andersonville-第104节

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Brigadier　General　Commanding。


This　man　was　not　only　unpunished；　but　the　Government　is　to…day　supporting
his　children　in　luxury　by　the　rent　it　pays　for　the　use　of　his　property
the　well…known　Winder　building；　which　is　occupied　by　one　of　the
Departments　at　Washington。

I　confess　that　all　my　attempts　to　satisfactorily　analyze　Winder's
character　and　discover　a　sufficient　motive　for　his　monstrous　conduct　have
been　futile。　　Even　if　we　imagine　him　inspired　by　a　hatred　of　the　people
of　the　North　that　rose　to　fiendishness；　we　can　not　understand　him。
It　seems　impossible　for　the　mind　of　any　man　to　cherish　so　deep　and
insatiable　an　enmity　against　his　fellow…creatures　that　it　could　not　be
quenched　and　turned　to　pity　by　the　sight　of　even　one　day's　misery　at
Andersonville　or　Florence。　　No　one　man　could　possess　such　a　grievous
sense　of　private　or　national　wrongs　as　to　be　proof　against　the　daily
spectacle　of　thousands　of　his　own　fellow　citizens；　inhabitants　of　the
same　country；　associates　in　the　same　institutions；　educated　in　the　same
principles；　speaking　the　same　languagethousands　of　his　brethren　in
race；　creed；　and　all　that　unite　men　into　great　communities；　starving；
rotting　and　freezing　to　death。

There　is　many　a　man　who　has　a　hatred　so　intense　that　nothing　but　the
death　of　the　detested　one　will　satisfy　it。　　A　still　fewer　number　thirst
for　a　more　comprehensive　retribution；　they　would　slay　perhaps　a　half…
dozen　persons；　and　there　may　be　such　gluttons　of　revenge　as　would　not　be
satisfied　with　the　sacrifice　of　less　than　a　score　or　two；　but　such　would
be　monsters　of　whom　there　have　been　very　few；　even　in　fiction。　　How　must
they　all　bow　their　diminished　heads　before　a　man　who　fed　his　animosity
fat　with　tens　of　thousands　of　lives。

But；　what　also　militates　greatly　against　the　presumption　that　either
revenge　or　an　abnormal　predisposition　to　cruelty　could　have　animated
Winder；　is　that　the　possession　of　any　two　such　mental　traits　so　strongly
marked　would　presuppose　a　corresponding　activity　of　other　intellectual
faculties；　which　was　not　true　of　him；　as　from　all　I　can　learn　of　him　his
mind　was　in　no　respect　extraordinary。

It　does　not　seem　possible　that　he　had　either　the　brain　to　conceive；　or
the　firmness　of　purpose　to　carry　out　so　gigantic　and　long…enduring　a
career　of　cruelty；　because　that　would　imply　superhuman　qualities　in　a　man
who　had　previously　held　his　own　very　poorly　in　the　competition　with　other
men。

The　probability　is　that　neither　Winder　nor　his　direct　superiorsHowell
Cobb　and　Jefferson　Davisconceived　in　all　its　proportions　the　gigantic
engine　of　torture　and　death　they　were　organizing；　nor　did　they　comprehend
the　enormity　of　the　crime　they　were　committing。　　But　they　were　willing　to
do　much　wrong　to　gain　their　end；　and　the　smaller　crimes　of　to…day
prepared　them　for　greater　ones　to…morrow；　and　still　greater　ones　the　day
following。　　Killing　ten　men　a　day　on　Belle　Isle　in　January；　by　starvation
and　hardship；　led　very　easily　to　killing　one　hundred　men　a　day　in
Andersonville；　in　July；　August　and　September。　　Probably　at　the　beginning
of　the　war　they　would　have　felt　uneasy　at　slaying　one　man　per　day　by　such
means；　but　as　retribution　came　not；　and　as　their　appetite　for　slaughter
grew　with　feeding；　and　as　their　sympathy　with　human　misery　atrophied　from
long　suppression；　they　ventured　upon　ever　widening　ranges　of
destructiveness。　　Had　the　war　lasted　another　year；　and　they　lived；　five
hundred　deaths　a　day　would　doubtless　have　been　insufficient　to　disturb
them。

Winder　doubtless　went　about　his　part　of　the　task　of　slaughter　coolly；
leisurely；　almost　perfunctorily。　　His　training　in　the　Regular　Army　was
against　the　likelihood　of　his　displaying　zeal　in　anything。　　He　instituted
certain　measures；　and　let　things　take　their　course。　　That　course　was　a
rapid　transition　from　bad　to　worse；　but　it　was　still　in　the　direction　of
his　wishes；　and；　what　little　of　his　own　energy　was　infused　into　it　was　in
the　direction　of　impetus；…not　of　controlling　or　improving　the　course。
To　have　done　things　better　would　have　involved　soma　personal　discomfort。
He　was　not　likely　to　incur　personal　discomfort　to　mitigate　evils　that
were　only　afflicting　someone　else。　　By　an　effort　of　one　hour　a　day　for
two　weeks　he　could　have　had　every　man　in　Andersonville　and　Florence　given
good　shelter　through　his　own　exertions。　　He　was　not　only　too　indifferent
and　too　lazy　to　do　this；　but　he　was　too　malignant；　and　this　neglect　to
allowsimply　allow；　rememberthe　prisoners　to　protect　their　lives　by
providing　their　own　shelter；　gives　the　key　to　his　whole　disposition；
and　would　stamp　his　memory　with　infamy；　even　if　there　were　no　other
charges　against　him。




