andersonville-第63部分

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The　oozy　seep　at　the　bottom　of　the　hillsides　drained　directly　into　it　all
the　mass　of　filth　from　a　population　of　thirty…three　thousand。　　Imagine
the　condition　of　an　open　sewer；　passing　through　the　heart　of　a　city　of
that　many　people；　and　receiving　all　the　offensive　product　of　so　dense　a
gathering　into　a　shallow；　sluggish　stream；　a　yard　wide　and　five　inches
deep；　and　heated　by　the　burning　rays　of　the　sun　in　the　thirty…second
degree　of　latitude。　　Imagine；　if　one　can；　without　becoming　sick　at　the
stomach；　all　of　these　people　having　to　wash　in　and　drink　of　this　foul
flow。

There　is　not　a　scintilla　of　exaggeration　in　this　statement。　　That　it　is
within　the　exact　truth　is　demonstrable　by　the　testimony　of　any　manRebel
or　Unionwho　ever　saw　the　inside　of　the　Stockade　at　Andersonville。　　I　am
quite　content　to　have　its　truthas　well　as　that　of　any　other　statement
made　in　this　bookbe　determined　by　the　evidence　of　any　one；　no　matter
how　bitter　his　hatred　of　the　Union；　who　had　any　personal　knowledge　of　the
condition　of　affairs　at　Andersonville。　　No　one　can　successfully　deny　that
there　were　at　least　thirty…three　thousand　prisoners　in　the　Stockade；　and
that　the　one　shallow；　narrow　creek；　which　passed　through　the　prison；　was
at　once　their　main　sewer　and　their　source　of　supply　of　water　for　bathing；
drinking　and　washing。　　With　these　main　facts　admitted；　the　reader's
common　sense　of　natural　consequences　will　furnish　the　rest　of　the
details。

It　is　true　that　some　of　the　more　fortunate　of　us　had　wells；　thanks　to　our
own　energy　in　overcoming　extraordinary　obstacles；　no　thanks　to　our
gaolers　for　making　the　slightest　effort　to　provide　these　necessities　of
life。　　We　dug　the　wells　with　case　and　pocket　knives；　and　half　canteens　to
a　depth　of　from　twenty　to　thirty　feet；　pulling　up　the　dirt　in　pantaloons
legs；　and　running　continual　risk　of　being　smothered　to　death　by　the
caving　in　of　the　unwalled　sides。　　Not　only　did　the　Rebels　refuse　to　give
us　boards　with　which　to　wall　the　wells；　and　buckets　for　drawing　the
water；　but　they　did　all　in　their　power　to　prevent　us　from　digging　the
wells；　and　made　continual　forays　to　capture　the　digging　tools；　because
the　wells　were　frequently　used　as　the　starting　places　for　tunnels。
Professor　Jones　lays　special　stress　on　this　tunnel　feature　in　his
testimony；　which　I　have　introduced　in　a　previous　chapter。

The　great　majority　of　the　prisoners　who　went　to　the　Creek　for　water；　went
as　near　as　possible　to　the　Dead　Line　on　the　West　Side；　where　the　Creek
entered　the　Stockade；　that　they　might　get　water　with　as　little　filth　in
it　as　possible。　　In　the　crowds　struggling　there　for　their　turn　to　take　a
dip；　some　one　nearly　every　day　got　so　close　to　the　Dead　Line　as　to　arouse
a　suspicion　in　the　guard's　mind　that　he　was　touching　it。　　The　suspicion
was　the　unfortunate　one's　death　warrant；　and　also　its　execution。　　As　the
sluggish　brain　of　the　guard　conceived　it　he　leveled　his　gun；　the　distance
to　his　victim　was　not　over　one　hundred　feet；　he　never　failed　his　aim；　the
first　warning　the　wretched　prisoner　got　that　he　was　suspected　of
transgressing　a　prison…rule　was　the　charge　of　〃ball…and…buck〃　that　tore
through　his　body。　　It　was　lucky　if　he　was；　the　only　one　of　the　group
killed。　　More　wicked　and　unjustifiable　murders　never　were　committed　than
these　almost　daily　assassinations　at　the　Creek。

