andersonville-第96部分

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hearts；　glowing　with　patriotism　and　devotion　to　countrypiling　up
listlessly　and　wearily；　in　a　mass　of　nameless；　emaciated　corpses；
fluttering　with　rags；　and　swarming　with　vermin；　the　pride；　the　joy　of　a
hundred　fair　Northern　homes；　whose　light　had　now　gone　out　forever。

Around　the　prison　walls　shambled　the　guards；　blanketed　like　Indians；
and　with　faces　and　hearts　of　wolves。　　Other　Rebelsalso　clad　in　dingy
butternutslouched　around　lazily；　crouched　over　diminutive　fires；
and　talked　idle　gossip　in　the　broadest　of　〃nigger〃　dialect。　　Officers
swelled　and　strutted　hither　and　thither；　and　negro　servants　loitered
around；　striving　to　spread　the　least　amount　of　work　over　the　greatest
amount　of　time。

While　I　stood　gazing　in　gloomy　silence　at　the　depressing　surroundings
Andrews；　less　speculative　and　more　practical；　saw　a　good…sized　pine　stump
near　by；　which　had　so　much　of　the　earth　washed　away　from　it　that　it
looked　as　if　it　could　be　readily　pulled　up。　　We　had　had　bitter　experience
in　other　prisons　as　to　the　value　of　wood；　and　Andrews　reasoned　that　as　we
would　be　likely　to　have　a　repetition　of　this　in　the　Stockade　we　were
about　to　enter；　we　should　make　an　effort　to　secure　the　stump。　　We　both
attacked　it；　and　after　a　great　deal　of　hard　work；　succeeded　in　uprooting
it。　　It　was　very　lucky　that　we　did；　since　it　was　the　greatest　help　in
preserving　our　lives　through　the　three　long　months　that　we　remained　at
Florence。

While　we　were　arranging　our　stump　so　as　to　carry　it　to　the　best
advantage；　a　vulgar…faced　man；　with　fiery　red　hair；　and　wearing　on　his
collar　the　yellow　bars　of　a　Lieutenant；　approached。　　This　was　Lieutenant
Barrett；　commandant　of　the　interior　of　the　prison；　and　a　more　inhuman
wretch　even　than　Captain　Wirz；　because　he　had　a　little　more　brains　than
the　commandant　at　Andersonville；　and　this　extra　intellect　was　wholly
devoted　to　cruelty。　　As　he　came　near　he　commanded；　in　loud；　brutal　tones：

〃Attention；　Prisoners！〃

We　all　stood　up　and　fell　in　in　two　ranks。　　Said　he：

〃By　companies；　right　wheel；　march！〃

This　was　simply　preposterous。　　As　every　soldier　knows；　wheeling　by
companies　is　one　of　the　most　difficult　of　manuvers；　and　requires　some
preparation　of　a　battalion　before　attempting　to　execute　it。　　Our　thousand
was　made　up　of　infantry；　cavalry　and　artillery；　representing；　perhaps；
one　hundred　different　regiments。　　We　had　not　been　divided　off　into
companies；　and　were　encumbered　with　blankets；　tents；　cooking　utensils；
wood；　etc。；　which　prevented　our　moving　with　such　freedom　as　to　make　a
company　wheel；　even　had　we　been　divided　up　into　companies　and　drilled　for
the　maneuver。　　The　attempt　to　obey　the　command　was；　of　course；　a
ludicrous　failure。　　The　Rebel　officers　standing　near　Barrett　laughed
openly　at　his　stupidity　in　giving　such　an　order；　but　he　was　furious。　　He
hurled　at　us　a　torrent　of　the　vilest　abuse　the　corrupt　imagination　of　man
can　conceive；　and　swore　until　he　was　fairly　black　in　the　face。　　He　fired
his　revolver　off　over　our　heads；　and　shrieked　and　shouted　until　he　had　to
stop　from　sheer　exhaustion。　　Another　officer　took　command　then；　and
marched　us　into　prison。

We　found　this　a　small　copy　of　Andersonville。　　There　was　a　stream　running
north　and　south；　on　either　side　of　which　was　a　swamp。　　A　Stockade　of
rough　logs；　with　the　bark　still　on；　inclosed　several　acres。　　The　front　of
the　prison　was　toward　the　West。　　A　piece　of　artillery　stood　before　the
gate；　and　a　platform　at　each　corner　bore　a　gun；　elevated　high　enough　to
rake　the　whole　inside　of　the　prison。　　A　man　stood　behind　each　of　these
guns　continually；　so　as　to　open　with　them　at　any　moment。　　The　earth　was
thrown　up　against　the　outside　of　the　palisades　in　a　high　embankment；
along　the　top　of　which　the　guards　on　duty　walked；　it　being　high　enough　to
elevate　their　head；　shoulders　and　breasts　above　the　tops　of　the　logs。
Inside　the　inevitable　dead…line　was　traced　by　running　a　furrow　around　the
prison…twenty　feet　from　the　Stockadewith　a　plow。　　In　one　respect　it　was
an　improvement　on　Andersonville：　regular　streets　were　laid　off；　so　that
motion　about　the　camp　was　possible；　and　cleanliness　was　promoted。　　Also；
the　crowd　inside　was　not　so　dense　as　at　Camp　Sumter。

The　prisoners　were　divided　into　hundreds　and　thousands；　with　Sergeants　at
the　heads　of　the　divisions。　　A　very　good　police　force…organized　and
officered　by　the　prisonersmaintained　order　and　prevented　crime。　　Thefts
and　other　offenses　were　punished；　as　at　Andersonville；　by　the　Chief　of
Police　sentencing　the　offenders　to　be　spanked　or　tied　up。

