andersonville-第52章

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transgressing　a　prison…rule　was　the　charge　of　〃ball…and…buck〃　that　tore
through　his　body。　　It　was　lucky　if　he　was；　the　only　one　of　the　group
killed。　　More　wicked　and　unjustifiable　murders　never　were　committed　than
these　almost　daily　assassinations　at　the　Creek。

One　morning　the　camp　was　astonished　beyond　measure　to　discover　that
during　the　night　a　large；　bold　spring　had　burst　out　on　the　North　Side；
about　midway　between　the　Swamp　and　the　summit　of　the　hill。　　It　poured　out
its　grateful　flood　of　pure；　sweet　water　in　an　apparently　exhaustless
quantity。　　To　the　many　who　looked　in　wonder　upon　it；　it　seemed　as　truly　a
heaven…wrought　miracle　as　when　Moses's　enchanted　rod　smote　the　parched
rock　in　Sinai's　desert　waste；　and　the　living　waters　gushed　forth。

The　police　took　charge　of　the　spring；　and　every　one　was　compelled　to　take
his　regular　turn　in　filling　his　vessel。　　This　was　kept　up　during　our
whole　stay　in　Andersonville；　and　every　morning；　shortly　after　daybreak；
a　thousand　men　could　be　seen　standing　in　line；　waiting　their　turns　to
fill　their　cans　and　cups　with　the　precious　liquid。

I　am　told　by　comrades　who　have　revisited　the　Stockade　of　recent　years；
that　the　spring　is　yet　running　as　when　we　left；　and　is　held　in　most　pious
veneration　by　the　negros　of　that　vicinity；　who　still　preserve　the
tradition　of　its　miraculous　origin；　and　ascribe　to　its　water　wonderful
grace　giving　and　healing　properties；　similar　to　those　which　pious
Catholics　believe　exist　in　the　holy　water　of　the　fountain　at　Lourdes。

I　must　confess　that　I　do　not　think　they　are　so　very　far　from　right。
If　I　could　believe　that　any　water　was　sacred　and　thaumaturgic；　it　would
be　of　that　fountain　which　appeared　so　opportunely　for　the　benefit　of　the
perishing　thousands　of　Andersonville。　　And　when　I　hear　of　people　bringing
water　for　baptismal　purposes　from　the　Jordan；　I　say　in　my　heart；　〃How
much　more　would　I　value　for　myself　and　friends　the　administration　of　the
chrismal　sacrament　with　the　diviner　flow　from　that　low　sand…hill　in
Western　Georgia。




CHAPTER　XLVII。

〃SICK　CALL；〃　AND　THE　SCENES　THAT　ACCOMPANIED　ITMUSTERING　THE　LAME；　HALT
AND　DISEASED　AT　THE　SOUTH　GATEAN　UNUSUALLY　BAD　CASEGOING　OUT　TO　THE
HOSPITALACCOMMODATION　AND　TREATMENT　OF　THE　PATIENTS　THERETHE　HORRIBLE
SUFFERING　IN　THE　GANGRENE　WARDBUNGLING　AMPUTATIONS　BY　BLUNDERING
PRACTITIONERSAFFECTION　BETWEEN　A　SAILOR　AND　HIS　WARD
DEATH　OF　MY　COMRADE。

Every　morning　after　roll…call；　thousands　of　sick　gathered　at　the　South
Gate；　where　the　doctors　made　some　pretense　of　affording　medical　relief。
The　scene　there　reminded　me　of　the　illustrations　in　my　Sunday…School
lessons　of　that　time　when　〃great　multitudes　came　unto　Him；〃　by　the　shores
of　the　Sea　of　Galilee；　〃having　with　them　those　that　were　lame；　blind；
dumb；　maimed；　and　many　others。〃　　Had　the　crowds　worn　the　flouting　robes
of　the　East；　the　picture　would　have　lacked　nothing　but　the　presence　of
the　Son　of　Man　to　make　it　complete。　　Here　were　the　burning　sands　and
parching　sun；　hither　came　scores　of　groups　of　three　or　four　comrades；
laboriously　staggering　under　the　weight　of　a　blanket　in　which　they　had
carried　a　disabled　and　dying　friend　from　some　distant　part　of　the
Stockade。　　Beside　them　hobbled　the　scorbutics　with　swollen　and　distorted
limbs；　each　more　loathsome　and　nearer　death　than　the　lepers　whom　Christ's
divine　touch　made　whole。　　Dozens；　unable　to　walk；　and　having　no　comrades
to　carry　them；　crawled　painfully　along；　with　frequent　stops；　on　their
hands　and　knees。　　Every；　form　of　intense　physical　suffering　that　it　is
possible　for　disease　to　induce　in　the　human　frame　was　visible　at　these
daily　parades　of　the　sick　of　the　prison。　　As　over　three　thousand　（three
thousand　and　seventy…six）　died　in　August；　there　were　probably　twelve
thousand　dangerously　sick　at　any　given　time　daring　the　month；　and　a　large
part　of　these　collected　at　the　South　Gate　every　morning。