One　morning　the　camp　was　astonished　beyond　measure　to　discover　that
during　the　night　a　large；　bold　spring　had　burst　out　on　the　North　Side；
about　midway　between　the　Swamp　and　the　summit　of　the　hill。　　It　poured　out
its　grateful　flood　of　pure；　sweet　water　in　an　apparently　exhaustless
quantity。　　To　the　many　who　looked　in　wonder　upon　it；　it　seemed　as　truly　a
heaven…wrought　miracle　as　when　Moses's　enchanted　rod　smote　the　parched
rock　in　Sinai's　desert　waste；　and　the　living　waters　gushed　forth。

The　police　took　charge　of　the　spring；　and　every　one　was　compelled　to　take
his　regular　turn　in　filling　his　vessel。　　This　was　kept　up　during　our
whole　stay　in　Andersonville；　and　every　morning；　shortly　after　daybreak；
a　thousand　men　could　be　seen　standing　in　line；　waiting　their　turns　to
fill　their　cans　and　cups　with　the　precious　liquid。

I　am　told　by　comrades　who　have　revisited　the　Stockade　of　recent　years；
that　the　spring　is　yet　running　as　when　we　left；　and　is　held　in　most　pious
veneration　by　the　negros　of　that　vicinity；　who　still　preserve　the
tradition　of　its　miraculous　origin；　and　ascribe　to　its　water　wonderful
grace　giving　and　healing　properties；　similar　to　those　which　pious
Catholics　believe　exist　in　the　holy　water　of　the　fountain　at　Lourdes。

I　must　confess　that　I　do　not　think　they　are　so　very　far　from　right。
If　I　could　believe　that　any　water　was　sacred　and　thaumaturgic；　it　would
be　of　that　fountain　which　appeared　so　opportunely　for　the　benefit　of　the
perishing　thousands　of　Andersonville。　　And　when　I　hear　of　people　bringing
water　for　baptismal　purposes　from　the　Jordan；　I　say　in　my　heart；　〃How
much　more　would　I　value　for　myself　and　friends　the　administration　of　the
chrismal　sacrament　with　the　diviner　flow　from　that　low　sand…hill　in
Western　Georgia。




CHAPTER　XLVII。

〃SICK　CALL；〃　AND　THE　SCENES　THAT　ACCOMPANIED　ITMUSTERING　THE　LAME；　HALT
AND　DISEASED　AT　THE　SOUTH　GATEAN　UNUSUALLY　BAD　CASEGOING　OUT　TO　THE
HOSPITALACCOMMODATION　AND　TREATMENT　OF　THE　PATIENTS　THERETHE　HORRIBLE
SUFFERING　IN　THE　GANGRENE　WARDBUNGLING　AMPUTATIONS　BY　BLUNDERING
PRACTITIONERSAFFECTION　BETWEEN　A　SAILOR　AND　HIS　WARD
DEATH　OF　MY　COMRADE。

