andersonville-第68部分

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with　him　as　clerk；　and　saved　his　life；　as　the　latter　was　going　down　hill
very　rapidly。　　Reynolds；　in　turn；　secured　the　detail　of　a　comrade　of　the
Sixty…Eighth　who　was　failing　fast；　and　succeeded　in　saving　his　lifeall
of　which　happy　results　were　directly　attributable　to　that　insignificant
boyish　society；　and　its　equally　unimportant　badge　of　membership。

Along　in　the　last　of　August　the　Rebels　learned　that　there　were　between
two　and　three　hundred　Captains　and　Lieutenants　in　the　Stockade；　passing
themselves　off　as　enlisted　men。　　The　motive　of　these　officers　was　two…
fold：　first；　a　chivalrous　wish　to　share　the　fortunes　and　fate　of　their
boys；　and　second；　disinclination　to　gratify　the　Rebels　by　the　knowledge
of　the　rank　of　their　captives。　　The　secret　was　so　well　kept　that　none　of
us　suspected　it　until　the　fact　was　announced　by　the　Rebels　themselves。
They　were　taken　out　immediately；　and　sent　to　Macon；　where　the
commissioned　officers'　prison　was。　　It　would　not　do　to　trust　such
possible　leaders　with　us　another　day。




CHAPTER　L

FOODTHE　MEAGERNESS；　INFERIOR　QUALITY；　AND　TERRIBLE　SAMENESS
REBEL　TESTIMONY　ON　THE　SUBJECTFUTILITY　OF　SUCCESSFUL　EXPLANATION。

I　have　in　other　places　dwelt　upon　the　insufficiency　and　the　nauseousness
of　the　food。　　No　words　that　I　can　use；　no　insistence　upon　this　theme；　can
give　the　reader　any　idea　of　its　mortal　importance　to　us。

Let　the　reader　consider　for　a　moment　the　quantity；　quality；　and　variety
of　food　that　he　now　holds　to　be　necessary　for　the　maintenance　of　life　and
health。　　I　trust　that　every　one　who　peruses　this　bookthat　every　one　in
fact　over　whom　the　Stars　and　Stripes　wavehas　his　cup　of　coffee；　his
biscuits　and　his　beefsteak　for　breakfasta　substantial　dinner　of　roast
or　boiledand　a　lighter；　but　still　sufficient　meal　in　the　evening。
In　all；　certainly　not　less　than　fifty　different　articles　are　set　before
him　during　the　day；　for　his　choice　as　elements　of　nourishment。　　Let　him
scan　this　extended　bill…of…fare；　which　long　custom　has　made　so　common…
place　as　to　be　uninterestingperhaps　even　wearisome　to　think　about
and　see　what　he　could　omit　from　it；　if　necessity　compelled　him。　　After　a
reluctant　farewell　to　fish；　butter；　eggs；　milk；　sugar；　green　and
preserved　fruits；　etc。；　he　thinks　that　perhaps　under　extraordinary
circumstances　he　might　be　able　to　merely　sustain　life　for　a　limited
period　on　a　diet　of　bread　and　meat　three　times　a　day；　washed　down　with
creamless；　unsweetened　coffee；　and　varied　occasionally　with　additions　of
potatos；　onions；　beans；　etc。　　It　would　astonish　the　Innocent　to　have　one
of　our　veterans　inform　him　that　this　was　not　even　the　first　stage　of
destitution；　that　a　soldier　who　had　these　was　expected　to　be　on　the
summit　level　of　contentment。　　Any　of　the　boys　who　followed　Grant　to
Appomattox　Court　House；　Sherman　to　the　Sea；　or　〃Pap〃　Thomas　till　his
glorious　career　culminated　with　the　annihilation　of　Hood；　will　tell　him
of　many　weeks　when　a　slice　of　fat　pork　on　a　piece　of　〃hard　tack〃　had　to
do　duty　for　the　breakfast　of　beefsteak　and　biscuits；　when　another　slice
of　fat　pork　and　another　cracker　served　for　the　dinner　of　roast　beef　and
vegetables；　and　a　third　cracker　and　slice　of　pork　was　a　substitute　for
the　supper　of　toast　and　chops。

I　say　to　these　veterans　in　turn　that　they　did　not　arrive　at　the　first
stages　of　destitution　compared　with　the　depths　to　which　we　were　dragged。
The　restriction　for　a　few　weeks　to　a　diet　of　crackers　and　fat　pork　was
certainly　a　hardship；　but　the　crackers　alone；　chemists　tell　us；　contain
all　the　elements　necessary　to　support　life；　and　in　our　Army　they　were
always　well　made　and　very　palatable。　　I　believe　I　risk　nothing　in　saying
that　one　of　the　ordinary　square　crackers　of　our　Commissary　Department
contained　much　more　real　nutriment　than　the　whole　of　our　average　ration。

I　have　before　compared　the　size；　shape　and　appearance　of　the　daily　half
loaf　of　corn　bread　issued　to　us　to　a　half…brick；　and　I　do　not　yet　know　of
a　more　fitting　comparison。　　At　first　we　got　a　small　piece　of　rusty　bacon
along　with　this；　but　the　size　of　this　diminished　steadily　until　at　last
it　faded　away　entirely；　and　during　the　last　six　months　of　our
imprisonment　I　do　not　believe　that　we　received　rations　of　meat　above　a
half…dozen　times。

