andersonville-第97章

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In　these　fatal　fifteen　months　more　young　men　than　to…day　form　the　pride；
the　hope；　and　the　vigor　of　any　one　of　our　leading　Cities；　more　than　at
the　beginning　of　the　war　were　found　in　either　of　several　States　in　the
Nation；　were　sent　to　their　graves；　〃unknelled；　uncoffined；　and　unknown；〃
victims　of　the　most　barbarous　and　unnecessary　cruelty　recorded　since　the
Dark　Ages。　　Barbarous；　because　the　wit　of　man　has　not　yet　devised　a　more
savage　method　of　destroying　fellow…beings　than　by　exposure　and
starvation；　unnecessary；　because　the　destruction　of　these　had　not；　and
could　not　have　the　slightest　effect　upon　the　result　of　the　struggle。
The　Rebel　leaders　have　acknowledged　that　they　knew　the　fate　of　the
Confederacy　was　sealed　when　the　campaign　of　1864　opened　with　the　North
displaying　an　unflinching　determination　to　prosecute　the　war　to　a
successful　conclusion。　　All　that　they　could　hope　for　after　that　was　some
fortuitous　accident；　or　unexpected　foreign　recognition　that　would　give
them　peace　with　victory。　　The　prisoners　were　non…important　factors　in　the
military　problem。　　Had　they　all　been　turned　loose　as　soon　as　captured；
their　efforts　would　not　have　hastened　the　Confederacy's　fate　a　single
day。

As　to　the　responsibility　for　this　monstrous　cataclysm　of　human　misery　and
death：　　That　the　great　mass　of　the　Southern　people　approved　of　these
outrages；　or　even　knew　of　them；　I　do　not；　for　an　instant；　believe。　　They
are　as　little　capable　of　countenancing　such　a　thing　as　any　people　in　the
world。　　But　the　crowning　blemish　of　Southern　society　has　ever　been　the
dumb　acquiescence　of　the　many　respectable；　well…disposed；　right…thinking
people　in　the　acts　of　the　turbulent　and　unscrupulous　few。　　From　this
direful　spring　has　flowed　an　Iliad　of　unnumbered　woes；　not　only　to　that
section　but　to　our　common　country。　　It　was　this　that　kept　the　South
vibrating　between　patriotism　and　treason　during　the　revolution；　so　that
it　cost　more　lives　and　treasure　to　maintain　the　struggle　there　than　in
all　the　rest　of　the　country。　　It　was　this　that　threatened　the
dismemberment　of　the　Union　in　1832。　　It　was　this　that　aggravated　and
envenomed　every　wrong　growing　out　of　Slavery；　that　outraged　liberty；
debauched　citizenship；　plundered　the　mails；　gagged　the　press；　stiffled
speech；　made　opinion　a　crime；　polluted　the　free　soil　of　God　with　the
unwilling　step　of　the　bondman；　and　at　last　crowned　three…quarters　of　a
century　of　this　unparalleled　iniquity　by　dragging　eleven　millions　of
people　into　a　war　from　which　their　souls　revolted；　and　against　which　they
had　declared　by　overwhelming　majorities　in　every　State　except　South
Carolina；　where　the　people　had　no　voice。　　It　may　puzzle　some　to
understand　how　a　relatively　small　band　of　political　desperados　in　each
State　could　accomplish　such　a　momentous　wrong；　that　they　did　do　it；　no
one　conversant　with　our　history　will　deny；　and　that　theyinsignificant
as　they　were　in　numbers；　in　abilities；　in　character；　in　everything　save
capacity　and　indomitable　energy　in　mischiefcould　achieve　such　gigantic
wrongs　in　direct　opposition　to　the　better　sense　of　their　communities　is　a
fearful　demonstration　of　the　defects　of　the　constitution　of　Southern
society。

Men　capable　of　doing　all　that　the　Secession　leaders　were　guilty　ofboth
before　and　during　the　warwere　quite　capable　of　revengefully　destroying
twenty…five　thousand　of　their　enemies　by　the　most　hideous　means　at　their
command。　　That　they　did　so　set　about　destroying　their　enemies；　wilfully；
maliciously；　and　with　malice　prepense　and　aforethought；　is　susceptible　of
proof　as　conclusive　as　that　which　in　a　criminal　court　sends　murderers　to
the　gallows。

