andersonville-第87章

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parallel　with　the　picket　line。　　Here　we　had　to　halt。　　Hommat　was
suffering　greatly　with　his　feet。　　The　shoes　that　had　been　given　him　by
the　widow　lady　were　worn　out；　and　his　feet　were　much　torn　and　cut　by　the
terribly　rough　road　we　had　traveled　through　swamps；　etc。　　We　sat　down　on
a　log；　and　I；　pulling　off　the　remains　of　my　army　shirt；　tore　it　into
pieces；　and　Hommat　wrapped　his　feet　up　in　them。　　A　part　I　reserved　and
tore　into　strips；　to　tie　up　the　rents　in　our　pantaloons。　　Going　through
the　swamps　and　briers　had　torn　them　into　tatters；　from　waistband　to　hem；
leaving　our　skins　bare　to　be　served　in　the　same　way。

We　started　again；　moving　slowly　and　bearing　towards　the　picket　fires；
which　we　could　see　for　a　distance　on　our　left。　　After　traveling　some
little　time　the　lights　on　our　left　ended；　which　puzzled　us　for　a　while；
until　we　came　to　a　fearful　big　swamp；　that　explained　it　all；　as　this；
considered　impassable；　protected　the　right　of　the　camp。　　We　had　an　awful
time　in　getting　through。　　In　many　places　we　had　to　lie　down　and　crawl
long　distances　through　the　paths　made　in　the　brakes　by　hogs　and　other
animals。　　As　we　at　length　came　out；　Hommat　turned　to　me　and　whispered
that　in　the　morning　we　would　have　some　Lincoln　coffee。　　He　seemed　to
think　this　must　certainly　end　our　troubles。

We　were　now　between　the　Jacksonville　Railroad　and　the　St。　John's　River。
We　kept　about　four　miles　from　the　railroad；　for　fear　of　running　into　the
Rebel　outposts。　　We　had　traveled　but　a　few　miles　when　Hommat　said　he
could　go　no　farther；　as　his　feet　and　legs　were　so　swelled　and　numb　that
he　could　not　tell　when　he　set　them　upon　the　ground。　　I　had　some　matches
that　a　negro　had　given　me；　and　gathering　together　a　few　pine　knots　we
made　a　firethe　first　that　we　had　lighted　on　the　tripand　laid　down
with　it　between　us。　　We　had　slept　but　a　few　minutes　when　I　awoke　and
found　Hommat's　clothes　on　fire。　　Rousing　him　we　put　out　the　flames　before
he　was　badly　burned；　but　the　thing　had　excited　him　so　as　to　give　him　new
life；　and　be　proposed　to　start　on　again。

By　sunrise　we　were　within　eight　miles　of　our　lines；　and　concluding　that
it　would　be　safe　to　travel　in　the　daytime；　we　went　ahead；　walking　along
the　railroad。　　The　excitement　being　over；　Hommat　began　to　move　very
slowly　again。　　His　feet　and　legs　were　so　swollen　that　he　could　scarcely
walk；　and　it　took　us　a　long　while　to　pass　over　those　eight　miles。

At　last　we　came　in　sight　of　our　pickets。　　They　were　negros。　　They　halted
us；　and　Hommat　went　forward　to　speak　to　them。　　They　called　for　the
Officer　of　the　Guard；　who　came；　passed　us　inside；　and　shook　hands
cordially　with　us。　　His　first　inquiry　was　if　we　knew　Charley　Marseilles；
whom　you　remember　ran　that　little　bakery　at　Andersonville。

We　were　treated　very　kindly　at　Jacksonville。　　General　Scammon　was　in
command　of　the　post；　and　had　only　been　released　but　a　short　time　from
prison；　so　he　knew　how　it　was　himself。　　I　never　expect　to　enjoy　as　happy
a　moment　on　earth　as　I　did　when　I　again　got　under　the　protection　of　the
old　flag。　　Hommat　went　to　the　hospital　a　few　days；　and　was　then　sent
around　to　New　York　by　sea。

Oh；　it　was　a　fearful　trip　through　those　Florida　swamps。　　We　would　very
often　have　to　try　a　swamp　in　three　or　four　different　places　before　we
could　get　through。　　Some　nights　we　could　not　travel　on　account　of　its
being　cloudy　and　raining。　　There　is　not　money　enough　in　the　United　States
to　induce　me　to　undertake　the　trip　again　under　the　same　circumstances。
Our　friend　Clipson；　that　made　his　escape　when　we　did；　got　very　nearly
through　to　our　lines；　but　was　taken　sick；　and　had　to　give　himself　up。
He　was　taken　back　to　Andersonville　and　kept　until　the　next　Spring；　when
he　came　through　all　right。　　There　were　sixty…one　of　Company　K　captured　at
Jonesville；　and　I　think　there　was　only　seventeen　lived　through　those
horrible　prisons。

