　　　　But；　alas；　what　holy　angel
　　　　　　　　　　Brings　the　slave　this　glad　evangel
　　　　　　　　　　And　what　earthquake's　arm　of　might。
　　　　　　　　　　Breaks　his　prison　gags　at　night。

Said　I：　〃Now；　isn't　that　fine；　Berkstresser？〃

He　was　a　Democrat；　of　fearfully　pro…slavery　ideas；　and　he　replied；
sententiously：

〃O；　the　poetry's　tolerable；　but　the　sentiment's　damnable。〃




CHAPTER　XVIII。

SCHEMES　AND　PLANS　TO　ESCAPESCALING　THE　STOCKADEESTABLISHING　THE　DEAD
LINETHE　FIRST　MAN　KILLED。

The　official　designation　of　our　prison　was　〃Camp　Sumpter；〃　but　this　was
scarcely　known　outside　of　the　Rebel　documents；　reports　and　orders。
It　was　the　same　way　with　the　prison　five　miles　from　Millen；　to　which　we
were　afterward　transferred。　　The　Rebels　styled　it　officially　〃Camp
Lawton；〃　but　we　called　it　always　〃Millen。〃

Having　our　huts　finished；　the　next　solicitude　was　about　escape；　and　this
was　the　burden　of　our　thoughts；　day　and　night。　　We　held　conferences；　at
which　every　man　was　required　to　contribute　all　the　geographical　knowledge
of　that　section　of　Georgia　that　he　might　have　left　over　from　his
schoolboy　days；　and　also　that　gained　by　persistent　questioning　of　such
guards　and　other　Rebels　as　he　had　come　in　contact　with。　　When　first
landed　in　the　prison　we　were　as　ignorant　of　our　whereabouts　as　if　we　had
been　dropped　into　the　center　of　Africa。　　But　one　of　the　prisoners　was
found　to　have　a　fragment　of　a　school　atlas；　in　which　was　an　outline　map
of　Georgia；　that　had　Macon；　Atlanta；　Milledgeville；　and　Savannah　laid
down　upon　it。　　As　we　knew　we　had　come　southward　from　Macon；　we　felt
pretty　certain　we　were　in　the　southwestern　corner　of　the　State。
Conversations　with　guards　and　others　gave　us　the　information　that　the
Chattahooche　flowed　some　two　score　of　miles　to　the　westward；　and　that　the
Flint　lay　a　little　nearer　on　the　east。　　Our　map　showed　that　these　two
united　and　flowed　together　into　Appalachicola　Bay；　where；　some　of　us
remembered；　a　newspaper　item　had　said　that　we　had　gunboats　stationed。
The　creek　that　ran　through　the　stockade　flowed　to　the　east；　and　we
reasoned　that　if　we　followed　its　course　we　would　be　led　to　the　Flint；
down　which　we　could　float　on　a　log　or　raft　to　the　Appalachicola。　　This
was　the　favorite　scheme　of　the　party　with　which　I　sided。　　Another　party
believed　the　most　feasible　plan　was　to　go　northward；　and　endeavor　to　gain
the　mountains；　and　thence　get　into　East　Tennessee。

But　the　main　thing　was　to　get　away　from　the　stockade；　this；　as　the　French
say　of　all　first　steps；　was　what　would　cost。

