andersonville-第49部分

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had　been　brigaded　with　us　ever　since　'Shiloh；'　were　into　it　as　hot　and
heavy　as　we　had　been；　and　had　lost　numbers　of　their　officers　and　men；　but
were　hanging　on　to　their　little　rail　piles　when　the　fight　was　over。
At　one　time　the　Rebs　were　right　in　on　top　of　the　Seventy…Eighth。　　One　big
Reb　grabbed　their　colors；　and　tried　to　pull　them　out　of　the　hands　of　the
color…bearer。　　But　old　Captain　Orr；　a　little；　short；　dried…up　fellow；
about　sixty　years　old；　struck　him　with　his　sword　across　the　back　of　the
neck；　and　killed　him　deader　than　a　mackerel；　right　in　his　tracks。

〃It　was　now　getting　dark；　and　the　Johnnies　concluded　they　had　taken　a
bigger　contract　in　trying　to　drive　us　off　that　hill　in　one　day　than　they
had　counted　on；　so　they　quit　charging　on　us；　but　drew　back　under　cover　of
the　woods　and　along　the　old　line　of　works　that　we　had　left；　and　kept　up　a
pecking　away　and　sharp…shooting　at　us　all　night　long。　　They　opened　fire
on　us　from　a　number　of　pieces　of　artillery　from　the　front；　from　the　left；
and　from　some　heavy　guns　away　over　to　the　right　of　us；　in　the　main　works
around　Atlanta。

〃We　did　not　fool　away　much　time　that　night；　either。　　We　got　our　shovels
and　picks；　and　while　part　of　us　were　sharpshooting　and　trying　to　keep　the
Rebels　from　working　up　too　close　to　us；　the　rest　of　the　boys　were　putting
up　some　good　solid　earthworks　right　where　our　rail　piles　had　been；　and　by
morning　we　were　in　splendid　shape　to　have　received　our　friends；　no　matter
which　way　they　had　come　at　us；　for　they　kept　up　such　an　all…fired
shelling　of　us　from　so　many　different　directions；　that　the　boys　had　built
traverses　and　bomb…proofs　at　all　sorts　of　angles　and　in　all　directions。

〃There　was　one　point　off　to　our　right；　a　few　rods　up　along　our　old　line
of　works　where　there　was　a　crowd　of　Rebel　sharpshooters　that　annoyed　us
more　than　all　the　rest；　by　their　constant　firing　at　us　through　the　night。
They　killed　one　of　Company　H's　boys；　and　wounded　several　others。　　Finally
Captain　Williams；　of　D　Company；　came　along　and　said　he　wanted　a　couple　of
good　shots　out　of　our　company　to　go　with　him；　so　I　went　for　one。　　He　took
about　ten　of　us；　and　we　crawled　down　into　the　ravine　in　front　of　where　we
were　building　the　works；　and　got　behind　a　large　fallen　tree；　and　we　laid
there　and　could　just　fire　right　up　into　the　rear　of　those　fellows　as　they
lay　behind　a　traverse　extending　back　from　our　old　line　of　works。　　It　was
so　dark　we　could　only　see　where　to　fire　by　the　flash　of　guns；　but　every
time　they　would　shoot；　some　of　us　would　let　them　have　one。　　They　staid
there　until　almost　daylight；　when　they；　concluded　as　things　looked；　since
we　were　going　to　stay；　they　had　better　be　going。