CHAPTER　LXXV。

ONE　INSTANCE　OF　A　SUCCESSFUL　ESCAPETHE　ADVENTURES　OF　SERGEANT　WALTER
HARTSOUGH；　OF　COMPANY　K；　SIXTEENTH　ILLINOIS　CAVALRYHE　GETS　AWAY　FROM
THE　REBELS　AT　THOMASVILLE；　AND　AFTER　A　TOILSOME　AND　DANGEROUS　JOURNEY
OF　SEVERAL　HUNDRED　MILES；　REACHES　OUR　LINES　IN　FLORIDA。

While　I　was　at　Savannah　I　got　hold　of　a　primary　geography　in　possession
of　one　of　the　prisoners；　and　securing　a　fragment　of　a　lead　pencil　from
one　comrade；　and　a　sheet　of　note　paper　from　another；　I　made　a　copy　of　the
South　Carolina　and　Georgia　sea　coast；　for　the　use　of　Andrews　and　myself
in　attempting　to　escape。　　The　reader　remembers　the　ill　success　of　all　our
efforts　in　that　direction。　　When　we　were　at　Blackshear　we　still　had　the
map；　and　intended　to　make　another　effort；〃　as　soon　as　the　sign　got
right。〃　　One　day　while　we　were　waiting　for　this；　Walter　Hartsough；　a
Sergeant　of　Company　g；　of　our　battalion；　came　to　me　and　said：

〃Mc。；　I　wish　you'd　lend　me　your　map　a　little　while。　　I　want　to　make　a
copy。〃

I　handed　it　over　to　him；　and　never　saw　him　more；　as　almost　immediately
after　we　were　taken　out　〃on　parole〃　and　sent　to　Florence。　　I　heard　from
other　comrades　of　the　battalion　that　he　had　succeeded　in　getting　past　the
guard　line　and　into　the　Woods；　which　was　the　last　they　ever　heard　of　him。
Whether　starved　to　death　in　some　swamp；　whether　torn　to　pieces　by　dogs；
or　killed　by　the　rifles　of　his　pursuers；　they　knew　not。　　The　reader　can
judge　of　my　astonishment　as　well　as　pleasure；　at　receiving　among　the
dozens　of　letters　which　came　to　me　every　day　while　this　account　was
appearing　in　the　BLADE；　one　signed　〃Walter　Hartsough；　late　of　Co。　K；
Sixteenth　Illinois　Cavalry。〃　　It　was　like　one　returned　from　the　grave；
and　the　next　mail　took　a　letter　to　him；　inquiring　eagerly　of　his
adventures　after　we　separated。　　I　take　pleasure　in　presenting　the　reader
with　his　reply；　which　was　only　intended　as　a　private　communication　to
myself。　　The　first　part　of　the　letter　I　omit；　as　it　contains　only　gossip
about　our　old　comrades；　which；　however　interesting　to　myself；　would
hardly　be　so　to　the　general　reader。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　GENOA；　WAYNE　COUNTY；　IA。；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　May　27；　1879。

Dear　Comrade　Mc。：
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。
I　have　been　living　in　this　town　for　ten　years；　running　a　general　store；
under　the　firm　name　of　Hartsough　&　Martin；　and　have　been　more　successful
than　I　anticipated。

I　made　my　escape　from　Thomasville；　Ga。；　Dec。　7；　1864；　by　running　the
guards；　in　company　with　Frank　Hommat；　of　Company　M；　and　a　man　by　the　name
of　Clipson；　of　the　Twenty…First　Illinois　Infantry。　　I　had　heard　the
officers　in　charge　of　us　say　that　they　intended　to　march　us　across　to　the
other　road；　and　take　us　back　to　Andersonville。　　We　concluded　we　would
take　a　heavy　risk　on　our　lives　rather　than　return　there。　　By　stinting
ourselves　we　had　got　a　little　meal　ahead；　which　we　thought　we　would　bake
up　for　the　journey；　but　our　appetites　got　the　better　of　us；　and　we　ate　it
all　up　before　starting。　　We　were　camped　in　the　woods　then；　with　no
Stockadeonly　a　line　of　guards　around　us。　　We　thought　that　by　a　little
strategy　and　boldness　we　could　pass　these。　　We　determined　to　try。
Clipson　was　to　go　to　the　right；　Hommat　in　the　center；　and　myself　to　the
left。　　We　all　slipped　through；　without　a　shot。　　Our　rendezvous　was　to　be
the　center　of　a　small　swamp；　through　which　flowed　a　small　stream　that
supplied　the　prisoners　with　water。　　Hommat　and　I　got　together　soon　after
passing　the　guard　lines；　and　we　began　signaling　for　Clipson。　　We　laid
down　by　a　large　log　that　lay　across　the　stream；　and　submerged　our　limbs
and　part　of　our　bodies　in　the　water；　the　better　to　screen　ourselves　from
observation。　　Pretty　soon　a　Johnny　came　along　with　a　bunch　of　turnip
tops；　that　he　was　taking　up　to　the　camp　to　trade　to　the　prisoners。　　As　he
passed　over　the　log　I　could　have　caught　him　by　the　leg；　which　I　intended
to　do　if　he　saw　us；　but　he　passed　along；　heedless　of　those　concealed
under　his　very　feet；　which　saved　him　a　ducking　at　least；　for　we　were
resolved　to　drown　him　if　he　discovered　us。　　Waiting　here　a　little　longer
we　left　our　lurking　place　and　made　a　circuit　of　the　edge　of　the　swamp；
still　signaling　for　Clipson。　　But　we　could　find　nothing　of　him；　and　at
last　had　to　give　him　up。

We　were　now　between　Thomasville　and　the　camp；　and　as　Thomasville　was　the
end　of　the　railroad；　the　woods　were　full　of　Rebels　waiting
transportation；　and　we　approa