andersonville-第95部分

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citizens。　　They　thought　we　had　mounted　some　new　guns　of　increased　range；
and　now　the　whole　city　must　go。　　But　the　next　shell　fell　inside　the
established　limits；　and　those　following　were　equally　well　behaved；　so
that　the　panic　abated。　　I　have　never　heard　any　explanation　of　the　matter。
It　may　have　been　some　freak　of　the　gun…squad；　trying　the　effect　of　an
extra　charge　of　powder。　　Had　our　people　known　of　its　signal　effect；　they
could　have　depopulated　the　place　in　a　few　hours。

The　whole　matter　impressed　me　queerly。　　The　only　artillery　I　had　ever
seen　in　action　were　field　pieces。　　They　made　an　earsplitting　crash　when
they　were　discharged；　and　there　was　likely　to　be　oceans　of　trouble　for
everybody　in　that　neighborhood　about　that　time。　　I　reasoned　from　this
that　bigger　guns　made　a　proportionally　greater　amount　of　noise；　and　bred
an　infinitely　larger　quantity　of　trouble。　　Now　I　was　hearing　the　giants
of　the　world's　ordnance；　and　they　were　not　so　impressive　as　a　lively
battery　of　three…inch　rifles。　　Their　reports　did　not　threaten　to　shatter
everything；　but　had　a　dull　resonance；　something　like　that　produced　by
striking　an　empty　barrel　with　a　wooden　maul。　　Their　shells　did　not　come
at　one　in　that　wildly；　ferocious　way；　with　which　a　missile　from　a　six…
pounder　convinces　every　fellow　in　a　long　line　of　battle　that　he　is　the
identical　one　it　is　meant　for；　but　they　meandered　over　in　a　lazy；
leisurely　manner；　as　if　time　was　no　object　and　no　person　would　feel　put
out　at　having　to　wait　for　them。　　Then；　the　idea　of　firing　every　quarter
of　an　hour　for　a　yearfixing　up　a　job　for　a　lifetime；　as　Andrews
expressed　it；and　of　being　fired　back　at　for　an　hour　at　9　o'clock　every
morning　and　evening；　of　fifty　thousand　people　going　on　buying　and
selling；　eating；　drinking　and　sleeping；　having　dances；　drives　and　balls；
marrying　and　giving　in　marriage；　all　within　a　few　hundred　yards　of　where
the　shells　were　falling…struck　me　as　a　most　singular　method　of　conducting
warfare。

We　received　no　rations　until　the　day　after　our　arrival；　and　then　they
were　scanty；　though　fair　in　quality。　　We　were　by　this　time　so　hungry　and
faint　that　we　could　hardly　move。　　We　did　nothing　for　hours　but　lie　around
on　the　ground　and　try　to　forget　how　famished　we　were。　　At　the
announcement　of　rations；　many　acted　as　if　crazy；　and　it　was　all　that　the
Sergeants　could　do　to　restrain　the　impatient　mob　from　tearing　the　food
away　and　devouring　it；　when　they　were　trying　to　divide　it　out。　　Very
manyperhaps　thirtydied　during　the　night　and　morning。　　No　blame　for
this　is　attached　to　the　Charlestonians。　　They　distinguished　themselves
from　the　citizens　of　every　other　place　in　the　Southern　Confederacy　where
we　had　been；　by　making　efforts　to　relieve　our　condition。　　They　sent　quite
a　quantity　of　food　to　us；　and　the　Sisters　of　Charity　came　among　us；
seeking　and　ministering　to　the　sick。　　I　believe　our　experience　was　the
usual　one。　　The　prisoners　who　passed　through　Charleston　before　us　all
spoke　very　highly　of　the　kindness　shown　them　by　the　citizens　there。

We　remained　in　Charleston　but　a　few　days。　　One　night　we　were　marched　down
to　a　rickety　depot；　and　put　aboard　a　still　more　rickety　train。　　When
morning　came　we　found　ourselves　running　northward　through　a　pine　barren
country　that　resembled　somewhat　that　in　Georgia；　except　that　the　pine　was
short…leaved；　there　was　more　oak　and　other　hard　woods；　and　the　vegetation
generally　assumed　a　more　Northern　look。　　We　had　been　put　into　close　box
cars；　with　guards　at　the　doors　and　on　top。　　During　the　night　quite　a
number　of　the　boys；　who　had　fabricated　little　saws　out　of　case　knives　and
fragments　of　hoop　iron；　cut　holes　through　the　bottoms　of　the　cars；
through　which　they　dropped　to　the　ground　and　escaped；　but　were　mostly
recaptured　after　several　days。　　There　was　no　hole　cut　in　our　car；　and　so
Andrews　and　I　staid　in。

Just　at　dusk　we　came　to　the　insignificant　village　of　Florence；　the
junction　of　the　road　leading　from　Charleston　to　Cheraw　with　that　running
from　Wilmington　to　Kingsville。　　It　was　about　one　hundred　and　twenty　miles
from　Charleston；　and　the　same　distance　from　Wilmington。　　As　our　train　ran
through　a　cut　near　the　junction　a　darky　stood　by　the　track　gazing　at　us
curiously。　　When　the　train　had　nearly　passed　him　he　started　to　run　up　the
bank。　　In　the　imperfect　light　the　guards　mistook　him　for　one　of　us　who
had　jumped　from　the　train。　　They　all　fired；　and　the　unlucky　negro　fell；
pierced　by　a　score　of　bullets。

