andersonville-第8章

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life　of　a　blacksmith　sacred。　　No　matter　how　bitter　the　feud　between
tribes；　no　one　will　kill　the　other's　workers　of　iron；　and　instances　are
told　of　warriors　saving　their　lives　at　critical　periods　by　falling　on
their　knees　and　making　with　their　garments　an　imitation　of　the　action　of
a　smith's　bellows。

All　whom　we　met　were　eager　to　discuss　with　us　the　causes；　phases　and
progress　of　the　war；　and　whenever　opportunity　offered　or　could　be　made；
those　of　us　who　were　inclined　to　talk　were　speedily　involved　in　an
argument　with　crowds　of　soldiers　and　citizens。　　But；　owing　to　the　polemic
poverty　of　our　opponents；　the　argument　was　more　in　name　than　in　fact。
Like　all　people　of　slender　or　untrained　intellectual　powers　they　labored
under　the　hallucination　that　asserting　was　reasoning；　and　the　emphatic
reiteration　of　bald　statements；　logic。　　The　narrow　round　which　all　from
highest　to　lowesttraveled　was　sometimes　comical；　and　sometimes
irritating；　according　to　one's　mood！　　The　dispute　invariably　began　by
their　asking：

〃Well；　what　are　you　'uns　down　here　a…fightin'　we　'uns　for？

As　this　was　replied　to　the　newt　one　followed：

〃Why　are　you'uns　takin'　our　niggers　away　from　we　'uns　for？〃

Then　came：

〃What　do　you　'uns　put　our　niggers　to　fightin'　we'uns　for？〃　　The　windup
always　was：　〃Well；　let　me　tell　you；　sir；　you　can　never　whip　people　that
are　fighting　for　liberty；　sir。〃

Even　General　Giltner；　who　had　achieved　considerable　military　reputation
as　commander　of　a　division　of　Kentucky　cavalry；　seemed　to　be　as　slenderly
furnished　with　logical　ammunition　as　the　balance；　for　as　he　halted　by　us
he　opened　the　conversation　with　the　well…worn　formula：

〃Well：　what　are　you　'uns　down　here　a…fighting　we'uns　for？〃

The　question　had　become　raspingly　monotonous　to　me；　whom　he　addressed；
and　I　replied　with　marked　acerbity：

〃Because　we　are　the　Northern　mudsills　whom　you　affect　to　despise；　and　we
came　down　here　to　lick　you　into　respecting　us。〃

The　answer　seemed　to　tickle　him；　a　pleasanter　light　came　into　his
sinister　gray　eyes；　he　laughed　lightly；　and　bade　us　a　kindly　good　day。

Four　days　after　our　capture　we　arrived　in　Bristol。　　The　guards　who　had
brought　us　over　the　mountains　were　relieved　by　others；　the　Sergeant　bade
me　good　by；　struck　his　spurs　into　〃Hiatoga's〃　sides；　and　he　and　my
faithful　horse　were　soon　lost　to　view　in　the　darkness。

A　new　and　keener　sense　of　desolation　came　over　me　at　the　final　separation
from　my　tried　and　true　four…footed　friend；　who　had　been　my　constant
companion　through　so　many　perils　and　hardships。　　We　had　endured　together
the　Winter's　cold；　the　dispiriting　drench　of　the　rain；　the　fatigue　of　the
long　march；　the　discomforts　of　the　muddy　camp；　the　gripings　of　hunger；
the　weariness　of　the　drill　and　review；　the　perils　of　the　vidette　post；
the　courier　service；　the　scout　and　the　fight。　　We　had　shared　in　common

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　whips　and　scorns　of　time；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　oppressor's　wrong；　the　proud　man's　contumely；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　insolence　of　office；　and　the　spurns

which　a　patient　private　and　his　horse　of　the　unworthy　take；　we　had　had
our　frequently　recurring　rows　with　other　fellows　and　their　horses；　over
questions　of　precedence　at　watering　places；　and　grass…plots；　had　had
lively　tilts　with　guards　of　forage　piles　in　surreptitious　attempts　to　get
additional　rations；　sometimes　coming　off　victorious　and　sometimes　being
driven　off　ingloriously。　　I　had　often　gone　hungry　that　he　might　have　the
only　ear　of　corn　obtainable。　　I　am　not　skilled　enough　in　horse　lore　to
speak　of　his　points　or　pedigree。　　I　only　know　that　his　strong　limbs　never
failed　me；　and　that　he　was　always　ready　for　duty　and　ever　willing。

