andersonville-第66章

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schoolmates。　　They　hated　each　other　accordingly；　and　the　fight　between
them　was　more　bitter；　if　possible；　than　anywhere　else　on　the　line。
The　Thirty…Eighth　Ohio　and　Seventy…fourth　Indiana　put　in　some　work　that
was　just　magnificent。　　We　hadn't　time　to　look　at　it　then；　but　the　dead
and　wounded　piled　up　after　the　fight　told　the　story。

〃We　gradually　forced　our　way　over　the　works；　but　the　Rebels　were　game　to
the　last；　and　we　had　to　make　them　surrender　almost　one　at　a　time。
The　artillerymen　tried　to　fire　on　us　when　we　were　so　close　we　could　lay
our　hands　on　the　guns。

〃Finally　nearly　all　in　the　works　surrendered；　and　were　disarmed　and
marched　back。　　Just　then　an　aid　came　dashing　up　with　the　information　that
we　must　turn　the　works；　and　get　ready　to　receive　Hardee；　who　was
advancing　to　retake　the　position。　　We　snatched　up　some　shovels　lying
near；　and　began　work。　　We　had　no　time　to　remove　the　dead　and　dying　Rebels
on　the　works；　and　the　dirt　we　threw　covered　them　up。　　It　proved　a　false
alarm。　　Hardee　had　as　much　as　he　could　do　to　save　his　own　hide；　and　the
affair　ended　about　dark。

〃When　we　came　to　count　up　what　we　had　gained；　we　found　that　we　had
actually　taken　more　prisoners　from　behind　breastworks　than　there　were　in
our　brigade　when　we　started　the　charge。　　We　had　made　the　only　really
successful　bayonet　charge　of　the　campaign。　　Every　other　time　since　we
left　Chattanooga　the　party　standing　on　the　defensive　had　been　successful。
Here　we　had　taken　strong　double　lines；　with　ten　guns；　seven　battle　flags；
and　over　two　thousand　prisoners。　　We　had　lost　terriblynot　less　than
one…third　of　the　brigade；　and　many　of　our　best　men。　　Our　regiment　went
into　the　battle　with　fifteen　officers；　nine　of　these　were　killed　or
wounded；　and　seven　of　the　nine　lost　either　their　limbs　or　lives。
The　Thirty…Eighth　Ohio；　and　the　other　regiments　of　the　brigade　lost
equally　heavy。　　We　thought　Chickamauga　awful；　but　Jonesboro　discounted
it。〃

〃Do　you　know；〃　said　another　of　the　Fourteenth；　〃I　heard　our　Surgeon
telling　about　how　that　Colonel　Grower；　of　the　Seventeenth　New　York；
who　came　in　so　splendidly　on　our　left；　died？　　They　say　he　was　a　Wall
Street　broker；　before　the　war。　　He　was　hit　shortly　after　he　led　his
regiment　in；　and　after　the　fight；　was　carried　back　to　the　hospital。
While　our　Surgeon　was　going　the　rounds　Colonel　Grower　called　him；　and
said　quietly；　'When　you　get　through　with　the　men；　come　and　see　me；
please。'

〃The　Doctor　would　have　attended　to　him　then；　but　Grower　wouldn't　let　him。
After　he　got　through　he　went　back　to　Grower；　examined　his　wound；　and　told
him　that　he　could　only　live　a　few　hours。　　Grower　received　the　news
tranquilly；　had　the　Doctor　write　a　letter　to　his　wife；　and　gave　him　his
things　to　send　her；　and　then　grasping　the　Doctor's　hand；　he　said：

〃Doctor；　I've　just　one　more　favor　to　ask；　will　you　grant　it？'

〃The　Doctor　said；　'Certainly；　what　is　it？'

〃You　say　I　can't　live　but　a　few　hours？'

〃Yes；　that　is　true。'
〃And　that　I　will　likely　be　in　great　pain！'

〃I　am　sorry　to　say　so。'

〃Well；　then；　do　give　me　morphia　enough　to　put　me　to　sleep；　so　that　I　will
wake　up　only　in　another　world。'

〃The　Doctor　did　so；　Colonel　Grower　thanked　him；　wrung　his　hand；　bade　him
good…by；　and　went　to　sleep　to　wake　no　more。〃

〃Do　you　believe　in　presentiments　and　superstitions？〃　said　another　of　the
Fourteenth。　　There　was　Fisher　Pray；　Orderly　Sergeant　of　Company　I。　　He
came　from　Waterville；　O。；　where　his　folks　are　now　living。　　The　day　before
we　started　out　he　had　a　presentiment　that　we　were　going　into　a　fight；　and
that　he　would　be　killed。　　He　couldn't　shake　it　off。　　He　told　the
Lieutenant；　and　some　of　the　boys　about　it；　and　they　tried　to　ridicule　him
out　of　it；　but　it　was　no　good。　　When　the　sharp　firing　broke　out　in　front
some　of　the　boys　said；　'Fisher；　I　do　believe　you　are　right；'　and　he
nodded　his　head　mournfully。　　When　we　were　piling　knapsacks　for　the
charge；　the　Lieutenant；　who　was　a　great　friend　of　Fisher's；　said：