You　have　given　the　best　description　of　prison　life　that　I　have　ever　seen
written。　　The　only　trouble　is　that　it　cannot　be　portrayed　so　that　persons
can　realize　the　suffering　and　abuse　that　our　soldiers　endured　in　those
prison　hells。　　Your　statements　are　all　correct　in　regard　to　the　treatment
that　we　received；　and　all　those　scenes　you　have　depicted　are　as　vivid　in
my　mind　today　as　if　they　had　only　occurred　yesterday。　　Please　let　me　hear
from　you　again。　　Wishing　you　success　in　all　your　undertakings；　I　remain
your　friend；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　WALTER；　HARTSOUGH；
　　　　　　　　　　Late　of　K　Company；　Sixteenth　Illinois　Volunteer　of　Infantry。




CHAPTER　LXXVI

THE　PECULIAR　TYPE　OF　INSANITY　PREVALENT　AT　FLORENCEBARRETT'S　WANTONNESS
OF　CRUELTYWE　LEARN　OF　SHERMAN'S　ADVANCE　INTO　SOUTH　CAROLINATHE　REBELS
BEGIN　MOVING　THE　PRISONERS　AWAYANDREWS　AND　I　CHANGE　OUR　TACTICS；　AND
STAY　BEHINDARRIVAL　OF　FIVE　PRISONERS　FROM　SHERMAN'S　COMMANDTHEIR
UNBOUNDED　CONFIDENCE　IN　SHERMAN'S　SUCCESS；　AND　ITS　BENEFICIAL　EFFECT　UPON
US。

One　terrible　phase　of　existence　at　Florence　was　the　vast　increase　of
insanity。　　We　had　many　insane　men　at　Andersonville；　but　the　type　of　the
derangement　was　different；　partaking　more　of　what　the　doctors　term
melancholia。　　Prisoners　coming　in　from　the　front　were　struck　aghast　by
the　horrors　they　saw　everywhere。　　Men　dying　of　painful　and　repulsive
diseases　lined　every　step　of　whatever　path　they　trod；　the　rations　given
them　were　repugnant　to　taste　and　stomach；　shelter　from　the　fiery　sun
there　was　none；　and　scarcely　room　enough　for　them　to　lie　down　upon。
Under　these　discouraging　circumstances；　home…loving；　kindly…hearted　men；
especially　those　who　had　passed　out　of　the　first　flush　of　youth；　and　had
left　wife　and　children　behind　when　they　entered　the　service；　were
speedily　overcome　with　despair　of　surviving　until　released；　their
hopelessness　fed　on　the　same　germs　which　gave　it　birth；　until　it　became
senseless；　vacant…eyed；　unreasoning；　incurable　melancholy；　when　the
victim　would　lie　for　hours；　without　speaking　a　word；　except　to　babble　of
home；　or　would　wander　aimlessly　about　the　campfrequently　stark　naked
until　he　died　or　was　shot　for　coming　too　near　the　Dead　Line。　　Soldiers
must　not　suppose　that　this　was　the　same　class　of　weaklings　who　usually
pine　themselves　into　the　Hospital　within　three　months　after　their
regiment　enters　the　field。　　They　were　as　a　rule；　made　up　of　seasoned
soldiery；　who　had　become　inured　to　the　dangers　and　hardships　of　active
service；　and　were　not　likely　to　sink　down　under　any　ordinary　trials。

The　insane　of　Florence　were　of　a　different　class；　they　were　the　boys　who
had　laughed　at　such　a　yielding　to　adversity　in　Andersonville；　and　felt　a
lofty　pity　for　the　misfortunes　of　those　who　succumbed　so。　　But　now　the
long　strain　of　hardship；　privation　and　exposure　had　done　for　them　what
discouragement　had　done　for　those　of　less　fortitude　in　Andersonville。
The　faculties　shrank　under　disuse　and　misfortune；　until　they　forgot　their
regiments；　companies；　places　and　date　of　capture；　and　finally；　even　their
names。　　I　should　think　that　by　the　middle　of　January；　at　least　one　in
every　ten　had　sunk　to　this　imbecile　condition。　　It　was　not　insanity　so
much　as　mental　atrophynot　so　much　aberration　of　the　mind；　as　a
paralysis　of　mental　action。　　The　sufferers　became　apathetic　idiots；　with
no　desire　or　wish　to　do　or　be　anything。　　If　they　walked　around　at　all
they　had　to　be　watched　closely；　to　prevent　their　straying　over　the　Dead
Line；　and　giving　the　young　brats　of　guards　the　coveted　opportunity　of
killing　them。　　Very　many　of　such　were　killed；　and　one　of　my　Midwinter
memories　of　Florence　was　that　of　seeing　one　of　these　unfortunate
imbeciles　wandering　witlessly　up　to　the　Dead　Line　from　the　Swamp；　while
the　guarda　boy　of　seventeenstood　with　gun　in　hand；　in　the　attitude　of
a　man　expecting　a　covey　to　be　flushed；　waiting　for　the　poor　devil　to　come
so　near　the　Dead　Line　as　to　afford　an　excuse　for　killing　him。　　Two　sane
prisoners；　comprehending　the　situation；　rushed　up　to　the　lunatic；　at　the
risk　of　their　own　lives；　caught　him　by　the　arms；　and　drew　him　back　to
safety。

