andersonville-第74章

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gross　breach　of　hospitality　to　reflect　upon　our　hosts　by　working　our
passage。　　If　this　was　insisted　upon；　we　should　certainly　not　visit　them
again。　　Besides；　it　made　no　difference　to　us　whether　the　train　got　along
or　not。　　We　were　not　losing　anything　by　the　delay；　we　were　not　anxious　to
go　anywhere。　　One　part　of　the　Southern　Confederacy　was　just　as　good　as
another　to　us。　　So　not　a　finger　could　they　persuade　any　of　us　to　raise　to
help　along　the　journey。

The　country　we　were　traversing　was　sterile　and　poorworse　even　than　that
in　the　neighborhood　of　Andersonville。　　Farms　and　farmhouses　were　scarce；
and　of　towns　there　were　none。　　Not　even　a　collection　of　houses　big　enough
to　justify　a　blacksmith　shop　or　a　store　appeared　along　the　whole　route。
But　few　fields　of　any　kind　were　seen；　and　nowhere　was　there　a　farm　which
gave　evidence　of　a　determined　effort　on　the　part　of　its　occupants　to　till
the　soil　and　to　improve　their　condition。

When　the　train　stopped　for　wood；　or　for　repairs；　or　from　exhaustion；
we　were　allowed　to　descend　from　the　cars　and　stretch　our　numbed　limbs。
It　did　us　good　in　other　ways；　too。　　It　seemed　almost　happiness　to　be
outside　of　those　cursed　Stockades；　to　rest　our　eyes　by　looking　away
through　the　woods；　and　seeing　birds　and　animals　that　were　free。　　They
must　be　happy；　because　to　us　to　be　free　once　more　was　the　summit　of
earthly　happiness。

There　was　a　chance；　too；　to　pick　up　something　green　to　eat；　and　we　were
famishing　for　this。　　The　scurvy　still　lingered　in　our　systems；　and　we
were　hungry　for　an　antidote。　　A　plant　grew　rather　plentifully　along　the
track　that　looked　very　much　as　I　imagine　a　palm　leaf　fan　does　in　its
green　state。　　The　leaf　was　not　so　large　as　an　ordinary　palm　leaf　fan；
and　came　directly　out　of　the　ground。　　The　natives　called　it　〃bull…grass；〃
but　anything　more　unlike　grass　I　never　saw；　so　we　rejected　that
nomenclature；　and　dubbed　them　〃green　fans。〃　　They　were　very　hard　to　pull
up；　it　being　usually　as　much　as　the　strongest　of　us　could　do　to　draw　them
out　of　the　ground。　　When　pulled　up　there　was　found　the　smallest　bit　of　a
stocknot　as　much　as　a　joint　of　one's　little　fingerthat　was　eatable。
It　had　no　particular　taste；　and　probably　little　nutriment；　still　it　was
fresh　and　green；　and　we　strained　our　weak　muscles　and　enfeebled　sinews　at
every　opportunity；　endeavoring　to　pull　up　a　〃green　fan。〃

At　one　place　where　we　stopped　there　was　a　makeshift　of　a　garden；　one　of
those　sorry　〃truck　patches；〃　which　do　poor　duty　about　Southern　cabins　for
the　kitchen　gardens　of　the　Northern；　farmers；　and　produce　a　few　coarse
cow　peas；　a　scanty　lot　of　collards　（a　coarse　kind　of　cabbage；　with　a
stalk　about　a　yard　long）　and　some　onions　to　vary　the　usual　side…meat　and
corn　pone；　diet　of　the　Georgia　〃cracker。〃　　Scanning　the　patch's　ruins　of
vine　arid　stalk；　Andrews　espied　a　handful　of　onions；　which　had；　remained
ungathered。　　They　tempted　him　as　the　apple　did　Eve。　　Without　stopping　to
communicate　his　intention　to　me；　he　sprang　from　the　car；　snatched　the
onions　from　their　bed；　pulled　up；　half　a　dozen　collard　stalks　and　was　on
his　way　back　before　the　guard　could　make　up　his　mind　to　fire　upon　him。
The　swiftness　of　his　motions　saved　his　life；　for　had　he　been　more
deliberate　the　guard　would　have　concluded　he　was　trying　to；　escape；　and
shot　him　down。　　As　it　was　he　was　returning　back　before　the　guard　could
get　his　gun　up。　　The　onions　he　had；　secured　were　to　us　more　delicious
than　wine　upon　the　lees。　　They　seemed　to　find　their　way　into　every　fiber
of　our　bodies；　and　invigorate　every　organ。　　The　collard　stalks　he　had
snatched　up；　in　the　expectation　of　finding　in　them　something　resembling
the　nutritious　〃heart〃　that　we　remembered　as　children；　seeking　and；
finding　in　the　stalks　of　cabbage。　　But　we　were　disappointed。　　The　stalks
were　as　dry　and　rotten　as　the　bones　of　Southern；　society。　　Even　hunger
could　find　no　meat　in　them。

