andersonville-第100节

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three　thousand　three　hundred　and　ninety。

This；　no　doubt；　is　a　small　proportion　of　the　number　actually　confined
there。

The　hospital　register　on　file　contains　that　part　only　of　the　alphabet
subsequent　to；　and　including　part　of　the　letter　S；　but　from　this
register；　it　is　shown　that　the　prisoners　were　arranged　in　hundreds　and
thousands；　and　the　hundred　and　thousand　to　which　he　belonged　is　recorded
opposite　each　man's　name　on　said　register。　　Thus：

〃John　Jones；　11th　thousand；　10th　hundred。〃

Eleven　thousand　being　the　highest　number　thus　recorded；　it　is　fair　to
presume　that　not　less　than　that　number　were　confined　there　on　a　certain
date；　and　that　more　than　that　number　were　confined　there　during　the　time
it　was　continued　as　a　prison。


II

Statement　showing　the　whole　number　of　Federals　and　Confederates　captured；
（less　the　number　paroled　on　the　field）；　the　number　who　died　while
prisoners；　and　the　percentage　of　deaths；　1861…1865

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　FEDERALS
Captured　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　187；818
Died；　（as　shown　by　prison　and　hospital　records　on　file）。。。。　　30；674
Percentage　of　deaths　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　16。375

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CONFEDERATES
Captured　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　227；570
Died　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　26；774
Percentage　of　deaths　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　11。768


In　the　detailed　statement　prepared　for　Congress　dated　March　1；　1869；　the
whole　number　of　deaths　given　as　shown　by　Prisoner　of　War　records　was
twenty…six　thousand　three　hundred　and　twenty…eight；　but　since　that　date
evidence　of　three　thousand　six　hundred　and　twenty…eight　additional　deaths
has　been　obtained　from　the　captured　Confederate　records；　making　a　total
of　twenty…nine　thousand　nine　hundred　and　fifty…six　as　above　shown。　　This
is　believed　to　be　many　thousands　less　than　the　actual　number　of　Federal
prisoners　who　died　in　Confederate　prisons；　as　we　have　no　records　from
those　at　Montgomery　Ala。；　Mobile；　Ala。；　Millen；　Ga。；　Marietta；　Ga。；
Atlanta；　Ga。；　Charleston；　S。　C。；　and　others。　　The　records　of　Florence；
S。　C。；　and　Salisbury；　N。　C。；　are　very　incomplete。　　It　also　appears　from
Confederate　inspection　reports　of　Confederate　prisons；　that　large
percentage　of　the　deaths　occurred　in　prison　quarter　without　the　care　or
knowledge　of　the　Surgeon。　　For　the　month　of　December；　1864　alone；　the
Confederate　〃burial　report〃；　Salisbury；　N。　C。；　show　that　out；　of　eleven
hundred　and　fifty　deaths；　two　hundred　and　twenty…three；　or　twenty　per
cent。；　died　in　prison　quarters　and　are　not　accounted　for　in　the　report　of
the　Surgeon；　and　therefore　not　taken　into　consideration　in　the　above
report；　as　the　only　records　of　said　prisons　on　file　（with　one　exception）
are　the　Hospital　records。　　Calculating　the　percentage　of　deaths　on　this
basis　would　give　the　number　of　deaths　at　thirty…seven　thousand　four
hundred　and　forty…five　and　percentage　of　deaths　at　20。023。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　＇End　of　the　Letters　from　the　War　Department。＇

If　we　assume　that　the　Government's　records　of　Florence　as　correct；　it
will　be　apparent　that　one　man　in　every　three　die　there；　since；　while
there　might　have　been　as　high　as　fifty　thousand　at　one　time　in　the
prison；　during　the　last　three　months　of　its　existence　I　am　quite　sure
that　the　number　did　not　exceed　seven　thousand。　　This　would　make　the
mortality　much　greater　than　at　Andersonville；　which　it　undoubtedly　was；
since　the　physical　condition　of　the　prisoners　confined　there　had　been
greatly　depressed　by　their　long　confinement；　while　the　bulk　c　the
prisoners　at　Andersonville　were　those　who　had　been　brought　thither
directly　from　the　field。　　I　think　also　that　all　who　experienced
confinement　in　the　two　places　are　united　in　pronouncing　Florence　to　be；
on　the　whole；　much　the　worse　p1ace　and　more　fatal　to　life。

The　medicines　furnished　the　sick　were　quite　simple　in　nature　and　mainly
composed　of　indigenous　substances。　　For　diarrhea　red　pepper　and
decoctions　of　blackberry　root　and　of　pine　leave　were　given。　　For　coughs
and　lung　diseases；　a　decoction　of　wild　cherry　bark　was　administered。
Chills　and　fever　were　treated　with　decoctions　of　dogwood　bark；　and　fever
patients　who　craved　something　sour；　were　given　a　weak　acid　drink；　made　by
fermenting　a　small　quantity　of　meal　in　a　barrel　of　water。　　All　these
remedies　were　quite　good　in　their　way；　and　would　have　benefitted　the
patients　had　they　been　accompanied　by　proper　shelter；　food　and　clothing。
But　it　was　idle　to　attempt　to　arrest　with　blackberry　root　the　diarrhea；
or　with　wild　cherry　bark　the　consumption　of　a　man　lying　in　a　cold；　damp；
mud　hovel；　devoured　by　vermin；　and　struggling　to　maintain　life　upon　less
than　a　pint　of　unsalted　corn　meal　per　diem。