The　brutal　Barrett　seemed　to　delight　in　maltreating　these　demented
unfortunates。　　He　either　could　not　be　made　to　understand　their　condition；
or　willfully　disregarded　it；　for　it　was　one　of　the　commonest　sights　to
see　him　knock　down；　beat；　kick　or　otherwise　abuse　them　for　not　instantly
obeying　orders　which　their　dazed　senses　could　not　comprehend；　or　their
feeble　limbs　execute；　even　if　comprehended。

In　my　life　I　have　seen　many　wantonly　cruel　men。　　I　have　known　numbers　of
mates　of　Mississippi　river　steamersa　class　which　seems　carefully
selected　from　ruffians　most　proficient　in　profanity；　obscenity　and　swift…
handed　violence；　I　have　seen　negro…drivers　in　the　slave　marts　of
St。　Louis；　Memphis　and　New　Orleans；　and　overseers　on　the　plantations　of
Mississippi　and　Louisiana；　as　a　police　reporter　in　one　of　the　largest
cities　in　America；　I　have　come　in　contact　with　thousands　of　the
brutalized　scoundrelsthe　thugs　of　the　brothel；　bar…room　and　alleywho
form　the　dangerous　classes　of　a　metropolis。　　I　knew　Captain　Wirz。　　But　in
all　this　exceptionally　extensive　and　varied　experience；　I　never　met　a　man
who　seemed　to　love　cruelty　for　its　own　sake　as　well　as　Lieutenant
Barrett。　　He　took　such　pleasure　in　inflicting　pain　as　those　Indians　who
slice　off　their　prisoners'　eyelids；　ears；　noses　and　hands；　before　burning
them　at　the　stake。

That　a　thing　hurt　some　one　else　was　always　ample　reason　for　his　doing　it。
The　starving；　freezing　prisoners　used　to　collect　in　considerable　numbers
before　the　gate；　and　stand　there　for　hours　gazing　vacantly　at　it。　　There
was　no　special　object　in　doing　this；　only　that　it　was　a　central　point；
the　rations　came　in　there；　and　occasionally　an　officer　would　enter；　and
it　was　the　only　place　where　anything　was　likely　to　occur　to　vary　the
dreary　monotony　of　the　day；　and　the　boys　went　there　because　there　was
nothing　else　to　offer　any　occupation　to　their　minds。　　It　became　a
favorite　practical　joke　of　Barrett's　to　slip　up　to　the　gate　with　an
armful　of　clubs；　and　suddenly　opening　the　wicket；　fling　them　one　after
another；　into　the　crowd；　with　all　the　force　he　possessed。　　Many　were
knocked　down；　and　many　received　hurts　which　resulted　in　fatal　gangrene。
If　he　had　left　the　clubs　lying　where　thrown；　there　would　have　been　some
compensation　for　his　meanness；　but　he　always　came　in　and　carefully
gathered　up　such　as　he　could　get；　as　ammunition　for　another　time。

I　have　heard　men　speak　of　receiving　justiceeven　favors　from　Wirz。
I　never　heard　any　one　saying　that　much　of　Barrett。　　Like　Winder；　if　he
had　a　redeeming　quality　it　was　carefully　obscured　from　the　view　of　all
that　I　ever　met　who　knew　him。

Where　the　fellow　came　from；　what　State　was　entitled　to　the　discredit　of
producing　and　raising　him；　what　he　was　before　the　War；　what　became　of　him
after　he　left　us；　are　matters　of　which　I　never　heard　even　a　rumor；　except
a　very　vague　one　that　he　had　been　killed　by　our　cavalry；　some　returned
prisoner　having　recognized　and　shot　him。

Colonel　Iverson；　of　the　Fifth　Georgia；　was　the　Post　Commander。　　He　was　a
man　of　some　education；　but　had　a　violent；　ungovernable　temper；　during
fits　of　which　he　did　very　brutal　things。　　At　other　times　he　would　show　a
disposition　towards　fairne