〃It　was　an　awful　night。　　Down　in　the　ravine　below　us　lay　hundreds　of
killed　and　wounded　Rebels；　groaning　and　crying　aloud　for　water　and　for
help。　　We　did　do　what　we　could　for　those　right　around　usbut　it　was　so
dark；　and　so　many　shell　bursting　and　bullets　flying　around　that　a　fellow
could　not　get　about　much。　　I　tell　you　it　was　pretty　tough　next　morning　to
go　along　to　the　different　companies　of　our　regiment　and　hear　who　were
among　the　killed　and　wounded；　and　to　see　the　long　row　of　graves　that　were
being　dug　to　bury　our　comrades　and　our　officers。　　There　was　the　Captain
of　Company　E；　Nelson　Skeeles；　of　Fulton　County；　O。；　one　ofthe　bravest
and　best　officers　in　the　regiment。　　By　his　side　lay　First　Sergeant
Lesnit；　and　next　were　the　two　great；　powerful　Shepherdscousins　but　more
like　brothers。　　One；　it　seems；　was　killed　while　supporting　the　head　of
the　other；　who　had　just　received　a　death　wound；　thus　dying　in　each
other's　arms。

〃But　I　can't　begin　to　think　or　tell　you　the　names　of　all　the　poor　boys
that　we　laid　away　to　rest　in　their　last；　long　sleep　on　that　gloomy　day。
Our　Major　was　severely　wounded；　and　several　other　officers　had　been　hit
more　or　less　badly。

〃It　was　a　frightful　sight；　though；　to　go　over　the　field　in　front　of　our
works　on　that　morning。　　The　Rebel　dead　and　badly　wounded　laid　where　they
had　fallen。　　The　bottom　and　opposite　side　of　the　ravine　showed　how
destructive　our　fire　and　that　of　the　canister　from　the　howitzers　had
been。　　The　underbrush　was　cut；　slashed；　and　torn　into　shreds；　and　the
larger　trees　were　scarred；　bruised　and　broken　by　the　thousands　of　bullets
and　other　missiles　that　had　been　poured　into　them　from　almost　every
conceivable　direction　during　the　day　before。

〃A　lot　of　us　boys　went　way　over　to　the　left　into　Fuller's　Division　of　the
Sixteenth　Corps；　to　see　how　some　of　our　boys　over　there　had　got　through
the　scrimmage；　for　they　had　about　as　nasty　a　fight　as　any　part　of　the
Army；　and　if　it　had　not　been　for　their　being　just　where　they　were；　I　am
not　sure　but　what　the　old　Seventeenth　Corps　would　have　had　a　different
story　to　tell　now。　　We　found　our　friends　had　been　way　out　by　Decatur；
where　their　brigade　had　got　into　a　pretty　lively　fight　on　their　own　hook。

〃We　got　back　to　camp；　and　the　first　thing　I　knew　I　was　detailed　for
picket　duty；　and　we　were　posted　over　a　few　rods　across　the　ravine　in　our
front。　　We　had　not　been　out　but　a　short　time　when　we　saw　a　flag　of　truce；
borne　by　an　officer；　coming　towards　us。　　We　halted　him；　and　made　him　wait
until　a　report　was　sent　back　to　Corps　headquarters。　　The　Rebel　officer
was　quite　chatty　and　talkative　with　our　picket　officer；　while　waiting。
He　said　he　was　on　General　Cleburne's　staff；　and　that　the　troops　that
charged　us　so　fiercely　the　evening　before　was　Cleburne's　whole　Division；
and　that　after　their　last　repulse；　knowing　the　hill　where　we　were　posted
was　the　most　important　position　along　our　line；　he　felt　that　if　they
would　keep　close　to　us　during　the　night；　and　keep　up　a　show　of　fight；
that　we　would　pull　out　and　abandon　the　hill　before　morning。　　He　said　that
he；　with　about　fifty　of　their　best　men；　had　volunteered　to　keep　up　the
demonstration；　and　it　was　his　party　that　had　occupied　the　traverse　in　our
old　works　the　night　before　and　had　annoyed　us　and　the　Battery　men　by
their　constant　sharpshooting；　which　we　fellows　behind　the　old　tree　had
finally　tired　out。　　He　said　they　staid　until　almost　daylight；　and　that　he
lost　more　than　half　his　men　before　he　left。　　He　also　told　us　that　General
Scott　was　captured　by　their　Division；　at　about　the　time　and　almost　the
same　spot　as　where　General　McPherson　was　killed；　and　that　he　was　not　hurt
or　wounded；　and　was　now　a　prisoner　in　their　hands。