〃Fisher；　you　stay　here　and　guard　the　knapsacks。'

〃Fisher's　face　blazed　in　an　instant。

〃No；　sir；'　said　he；　I　never　shirked　a　fight　yet；　and　I　won't　begin　now。'

〃So　he　went　into　the　fight；　and　was　killed；　as　he　knew　he　would　be。　　Now；
that's　what　I　call　nerve。〃

〃The　same　thing　was　true　of　Sergeant　Arthur　Tarbox；　of　Company　A；〃　said
the　narrator；　〃he　had　a　presentiment；　too；　he　knew　he　was　going　to　be
killed；　if　he　went　in；　and　he　was　offered　an　honorable　chance　to　stay
out；　but　he　would　not　take　it；　and　went　in　and　was　killed。〃

〃Well；　we　staid　there　the　next　day；　buried　our　dead；　took　care　of　our
wounded；　and　gathered　up　the　plunder　we　had　taken　from　the　Johnnies。
The　rest　of　the　army　went　off；　'hot　blocks；'　after　Hardee　and　the　rest　of
Hood's　army；　which　it　was　hoped　would　be　caught　outside　of　entrenchments。
But　Hood　had　too　much　the　start；　and　got　into　the　works　at　Lovejoy；　ahead
of　our　fellows。　　The　night　before　we　heard　several　very　loud　explosions
up　to　the　north。　　We　guessed　what　that　meant；　and　so　did　the　Twentieth
Corps；　who　were　lying　back　at　the　Chattahoochee；　and　the　next　morning　the
General　commandingSlocumsent　out　a　reconnaissance。　　It　was　met　by　the
Mayor　of　Atlanta；　who　said　that　the　Rebels　had　blown　up　their　stores　and
retreated。　　The　Twentieth　Corps　then　came　in　and　took　'possession　of　the
City；　and　the　next　daythe　3dSherman　came　in；　and　issued　an　order
declaring　the　campaign　at　an　end；　and　that　we　would　rest　awhile　and
refit。

〃We　laid　around　Atlanta　a　good　while；　and　things　quieted　down　so　that　it
seemed　almost　like　peace；　after　the　four　months　of　continual　fighting　we
had　gone　through。　　We　had　been　under　a　strain　so　long　that　now　we　boys
went　in　the　other　direction；　and　became　too　careless；　and　that's　how　we
got　picked　up。　　We　went　out　about　five　miles　one　night　after　a　lot　of
nice　smoked　hams　that　a　nigger　told　us　were　stored　in　an　old　cotton
press；　and　which　we　knew　would　be　enough　sight　better　eating　for　Company
C；　than　the　commissary　pork　we　had　lived　on　so　long。　　We　found　the　cotton
press；　and　the　hams；　just　as　the　nigger　told　us；　and　we　hitched　up　a　team
to　take　them　into　camp。　　As　we　hadn't　seen　any　Johnny　signs　anywhere；
we　set　our　guns　down　to　help　load　the　meat；　and　just　as　we　all　came
stringing　out　to　the　wagon　with　as　much　meat　as　we　could　carry；　a　company
of　Ferguson's　Cavalry　popped　out　of　the　woods　about　one　hundred　yards　in
front　of　us　and　were　on　top　of　us　before　we　could　say　I　scat。　You　see
they'd　heard　of　the　meat；　too。〃