Measurably…calloused　as　we　had　become　by　the　daily　sights　of　horror
around　us；　we　encountered　spectacles　in　these　gatherings　which　no　amount
of　visible　misery　could　accustom　us　to。　　I　remember　one　especially　that
burned　itself　deeply　into　my　memory。　　It　was　of　a　young　man　not　over
twenty…five；　who　a　few　weeks　agohis　clothes　looked　comparatively　new
had　evidently　been　the　picture　of　manly　beauty　and　youthful　vigor。
He　had　had　a　well…knit；　lithe　form；　dark　curling　hair　fell　over　a
forehead　which　had　once　been　fair；　and　his　eyes　still　showed　that　they
had　gleamed　with　a　bold；　adventurous　spirit。　　The　red　clover　leaf　on　his
cap　showed　that　he　belonged　to　the　First　Division　of　the　Second　Corps；
the　three　chevrons　on　his　arm　that　he　was　a　Sergeant；　and　the　stripe　at
his　cuff　that　he　was　a　veteran。　　Some　kind…hearted　boys　had　found　him　in
a　miserable　condition　on　the　North　Side；　and　carried　him　over　in　a
blanket　to　where　the　doctors　could　see　him。　　He　had　but　little　clothing
on；　save　his　blouse　and　cap。　　Ulcers　of　some　kind　had　formed　in　his
abdomen；　and　these　were　now　masses　of　squirming　worms。　　It　was　so　much
worse　than　the　usual　forms　of　suffering；　that　quite　a　little　crowd　of
compassionate　spectators　gathered　around　and　expressed　their　pity。
The　sufferer　turned　to　one　who　lay　beside　him　with：

〃Comrade：　If　we　were　only　under　the　old　Stars　and　Stripes；　we　wouldn't
care　a　G…d　dn　for　a　few　worms；　would　we？〃

This　was　not　profane。　　It　was　an　utterance　from　the　depths　of　a　brave
man's　heart；　couched　in　the　strongest　language　at　his　command。　　It　seemed
terrible　that　so　gallant　a　soul　should　depart　from　earth　in　this
miserable　fashion。　　Some　of　us；　much　moved　by　the　sight；　went　to　the
doctors　and　put　the　case　as　strongly　as　possible；　begging　them　to　do
something　to　alleviate　his　suffering。　　They　declined　to　see　the　case；
but　got　rid　of　us　by　giving　us　a　bottle　of　turpentine；　with　directions　to
pour　it　upon　the　ulcers　to　kill　the　maggots。　　We　did　so。　　It　must　have
been　cruel　torture；　and　as　absurd　remedially　as　cruel；　but　our　hero　set
his　teeth　and　endured；　without　a　groan。　　He　was　then　carried　out　to　the
hospital　to　die。

I　said　the　doctors　made　a　pretense　of　affording　medical　relief。　　It　was
hardly　that；　since　about　all　the　prescription　for　those　inside　the
Stockade　consisted　in　giving　a　handful　of　sumach　berries　to　each　of　those
complaining　of　scurvy。　　The　berries　might　have　done　some　good；　had　there
been　enough　of　them；　and　had　their　action　been　assisted　by　proper　food。
As　it　was；　they　were　probably　nearly；　if　not　wholly；　useless。　　Nothing
was　given　to　arrest　the　ravages　of　dysentery。

A　limited　number　of　the　worst　cases　were　admitted　to　the　Hospital　each
day。　　As　this　only　had　capacity　for　about　one…quarter　of　the　sick　in　the
Stockade；　new　patients　could　only　be　admitted　as　others　died。　　It　seemed；
anyway；　like　signing　a　man's　death　warrant　to　send　him　to　the　Hospital；
as　three　out　of　every　four　who　went　out　there　died。　　The　following　from
the　official　report　of　the　Hospital　shows　this：

Total　number　admitted　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。12；900
Died　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　8；663
Exchanged　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　　828
Took　the　oath　of　allegiance　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　　　25
Sent　elsewhere　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　2；889