After　some　days　of　this　leisurely　journeying　toward　the　South；　we　halted
permanently　about　eighty…six　miles　from　Savannah。　　There　was　no　reason
why　we　should　stop　there　more　than　any　place　else　where　we　had　been　or
were　likely　to　go。　　It　seemed　as　if　the　Rebels　had　simply　tired　of
hauling　us；　and　dumped　us；　off。　　We　had　another　lot　of　dead；　accumulated
since　we　left　Savannah；　and　the　scenes　at　that　place　were　repeated。

The　train　returned　for　another　load　of　prisoners。




CHAPTER　LXV。

BLACKSHEAR　AND　PIERCE　COUNTRYWE　TAKE　UP　NEW　QUARTERS；　BUT　ARE　CALLED
OUT　FOR　EXCHANGEEXCITEMENT　OVER　SIGNING　THE　PAROLEA　HAPPY　JOURNEY　TO
SAVANNAHGRIEVOUS　DISAPPOINTMENT

We　were　informed　that　the　place　we　were　at　was　Blackshear；　and　that　it
was　the　Court　House；　i。　e。；　the　County　seat　of　Pierce　County。　　Where　they
kept　the　Court　House；　or　County　seat；　is　beyond　conjecture　to　me；　since　I
could　not　see　a　half　dozen　houses　in　the　whole　clearing；　and　not　one　of
them　was　a　respectable　dwelling；　taking　even　so　low　a　standard　for
respectable　dwellings　as　that　afforded　by　the　majority　of　Georgia　houses。

Pierce　County；　as　I　have　since　learned　by　the　census　report；　is　one　of
the　poorest　Counties　of　a　poor　section　of　a　very　poor　State。
A　population　of　less　than　two　thousand　is　thinly　scattered　over　its　five
hundred　square　miles　of　territory；　and　gain　a　meager　subsistence　by　a
weak　simulation　of　cultivating　patches　of　its　sandy　dunes　and　plains　in
〃nubbin〃　corn　and　dropsical　sweet　potatos。　　A　few　〃razor…back〃　hogs
a　species　so　gaunt　and　thin　that　I　heard　a　man　once　declare　that　he　had
stopped　a　lot　belonging　to　a　neighbor　from　crawling　through　the　cracks　of
a　tight　board　fence　by　simply　tying　a　knot　in　their　tailsroam　the
woods；　and　supply　all　the　meat　used。

Andrews　used　to　insist　that　some　of　the　hogs　which　we　saw　were　so　thin
that　the　connection　between　their　fore　and　hindquarters　was　only　a　single
thickness　of　skin；　with　hair　on　both　sidesbut　then　Andrews　sometimes
seemed　to　me　to　have　a　tendency　to　exaggerate。

The　swine　certainly　did　have　proportions　that　strongly　resembled　those　of
the　animals　which　children　cut　out　of　cardboard。　　They　were　like　the
geometrical　definition　of　a　superficeall　length　and　breadth；　and　no
thickness。　　A　ham　from　them　would　look　like　a　palm…leaf　fan。

I　never　ceased　to　marvel　at　the　delicate　adjustment　of　the　development　of
animal　life　to　the　soil　in　these　lean　sections　of　Georgia。　　The　poor　land
would　not　maintain　anything　but　lank；　lazy　men；　with　few　wants；　and　none
but　lank；　lazy　men；　with　few　wants；　sought　a　maintenance　from　it。　　I　may
have　tangled　up　cause　and　effect；　in　this　proposition；　but　if　so；　the
reader　can　disentangle　them　at　his　leisure。

I　was　not　astonished　to　learn　that　it　took　five　hundred　square　miles　of
Pierce　County　land　to　maintain　two　thousand　〃crackers；〃　even　as　poorly　as
they　lived。　　I　should　want　fully　that　much　of　it　to　support　one　fair…
sized　Northern　family　as　it　should　be。

After　leaving　the　cars　we　were　marched　off　into　the　pine　woods；　by　the
side　of　a　considerable　stream；　and　told　that　this　was　to　be　our　camp。
A　heavy　guard　was　placed　around　us；　and　a　number　of　pieces　of　artillery
mounted　where　they　would　command　the　camp。

