andersonville-第47章

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ever　hear　of　an　epidemic　so　fatal　that　one…third　of　those　attacked　by　it
in　one　month　died；　one…half　of　the　remnant　the　next　month；　and　one…third
of　the　feeble　remainder　the　next　month？　　If　he　did；　his　reading　has　been
much　more　extensive　than　mine。

The　greatest　number　of　deaths　in　one　day　is　reported　to　have　occurred　on
the　23d　of　August；　when　one　hundred　and　twenty…seven　died；　or　one　man
every　eleven　minutes。

The　greatest　number　of　prisoners　in　the　Stockade　is　stated　to　have　been
August　8；　when　there　were　thirty…three　thousand　one　hundred　and　fourteen。

I　have　always　imagined　both　these　statements　to　be　short　of　the　truth；
because　my　remembrance　is　that　one　day　in　August　I　counted　over　two
hundred　dead　lying　in　a　row。　　As　for　the　greatest　number　of　prisoners；
I　remember　quite　distinctly　standing　by　the　ration　wagon　during　the　whole
time　of　the　delivery　of　rations；　to　see　how　many　prisoners　there　really
were　inside。　　That　day　the　One　Hundred　and　Thirty…Third　Detachment　was
called；　and　its　Sergeant　came　up　and　drew　rations　for　a　full　detachment。
All　the　other　detachments　were　habitually　kept　full　by　replacing　those
who　died　with　new　comers。　　As　each　detachment　consisted　of　two　hundred
and　seventy　men；　one　hundred　and　thirty…three　detachments　would　make
thirty…five　thousand　nine　hundred　and　ten；　exclusive　of　those　in　the
hospital；　and　those　detailed　outside　as　cooks；　clerks；　hospital
attendants　and　various　other　employmentssay　from　one　to　two　thousand
more。




CHAPTER　XLIII。

DIFFICULTY　OF　EXERCISINGEMBARRASSMENTS　OF　A　MORNING　WALKTHE　RIALTO
OF　THE　PRISONCURSING　THE　SOUTHERN　CONFEDERACYTHE　STORY　OF　THE　BATTLE
OF　SPOTTSYLVANIA　COURTHOUSE。

Certainly；　in　no　other　great　community；　that　ever　existed　upon　the　face
of　the　globe　was　there　so　little　daily　ebb　and　flow　as　in　this。　　Dull　as
an　ordinary　Town　or　City　may　be；　however　monotonous；　eventless；　even
stupid　the　lives　of　its　citizens；　there　is　yet；　nevertheless；　a　flow
every　day　of　its　life…bloodits　population　towards　its　heart；　and　an　ebb
of　the　same；　every　evening　towards　its　extremities。　　These　recurring
tides　mingle　all　classes　together　and　promote　the　general　healthfulness；
as　the　constant　motion　hither　and　yon　of　the　ocean's　waters　purify　and
sweeten　them。

The　lack　of　these　helped　vastly　to　make　the　living　mass　inside　the
Stockade　a　human　Dead　Seaor　rather　a　Dying　Seaa　putrefying；　stinking
lake；　resolving　itself　into　phosphorescent　corruption；　like　those　rotting
southern　seas；　whose　seething　filth　burns　in　hideous　reds；　and　ghastly
greens　and　yellows。

Being　little　call　for　motion　of　any　kind；　and　no　room　to　exercise
whatever　wish　there　might　be　in　that　direction；　very　many　succumbed
unresistingly　to　the　apathy　which　was　so　strongly　favored　by　despondency
and　the　weakness　induced　by　continual　hunger；　and　lying　supinely　on　the
hot　sand；　day　in　and　day　out；　speedily　brought　themselves　into　such　a
condition　as　invited　the　attacks　of　disease。

It　required　both　determination　and　effort　to　take　a　little　walking
exercise。　　The　ground　was　so　densely　crowded　with　holes　and　other　devices
for　shelter　that　it　took　one　at　least　ten　minutes　to　pick　his　way　through
the　narrow　and　tortuous　labyrinth　which　served　as　paths　for　communication
between　different　parts　of　the　Camp。　　Still　further；　there　was　nothing　to
see　anywhere　or　to　form　sufficient　inducement　for　any　one　to　make　so
laborious　a　journey。　　One　simply　encountered　at　every　new　step　the　same
unwelcome　sights　that　he　had　just　left；　there　was　a　monotony　in　the
misery　as　in　everything　else；　and　consequently　the　temptation　to　sit　or
lie　still　in　one's　own　quarters　became　very　great。