Every　morning　after　roll…call；　thousands　of　sick　gathered　at　the　South
Gate；　where　the　doctors　made　some　pretense　of　affording　medical　relief。
The　scene　there　reminded　me　of　the　illustrations　in　my　Sunday…School
lessons　of　that　time　when　〃great　multitudes　came　unto　Him；〃　by　the　shores
of　the　Sea　of　Galilee；　〃having　with　them　those　that　were　lame；　blind；
dumb；　maimed；　and　many　others。〃　　Had　the　crowds　worn　the　flouting　robes
of　the　East；　the　picture　would　have　lacked　nothing　but　the　presence　of
the　Son　of　Man　to　make　it　complete。　　Here　were　the　burning　sands　and
parching　sun；　hither　came　scores　of　groups　of　three　or　four　comrades；
laboriously　staggering　under　the　weight　of　a　blanket　in　which　they　had
carried　a　disabled　and　dying　friend　from　some　distant　part　of　the
Stockade。　　Beside　them　hobbled　the　scorbutics　with　swollen　and　distorted
limbs；　each　more　loathsome　and　nearer　death　than　the　lepers　whom　Christ's
divine　touch　made　whole。　　Dozens；　unable　to　walk；　and　having　no　comrades
to　carry　them；　crawled　painfully　along；　with　frequent　stops；　on　their
hands　and　knees。　　Every；　form　of　intense　physical　suffering　that　it　is
possible　for　disease　to　induce　in　the　human　frame　was　visible　at　these
daily　parades　of　the　sick　of　the　prison。　　As　over　three　thousand　（three
thousand　and　seventy…six）　died　in　August；　there　were　probably　twelve
thousand　dangerously　sick　at　any　given　time　daring　the　month；　and　a　large
part　of　these　collected　at　the　South　Gate　every　morning。

Measurably…calloused　as　we　had　become　by　the　daily　sights　of　horror
around　us；　we　encountered　spectacles　in　these　gatherings　which　no　amount
of　visible　misery　could　accustom　us　to。　　I　remember　one　especially　that
burned　itself　deeply　into　my　memory。　　It　was　of　a　young　man　not　over
twenty…five；　who　a　few　weeks　agohis　clothes　looked　comparatively　new
had　evidently　been　the　picture　of　manly　beauty　and　youthful　vigor。
He　had　had　a　well…knit；　lithe　form；　dark　curling　hair　fell　over　a
forehead　which　had　once　been　fair；　and　his　eyes　still　showed　that　they
had　gleamed　with　a　bold；　adventurous　spirit。　　The　red　clover　leaf　on　his
cap　showed　that　he　belonged　to　the　First　Division　of　the　Second　Corps；
the　three　chevrons　on　his　arm　that　he　was　a　Sergeant；　and　the　stripe　at
his　cuff　that　he　was　a　veteran。　　Some　kind…hearted　boys　had　found　him　in
a　miserable　condition　on　the　North　Side；　and　carried　him　over　in　a
blanket　to　where　the　doctors　could　see　him。　　He　had　but　little　clothing
on；　save　his　blouse　and　cap。　　Ulcers　of　some　kind　had　formed　in　his
abdomen；　and　these　were　now　masses　of　squirming　worms。　　It　was　so　much
worse　than　the　usual　forms　of　suffering；　that　quite　a　little　crowd　of
compassionate　spectators　gathered　around　and　expressed　their　pity。
The　sufferer　turned　to　one　who　lay　beside　him　with：

〃Comrade：　If　we　were　only　under　the　old　Stars　and　Stripes；　we　wouldn't
care　a　G…d　dn　for　a　few　worms；　would　we？〃

This　was　not　profane。　　It　was　an　utterance　from　the　depths　of　a　brave
man's　heart；　couched　in　the　strongest　language　at　his　command。　　It　seemed
terrible　that　so　gallant　a　soul　should　depart　from　earth　in　this
miserable　fashion。　　Some　of　us；　much　moved　by　the　sight；　went　to　the
doctors　and　put　the　case　as　strongly　as　possible；　begging　them　to　do
something　to　alleviate　his　suffering。　　They　declined　to　see　the　case；
but　got　rid　of　us　by　giving　us　a　bottle　of　turpentine；　with　directions　to
pour　it　upon　the　ulcers　to　kill　the　maggots。　　We　did　so。　　It　must　have
been　cruel　torture；　and　as　absurd　remedially　as　cruel；　but　our　hero　set
his　teeth　and　endured；　without　a　groan。　　He　was　then　carried　out　to　the
hospital　to　die。

I　said　the　doctors　made　a　pretense　of　affording　medical　relief。　　It　w