andersonville-第2章

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the　work。　　One　day　at　Andersonville　or　Florence　would　be　task　enough　for
the　genius　of　Carlyle　or　Hugo；　lesser　than　they　would　fail　preposterously
to　rise　to　the　level　of　the　theme。　　No　writer　ever　described　such　a
deluge　of　woes　as　swept　over　the　unfortunates　confined　in　Rebel　prisons
in　the　last　year…and…a…half　of　the　Confederacy's　life。　　No　man　was　ever
called　upon　to　describe　the　spectacle　and　the　process　of　seventy　thousand
young；　strong；　able…bodied　men；　starving　and　rotting　to　death。　　Such　a
gigantic　tragedy　as　this　stuns　the　mind　and　benumbs　the　imagination。

I　no　more　felt　myself　competent　to　the　task　than　to　accomplish　one　of
Michael　Angelo's　grand　creations　in　sculpture　or　painting。

Study　of　the　subject　since　confirms　me　in　this　view；　and　my　only　claim
for　this　book　is　that　it　is　a　contributiona　record　of　individual
observation　and　experiencewhich　will　add　something　to　the　material
which　the　historian　of　the　future　will　find　available　for　his　work。

The　work　was　begun　at　the　suggestion　of　Mr。　D。　R。　Locke；　（Petroleum　V。
Nasby）；　the　eminent　political　satirist。　　At　first　it　was　only　intended　to
write　a　few　short　serial　sketches　of　prison　life　for　the　columns　of　the
TOLEDO　BLADE。　　The　exceeding　favor　with　which　the　first　of　the　series　was
received　induced　a　great　widening　of　their　scope；　until　finally　they　took
the　range　they　now　have。

I　know　that　what　is　contained　herein　will　be　bitterly　denied。　　I　am
prepared　for　this。　　In　my　boyhood　I　witnessed　the　savagery　of　the　Slavery
agitationin　my　youth　I　felt　the　fierceness　of　the　hatred　directed
against　all　those　who　stood　by　the　Nation。　　I　know　that　hell　hath　no　fury
like　the　vindictiveness　of　those　who　are　hurt　by　the　truth　being　told　of
them。　　I　apprehend　being　assailed　by　a　sirocco　of　contradiction　and
calumny。　　But　I　solemnly　affirm　in　advance　the　entire　and　absolute　truth
of　every　material　fact；　statement　and　description。　　I　assert　that；　so　far
from　there　being　any　exaggeration　in　any　particular；　that　in　no　instance
has　the　half　of　the　truth　been　told；　nor　could　it　be；　save　by　an　inspired
pen。　　I　am　ready　to　demonstrate　this　by　any　test　that　the　deniers　of　this
may　require；　and　I　am　fortified　in　my　position　by　unsolicited　letters
from　over　3；000　surviving　prisoners；　warmly　indorsing　the　account　as
thoroughly　accurate　in　every　respect。

It　has　been　charged　that　hatred　of　the　South　is　the　animus　of　this　work。
Nothing　can　be　farther　from　the　truth。　　No　one　has　a　deeper　love　for
every　part　of　our　common　country　than　I；　and　no　one　to…day　will　make　more
efforts　and　sacrifices　to　bring　the　South　to　the　same　plane　of　social　and
material　development　with　the　rest　of　the　Nation　than　I　will。　　If　I　could
see　that　the　sufferings　at　Andersonville　and　elsewhere　contributed　in　any
considerable　degree　to　that　end；　and　I　should　not　regret　that　they　had
been。　　Blood　and　tears　mark　every；　step　in　the　progress　of　the　race；　and
human　misery　seems　unavoidable　in　securing　human　advancement。　　But　I　am
naturally　embittered　by　the　fruitlessness；　as　well　as　the　uselessness　of
the　misery　of　Andersonville。　　There　was　never　the　least　military　or　other
reason　for　inflicting　all　that　wretchedness　upon　men；　and；　as　far　as
mortal　eye　can　discern；　no　earthly　good　resulted　from　the　martyrdom　of
those　tens　of　thousands。　　I　wish　I　could　see　some　hope　that　their
wantonly　shed　blood　has　sown　seeds　that　will　one　day　blossom；　and　bear　a
rich　fruitage　of　benefit　to　mankind；　but　it　saddens　me　beyond　expression
that　I　can　not。