I　used　to　make　it　a　point　to　go　to　some　of　the　remoter　parts　of　the
Stockade　once　every　day；　simply　for　exercise。　　One　can　gain　some　idea　of
the　crowd；　and　the　difficulty　of　making　one's　way　through　it；　when　I　say
that　no　point　in　the　prison　could　be　more　than　fifteen　hundred　feet　from
where　I　staid；　and；　had　the　way　been　clear；　I　could　have　walked　thither
and　back　in　at　most　a　half　an　hour；　yet　it　usually　took　me　from　two　to
three　hours　to　make　one　of　these　journeys。

This　daily　trip；　a　few　visits　to　the　Creek　to　wash　all　over；　a　few　games
of　chess；　attendance　upon　roll　call；　drawing　rations；　cooking　and　eating
the　same；　〃lousing〃　my　fragments　of　clothes；　and　doing　some　little　duties
for　my　sick　and　helpless　comrades；　constituted　the　daily　routine　for
myself；　as　for　most　of　the　active　youths　in　the　prison。

The　Creek　was　the　great　meeting　point　for　all　inside　the　Stockade。
All　able　to　walk　were　certain　to　be　there　at　least　once　during　the　day；
and　we　made　it　a　rendezvous；　a　place　to　exchange　gossip；　discuss　the
latest　news；　canvass　the　prospects　of　exchange；　and；　most　of　all；
to　curse　the　Rebels。　　Indeed　no　conversation　ever　progressed　very　far
without　both　speaker　and　listener　taking　frequent　rests　to　say　bitter
things　as　to　the　Rebels　generally；　and　Wirz；　Winder　and　Davis　in
particular。

A　conversation　between　two　boysstrangers　to　each　other　who　came　to　the
Creek　to　wash　themselves　or　their　clothes；　or　for　some　other　purpose；
would　progress　thus：

First　Boy〃I　belong　to　the　Second　Corps；Hancock's；　＇the　Army　of　the
Potomac　boys　always　mentioned　what　Corps　they　belonged　to；　where　the
Western　boys　stated　their　Regiment。＇　　They　got　me　at　Spottsylvania；　when
they　were　butting　their　heads　against　our　breast…works；　trying　to　get
even　with　us　for　gobbling　up　Johnson　in　the　morning；〃He　stops　suddenly
and　changes　tone　to　say：　〃I　hope　to　God；　that　when　our　folks　get
Richmond；　they　will　put　old　Ben　Butler　in　command　of　it；　with　orders　to
limb；　skin　and　jayhawk　it　worse　than　he　did　New　Orleans。〃

Second　Boy；　（fervently　：）　〃I　wish　to　God　he　would；　and　that　he'd　catch
old　Jeff。；　and　that　grayheaded　devil；　Winder；　and　the　old　Dutch　Captain；
strip　'em　just　as　we　were；　put　'em　in　this　pen；　with　just　the　rations
they　are　givin'　us；　and　set　a　guard　of　plantation　niggers　over　'em；　with
orders　to　blow　their　whole　infernal　heads　off；　if　they　dared　so　much　as
to　look　at　the　dead　line。〃

First　Boy（returning　to　the　story　of　his　capture。）　〃Old　Hancock　caught
the　Johnnies　that　morning　the　neatest　you　ever　saw　anything　in　your　life。
After　the　two　armies　had　murdered　each　other　for　four　or　five　days　in　the
Wilderness；　by　fighting　so　close　together　that　much　of　the　time　you　could
almost　shake　hands　with　the　Graybacks；　both　hauled　off　a　little；　and　lay
and　glowered　at　each　other。　　Each　side　had　lost　about　twenty　thousand　men
in　learning　that　if　it　attacked　the　other　it　would　get　mashed　fine。
So　each　built　a　line　of　works　and　lay　behind　them；　and　tried　to　nag　the
other　into　coming　out　and　attacking。　　At　Spottsylvania　our　lines　and
those　of　the　Johnnies　weren't　twelve　hundred　yards　apart。　　The　ground　was
clear　and　clean　between　them；　and　any　force　that　attempted　to　cross　it　to
attack　would　be　cut　to　pieces；　as　sure　as　anything。　　We　laid　there　three
or　four　days　watching　each　otherjust　like　boys　at　school；　who　shake
fists　and　dare　each　other。　　At　one　place　the　Rebel　line　ran　out　towards
us　like　the　top　of　a　great　letter　'A。'　The　night　of　the　11th　of　May　it
rained　very　hard；　and　then　came　a　fog　so　thick　that　you　couldn't　see　the
length　of　a　company。　　Hancock　thought　he'd　take　advantage　of　this。
We　were　all　turned　out　very　quietly　about　four　o'clock　in　the　morning。
Not　a　bit　of　noise　was　allowed。　　We　even　had　to　take　off　our　canteens　and
tin　cups；　that　they　might　not　rattle　against　our　bayonets。　　The　ground
was　so　wet　that　our　footsteps　couldn't　be　heard。　　It　was　one　of　those
deathly；　still　movements；　when　you　think　your　heart　is　making　as　much
noise　as　a　bass　drum。