〃Quite　a　lot　of　our；　staff　officers　soon　came　out；　and　as　near　as　we
could　learn　the　Rebels　wanted　a　truce　to　bury　their　dead。　　Our　folks
tried　to　get　up　an　exchange　of　prisoners　that　had　been　taken　by　both
sides　the　day　before；　but　for　some　reason　they　could　not　bring　it　about。
But　the　truce　for　burying　the　dead　was　agreed　to。　　Along　about　dusk　some
of　the　boys　on　my　post　got　to　telling　about　a　lot　of　silver　and　brass
instruments　that　belonged　to　one　of　the　bands　of　the　Fourth　Division；
which　had　been　hung　up　in　some　small　trees　a　little　way　over　in　front　of
where　we　were　when　the　fight　was　going　on　the　day　before；　and　that　when；
a　bullet　would　strike　one　of　the　horns　they　could　hear　it　go　'pin…g'　and
in　a　few　minutes　'pan…g'　would　go　another　bullet　through　one　of　them。

〃A　new　picket　was　just　coming'　on；　and　I　had　picked　up　my　blanket　and
haversack；　and　was　about　ready　to　start　back　to　camp；　when；　thinks　I；
'I'll　just　go　out　there　and　see　about　them　horns。'　　I　told　the　boys　what
I　was　going　to　do。　　They　all　seemed　to　think　it　was　safe　enough；　so　out　I
started。　　I　had　not　gone　more　than　a　hundred　yards；　I　should　think；　when
here　I　found　the　horns　all　hanging　around　on　the　trees　just　as　the　boys
had　described。　　Some　of　them　had　lots　of　bullet　holes　in　them。　　But　I　saw
a　beautiful；　nice　looking　silver　bugle　hanging　off　to　one　side　a　little。
'I　Thinks；'　says　I；　'I'll　just　take　that　little　toot　horn　in　out　of　the…
wet；　and　take　it　back　to　camp。'　I　was　just　reaching　up　after　it　when　I
heard　some　one　say；

'Halt！'　and　I'll　be　dog…Boned　if　there　wasn't　two　of　the　meanest　looking
Rebels；　standing　not　ten　feet　from　me；　with　their　guns　cocked　and　pointed
at　me；　and；　of　course；　I　knew　I　was　a　goner；　they　walked　me　back　about
one　hundred　and　fifty　yards；　where　their　picket　line　was。　　From　there　I
was　kept　going　for　an　hour　or　two　until　we　got　over　to　a　place　on　the
railroad　called　East　Point。　　There　I　got　in　with　a　big　crowd　of　our
prisoners；　who　were　taken　the　day　before；　and　we　have　been　fooling　along
in　a　lot　of　old　cattle　cars　getting　down　here　ever　since。

〃So　this　is　'Andersonville；'　is　it　a　Well；　by　…！〃




CHAPTER　XLI。

CLOTHING：　ITS　RAPID　DETERIORATION；　AND　DEVICES　TO　REPLENISH　ITDESPERATE
EFFORTS　TO　COVER　NAKEDNESS〃LITTLE　RED　CAP〃　AND　HIS　LETTER。

Clothing　had　now　become　an　object　of　real　solicitude　to　us　older
prisoners。　　The　veterans　of　our　crowdthe　surviving　remnant　of　those
captured　at　Gettysburghad　been　prisoners　over　a　year。　　The　next　in
senioritythe　Chickamauga　boyshad　been　in　ten　months。　　The　Mine　Run
fellows　were　eight　months　old；　and　my　battalion　had　had　seven　months'
incarceration。　　None　of　us　were　models　of　well…dressed　gentlemen　when
captured。　　Our　garments　told　the　whole　story　of　the　hard　campaigning　we
had　undergone。　　No