Let　us　examine　some　of　these　proofs：

1。　　The　terrible　mortality　at　Andersonville　and　elsewhere　was　a　matter　of
as　much　notoriety　throughout　the　Southern　Confederacy　as　the　military
operations　of　Lee　and　Johnson。　　No　intelligent　manmuch　less　the　Rebel
leaderswas　ignorant　of　it　nor　of　its　calamitous　proportions。

2。　　Had　the　Rebel　leaders　within　a　reasonable　time　after　this　matter
became　notorious　made　some　show　of　inquiring　into　and　alleviating　the
deadly　misery；　there　might　be　some　excuse　for　them　on　the　ground　of　lack
of　information；　and　the　plea　that　they　did　as　well　as　they　could　would
have　some　validity。　　But　this　state　of　affairs　was　allowed　to　continue
over　a　yearin　fact　until　the　downfall　of　the　Confederacywithout　a
hand　being　raised　to　mitigate　the　horrors　of　those　placeswithout　even
an　inquiry　being　made　as　to　whether　they　were　mitigable　or　not。　　Still
worse：　every　month　saw　the　horrors　thicken；　and　the　condition　of　the
prisoners　become　more　wretched。

The　suffering　in　May；　1864；　was　more　terrible　than　in　April；　June　showed
a　frightful　increase　over　May；　while　words　fail　to　paint　the　horrors　of
July　and　August；　and　so　the　wretchedness　waxed　until　the　end；　in　April；
1865。

3。　　The　main　causes　of　suffering　and　death　were　so　obviously　preventible
that　the　Rebel　leaders　could　not　have　been　ignorant　of　the　ease　with
which　a　remedy　could　be　applied。　　These　main　causes　were　three　in　number：

a。　　Improper　and　insufficient　food。
b。　　Unheard…of　crowding　together。
c。　　Utter　lack　of　shelter。

It　is　difficult　to　say　which　of　these　three　was　the　most　deadly。　　Let　us
admit；　for　the　sake　of　argument；　that　it　was　impossible　for　the　Rebels　to
supply　sufficient　and　proper　food。　　This　admission；　I　know；　will　not
stand　for　an　instant　in　the　face　of　the　revelations　made　by　Sherman's
March　to　the　Sea；　and　through　the　Carolinas；　but　let　that　pass；　that　we
may　consider　more　easily　demonstrable　facts　connected　with　the　next　two
propositions；　the　first　of　which　is　as　to　the　crowding　together。　　Was
land　so　scarce　in　the　Southern　Confederacy　that　no　more　than　sixteen
acres　could　be　spared　for　the　use　of　thirty…five　thousand　prisoners？
The　State　of　Georgia　has　a　population　of　less　than　one…sixth　that　of　New
York；　scattered　over　a　territory　one…quarter　greater　than　that　State's；
and　yet　a　pitiful　little　tractless　than　the　corn…patch　〃clearing〃　of
the　laziest　〃cracker〃　in　the　Statewas　all　that　could　be　allotted　to　the
use　of　three…and…a…half　times　ten　thousand　young　men！　　The　average
population　of　the　State　does　not　exceed　sixteen　to　the　square　mile；　yet
Andersonville　was　peopled　at　the　rate　of　one　million　four　hundred
thousand　to　the　square　mile。　　With　millions　of　acres　of　unsettled；
useless；　worthless　pine　barrens　all　around　them；　the　prisoners　were
wedged　together　so　closely　that　there　was　scarcely　room　to　lie　down　at
night；　and　a　few　had　space　enough　to　have　served　as　a　grave。　　This；　too；
in　a　country　where　the　land　was　of　so　little　worth　that　much　of　it　had
never　been　entered　from　the　Government。

Then；　as　to　shelter　and　fire：　Each　of　the　prisons　was　situated　in　the
heart　of　a　primeval　forest；　from　which　the　first　trees　that　had　ever　been
cut　were　those　used　in　building　the　pens。　　Within　a　gun…shot　of　the
perishing　men　was　an　abundance　of　lumber　and　wood　to　have　built　every　man
in　prison　a　warm；　comfortable　hut；　and　enough　fuel　to　supply　all　his
wants。　　Supposing　even；　that　the　Rebels　did　not　have　the　labor　at　hand　to
convert　these　forests　into　building　material　and　fuel；　the　prisoners
themselves　would　have　gladly　undertaken　the　work；　as　a　means　of　promoting
their　own　comfort；　and　for　occupation　and　exercise。　　No　tools　would　have
been　too　poor　and　clumsy　for　them　to　work　with。　　When　logs　were
occasionally　found　or　brought　into　prison；　men　tore　them　to　pieces　almost
with　their　naked　fingers。　　Every　prisoner　will　bear　me　out　in　the
assertion　that　there　was　probably　not　a　root　as　large　as　a　bit　of
clothes…line　in　all　the　ground　covered　by　the　prisons；　that　eluded　the
faithfully　eager　search　of　freezing　men　for　fuel。　　What　else　than
deliberate　design　can　account　for　this　systematic　withholding　from　the
prisoners　of　that　which　was　so　essential　to　their　existence；　and　which　it
was　so　easy　to　give　them？

