andersonville-第26章

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this　there　were　two　reasons：　First；　that　there　were　many　more　men　in　that
Army　than　in　any　other；　and　second；　that　the　entanglement　in　the　dense
thickets　and　shrubbery　of　the　Wilderness　enabled　both　sides　to　capture
great　numbers　of　the　other's　men。　　Grant　lost　in　prisoners　from　May　5　to
May　31；　seven　thousand　four　hundred　and　fifty；　he　probably　captured　two…
thirds　of　that　number　from　the　Johnnies。

Wirz's　headquarters　were　established　in　a　large　log　house　which　had　been
built　in　the　fort　a　little　distant　from　the　southeast　corner　of　the
prison。　　Every　dayand　sometimes　twice　or　thrice　a　daywe　would　see
great　squads　of　prisoners　marched　up　to　these　headquarters；　where　they
would　be　searched；　their　names　entered　upon　the　prison　records；　by　clerks
（detailed　prisoners；　few　Rebels　had　the　requisite　clerical　skill）　and
then　be　marched　into　the　prison。　　As　they　entered；　the　Rebel　guards　would
stand　to　arms。　　The　infantry　would　be　in　line　of　battle；　the　cavalry
mounted；　and　the　artillerymen　standing　by　their　guns；　ready　to　open　at
the　instant　with　grape　and　canister。

The　disparity　between　the　number　coming　in　from　the　Army　of　the　Potomac
and　Western　armies　was　so　great；　that　we　Westerners　began　to　take　some
advantage　of　it。　　If　we　saw　a　squad　of　one　hundred　and　fifty　or
thereabouts　at　the　headquarters；　we　felt　pretty　certain　they　were　from
Sherman；　and　gathered　to　meet　them；　and　learn　the　news　from　our　friends。
If　there　were　from　five　hundred　to　two　thousand　we　knew　they　were　from
the　Army　of　the　Potomac；　and　there　were　none　of　our　comrades　among　them。
There　were　three　exceptions　to　this　rule　while　we　were　in　Andersonville。
The　first　was　in　June；　when　the　drunken　and　incompetent　Sturgis　（now
Colonel　of　the　Seventh　United　States　Cavalry）　shamefully　sacrificed　a
superb　division　at　Guntown；　Miss。　　The　next　was　after　Hood　made　his
desperate　attack　on　Sherman；　on　the　22d　of　July；　and　the　third　was　when
Stoneman　was　captured　at　Macon。　　At　each　of　these　times　about　two
thousand　prisoners　were　brought　in。

By　the　end　of　May　there　were　eighteen　thousand　four　hundred　and　fifty…
four　prisoners　in　the　Stockade。　　Before　the　reader　dismisses　this
statement　from　his　mind　let　him　reflect　how　great　a　number　this　is。
It　is　more　active；　able…bodied　young　men　than　there　are　in　any　of　our
leading　Cities；　save　New　York　and　Philadelphia。　　It　is　more　than　the
average　population　of　an　Ohio　County。　　It　is　four　times　as　many　troops　as
Taylor　won　the　victory　of　Buena　Vista　with；　and　about　twice　as　many　as
Scott　went　into　battle　with　at　any　time　in　his　march　to　the　City　of
Mexico。

These　eighteen　thousand　four　hundred　and　fifty…four　men　were　cooped　up　on
less　than　thirteen　acres　of　ground；　making　about　fifteen　hundred　to　the
acre。　　No　room　could　be　given　up　for　streets；　or　for　the　usual
arrangements　of　a　camp；　and　most　kinds　of　exercise　were　wholly　precluded。
The　men　crowded　together　like　pigs　nesting　in　the　woods　on　cold　nights。
The　ground；　despite　all　our　efforts；　became　indescribably　filthy；　and
this　condition　grew　rapidly　worse　as　the　season　advanced　and　the　sun's
rays　gained　fervency。　　As　it　is　impossible　to　describe　this　adequately；
I　must　again　ask　the　reader　to　assist　with　a　few　comparisons。　　He　has　an
idea　of　how　much　filth　is　produced；　on　an　ordinary　City　lot；　in　a　week；
by　its　occupation　by　a　family　say　of　six　persons。　　Now　let　him　imagine
what　would　be　the　result　if　that　lot；　instead　of　having　upon　it　six
persons；　with　every　appliance　for　keeping　themselves　clean；　and　for
removing　and　concealing　filth；　was　the　home　of　one　hundred　and　eight　men；
with　none　of　these　appliances。