Our　first　attempt　was　made　about　a　week　after　our　arrival。　　We　found　two
logs　on　the　east　side　that　were　a　couple　of　feet　shorter　than　the　rest；
and　it　seemed　as　if　they　could　be　successfully　scaled。　　About　fifty　of　us
resolved　to　make　the　attempt。　　We　made　a　rope　twenty…five　or　thirty　feet
long；　and　strong　enough　to　bear　a　man；　out　of　strings　and　strips　of
cloth。　　A　stout　stick　was　fastened　to　the　end；　so　that　it　would　catch　on
the　logs　on　either　side　of　the　gap。　　On　a　night　dark　enough　to　favor　our
scheme；　we　gathered　together；　drew　cuts　to　determine　each　boy's　place　in
the　line；　fell　in　single　rank；　according　to　this　arrangement；　and　marched
to　the　place。　　The　line　was　thrown　skillfully；　the　stick　caught　fairly　in
the　notch；　and　the　boy　who　had　drawn　number　one　climbed　up　amid　a
suspense　so　keen　that　I　could　hear　my　heart　beating。　　It　seemed　ages
before　he　reached　the　top；　and　that　the　noise　he　made　must　certainly
attract　the　attention　of　the　guard。　　It　did　not。　　We　saw　our　comrade's。
figure　outlined　against　the　sky　as　he　slid；　over　the　top；　and　then　heard
the　dull　thump　as　he　sprang　to　the　ground　on　the　other　side。　　〃Number
two；〃　was　whispered　by　our　leader；　and　he　performed　the　feat　as
successfully　as　his　predecessor。　　〃Number；　three；〃　and　he　followed
noiselessly　and　quickly。　　Thus　it　went　on；　until；　just　as　we　heard　number
fifteen　drop；　we　also　heard　a　Rebel　voice　say　in　a　vicious　undertone：

〃Halt！　halt；　there；　dn　you！〃

This　was　enough。　　The　game　was　up；　we　were　discovered；　and　the　remaining
thirty…five　of　us　left　that　locality　with　all　the　speed　in　our　heels；
getting　away　just　in　time　to　escape　a　volley　which　a　squad　of　guards；
posted　in　the　lookouts；　poured　upon　the　spot　where　we　had　been　standing。

The　next　morning　the　fifteen　who　had　got　over　the　Stockade　were　brought
in；　each　chained　to　a　sixty…four　pound　ball。　　Their　story　was　that　one　of
the　N'Yaarkers；　who　had　become　cognizant　of　our　scheme；　had　sought　to
obtain　favor　in　the　Rebel　eyes　by　betraying　us。　　The　Rebels　stationed　a
squad　at　the　crossing　place；　and　as　each　man　dropped　down　from　the
Stockade　he　was　caught　by　the　shoulder；　the　muzzle　of　a　revolver　thrust
into　his　face；　and　an　order　to　surrender　whispered　into　his　ear。　　It　was
expected　that　the　guards　in　the　sentry…boxes　would　do　such　execution
among　those　of　us　still　inside　as　would　prove　a　warning　to　other　would…be
escapes。　　They　were　defeated　in　this　benevolent　intention　by　the
readiness　with　which　we　divined　the　meaning　of　that　incautiously　loud
halt；　and　our　alacrity　in　leaving　the　unhealthy　locality。

The　traitorous　N'Yaarker　was　rewarded　with　a　detail　into　the　commissary
department；　where　he　fed　and　fattened　like　a　rat　that　had　secured
undisturbed　homestead　rights　in　the　center　of　a　cheese。　　When　the
miserable　remnant　of　us　were　leaving　Andersonville　months　afterward；　I
saw　him；　sleek；　rotund；　and　well…clothed；　lounging　leisurely　in　the　door
of　a　tent。　　He　regarded　us　a　moment　contemptuously；　and　then　went　on
conversing　with　a　fellow　N'Yaarker；　in　the　foul　slang　that　none　but　such
as　he　were　low　enough　to　use。

I　have　always　imagined　that　the　fellow　returned　home；　at　the　close　of　the
war；　and　became　a　prominent　member　of　Tweed's　gang。

We　protested　against　the　barbarity　of　compelling　men　to　wear　irons　for
exercising　their　natural　right　of　attempting　to　escape；　but　no　attention
was　paid　to　our　protest。

Another　result　of　this　abortive　effort　was　the　establishment　of　the
notorious　〃Dead　Line。〃　　A　few　days　later　a　gang　of　negros　came　in　and
drove　a　line　of　stakes　down　at　a　distance　of　twenty　feet　from　the
stockade。　　They　nailed　upon　this　a　strip　of　stuff　four　inches　wide；　and
then　an　order　was　issued　that　if　this　was　crossed；　or　even　touched；　the
guards　would　fire　upon　the　offender　without　warning。