To　this　smallness　was　added　ineffable　badness。　　The　meal　was　ground　very
coarsely；　by　dull；　weakly　propelled　stones；　that　imperfectly　crushed　the
grains；　and　left　the　tough；　hard　coating　of　the　kernels　in　large；　sharp；
mica…like　scales；　which　cut　and　inflamed　the　stomach　and　intestines；
like　handfuls　of　pounded　glass。　　The　alimentary　canals　of　all　compelled
to　eat　it　were　kept　in　a　continual　state　of　irritation　that　usually
terminated　in　incurable　dysentery。

That　I　have　not　over…stated　this　evil　can　be　seen　by　reference　to　the
testimony　of　so　competent　a　scientific　observer　as　Professor　Jones；　and　I
add　to　that　unimpeachable　testimony　the　following　extract　from　the
statement　made　in　an　attempted　defense　of　Andersonville　by　Doctor　R。
Randolph　Stevenson；　who　styles　himself；　formerly　Surgeon　in　the　Army　of
the　Confederate　States　of　America；　Chief　Surgeon　of　the　Confederate
States　Military　Prison　Hospitals；　Andersonville；　Ga。〃：

V。　　From　the　sameness　of　the　food；　and　from　the　action　of　the　poisonous
gases　in　the　densely　crowded　and　filthy　Stockade　and　Hospital；　the　blood
was　altered　in　its　constitution；　even；　before　the　manifestation　of　actual
disease。

In　both　the　well　and　the　sick；　the　red　corpuscles　were　diminished；　and　in
all　diseases　uncomplicated　with　inflammation；　the　fibrinous　element　was
deficient。　　In　cases　of　ulceration　of　the　mucous　membrane　of　the
intestinal　canal；　the　fibrinous　element　of　the　blood　appeared　to　be
increased；　while　in　simple　diarrhea；　uncomplicated　with　ulceration；　and
dependent　upon　the　character　of　the　food　and　the　existence　of　scurvy；
it　was　either　diminished　or　remained　stationary。　　Heart…clots　were　very
common；　if　not　universally　present；　in　the　cases　of　ulceration　of　the
intestinal　mucous　membrane；　while　in　the　uncomplicated　cases　of　diarrhea
and　scurvy；　the　blood　was　fluid　and　did　not　coagulate　readily；　and　the
heart…clots　and　fibrinous　concretions　were　almost　universally　absent。
From　the　watery　condition　of　the　blood　there　resulted　various　serous
effusions　into　the　pericardium；　into　the　ventricles　of　the　brain；　and
into　the　abdominal　cavity。

In　almost　all　cases　which　I　examined　after　death；　even　in　the　most
emaciated；　there　was　more　or　less　serous　effusion　into　the　abdominal
cavity。　　In　cases　of　hospital　gangrene　of　the　extremities；　and　in　cases
of　gangrene　of　the　intestines；　heart…clots　and　firm　coagula　were
universally　present。　　The　presence　of　these　clots　in　the　cases　of
hospital　gangrene；　whilst　they　were　absent　in　the　cases　in　which　there
were　no　inflammatory　symptoms；　appears　to　sustain　the　conclusion　that
hospital　gangrene　is　a　species　of　inflammation　（imperfect　and　irregular
though　it　may　be　in　its　progress）；　in　which　the　fibrinous　element　and
coagulability　of　the　blood　are　increased；　even　in　those　who　are　suffering
from　such　a　condition　of　the　blood　and　from　such　diseases　as　are
naturally　accompanied　with　a　decrease　in　the　fibrinous　constituent。


VI。　　The　impoverished　condition　of　the　blood；　which　led　to　serous
effusions　within　the　ventricles　of　the　brain；　and　around　the　brain　and
spinal　cord；　and　into　the　pericardial　and　abdominal　cavities；　was
gradually　induced　by　the　action　of　several　causes；　but　chiefly　by　the
character　of　the　food。

The　Federal　prisoners；　as　a　general　rule；　had　been　reared　upon　wheat
bread　and　Irish　potatos；　and　the　Indian　corn　so　extensively　used　at　the
South；　was　almost　unknown　to　them　as　an　article　of　diet　previous　to　their
capture。　　Owing　to　the　impossibility　of　obtaining　the　necessary　sieves　in
the　Confederacy　for　the　separation　of　the　husk　from　the　corn…meal；　the
rations　of　the　Confederate　soldiers；　as　well　as　of　the　Federal　prisoners；
consisted　of　unbolted　corn…flour；　and　meal　and　grist；　this　circumstance
rendered　the　corn…bread　still　more　disagreeable　and　distasteful　to　the
Federal　prisoners。　　While　Indian　meal；　even　when　prepared　with　the　husk；
is　one　of　the　most　wholesome　and　nutritious　forms　of　food；　as　has　been
already　shown　by　the　health　and　rapid　increase　of　the　Southern
population；　and　especially　of　the　negros；　previous　to　the　present　war；
and　by　the　strength；　endurance　and　activity　of　the　Confederate　soldiers；
who　were　throughout　the　war　confined　to　a　great　extent　to　unbolted　corn…
meal；　it　is　nevertheless　true　that　those　who　have　not　been　reared　upon
corn…meal；　or　who　have　not　accustomed　themselves　to　its　use　gradually；
become　excessively　tired　of　this　kind　of　diet　when　suddenly　confined　to
it　without　a　due　proportion　of　wheat　bread。　　Large　numbers　of　the　Federal
prisoners　appeared　to　be　utterly　disgusted　with　Indian　corn；　and　immense
piles　of　corn…bread　could　be　seen　in　the　Stockade　and　Hospital
inclosures。　　Those　who　were　so　disgusted　with　this　form　of　food　that　they
had　no　appetite　to　partake　of　it；　except　in　quantities　insufficient　to
supply　the　waste　of　the　tissues；　were；　of　course；　in　the　condition　of　men
slowly　starving；　notwithstanding　tha