That　he　may　figure　out　these　proportions　for　himself；　I　will　repeat　some
of　the　elements　of　the　problem：　We　will　say　that　an　average　City　lot　is
thirty　feet　front　by　one　hundred　deep。　　This　is　more　front　than　most　of
them　have；　but　we　will　be　liberal。　　This　gives　us　a　surface　of　three
thousand　square　feet。　　An　acre　contains　forty…three　thousand　five　hundred
and　sixty　square　feet。　　Upon　thirteen　of　these　acres；　we　had　eighteen
thousand　four　hundred　and　fifty…four　men。　　After　he　has　found　the　number
of　square　feet　that　each　man　had　for　sleeping　apartment；　dining　room；
kitchen；　exercise　grounds　and　outhouses；　and　decided　that　nobody　could
live　for　any　length　of　time　in　such　contracted　space；　I　will　tell　him
that　a　few　weeks　later　double　that　many　men　were　crowded　upon　that　space
that　over　thirty…five　thousand　were　packed　upon　those　twelve　and　a…half
or　thirteen　acres。

But　I　will　not　anticipate。　　With　the　warm　weather　the　condition　of　the
swamp　in　the　center　of　the　prison　became　simply　horrible。　　We　hear　so
much　now…a…days　of　blood　poisoning　from　the　effluvia　of　sinks　and　sewers；
that　reading　it；　I　wonder　how　a　man　inside　the　Stockade；　and　into　whose
nostrils　came　a　breath　of　that　noisomeness；　escaped　being　carried　off　by
a　malignant　typhus。　　In　the　slimy　ooze　were　billions　of　white　maggots。
They　would　crawl　out　by　thousands　on　the　warm　sand；　and；　lying　there　a
few　minutes；　sprout　a　wing　or　a　pair　of　them。　　With　these　they　would
essay　a　clumsy　flight；　ending　by　dropping　down　upon　some　exposed　portion
of　a　man's　body；　and　stinging　him　like　a　gad…fly。　　Still　worse；　they
would　drop　into　what　he　was　cooking；　and　the　utmost　care　could　not
prevent　a　mess　of　food　from　being　contaminated　with　them。

All　the　water　that　we　had　to　use　was　that　in　the　creek　which　flowed
through　this　seething　mass　of　corruption；　and　received　its　sewerage。
How　pure　the　water　was　when　it　came　into　the　Stockade　was　a　question。
We　always　believed　that　it　received　the　drainage　from　the　camps　of　the
guards；　a　half…a…mile　away。

A　road　was　made　across　the　swamp；　along　the　Dead　Line　at　the　west　side；
where　the　creek　entered　the　pen。　　Those　getting　water　would　go　to　this
spot；　and　reach　as　far　up　the　stream　as　possible；　to　get　the　water　that
was　least　filthy。　　As　they　could　reach　nearly　to　the　Dead　Line　this
furnished　an　excuse　to　such　of　the　guards　as　were　murderously　inclined　to
fire　upon　them。　　I　think　I　hazard　nothing　in　saying　that　for　weeks　at
least　one　man　a　day　was　killed　at　this　place。　　The　murders　became
monotonous；　there　was　a　dreadful　sameness　to　them。　　A　gun　would　crack；
looking　up　we　would　see；　still　smoking；　the　muzzle　of　the　musket　of　one
of　the　guards　on　either　side　of　the　creek。　　At　the　same　instant　would
rise　a　piercing　shriek　from　the　man　struck；　now　floundering　in　the　creek
in　his　death　agony。　　Then　thousands　of　throats　would　yell　out　curses　and
denunciations；　and

〃O；　give　the　Rebel　　　　　a　furlough！〃

It　was　our　belief　that　every　guard　who　killed　a　Yankee　was　rewarded　with
a　thirty…day　furlough。　　Mr。　Frederick　Holliger；　now　of　Toledo；　formerly　a
member　of　the　Seventy…Second　Ohio；　and　captured　at　Guntown；　tells　me；　as
his　introduction　to　Andersonville　life；　that　a　few　hours　after　his　entry
he　went　to　the　brook　to　get　a　drink；　reached　out　too　far；　and　was　fired
upon　by　the　guard；　who　missed　him；　but　killed　another　man　and　wounded　a
second。　　The　other　prisoners　standing　near　then　attacked　him；　and　beat
him　nearly　to　death；　for　having　drawn　the　fire　of　the　guard。

Nothing　could　be　more　inexcusable　than　these　murders。　　Whatever　defense
there　might　be　for　firing　on　men　who　touched　the　Dead　Line　in　other　parts
of　the　prison；　there　could　be　none　here。　　The　men　had　no　intention　of
escaping；　they　had　no　designs　upon　the　Stockade；　they　were　not　leading
any　party　to　assail　it。　　They　were　in　every　instance　killed　in　the　act　of
reaching　out　with　their　cups　to　dip　up　a　little　water。