That　night　we　camped　in　the　open　field。　　When　morning　came　we　saw；　a　few
hundred　yards　from　us；　a　Stockade　of　rough　logs；　with　guards　stationed
around　it。　　It　was　another　prison　pen。　　They　were　just　bringing　the　dead
out；　and　two　men　were　tossing　the　bodies　up　into　the　four…horse　wagon
which　hauled　them　away　for　burial。　　The　men　were　going　about　their
business　as　coolly　as　if　loading　slaughtered　hogs。　　'One　of　them　would
catch　the　body　by　the　feet；　and　the　other　by　the　arms。　　They　would　give
it　a　swing〃One；　two；　three；〃　and　up　it　would　go　into　the　wagon。　　This
filled　heaping　full　with　corpses；　a　negro　mounted　the　wheel　horse；
grasped　the　lines；　and　shouted　to　his　animals：

〃Now；　walk　off　on　your　tails；　boys。〃

The　horses　strained；　the　wagon　moved；　and　its　load　of　what　were　once
gallant；　devoted　soldiers；　was　carted　off　to　nameless　graves。　　This　was　a
part　of　the　daily　morning　routine。

As　we　stood　looking　at　the　sickeningly　familiar　architecture　of　the
prison　pen；　a　Seventh　Indianian　near　me　said；　in　tones　of　wearisome
disgust：

Well；　this　Southern　Confederacy　is　the　d…dest　country　to　stand　logs　on
end　on　God　Almighty's　footstool。〃





CHAPTER　LXVIII。

FIRST　DAYS　AT　FLORENCEINTRODUCTION　TO　LIEUTENANT　BARRETT；　THE　RED…
HEADED　KEEPERA　BRIEF　DESCRIPTION　OF　OUR　NEW　QUARTERSWINDERS　MALIGN
INFLUENCE　MANIFEST。

It　did　not　require　a　very　acute　comprehension　to　understand　that　the
Stockade　at　which　we　were　gazing　was　likely　to　be　our　abiding　place　for
some　indefinite　period　in　the　future。

As　usual；　this　discovery　was　the　death…warrant　of　many　whose　lives　had
only　been　prolonged　by　the　hoping　against　hope　that　the　movement　would
terminate　inside　our　lines。　　When　the　portentous　palisades　showed　to　a
fatal　certainty　that　the　word　of　promise　had　been　broken　to　their　hearts；
they　gave　up　the　struggle　wearily；　lay　back　on　the　frozen　ground；　and
died。

Andrews　and　I　were　not　in　the　humor　for　dying　just　then。　　The　long
imprisonment；　the　privations　of　hunger；　the　scourging　by　the　elements；
the　death　of　four　out　of　every　five　of　our　number　had　indeed　dulled　and
stupefied　usbred　an　indifference　to　our　own　suffering　and　a　seeming
callosity　to　that　of　others；　but　there　still　burned　in　our　hearts；　and　in
the　hearts　of　every　one　about　us；　a　dull；　sullen；　smoldering　fire　of　hate
and　defiance　toward　everything　Rebel；　and　a　lust　for　revenge　upon　those
who　had　showered　woes　upon　our　heads。　　There　was　little　fear　of　death；
even　the　King　of　Terrors　loses　most　of　his　awful　character　upon　tolerably
close　acquaintance；　and　we　had　been　on　very　intimate　terms　with　him　for　a
year　now。　　He　was　a　constant　visitor；　who　dropped　in　upon　us　at　all　hours
of　the　day　and　night；　and　would　not　be　denied　to　any　one。

Since　my　entry　into　prison　fully　fifteen　thousand　boys　had　died　around
me；　and　in　no　one　of　them　had　I　seen　the　least；　dread　or　reluctance　to
go。　　I　believe　this　is　generally　true　of　death　by　disease；　everywhere。
Our　ever　kindly　mother；　Nature；　only　makes　us　dread　death　when　she
desires　us　to　preserve　life。　　When　she　summons　us　hence　she　tenderly
provides　that　we　shall　willingly　obey　the　call。

More　than　for　anything　else；　we　wanted　to　live　now　to　triumph　over　the
Rebels。　　To　simply　die　would　be　of　little　importance；　but　to　die
unrevenged　would　be　fearful。　　If　we；　the　despised；　the　contemned；　the
insulted；　the　starved　and　maltreated；　could　live　to　come　back　to　our
oppressors　as　the　armed　ministers　of　retribution；　terrible　in　the
remembrance　of　the　wrongs　of　ourselves　and　comrade's；　irresistible　as　the
agents　of　heavenly　justice；　and　mete　out　to　them　that　Biblical　return　of
seven…fold　of　what　they　had　measured　out　to　us；　then　we　would　be　content
to　go　to　death　afterwards。　　Had　the　thrice…accursed　Confederacy　and　our
malignant　gaolers　millions　of　lives；　our　great　revenge　would　have　stomach
for　them　all。

The　December　morning　was　gray　and　leaden；　dull；　somber；　snow…laden　clouds
swept　across　the　sky　before　the　soughing　wind。

The　ground；　frozen　hard　and　stiff；　cut　and　hurt　our　bare　feet　at　every
step；　an　icy　breeze　drove　in　through　the　holes　in　our　rags；　and　smote　our
bodies　like　blows　from　sticks。　　The　trees　and　shrubbery　around　were　as
naked　and　forlorn　as　in　the　North　in　the　days　of　early　Winter　before　the
snow　comes。

Over　and　around　us　hung　like　a　cold　miasma　the　sickening　odor　peculiar　to
Southern　forests　in　Winter　time。

Out　of　the　naked；　repelling；　unlovely　earth　rose　the　Stockade；　in　hideous
ugliness。　　At　the　gate　the　two　men　continued　at　their　monotonous　labor　of
tossing　the　dead　of　the　previous　day　into　the　wagon…heaving　into　that
rude　hearse　the　inanimate　remains　that　had　once　tempted　gallant；　manly
hearts；　glowing　with　patriotism　and　devot