We　started　in　to　make　ourselves　comfortable；　as　at　Millen；　by　building
shanties。　　The　prisoners　we　left　behind　followed　us；　and　we　soon　had　our
old　crowd　of　five　or　six　thousand；　who　had　been　our　companions　at
Savannah　and　Millers；　again　with　us。　　The　place　looked　very　favorable　for
escape。　　We　knew　we　were　still　near　the　sea　coastreally　not　more　than
forty　miles　awayand　we　felt　that　if　we　could　once　get　there　we　should
be　safe。　　Andrews　and　I　meditated　plans　of　escape；　and　toiled　away　at　our
cabin。

About　a　week　after　our　arrival　we　were　startled　by　an　order　for　the　one
thousand　of　us　who　had　first　arrived　to　get　ready　to　move　out。　　In　a　few
minutes　we　were　taken　outside　the　guard　line；　massed　close　together；　and
informed　in　a　few　words　by　a　Rebel　officer　that　we　were　about　to　be　taken
back　to　Savannah　for　exchange。

The　announcement　took　away　our　breath。　　For　an　instant　the　rush　of
emotion　made　us　speechless；　and　when　utterance　returned；　the　first　use　we
made　of　it　was　to　join　in　one　simultaneous　outburst　of　acclamation。
Those　inside　the　guard　line；　understanding　what　our　cheer　meant；　answered
us　with　a　loud　shout　of　congratulationthe　first　real；　genuine；　hearty
cheering　that　had　been　done　since　receiving　the　announcement　of　the
exchange　at　Andersonville；　three　months　before。

As　soon　as　the　excitement　had　subsided　somewhat；　the　Rebel　proceeded　to
explain　that　we　would　all　be　required　to　sign　a　parole。　　This　set　us　to
thinking。　　After　our　scornful　rejection　of　the　proposition　to　enlist　in
the　Rebel　army；　the　Rebels　had　felt　around　among　us　considerably　as　to
how　we　were　disposed　toward　taking　what　was　called　the　〃Non…Combatant's
Oath；〃　that　is；　the　swearing　not　to　take　up　arms　against　the　Southern
Confederacy　again　during　the　war。　　To　the　most　of　us　this　seemed　only　a
little　less　dishonorable　than　joining　the　Rebel　army。　　We　held　that　our
oaths　to　our　own　Government　placed　us　at　its　disposal　until　it　chose　to
discharge　us；　and　we　could　not　make　any　engagements　with　its　enemies　that
might　come　in　contravention　of　that　duty。　　In　short；　it　looked　very　much
like　desertion；　and　this　we　did　not　feel　at　liberty　to　consider。

There　were　still　many　among　us；　who；　feeling　certain　that　they　could　not
survive　imprisonment　much　longer；　were　disposed　to　look　favorably　upon
the　Non…Combatant's　Oath；　thinking　that　the　circumstances　of　the　case
would　justify　their　apparent　dereliction　from　duty。　　Whether　it　would　or
not　I　must　leave　to　more　skilled　casuists　than　myself　to　decide。　　It　was
a　matter　I　believed　every　man　must　settle　with　his　own　conscience。　　The
opinion　that　I　then　held　and　expressed　was；　that　if　a　boy；　felt　that　he
was　hopelessly　sick；　and　that　he　could　not　live　if　he　remained　in　prison；
he　was　justified　in　taking　the　Oath。　　In　the　absence　of　our　own　Surgeons
he　would　have　to　decide　for　himself　whether　be　was　sick　enough　to　be
warranted　in　resorting　to　this　means　of　saving　his　life。　　If　he　was　in　as
good　health　as　the　majority　of　us　were；　with　a　reasonable　prospect　of
surviving　some　weeks　longer；　there　was　no　excuse　for　taking　the　Oath；
for　in　that　few　weeks　we　might　be　exchanged；　be　recaptured；　or　make　our
escape。　　I　think　this　was　the　general　opinion　of　the　prisoners。

While　the　Rebel　was　talking　about　our　signing　the　parole；　there　flashed
upon　all　of　us　at　the　same　moment；　a　suspicion　that　this　was　a　trap　to
delude　us　into　signing　the　Non…Combatant's　Oath。　　Instantly　there　went　up
a　general　shout：

〃Read　the　parole　to　us。〃

The　Rebel　was　handed　a　blank　parole　by　a　companion；　and　he　read　over　the
printed　condition　at　the　top；　which　was　that　those　signing　agreed　not　to
bear　arms　against　the　Confederates　in　the　field；　or　in　garrison；　not　to
man　any　works；　assist　in　any　expedition；　do　any　sort　of　guard　duty；　serve
in　any　military　constabulary；　or　perform　any　kind　of　military　service
until　properly　exchanged。

For　a　minute　this　was　satisfactory；　then　their　ingrained　distrust　of　any
thing　a　Rebel　said　or　did　returned；　and　they　shouted：

〃No；　no；　let　some　of　us　read　it；　let　Ilinoy'　read　it〃

The　R