We　found　very　many　of　our　Andersonville　acquaintances　inside；　and　for
several　days　comparisons　of　experience　were　in　order。　　They　had　left
Andersonville　a　few　days　after　us；　but　were　taken　to　Charleston　instead
of　Savannah。　　The　same　story　of　exchange　was　dinned　into　their　ears　until
they　arrived　at　Charleston；　when　the　truth　was　told　them；　that　no
exchange　was　contemplated；　and　that　they　had　been　deceived　for　the
purpose　of　getting　them　safely　out　of　reach　of　Sherman。

Still　they　were　treated　well　in　Charlestonbetter　than　they　bad　been
anywhere　else。　　Intelligent　physicians　had　visited　the　sick；　prescribed
for　them；　furnished　them　with　proper　medicines；　and　admitted　the　worst
cases　to　the　hospital；　where　they　were　given　something　of　the　care　that
one　would　expect　in　such　an　institution。　　Wheat　bread；　molasses　and　rice
were　issued　to　them；　and　also　a　few　spoonfuls　of　vinegar；　daily；　which
were　very　grateful　to　them　in　their　scorbutic　condition。　　The　citizens
sent　in　clothing；　food　and　vegetables。　　The　Sisters　of　Charity　were
indefatigable　in　ministering　to　the　sick　and　dying。　　Altogether；　their
recollections　of　the　place　were　quite　pleasant。

Despite　the　disagreeable　prominence　which　the　City　had　in　the　Secession
movement；　there　was　a　very　strong　Union　element　there；　and　many　men　found
opportunity　to　do　favors　to　the　prisoners　and　reveal　to　them　how　much
they　abhorred　Secession。

After　they　had　been　in　Charleston　a　fortnight　or　more；　the　yellow　fever
broke　out　in　the　City；　and　soon　extended　its　ravages　to　the　prisoners；
quite　a　number　dying　from　it。

Early　in　October　they　had　been　sent　away　from　the　City　to　their　present
location；　which　was　then　a　piece　of　forest　land。　　There　was　no　stockade
or　other　enclosure　about　them；　and　one　night　they　forced　the　guard…line；
about　fifteen　hundred　escaping；　under　a　pretty　sharp　fire　from　the
guards。　　After　getting　out　they　scattered；　each　group　taking　a　different
route；　some　seeking　Beaufort；　and　other　places　along　the　seaboard；　and
the　rest　trying　to　gain　the　mountains。　　The　whole　State　was　thrown　into
the　greatest　perturbation　by　the　occurrence。　　The　papers　magnified　the
proportion　of　the　outbreak；　and　lauded　fulsomely　the　gallantry　of　the
guards　in　endeavoring　to　withstand　the　desperate　assaults　of　the　frenzied
Yankees。　　The　people　were　wrought　up　into　the　highest　alarm　as　to
outrages　and　excesses　that　these　flying　desperados　might　be　expected　to
commit。　　One　would　think　that　another　Grecian　horse；　introduced　into　the
heart　of　the　Confederate　Troy；　had　let　out　its　fatal　band　of　armed　men。
All　good　citizens　were　enjoined　to　turn　out　and　assist　in　arresting　the
runaways。　　The　vigilance　of　all　patrolling　was　redoubled；　and　such　was
the　effectiveness　of　the　measures　taken　that　before　a　month　nearly　every
one　of　the　fugitives　had　been　retaken　and　sent　back　to　Florence。　　Few　of
these　complained　of　any　special　ill…treatment　by　their　captors；　while
many　reported　frequent　acts　of　kindness；　especially　when　their　captors
belonged　to　the　middle　and　upper　classes。　　The　low…down　classthe　clay…
eaterson　the　other　hand；　almost　always　abused　their　prisoners；　and
sometimes；　it　is　pretty　certain；　murdered　them　in　cold　blood。

About　this　time　Winder　came　on　from　Andersonville；　and　then　everything
changed　immediately　to　the　complexion　of　that　place。　　He　began　the
erection　of　the　Stockade；　and　made　it　very　strong。　　The　Dead　Line　was
established；　but　instead　of　being　a　strip　of　plank　upon　the　top　of　low
posts；　as　at　Andersonville；　it　was　simply　a　shallow　trench；　which　was
sometimes　plainly　visible；　and　sometimes　not。　　The　guards　always　resolved
matters　of　doubt　against　the　prisoners；　and　fired　on　them　when　they
supposed　them　too　near　where　the　Dead　Line　ought　to　be。　　Fifteen　acres　of
ground　were　enclosed　by　the　palisades；　of　which　five　were　taken　up　by　the
creek　and　swamp；　and　three　or　four　more　by　the　Dead　Line；　main　streets；
etc。；　leaving　about　seven　or　eight　for　the　actual　use　of　the　prisoners；
whose　number　swelled　to　fifteen　thousand　by　the　arrivals　from
Andersonville。　　This　made　the　crowding　together　nearly　as　bad　as　at　the
latter　place；　and　for　awhile　the　same　fatal　results　followed。　　The
mortality；　and　the　sending　away　of　several　thousand　on　the　sick　exchange；
reduced　the　aggregate　number　at　the　time　of　our　arrival　to　about　eleven
thousand；　which　gave　more　room　to　all；　but　was　still　not　one…twentieth　of
the　space　which　that　number　of　men　should　have　had。

No　shelter；　nor　material　for　constructing　any；　was　furnished。　　The　ground
was　rather　thickly　wooded；　and　covered　with　undergrowth；　when　the
Stockade　was　built；　and　certainly　no　bi