The　years　1864…5　were　a　season　of　desperate　battles；　but　in　that　time
many　more　Union　soldiers　were　slain　behind　the　Rebel　armies；　by
starvation　and　exposure；　than　were　killed　in　front　of　them　by　cannon　and
rifle。　　The　country　has　heard　much　of　the　heroism　and　sacrifices　of　those
loyal　youths　who　fell　on　the　field　of　battle；　but　it　has　heard　little　of
the　still　greater　number　who　died　in　prison　pen。　　It　knows　full　well　how
grandly　her　sons　met　death　in　front　of　the　serried　ranks　of　treason；　and
but　little　of　the　sublime　firmness　with　which　they　endured　unto　the
death；　all　that　the　ingenious　cruelty　of　their　foes　could　inflict　upon
them　while　in　captivity。

It　is　to　help　supply　this　deficiency　that　this　book　is　written。　　It　is　a
mite　contributed　to　the　better　remembrance　by　their　countrymen　of　those
who　in　this　way　endured　and　died　that　the　Nation　might　live。　　It　is　an
offering　of　testimony　to　future　generations　of　the　measureless　cost　of
the　expiation　of　a　national　sin；　and　of　the　preservation　of　our　national
unity。

This　is　a11。　　I　know　I　speak　for　all　those　still　living　comrades　who　went
with　me　through　the　scenes　that　I　have　attempted　to　describe；　when　I　say
that　we　have　no　revenges　to　satisfy；　no　hatreds　to　appease。　　We　do　not
ask　that　anyone　shall　be　punished。　　We　only　desire　that　the　Nation　shall
recognize　and　remember　the　grand　fidelity　of　our　dead　comrades；　and　take
abundant　care　that　they　shall　not　have　died　in　vain。

For　the　great　mass　of　Southern　people　we　have　only　the　kindliest　feeling。
We　but　hate　a　vicious　social　system；　the　lingering　shadow　of　a　darker
age；　to　which　they　yield；　and　which；　by　elevating　bad　men　to　power；　has
proved　their　own　and　their　country's　bane。

The　following　story　does　not　claim　to　be　in　any　sense　a　history　of
Southern　prisons。　　It　is　simply　a　record　of　the　experience　of　one
individualone　boywho　staid　all　the　time　with　his　comrades　inside　the
prison；　and　had　no　better　opportunities　for　gaining　information　than　any
other　of　his　60；000　companions。

The　majority　of　the　illustrations　in　this　work　are　from　the　skilled
pencil　of　Captain　O。　J。　Hopkins；　of　Toledo；　who　served　through　the　war　in
the　ranks　of　the　Forty…second　Ohio。　　His　army　experience　has　been　of
peculiar　value　to　the　work；　as　it　has　enabled　him　to　furnish　a　series　of
illustrations　whose　life…like　fidelity　of　action；　pose　and　detail　are
admirable。

Some　thirty　of　the　pictures；　including　the　frontispiece；　and　the
allegorical　illustrations　of　War　and　Peace；　are　from　the　atelier　of　Mr。
O。　Reich；　Cincinnati；　O。

A　word　as　to　the　spelling：　Having　always　been　an　ardent　believer　in　the
reformation　of　our　present　preposterous　systemor　rather；　no　systemof
orthography；　I　am　anxious　to　do　whatever　lies　in　my　power　to　promote　it。
In　the　following　pages　the　spelling　is　simplified　to　the　last　degree
allowed　by　Webster。　　I　hope　that　the　time　is　near　when　even　that　advanced
spelling　reformer　will　be　left　far　in　the　rear　by　the　progress　of　a
people　thoroughly　weary　of　longer　slavery　to　the　orthographical
absurdities　handed　down　to　us　from　a　remote　and　grossly　unlearned
ancestry。

Toledo；　O。；　Dec。　　10；　1879。

JOHN　McELROY。






We　wait　beneath　the　furnace　blast
The　pangs　of　transformation；
Not　painlessly　doth　God　recast
And　mold　anew　the　nation。
Hot　burns　the　fire
Where　wrongs　expire；
Nor　spares　the　hand
That　from　the　land
Uproots　the　ancient　evil。

The　hand…breadth　cloud　the　sages　feared
Its　bloody　rain　is　dropping；
The　poison　plant　the　fathers　spared
All　else　is　overtopping。
East；　West；　South；　North；
It　curses　the　earth；
All　justice　dies；
And　fraud　and　lies
Live　only　in　its　shadow。

Then　let　the　selfish　lip　be　dumb
And　hushed　the　breath　of　sighing；
Before　the　joy　of　peace　must　come
The　pains　of　purifying。
God　give　us　grace
Each　in　his　place
To　bear　his　lot；
And；　murmuring　not；
Endure　and　wait　and　labor！