Now　at　last　our　paths　diverged。　　I　was　retired　from　actual　service　to　a
prison；　and　he　bore　his　new　master　off　to　battle　against　his　old　friends。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。

Packed　closely　in　old；　dilapidated　stock　and　box　cars；　as　if　cattle　in
shipment　to　market；　we　pounded　along　slowly；　and　apparently　interminably；
toward　the　Rebel　capital。

The　railroads　of　the　South　were　already　in　very　bad　condition。　　They　were
never　more　than　passably　good；　even　in　their　best　estate；　but　now；
with　a　large　part　of　the　skilled　men　engaged　upon　them　escaped　back　to
the　North；　with　all　renewal；　improvement；　or　any　but　the　most　necessary
repairs　stopped　for　three　years；　and　with　a　marked　absence　of　even
ordinary　skill　and　care　in　their　management；　they　were　as　nearly　ruined
as　they　could　well　be　and　still　run。

One　of　the　severe　embarrassments　under　which　the　roads　labored　was　a　lack
of　oil。　　There　is　very　little　fatty　matter　of　any　kind　in　the　South。
The　climate　and　the　food　plants　do　not　favor　the　accumulation　of　adipose
tissue　by　animals；　and　there　is　no　other　source　of　supply。　　Lard　oil　and
tallow　were　very　scarce　and　held　at　exorbitant　prices。

Attempts　were　made　to　obtain　lubricants　from　the　peanut　and　the　cotton
seed。　　The　first　yielded　a　fine　bland　oil；　resembling　the　ordinary　grade
of　olive　oil；　but　it　was　entirely　too　expensive　for　use　in　the　arts。
The　cotton　seed　oil　could　be　produced　much　cheaper；　but　it　had　in　it　such
a　quantity　of　gummy　matter　as　to　render　it　worse　than　useless　for
employment　on　machinery。

This　scarcity　of　oleaginous　matter　produced　a　corresponding　scarcity　of
soap　and　similar　detergents；　but　this　was　a　deprivation　which　caused　the
Rebels；　as　a　whole；　as　little　inconvenience　as　any　that　they　suffered
from。　　I　have　seen　many　thousands　of　them　who　were　obviously　greatly　in
need　of　soap；　but　if　they　were　rent　with　any　suffering　on　that　account
they　concealed　it　with　marvelous　self…control。

There　seemed　to　be　a　scanty　supply　of　oil　provided　for　the　locomotives；
but　the　cars　had　to　run　with　unlubricated　axles；　and　the　screaking　and
groaning　of　the　grinding　journals　in　the　dry　boxes　was　sometimes　almost
deafening；　especially　when　we　were　going　around　a　curve。

Our　engine　went　off　the　wretched　track　several　times；　but　as　she　was　not
running　much　faster　than　a　man　could　walk；　the　worst　consequence　to　us
was　a　severe　jolting。　　She　was　small；　and　was　easily　pried　back　upon　the
track；　and　sent　again　upon　her　wheezy；　straining　way。

The　depression　which　had　weighed　us　down　for　a　night　and　a　day　after　our
capture　had　now　been　succeeded　by　a　more　cheerful　feeling。　　We　began　to
look　upon　our　condition　as　the　fortune　of　war。　　We　were　proud　of　our
resistance　to　overwhelming　numbers。　　We　knew　we　had　sold　ourselves　at　a
price　which；　if　the　Rebels　had　it　to　do　over　again；　they　would　not　pay
for　us。　　We　believed　that　we　had　killed　and　seriously　wounded　as　many　of
them　as　they　had　killed；　wounded　and　captured　of　us。　　We　had　nothing　to
blame　ourselves　for。　　Moreover；　we　began　to　be　buoyed　up　with　the
expectation　that　we　would　be　exchanged　immediately　upon　our　arrival　at
Richmond；　and　the　Rebel　officers　confidently　assured　us　that　this　would
be　so。　　There　was　then　a　temporary　hitch　in　the　exchange；　but　it　would
all　be　straightened　out　in　a　few　days；　and　it　might　not　be　a　month　until
we　were　again　marching　out　of　Cumberland　Gap；　on　an　avenging　foray
against　some　of　the　force　which　had　assisted　in　our　capture。

