andersonville-第78章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


everything；　but　had　a　dull　resonance；　something　like　that　produced　by
striking　an　empty　barrel　with　a　wooden　maul。　　Their　shells　did　not　come
at　one　in　that　wildly；　ferocious　way；　with　which　a　missile　from　a　six…
pounder　convinces　every　fellow　in　a　long　line　of　battle　that　he　is　the
identical　one　it　is　meant　for；　but　they　meandered　over　in　a　lazy；
leisurely　manner；　as　if　time　was　no　object　and　no　person　would　feel　put
out　at　having　to　wait　for　them。　　Then；　the　idea　of　firing　every　quarter
of　an　hour　for　a　yearfixing　up　a　job　for　a　lifetime；　as　Andrews
expressed　it；and　of　being　fired　back　at　for　an　hour　at　9　o'clock　every
morning　and　evening；　of　fifty　thousand　people　going　on　buying　and
selling；　eating；　drinking　and　sleeping；　having　dances；　drives　and　balls；
marrying　and　giving　in　marriage；　all　within　a　few　hundred　yards　of　where
the　shells　were　falling…struck　me　as　a　most　singular　method　of　conducting
warfare。

We　received　no　rations　until　the　day　after　our　arrival；　and　then　they
were　scanty；　though　fair　in　quality。　　We　were　by　this　time　so　hungry　and
faint　that　we　could　hardly　move。　　We　did　nothing　for　hours　but　lie　around
on　the　ground　and　try　to　forget　how　famished　we　were。　　At　the
announcement　of　rations；　many　acted　as　if　crazy；　and　it　was　all　that　the
Sergeants　could　do　to　restrain　the　impatient　mob　from　tearing　the　food
away　and　devouring　it；　when　they　were　trying　to　divide　it　out。　　Very
manyperhaps　thirtydied　during　the　night　and　morning。　　No　blame　for
this　is　attached　to　the　Charlestonians。　　They　distinguished　themselves
from　the　citizens　of　every　other　place　in　the　Southern　Confederacy　where
we　had　been；　by　making　efforts　to　relieve　our　condition。　　They　sent　quite
a　quantity　of　food　to　us；　and　the　Sisters　of　Charity　came　among　us；
seeking　and　ministering　to　the　sick。　　I　believe　our　experience　was　the
usual　one。　　The　prisoners　who　passed　through　Charleston　before　us　all
spoke　very　highly　of　the　kindness　shown　them　by　the　citizens　there。

We　remained　in　Charleston　but　a　few　days。　　One　night　we　were　marched　down
to　a　rickety　depot；　and　put　aboard　a　still　more　rickety　train。　　When
morning　came　we　found　ourselves　running　northward　through　a　pine　barren
country　that　resembled　somewhat　that　in　Georgia；　except　that　the　pine　was
short…leaved；　there　was　more　oak　and　other　hard　woods；　and　the　vegetation
generally　assumed　a　more　Northern　look。　　We　had　been　put　into　close　box
cars；　with　guards　at　the　doors　and　on　top。　　During　the　night　quite　a
number　of　the　boys；　who　had　fabricated　little　saws　out　of　case　knives　and
fragments　of　hoop　iron；　cut　holes　through　the　bottoms　of　the　cars；
through　which　they　dropped　to　the　ground　and　escaped；　but　were　mostly
recaptured　after　several　days。　　There　was　no　hole　cut　in　our　car；　and　so
Andrews　and　I　staid　in。

Just　at　dusk　we　came　to　the　insignificant　village　of　Florence；　the
junction　of　the　road　leading　from　Charleston　to　Cheraw　with　that　running
from　Wilmington　to　Kingsville。　　It　was　about　one　hundred　and　twenty　miles
from　Charleston；　and　the　same　distance　from　Wilmington。　　As　our　train　ran
through　a　cut　near　the　junction　a　darky　stood　by　the　track　gazing　at　us
curiously。　　When　the　train　had　nearly　passed　him　he　started　to　run　up　the
bank。　　In　the　imperfect　light　the　guards　mistook　him　for　one　of　us　who
had　jumped　from　the　train。　　They　all　fired；　and　the　unlucky　negro　fell；
pierced　by　a　score　of　bullets。

That　night　we　camped　in　the　open　field。　　When　morning　came　we　saw；　a　few
hundred　yards　from　us；　a　Stockade　of　rough　logs；　with　guards　stationed
around　it。　　It　was　another　prison　pen。　　They　were　just　bringing　the　dead
out；　and　two　men　were　tossing　the　bodies　up　into　the　four…horse　wagon
which　hauled　them　away　for　burial。　　The　men　were　going　about　their
business　as　coolly　as　if　loading　slaughtered　hogs。　　'One　of　them　would
catch　the　body　by　the　feet；　and　the　other　by　the　arms。　　They　would　give
it　a　swing〃One；　two；　three；〃　and　up　it　would　go　into　the　wagon。　　This
filled　heaping　full　with　corpses；　a　negro　mounted　the　wheel　horse；
grasped　the　lines；　and　shouted　to　his　animals：