CHAPTER　LVII。

A　FAIR　SACRIFICETHE　STORY　OF　ONE　BOY　WHO　WILLINGLY　GAVE　HIS　YOUNG　LIFE
FOR　HIS　COUNTRY。

Charley　Barbour　was　one　of　the　truest…hearted　and　best…liked　of　my
school…boy　chums　and　friends。　　For　several　terms　we　sat　together　on　the
same　uncompromisingly　uncomfortable　bench；　worried　over　the　same　boy…
maddening　problems　in　〃Ray's　Arithmetic…Part　III。；〃　learned　the　same
jargon　of　meaningless　rules　from　〃Greene's　Grammar；〃　pondered　over
〃Mitchell's　Geography　and　Atlas；〃　and　tried　in　vain　to　understand　why
Providence　made　the　surface　of　one　State　obtrusively　pink　and　another
ultramarine　blue；　trod　slowly　and　painfully　over　the　rugged　road
〃Bullion〃　points　out　for　beginners　in　Latin；　and　began　to　believe　we
should　hate　ourselves　and　everybody　else；　if　we　were　gotten　up　after　the
manner　shown　by　〃Cutter's　Physiology。〃　　We　were　caught　together　in　the
same　long　series　of　school…boy　scrapesand　were　usually　ferruled
together　by　the　same　strong…armed　teacher。　　We　shared　nearly　everything
our　fun　and　work；　enjoyment　and　annoyanceall　were　generally　meted　out
to　us　together。　　We　read　from　the　same　books　the　story　of　the　wonderful
world　we　were　going　to　see　in　that　bright　future　〃when　we　were　men；〃　we
spent　our　Saturdays　and　vacations　in　the　miniature　explorations　of　the
rocky　hills　and　caves；　and　dark　cedar　woods　around　our　homes；　to　gather
ocular　helps　to　a　better　comprehension　of　that　magical　land　which　we　were
convinced　began　just　beyond　our　horizon；　and　had　in　it；　visible　to　the
eye　of　him　who　traveled　through　its　enchanted　breadth；　all　that
〃Gulliver's　Fables；〃　the　〃Arabian　Nights；〃　and　a　hundred　books　of　travel
and　adventure　told　of。

We　imagined　that　the　only　dull　and　commonplace　spot　on　earth　was　that
where　we　lived。　　Everywhere　else　life　was　a　grand　spectacular　drama；　full
of　thrilling　effects。

Brave　and　handsome　young　men　were　rescuing　distressed　damsels；　beautiful
as　they　were　wealthy；　bloody　pirates　and　swarthy　murderers　were　being
foiled　by　quaint　spoken　backwoodsmen；　who　carried　unerring　rifles；
gallant　but　blundering　Irishmen；　speaking　the　most　delightful　brogue；
and　making　the　funniest　mistakes；　were　daily　thwarting　cool　and
determined　villains；　bold　tars　were　encountering　fearful　sea　perils；
lionhearted　adventurers　were　cowing　and　quelling　whole　tribes　of
barbarians；　magicians　were　casting　spells；　misers　hoarding　gold；
scientists　making　astonishing　discoveries；　poor　and　unknown　boys
achieving　wealth　and　fame　at　a　single　bound；　hidden　mysteries　coming　to
light；　and　so　the　world　was　going　on；　making　reams　of　history　with　each
diurnal　revolution；　and　furnishing　boundless　material　for　the　most
delightful　books。

At　the　age　of　thirteen　a　perusal　of　the　lives　of　Benjamin　Franklin　and
Horace　Greeley　precipitated　my　determination　to　no　longer　hesitate　in
launching　my　small　bark　upon　the　great　ocean。　　I　ran　away　from　home　in　a
truly　romantic　way；　and　placed　my　foot　on　what　I　expected　to　be　the　first
round　of　the　ladder　of　fame；　by　becoming　〃devil　boy〃　in　a　printing　office
in　a　distant　large　City。　　Charley's　attachment　to　his　mother　and　his　home
was　too　strong　to　permit　him　to　take　this　step；　and　we　parted　in　sorrow；
mitigated　on　my　side　by　roseate　dreams　of　the　future。

Six　years　passed。　　One　hot　August　morning　I　met　an　old　acquaintance　at
the　Creek；　in　Andersonville。　　He　told　me　to　come　there　the　next　morning；
after　roll…call；　and　he　would　take　me　to　see　some　person　who　was　very
anxious　to　meet　me。　　I　was　prompt　at　the　rendezvous；　and　was　soon　joined
by　the　other　party。　　He　threaded　his　way　slowly　for　over　half　an　hour
through　the　closely…jumbled　mass　of　tents　and　burrows；　and　at　length
stopped　in　front　of　a　blanket…tent　in　the　northwestern　corner。　　The
occupant　rose　and　took　my　hand。　　For　an　instant　I　was　puzzled；　then　the
clear；　blue　eyes；　and　well…remembered　smile　recalled　to　me　my　old…time
comrade；　Charley　Barbour。　　His　story　was　soon　told。　　He　was　a　Sergeant　in
a　Western　Virginia　cavalry　regimentthe　Fourth；　I　think。　　At　the　time
Hunter　was　making　his　retreat　from　the　Valley　of　Virginia；　it　was　decided
to　mislead　the　enemy　by　sending　out　a　courier　with　false　dispatches　to　be
captured。　　There　was　a　call　for　a　volunteer　for　this　service。　　Charley
was　the　first　to　offer；　with　that　spirit　of　generous　self…sacrifice　that
was　one　of　his　pleasantest　traits　when　a　boy。　　He　knew　what　he　had　to
expect。　　Capture　meant　imprisonment　at　Andersonville；　our　men　had　now　a
pretty　clear　understanding　of　what　this　was。　　Charley　took　the　dispatches
and　rode　into　the　enemy's　lines。　　He　was　taken；　and　the　false　information
produced　the　desired　effect。　　On　his　way　to　Andersonville　he　was　stripped
of　all　his　clothing　but　his　shirt　a