Fortunately　for　this　delusive　hopefulness　there　was　no　weird　and　boding
Cassandra　to　pierce　the　veil　of　the　future　for　us；　and　reveal　the　length
and　the　ghastly　horror　of　the　Valley　of　the　Shadow　of　Death；　through
which　we　must　pass　for　hundreds　of　sad　days；　stretching　out　into　long
months　of　suffering　and　death。　　Happily　there　was　no　one　to　tell　us　that
of　every　five　in　that　party　four　would　never　stand　under　the　Stars　and
Stripes　again；　but　succumbing　to　chronic　starvation；　long…continued
exposure；　the　bullet　of　the　brutal　guard；　the　loathsome　scurvy；　the
hideous　gangrene；　and　the　heartsickness　of　hope　deferred；　would　find
respite　from　pain　low　in　the　barren　sands　of　that　hungry　Southern　soil。

Were　every　doom　foretokened　by　appropriate　omens；　the　ravens　along　our
route　would　have　croaked　themselves　hoarse。

But；　far　from　being　oppressed　by　any　presentiment　of　coming　evil；　we
began　to　appreciate　and　enjoy　the　picturesque　grandeur　of　the　scenery
through　which　we　were　moving。　　The　rugged　sternness　of　the　Appalachian
mountain　range；　in　whose　rock…ribbed　heart　we　had　fought　our　losing
fight；　was　now　softening　into　less　strong；　but　more　graceful　outlines　as
we　approached　the　pine…clad；　sandy　plains　of　the　seaboard；　upon　which
Richmond　is　built。　　We　were　skirting　along　the　eastern　base　of　the　great
Blue　Ridge；　about　whose　distant　and　lofty　summits　hung　a　perpetual　veil
of　deep；　dark；　but　translucent　blue；　which　refracted　the　slanting　rays　of
the　morning　and　evening　sun　into　masses　of　color　more　gorgeous　than　a
dreamer's　vision　of　an　enchanted　land。　　At　Lynchburg　we　saw　the　famed
Peaks　of　Ottertwenty　miles　awaylifting　their　proud　heads　far　into　the
clouds；　like　giant　watch…towers　sentineling　the　gateway　that　the　mighty
waters　of　the　James　had　forced　through　the　barriers　of　solid　adamant
lying　across　their　path　to　the　far…off　sea。　　What　we　had　seen　many　miles
back　start　from　the　mountain　sides　as　slender　rivulets；　brawling　over　the
worn　boulders；　were　now　great；　rushing；　full…tide　streams；　enough　of　them
in　any　fifty　miles　of　our　journey　to　furnish　water　power　for　all　the
factories　of　New　England。　　Their　amazing　opulence　of　mechanical　energy
has　lain　unutilized；　almost　unnoticed；　in　the　two　and　one…half　centuries
that　the　white　man　has　dwelt　near　them；　while　in　Massachusetts　and　her
near　neighbors　every　rill　that　can　turn　a　wheel　has　been　put　into　harness
and　forced　to　do　its　share　of　labor　for　the　benefit　of　the　men　who　have
made　themselves　its　masters。

Here　is　one　of　the　differences　between　the　two　sections：　In　the　North　man
was　set　free；　and　the　elements　made　to　do　his　work。　　In　the　South　man　was
the　degraded　slave；　and　the　elements　wantoned　on　in　undisturbed　freedom。

As　we　went　on；　the　Valleys　of　the　James　and　the　Appomattox；　down　which
our　way　lay；　broadened　into　an　expanse　of　arable　acres；　and　the　faces　of
those　streams　were　frequently　flecked　by　gem…like　little　islands。




CHAPTER　VII。

ENTERING　RICHMONDDISAPPOINTMENT　AT　ITS　APPEARANCEEVERYBODY　IN
UNIFORMCURLED　DARLINGS　OF　THE　CAPITALTHE　REBEL　FLAGLIBBY　PRISON
DICK　TURNERSEARCHING　THE　NEW　COMERS。

Early　on　the　tenth　morning　after　our　capture　we　were　told　that　we　were
about　to　enter　Richmond。　　Instantly　all　were　keenly　observant　of　every
detail　in　the　surroundings　of　a　City　that　was　then　the　object　of　the
hopes　and　fears　of　thirty…five　millions　of　peoplea　City　assailing　which
seventy…five　thousand　brave　men　had　already　laid　down　their　lives；
defending　which　an　equal　number　had　died；　and　which；　before　it　fell；　was
to　cost　the　life　blood　of　another　one　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　valiant
assailants　and　defenders。

So　much　had　been　said　and　written　about　Richmond　that　our　boyish　minds
had　wrought　up　the　most　extravagant　expectations　of　it　and　its　defenses。
We　anticipated　seeing　a　City　differing　widely　from　anything　ever　seen
before；　some　anomaly　of　nature　displayed　in　its　site；　itself　guarded　by
imposing　and　impregnable　fortifications；　with　powerful　forts　and　heavy
guns；　perhaps　even　walls；　cast