〃Now；　walk　off　on　your　tails；　boys。〃

The　horses　strained；　the　wagon　moved；　and　its　load　of　what　were　once
gallant；　devoted　soldiers；　was　carted　off　to　nameless　graves。　　This　was　a
part　of　the　daily　morning　routine。

As　we　stood　looking　at　the　sickeningly　familiar　architecture　of　the
prison　pen；　a　Seventh　Indianian　near　me　said；　in　tones　of　wearisome
disgust：

Well；　this　Southern　Confederacy　is　the　d…dest　country　to　stand　logs　on
end　on　God　Almighty's　footstool。〃





CHAPTER　LXVIII。

FIRST　DAYS　AT　FLORENCEINTRODUCTION　TO　LIEUTENANT　BARRETT；　THE　RED…
HEADED　KEEPERA　BRIEF　DESCRIPTION　OF　OUR　NEW　QUARTERSWINDERS　MALIGN
INFLUENCE　MANIFEST。

It　did　not　require　a　very　acute　comprehension　to　understand　that　the
Stockade　at　which　we　were　gazing　was　likely　to　be　our　abiding　place　for
some　indefinite　period　in　the　future。

As　usual；　this　discovery　was　the　death…warrant　of　many　whose　lives　had
only　been　prolonged　by　the　hoping　against　hope　that　the　movement　would
terminate　inside　our　lines。　　When　the　portentous　palisades　showed　to　a
fatal　certainty　that　the　word　of　promise　had　been　broken　to　their　hearts；
they　gave　up　the　struggle　wearily；　lay　back　on　the　frozen　ground；　and
died。

Andrews　and　I　were　not　in　the　humor　for　dying　just　then。　　The　long
imprisonment；　the　privations　of　hunger；　the　scourging　by　the　elements；
the　death　of　four　out　of　every　five　of　our　number　had　indeed　dulled　and
stupefied　usbred　an　indifference　to　our　own　suffering　and　a　seeming
callosity　to　that　of　others；　but　there　still　burned　in　our　hearts；　and　in
the　hearts　of　every　one　about　us；　a　dull；　sullen；　smoldering　fire　of　hate
and　defiance　toward　everything　Rebel；　and　a　lust　for　revenge　upon　those
who　had　showered　woes　upon　our　heads。　　There　was　little　fear　of　death；
even　the　King　of　Terrors　loses　most　of　his　awful　character　upon　tolerably
close　acquaintance；　and　we　had　been　on　very　intimate　terms　with　him　for　a
year　now。　　He　was　a　constant　visitor；　who　dropped　in　upon　us　at　all　hours
of　the　day　and　night；　and　would　not　be　denied　to　any　one。

Since　my　entry　into　prison　fully　fifteen　thousand　boys　had　died　around
me；　and　in　no　one　of　them　had　I　seen　the　least；　dread　or　reluctance　to
go。　　I　believe　this　is　generally　true　of　death　by　disease；　everywhere。
Our　ever　kindly　mother；　Nature；　only　makes　us　dread　death　when　she
desires　us　to　preserve　life。　　When　she　summons　us　hence　she　tenderly
provides　that　we　shall　willingly　obey　the　call。

More　than　for　anything　else；　we　wanted　to　live　now　to　triumph　over　the
Rebels。　　To　simply　die　would　be　of　little　importance；　but　to　die
unrevenged　would　be　fearful。　　If　we；　the　despised；　the　contemned；　the
insulted；　the　starved　and　maltreated；　could　live　to　come　back　to　our
oppressors　as　the　armed　ministers　of　retribution；　terrible　in　the
remembrance　of　the　wrongs　of　ourselves　and　comrade's；　irresistible　as　the
agents　of　heavenly　justice；　and　mete　out　to　them　that　Biblical　return　of
seven…fold　of　what　they　had　measured　out　to　us；　then　we　would　be　content
to　go　to　death　afterwards。　　Had　the　thrice…accursed　Confederacy　and　our
malignant　gaolers　millions　of　lives；　our　great　revenge　would　have　stomach
for　them　all。

The　December　morning　was　gray　and　leaden；　dull；　somber；　snow…laden　clouds
swept　across　the　sky　before　the　soughing　wind。