CHAPTER　XXIX

SOME　DISTINCTION　BETWEEN　SOLDIERLY　DUTY　AND　MURDERA　PLOT　TO　ESCAPE
IT　IS　REVEALED　AND　FRUSTRATED。

Let　the　reader　understand　that　in　any　strictures　I　make　I　do　not　complain
of　the　necessary　hardships　of　war。　　I　understood　fully　and　accepted　the
conditions　of　a　soldier's　career。　　My　going　into　the　field　uniformed　and
armed　implied　an　intention；　at　least；　of　killing；　wounding；　or　capturing；
some　of　the　enemy。　　There　was　consequently　no　ground　of　complaint　if　I
was；　myself　killed；　wounded；　or　captured。　　If　I　did　not　want　to　take
these　chances　I　ought　to　stay　at　home。　　In　the　same　way；　I　recognized　the
right　of　our　captors　or　guards　to　take　proper　precautions　to　prevent　our
escape。　　I　never　questioned　for　an　instant　the　right　of　a　guard　to　fire
upon　those　attempting　to　escape；　and　to　kill　them。　　Had　I　been　posted
over　prisoners　I　should　have　had　no　compunction　about　shooting　at　those
trying　to　get　away；　and　consequently　I　could　not　blame　the　Rebels　for
doing　the　same　thing。　　It　was　a　matter　of　soldierly　duty。

But　not　one　of　the　men　assassinated　by　the　guards　at　Andersonville　were
trying　to　escape；　nor　could　they　have　got　away　if　not　arrested　by　a
bullet。　　In　a　majority　of　instances　there　was　not　even　a　transgression　of
a　prison　rule；　and　when　there　was　such　a　transgression　it　was　a　mere
harmless　inadvertence。　　The　slaying　of　every　man　there　was　a　foul　crime。

The　most　of　this　was　done　by　very　young　boys；　some　of　it　by　old　men。
The　Twenty…Sixth　Alabama　and　Fifty…Fifth　Georgia；　had　guarded　us　since
the　opening　of　the　prison；　but　now　they　were　ordered　to　the　field；　and
their　places　filled　by　the　Georgia　〃Reserves；〃　an　organization　of　boys
under；　and　men　over　the　military　age。　　As　General　Grant　aptly…phrased　it；
〃They　had　robbed　the　cradle　and　the　grave；〃　in　forming　these　regiments。
The　boys；　who　had　grown　up　from　children　since　the　war　began；　could　not
comprehend　that　a　Yankee　was　a　human　being；　or　that　it　was　any　more
wrongful　to　shoot　one　than　to　kill　a　mad　dog。　　Their　young　imaginations
had　been　inflamed　with　stories　of　the　total　depravity　of　the　Unionists
until　they　believed　it　was　a　meritorious　thing　to　seize　every　opportunity
to　exterminate　them。

Early　one　morning　I　overheard　a　conversation　between　two　of　these
youthful　guards：

〃Say；　Bill；　I　heerd　that　you　shot　a　Yank　last　night？〃

〃Now；　you　just　bet　I　did。　　God！　you　jest　ought　to've　heerd　him　holler。〃

Evidently　the　juvenile　murderer　had　no　more　conception　that　he　had
committed　crime　than　if　he　had　killed　a　rattlesnake。

Among　those　who　came　in　about　the　last　of　the　month　were　two　thousand　men
from　Butler's　command；　lost　in　the　disastrous　action　of　May　15；　by　which
Butler　was　〃bottled　up〃　at　Bermuda　Hundreds。　　At　that　time　the　Rebel
hatred　for　Butler　verged　on　insanity；　and　they　vented　this　upon　these　men
who　were　so　lucklessin　every　senseas　to　be　in　his　command。　　Every
pains　was　taken　to　mistreat　them。　　Stripped　of　every　article　of　clothing；
equipment；　and　cooking　utensilseverything；　except　a　shirt　and　a　pair　of
pantaloons；　they　were　turned　bareheaded　and　barefooted　into　the　prison；
and　the　worst　possible　place　in　the　pen　hunted　out　to　locate　them　upon。
This　was　under　the　bank；　at　the　edge　of　the　Swamp　and　at　the　eastern　side
of　the　prison；　where　the　sinks　were；　and　all　filth　from　the　upper　part　of
the　camp　flowed　down　to　them。　　The　sand　upon　which　they　lay　was　dry　and
burning　as　that　of　a　tropical　desert；　they　were　without　the　slightest
shelter　of　any　kind；　the　maggot　flies　swarmed　over　them；　and　the　stench
was　frightful。　　If　one　of　them　survived　the　germ　theory　of　disease　is　a
hallucination。