〃The　Johnnies　didn't　seem　to　have　the　faintest　suspicion　of　what　was
coming；　though　they　ought；　because　we　would　have　expected　such　an　attack
from　them　if　we　hadn't　made　it　ourselves。　　Their　pickets　were　out　just　a
little　ways　from　their　works；　and　we　were　almost　on　to　them　before　they
discovered　us。　　They　fired　and　ran　back。　　At　this　we　raised　a　yell　and
dashed　forward　at　a　charge。　　As　we　poured　over　the　works；　the　Rebels　came
double…quicking　up　to　defend　them。　　We　flanked　Johnson's　Division
quicker'n　you　could　say　'Jack　Robinson；'　and　had　four　thousand　of　'em　in
our　grip　just　as　nice　as　you　please。　　We　sent　them　to　the　rear　under
guard；　and　started　for　the　next　line　of　Rebel　works　about　a　half　a　mile
away。　　But　we　had　now　waked　up　the　whole　of　Lee's　army；　and　they　all　came
straight　for　us；　like　packs　of　mad　wolves。　　Ewell　struck　us　in　the
center；　Longstreet　let　drive　at　our　left　flank；　and　Hill　tackled　our
right。　　We　fell　back　to　the　works　we　had　taken；　Warren　and　Wright　came　up
to　help　us；　and　we　had　it　hot　and　heavy　for　the　rest　of　the　day　and　part
of　the　night。　　The　Johnnies　seemed　so　mad　over　what　we'd　done　that　they
were　half　crazy。　　They　charged　us　five　times；　coming　up　every　time　just
as　if　they　were　going　to　lift　us　right　out　of　the　works　with　the　bayonet。
About　midnight；　after　they'd　lost　over　ten　thousand　men；　they　seemed　to
understand　that　we　had　pre…empted　that　piece　of　real　estate；　and　didn't
propose　to　allow　anybody　to　jump　our　claim；　so　they　fell　back　sullen　like
to　their　main　works。　　When　they　came　on　the　last　charge；　our　Brigadier
walked　behind　each　of　our　regiments　and　said：

〃Boys；　we'll　send　'em　back　this　time　for　keeps。　　Give　it　to　'em　by　the
acre；　and　when　they　begin　to　waver；　we'll　all　jump　over　the　works　and　go
for　them　with　the　bayonet。'

〃We　did　it　just　that　way。　　We　poured　such　a　fire　on　them　that　the　bullets
knocked　up　the　ground　in　front　just　like　you　have　seen　the　deep　dust　in　a
road　in　the　middle　of　Summer　fly　up　when　the　first　great　big　drops　of　a
rain　storm　strike　it。　　But　they　came　on；　yelling　and　swearing；　officers
in　front　waving　swords；　and　shoutingall　that　business；　you　know。　　When
they　got　to　about　one　hundred　yards　from　us；　they　did　not　seem　to　be
coming　so　fast；　and　there　was　a　good　deal　of　confusion　among　them。　　The
brigade　bugle　sounded

〃Stop　firing。〃

〃We　all　ceased　instantly。　　The　rebels　looked　up　in　astonishment。　　Our
General　sang　out：

〃Fix　bayonets！'　but　we　knew　what　was　coming；　and　were　already　executing
the　order。　　You　can　imagine　the　crash　that　ran　down　the　line；　as　every
fellow　snatched　his　bayonet　out　and　slapped　it　on　the　muzzle　of　his　gun。
Then　the　General's　voice　rang　out　like　a　bugle：

〃Ready！　FORWARD！　　CHARGE！'

〃We　cheered　till　everything　seemed　to　split；　and　jumped　over　the　works；
almost　every　man　at　the　same　minute。　　The　Johnnies　seemed　to　have　been
puzzled　at　the　stoppage　of　our　fire。　　When　we　all　came　sailing　over　the
works；　with　guns　brought　right；　down　where　they　meant　business；　they　were
so　astonished　for　a　minute　that　they　stood　stock　still；　not　knowing
whether　to　come　for　us；　or　run。　　We　did　not　allow　them　long　to　debate；
but　went　right　towards　them　on　the　double　quick；　with　the　bayonets
looking　awful　savage　and　hungry。　　It　was　too　much　for　Mr。　Johnny　Reb's
nerves。　　They　all　seemed　to　about　face'　at　once；　and　they　lit　out　of
there　as　if　they　had　been　sent　for　in　a　hurry。　　We　chased　after　'em　as
fast　as　we　could；　and　picked　up　just　lots　of　'em。　　Finally　it　began　to　be
real　funny。　　A