The　ground；　frozen　hard　and　stiff；　cut　and　hurt　our　bare　feet　at　every
step；　an　icy　breeze　drove　in　through　the　holes　in　our　rags；　and　smote　our
bodies　like　blows　from　sticks。　　The　trees　and　shrubbery　around　were　as
naked　and　forlorn　as　in　the　North　in　the　days　of　early　Winter　before　the
snow　comes。

Over　and　around　us　hung　like　a　cold　miasma　the　sickening　odor　peculiar　to
Southern　forests　in　Winter　time。

Out　of　the　naked；　repelling；　unlovely　earth　rose　the　Stockade；　in　hideous
ugliness。　　At　the　gate　the　two　men　continued　at　their　monotonous　labor　of
tossing　the　dead　of　the　previous　day　into　the　wagon…heaving　into　that
rude　hearse　the　inanimate　remains　that　had　once　tempted　gallant；　manly
hearts；　glowing　with　patriotism　and　devotion　to　countrypiling　up
listlessly　and　wearily；　in　a　mass　of　nameless；　emaciated　corpses；
fluttering　with　rags；　and　swarming　with　vermin；　the　pride；　the　joy　of　a
hundred　fair　Northern　homes；　whose　light　had　now　gone　out　forever。

Around　the　prison　walls　shambled　the　guards；　blanketed　like　Indians；
and　with　faces　and　hearts　of　wolves。　　Other　Rebelsalso　clad　in　dingy
butternutslouched　around　lazily；　crouched　over　diminutive　fires；
and　talked　idle　gossip　in　the　broadest　of　〃nigger〃　dialect。　　Officers
swelled　and　strutted　hither　and　thither；　and　negro　servants　loitered
around；　striving　to　spread　the　least　amount　of　work　over　the　greatest
amount　of　time。

While　I　stood　gazing　in　gloomy　silence　at　the　depressing　surroundings
Andrews；　less　speculative　and　more　practical；　saw　a　good…sized　pine　stump
near　by；　which　had　so　much　of　the　earth　washed　away　from　it　that　it
looked　as　if　it　could　be　readily　pulled　up。　　We　had　had　bitter　experience
in　other　prisons　as　to　the　value　of　wood；　and　Andrews　reasoned　that　as　we
would　be　likely　to　have　a　repetition　of　this　in　the　Stockade　we　were
about　to　enter；　we　should　make　an　effort　to　secure　the　stump。　　We　both
attacked　it；　and　after　a　great　deal　of　hard　work；　succeeded　in　uprooting
it。　　It　was　very　lucky　that　we　did；　since　it　was　the　greatest　help　in
preserving　our　lives　through　the　three　long　months　that　we　remained　at
Florence。

While　we　were　arranging　our　stump　so　as　to　carry　it　to　the　best
advantage；　a　vulgar…faced　man；　with　fiery　red　hair；　and　wearing　on　his
collar　the　yellow　bars　of　a　Lieutenant；　approached。　　This　was　Lieutenant
Barrett；　commandant　of　the　interior　of　the　prison；　and　a　more　inhuman
wretch　even　than　Captain　Wirz；　because　he　had　a　little　more　brains　than
the　commandant　at　Andersonville；　and　this　extra　intellect　was　wholly
devoted　to　cruelty。　　As　he　came　near　he　commanded；　in　loud；　brutal　tones：

〃Attention；　Prisoners！〃

We　all　stood　up　and　fell　in　in　two　ranks。　　Said　he：

〃By　companies；　right　wheel；　march！〃

This　was　simply　preposterous。　　As　every　soldier　knows；　wheeling　by
companies　is　one　of　the　most　difficult　of　manuvers；　and　requires　some
preparation　of　a　battalion　before　attempting　to　execute　it。　　Our　thousand
was　made　up　of　infantry；　cavalry　and　artillery；　representing；　perhaps；
one　hundred　different　regiments。　　We　had　not　been　divided　off　into
companies；　and　were　encumbered　with　blankets；　tents；　cooking　utensils；
wood；　etc。；　which　prevented　our　moving　with　such　freedom　as　to　make　a
company　wheel；　even　had　we　been　divided　up　into　companies　and　drilled　for
the　maneuver。　　The　attempt　to　obey　the　command　was；　of　course；　a
ludicrous　failure。　　The　Rebel　officers　standing　near　Barrett　laughed
openly　at　his　stupidity　in　giving　such　an　order；　but　he　was　furious。　　He
hurled　at　us　a　torrent　of　the　vilest　abuse　the　corrupt　imagination　of　man
can　conceive；　and　swore　until　he　was　fairly　black　in　the　face。　　He　fired
his　revolver　off　over　our　heads；　and　shrieked　and　shouted　until　he　had　to
stop　from　sheer　exhaustion。　　Another　officer　took　command　then；　and
march