This　much　for　the　circumstantial　evidence　connecting　the　Rebel
authorities　with　the　premeditated　plan　for　destroying　the　prisoners。
Let　us　examine　the　direct　evidence：

The　first　feature　is　the　assignment　to　the　command　of　the　prisons　of
〃General〃　John　H。　Winder；　the　confidential　friend　of　Mr。　Jefferson　Davis；
and　a　man　so　unscrupulous；　cruel　and　bloody…thirsty　that　at　the　time　of
his　appointment　he　was　the　most　hated　and　feared　man　in　the　Southern
Confederacy。　　His　odious　administration　of　the　odious　office　of　Provost
Marshal　General　showed　him　to　be　fittest　of　tools　for　their　purpose。
Their　selectionconsidering　the　end　in　view；　was　eminently　wise。　　Baron
Haynau　was　made　eternally　infamous　by　a　fraction　of　the　wanton　cruelties
which　load　the　memory　of　Winder。　　But　it　can　be　said　in　extenuation　of
Haynau's　offenses　that　he　was　a　brave；　skilful　and　energetic　soldier；　who
overthrew　on　the　field　the　enemies　he　maltreated。　　If　Winder；　at　any　time
during　the　war；　was　nearer　the　front　than　Richmond；　history　does　not
mention　it。　　Haynau　was　the　bastard　son　of　a　German　Elector　and　of　the
daughter　of　a　village；　druggist。　　Winder　was　the　son　of　a　sham
aristocrat；　whose　cowardice　and　incompetence　in　the　war　of　1812　gave
Washington　into　the　hands　of　the　British　ravagers。

It　is　sufficient　indication　of　this　man's　character　that　he　could　look
unmoved　upon　the　terrible　suffering　that　prevailed　in　Andersonville　in
June；　July；　and　August；　that　he　could　see　three　thousand　men　die　each
month　in　the　most　horrible　manner；　without　lifting　a　finger　in　any　way　to
assist　them；　that　he　could　call　attention　in　a　self…boastful　way　to　the
fact　that　〃I　am　killing　off　more　Yankees　than　twenty　regiments　in　Lee's
Army；〃　and　that　he　could　respond　to　the　suggestions　of　the　horror…struck
visiting　Inspector　that　the　prisoners　be　given　at　least　more　room；　with
the　assertion　that　he　intended　to　leave　matters　just　as　they　werethe
operations　of　death　would　soon　thin　out　the　crowd　so　that　the　survivors
would　have　sufficient　room。

It　was　Winder　who　issued　this　order　to　the　Commander　of　the　Artillery：

ORDER　No。　13。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　PRISON；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ANDERSONVILLE；　Ga。；　July　27；　1864。

The　officers　on　duty　and　in　charge　of　the　Battery　of　Florida　Artillery　at
the　time　will；　upon　receiving　notice　that　the　enemy　has　approached　within
seven　miles　of　this　post；　open　upon　the　Stockade　with　grapeshot；　without
reference　to　the　situation　beyond　these　lines　of　defense。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　JOHN　H。　WINDER；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Brigadier　General　Commanding。


Diabolical　is　the　only　word　that　will　come　at　all　near　fitly
characterizing　such　an　infamous　order。　　What　must　have　been　the　nature　of
a　man　who　would　calmly　order　twenty…five　guns　to　be　opened　with　grape　and
canister　at　two　hundred　yards　range；　upon　a　mass　of　thirty　thousand
prisoners；　mostly　sick　and　dying！　　All　this；　rather　than　suffer　them　to
be　rescued　by　their　friends。　　Can　there　be　any　terms　of　reprobation
sufficiently　strong　to　properly　denounce　so　malignant　a　monster？　　History
has　no　parallel　to　him；　save　among　the　blood…reveling　kings　of　Dahomey；
or　those　sanguinary　Asiatic　chieftains　who　built　pyramids　of　human
skulls；　an