WHITTIER






ANDERSONVILLE

A　STORY　OF　REBEL　MILITARY　PRISONS




CHAPTER　I。

A　STRANGE　LANDTHE　HEART　OF　THE　APPALACHIANSTHE　GATEWAY　OF　AN　EMPIRE
A　SEQUESTERED　VALE；　AND　A　PRIMITIVE；　ARCADIAN；　NON…PROGRESSIVE　PEOPLE。

A　low；　square；　plainly…hewn　stone；　set　near　the　summit　of　the　eastern
approach　to　the　formidable　natural　fortress　of　Cumberland　Gap；　indicates
the　boundaries　ofthe　three　great　States　of　Virginia；　Kentucky　and
Tennessee。　　It　is　such　a　place　as；　remembering　the　old　Greek　and　Roman
myths　and　superstitions；　one　would　recognize　as　fitting　to　mark　the
confines　of　the　territories　of　great　masses　of　strong；　aggressive；　and
frequently　conflicting　　peoples。　　There　the　god　Terminus　should　have　had
one　of　his　chief　temples；　where　his　shrine　would　be　shadowed　by　barriers
rising　above　the　clouds；　and　his　sacred　solitude　guarded　from　the　rude
invasion　of　armed　hosts　by　range　on　range　of　battlemented　rocks；　crowning
almost　inaccessible　mountains；　interposed　across　every　approach　from　the
usual　haunts　of　men。

Roundabout　the　land　is　full　of　strangeness　and　mystery。　　The　throes　of
some　great　convulsion　of　Nature　are　written　on　the　face　of　the　four
thousand　square　miles　of　territory；　of　which　Cumberland　Gap　is　the
central　point。　　Miles　of　granite　mountains　are　thrust　up　like　giant
walls；　hundreds　of　feet　high；　and　as　smooth　and　regular　as　the　side
of　a　monument。

Huge；　fantastically…shaped　rocks　abound　everywheresometimes　rising　into
pinnacles　on　lofty　summitssometimes　hanging　over　the　verge　of　beetling
cliffs；　as　if　placed　there　in　waiting　for　a　time　when　they　could　be
hurled　down　upon　the　path　of　an　advancing　army；　and　sweep　it　away。

Large　streams　of　water　burst　out　in　the　most　unexpected　planes；
frequently　far　up　mountain　sides；　and　fall　in　silver　veils　upon　stones
beaten　round　by　the　ceaseless　dash　for　ages。　　Caves；　rich　in　quaintly
formed　stalactites　and　stalagmites；　and　their　recesses　filled　with
metallic　salts　of　the　most　powerful　and　diverse　natures；　break　the
mountain　sides　at　frequent　intervals。　　Everywhere　one　is　met　by　surprises
and　anomalies。　　Even　the　rank　vegetation　is　eccentric；　and　as　prone　to
develop　into　bizarre　forms　as　are　the　rocks　and　mountains。

The　dreaded　panther　ranges　through　the　primeval；　rarely　trodden　forests；
every　crevice　in　the　rocks　has　for　tenants　rattlesnakes　or　stealthy
copperheads；　while　long；　wonderfully　swift　〃blue　racers〃　haunt　the　edges
of　the　woods；　and　linger　around　the　fields　to　chill　his　blood　who　catches
a　glimpse　of　their　upreared　heads；　with　their　great；　balefully　bright
eyes；　and　〃white…collar〃　encircled　throats。

The　human　events　happening　here　have　been　in　harmony　with　the　natural
ones。　　It　has　always　been　a　land　of　conflict。　　In　1540339　years　ago
De　Soto；　in　that　energetic　but　fruitless　search　for　gold　which　occupied
his　later　years；　penetrated　to　this　region；　and　found　it　the　fastness　of
the　Xualans；　a　bold；　aggressive　race；　continually　warring　with　its
neighbors。　　When　next　the　white　man　reached　the　countrya　century　and　a
half　laterhe　found　the　Xualans　had　been　swept　away　by　the　conquering
Cherokees；　and　he　witnessed　there　the　most　sanguinary　contest　between
Indians　of　which　our　annals　give　any　accounta　pitched　battle　two　days
in　duration；　between　the　invading　Shawnees；　who　lorded　it　over　what　is
now　Kentucky；　Ohio　and　Indianaand　the　Cherokees；　who　dominated　the
country　the　southeast　of　the　Cumberland　range。　　Again　the　Cherokees　were
victorious；　and　the　discomfited　Shawnees　retired　north　of　the　Gap。

Then　the　white　man　delivered　battle　for　the　possession　the　land；　and
bought　it　with　the　lives　of　many　gallant　adventurers。　　Half　a　century
later　Boone　and　his　hardy　companion　followed；　and　forced　their　way　into
Kentucky。

Another　half　century　saw　the　Ga