Total　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。12；400

Average　deaths；　76　per　cent。


Early　in　August　I　made　a　successful　effort　to　get　out　to　the　Hospital。　　I
had　several　reasons　for　this：　First；　one　of　my　chums；　W。　　W。　　Watts；　of
my　own　company；　had　been　sent　out　a　little　whale　before　very　sick　with
scurvy　and　pneumonia；　and　I　wanted　to　see　if　I　could　do　anything　for　him；
if　he　still　lived：　I　have　mentioned　before　that　for　awhile　after　our
entrance　into　Andersonville　five　of　us　slept　on　one　overcoat　and　covered
ourselves　with　one　blanket。　　Two　of　these　had　already　died；　leaving　as
possessors　of…the　blanket　and　overcoat；　W。　W。　Watts；　B。　B。　Andrews；　and
myself。

Next；　I　wanted　to　go　out　to　see　if　there　was　any　prospect　of　escape。
I　had　long　since　given　up　hopes　of　escaping　from　the　Stockade。　　All　our
attempts　at　tunneling　had　resulted　in　dead　failures；　and　now；　to　make　us
wholly　despair　of　success　in　that　direction；　another　Stockade　was　built
clear　around　the　prison；　at　a　distance　of　one　hundred　and　twenty　feet
from　the　first　palisades。　　It　was　manifest　that　though　we　might　succeed
in　tunneling　past　one　Stockade；　we　could　not　go　beyond　the　second　one。

I　had　the　scurvy　rather　badly；　and　being　naturally　slight　in　frame；
I　presented　a　very　sick　appearance　to　the　physicians；　and　was　passed　out
to　the　Hospital。

While　this　was　a　wretched　affair；　it　was　still　a　vast　improvement　on　the
Stockade。　　About　five　acres　of　ground；　a　little　southeast　of　the
Stockade；　and　bordering　on　a　creek；　were　enclosed　by　a　board　fence；
around　which　the　guard　walked；　trees　shaded　the　ground　tolerably　well。
There　were　tents　and　flies　to　shelter　part　of　the　sick；　and　in　these　were
beds　made　of　pine　leaves。　　There　were　regular　streets　and　alleys　running
through　the　grounds；　and　as　the　management　was　in　the　hands　of　our　own
men；　the　place　was　kept　reasonably　clean　and　orderly　for　Andersonville。

There　was　also　some　improvement　in　the　food。　　Rice　in　some　degree
replaced　the　nauseous　and　innutritious　corn　bread；　and　if　served　in
sufficient　quantities；　would　doubtless　have　promoted　the　recovery　of　many
men　dying　from　dysenteric　diseases。　　We　also　received　small　quantities　of
〃okra；〃　a　plant　peculiar　to　the　South；　whose　pods　contained　a
mucilaginous　matter　that　made　a　soup　very　grateful　to　those　suffering
from　scurvy。

But　all　these　ameliorations　of　condition　were　too　slight　to　even　arrest
the　progress　of　the　disease　of　the　thousands　of　dying　men　brought　out
from　the　Stockade。　　These　still　wore　the　same　lice…infested　garments　as
in　prison；　no　baths　or　even　ordinary　applications　of　soap　and　water
cleaned　their　dirt…grimed　skins；　to　give　their　pores　an　opportunity　to
assist　in　restoring　them　to　health；　even　their　long；　lank　and　matted
hair；　swarming　with　vermin；　was　not　trimmed。　　The　most　ordinary　and
obvious　measures　for　their　comfort　and　care　were　neglected。　　If　a　man
recovered　he　did　it　almost　in　spite　of　fate。　　The　medicines　given　were
scanty　and　crude。　　The　principal　remedial　agentas　far　as　my　observation
extendedwas　a　rank；　fetid　species　of　unrectified　spirits；　which；　I　was
told；　was　made　from　sorgum　seed。　　It　had　a　light…green　tinge；　and　was
about　as　inviting　to　the　taste　as　spirits　of　turpentine。　　It　was　given　to
the　sick　in　small　quantities　mixed　with　water。　　I　had　had　some　experience
with　Kentucky　〃apple…jack；〃　which；　it　was　popularly　believed　among　the
boys；　would　dissolve　a　piece　of　the　fattest　pork　thrown　into　it；　but　that
seemed　balmy　and　oily　alongside　of　this。　　After　tasting　some；　I　ceased　to
wonder　at　the　atrocities　of　Wirz　and　his　associates。　　Nothing　would　seem
too　bad　to　a　man　who　made　that　his　habitual　tipple。

＇For　a　more　particular　description　of　the　Hospital　I　must　refer　my　reader
to　the　testimony　of　Professor　Jones；　in　a　previous　chapter。＇

Certainly　this　continent　has　never　seenand　I　fervently　trust　it　will
never　again　seesuch　a　gigantic　concentration　of　misery　as　that　Hos