Finding　that　the　doctors　issued　red　pepper　for　diarrhea；　and　an　imitation
of　sweet　oil　made　from　peanuts；　for　the　gangrenous　sores　above　described；
I　reported　to　them　an　imaginary　comrade　in　my　tent；　whose　symptoms
indicated　those　remedies；　and　succeeded　in　drawing　a　small　quantity　of
each；　two　or　three　times　a　week。　　The　red　pepper　I　used　to　warm　up　our
bread　and　mush；　and　give　some　different　taste　to　the　corn　meal；　which　had
now　become　so　loathsome　to　us。　　The　peanut　oil　served　to　give　a　hint　of
the　animal　food　we　hungered　for。　　It　was　greasy；　and　as　we　did　not　have
any　meat　for　three　months；　even　this　flimsy　substitute　was　inexpressibly
grateful　to　palate　and　stomach。　　But　one　morning　the　Hospital　Steward
made　a　mistake；　and　gave　me　castor　oil　instead；　and　the　consequences　were
unpleasant。

A　more　agreeable　remembrance　is　that　of　two　small　apples；　about　the　size
of　walnuts；　given　me　by　a　boy　named　Henry　Clay　Montague　Porter；　of　the
Sixteenth　Connecticut。　　He　had　relatives　living　in　North　Carolina；　who
sent　him　a　small　packs　of　eatables；　out　of　which；　in　the　fulness　of　his
generous　heart　he　gave　me　this　shareenough　to　make　me　always　remember
him　with　kindness。

Speaking　of　eatables　reminds　me　of　an　incident。　　Joe　Darling；　of　the
First　Maine；　our　Chief　of　Police；　had　a　sister　living　at　Augusta；　Ga。；
who　occasionally　came　to　Florence　with　basket　of　food　and　other
necessaries　for　her　brother。　　On　one　of　these　journeys；　while　sitting　in
Colonel　Iverson's　tent；　waiting　for　her　brother　to　be　brought　out　of
prison；　she　picked　out　of　her　basket　a　nicely　browned　doughnut　and　handed
it　to　the　guard　pacing　in　front　of　the　tent；　with：

〃Here；　guard；　wouldn't　you　like　a　genuine　Yankee　doughnut？〃

The　guard…a　lank；　loose…jointed　Georgia　crackerwho　in　all　his　life　seen
very　little　more　inviting　food　than　the　his　hominy　and　molasses；　upon
which　he　had　been　raised；　took　the　cake；　turned　it　over　and　inspected　it
curiously　for　some　time　without　apparently　getting　the　least　idea　of　what
it　was　for；　and　then　handed　it　back　to　the　donor；　saying：

〃Really；　mum；　I　don't　believe　I've　got　any　use　for　it〃




CHAPTER　LXXII

DULL　WINTER　DAYSTOO　WEAK　AND　TOO　STUPID　To　AMUSE　OURSELVESATTEMPTS　OF
THE　REBELS　TO　RECRUIT　US　INTO　THEIR　ARMYTHE　CLASS　OF　MEN　THEY　OBTAINED
VENGEANCE　ON　〃THE　GALVANIZED〃A　SINGULAR　EXPERIENCERARE　GLIMPSES
OF　FUNINABILITY　OF　THE　REBELS　TO　COUNT。

The　Rebels　continued　their　efforts　to　induce　prisoners　to　enlist　in　their
army；　and　with　much　better　success　than　at　any　previous　time。　　Many　men
had　become　so　desperate　that　they　were　reckless　as　to　what　they　did。
Home；　relatives；　friends；　happinessall　they　had　remembered　or　looked
forward　to；　all　that　had　nerved　them　up　to　endure　the　present　and　brave
the　futurenow　seemed　separated　from　them　forever　by　a　yawning　and
impassable　chasm。　　For　many　weeks　no　new　prisoners　had　come　in　to　rouse
their　drooping　courage　with　news　of　the　progress　of　our　arms　towards
final　victory；　or　refresh　their　remembrances　of　home；　and　the
gladsomeness　of　〃God's　Country。〃　　Before　them　they　saw　nothing　but　weeks
of　slow　and　painful　progress　towards　bitter　death。　　The　other　alternative
was　enlistment　in　the　Rebel　army。

Another　class　went　out　and　joined；　with　no　other　intention　than　to　escape
at　the　first　opportunity。　　They　justified　their　bad　faith　to　the　Rebels
by　recalling　the　numberless　instances　of　the　Rebels'　bad　faith　to　us；
and　usually　closed　their　arguments　in　defense　of　their　course　with：

〃No　oath　administered　by　a　Rebel　can　have　any　binding　obligation。　　These
men　are　outlaws　who　have　not　only　broken　their　oaths　to　the　Government；
but　who　have　deserted　from　its　service；　and　turned　its　arms　against　it。
They　are　perjurers　and　traitors；　and　in　addition；　the　oath　they
administer　to　us　is　under　compulsion　and　for　that　reason　is　of　no
account。〃

Still　another　class；　mostly　made　up　from　the　old　Raider　crowd；　enlisted
from　natural　depravity。　　They　went　out　more　than　for　anything　else
because　their　hearts　were　prone　to　evil　and　they　did　that　which　was　wrong
in　preference　to　what　was　right。　　By　far　the　largest　portion　of　those　the
Rebels　obtained　were　of　this　class；　and　a　more　worthless　crowd　of
soldiers　has　not　been　seen　since　Falstaff　mustered　his　famous　recruits。

After　all；　however；　the　number　who　deserted　their　flag　was　astonishingly
small；　considering　all　the　circumstances。　　The　official