andersonville-第111节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


them。

By　and　by　a　line　of　wagons　came　over　from　Wilmington　laden　with　rations；
and　they　were　dispensed　to　us　with　what　seemed　reckless　prodigality。
The　lid　of　a　box　of　hard　tack　would　be　knocked　off；　and　the　contents
handed　to　us　as　we　filed　past；　with　absolute　disregard　as　to　quantity。
If　a　prisoner　looked　wistful　after　receiving　one　handful　of　crackers；
another　was　handed　to　him；　if　his　long…famished　eyes　still　lingered　as
if　enchained　by　the　rare　display　of　food；　the　men　who　were　issuing　said：

〃Here；　old　fellow；　there's　plenty　of　it：　take　just　as　much　as　you　can
carry　in　your　arms。〃

So　it　was　also　with　the　pickled　pork；　the　coffee；　the　sugar；　etc。　　We　had
been　stinted　and　starved　so　long　that　we　could　not　comprehend　that　there
was　anywhere　actually　enough　of　anything。

The　kind…hearted　boys　who　were　acting　as　our　hosts　began　preparing　food
for　the　sick；　but　the　Surgeons；　who　had　arrived　in　the　meanwhile；　were
compelled　to　repress　them；　as　it　was　plain　that　while　it　was　a　dangerous
experiment　to　give　any　of　us　all　we　could　or　would　eat；　it　would　never　do
to　give　the　sick　such　a　temptation　to　kill　themselves；　and　only　a　limited
amount　of　food　was　allowed　to　be　given　those　who　were　unable　to　walk。

Andrews　and　I　hungered　for　coffee；　the　delightful　fumes　of　which　filled
the　air　and　intoxicated　our　senses。　　We　procured　enough　to　make　our　half…
gallon　bucket　full　and　very　strong。

We　drank　so　much　of　this　that　Andrews　became　positively　drunk；　and　fell
helplessly　into　some　brush。　　I　pulled　him　out　and　dragged　him　away　to　a
place　where　we　had　made　our　rude　bed。

I　was　dazed。　　I　could　not　comprehend　that　the　long…looked　for；　often…
despaired…of　event　had　actually　happened。　　I　feared　that　it　was　one　of
those　tantalizing　dreams　that　had　so　often　haunted　my　sleep；　only　to　be
followed　by　a　wretched　awakening。　　Then　I　became　seized　with　a　sudden
fear　lest　the　Rebel　attempt　to　retake　me。　　The　line　of　guards　around　us
seemed　very　slight。　　It　might　be　forced　in　the　night；　and　all　of　us
recaptured。　　Shivering　at　this　thought；　absurd　though　it　was；　I　arose
from　our　bed；　and　taking　Andrews　with　me；　crawled　two　or　three　hundred
yards　into　a　dense　undergrowth；　where　in　the　event　of　our　lines　being
forced；　we　would　be　overlooked。




CHAPTER　LXXIX。

GETTING　USED　TO　FREEDOMDELIGHTS　OF　A　LAND　WHERE　THERE　IS　ENOUGH　OF
EVERYTHINGFIRST　GLIMPSE　OF　THE　OLD　FLAGWILMINGTON　AND　ITS　HISTORY
LIEUTENANT　CUSHINGFIRST　ACQUAINTANCE　WITH　THE　COLORED　TROOPSLEAVING
FOR　HOMEDESTRUCTION　OF　THE　〃THORN〃　BY　A　TORPEDOTHE　MOCK　MONITOR'S
ACHIEVEMENT。

After　a　sound　sleep；　Andrews　and　I　awoke　to　the　enjoyment　of　our　first
day　of　freedom　and　existence　in　God's　country。　　The　sun　had　already
risen；　bright　and　warm；　consonant　with　the　happiness　of　the　new　life　now
opening　up　for　us。

But　to　nearly　a　score　of　our　party　his　beams　brought　no　awakening
gladness。　　They　fell　upon　stony；　staring　eyes；　from　out　of　which　the
light　of　life　had　now　faded；　as　the　light　of　hope　had　done　long　ago。
The　dead　lay　there　upon　the　rude　beds　of　fallen　leaves；　scraped　together
by　thoughtful　comrades　the　night　before；　their　clenched　teeth　showing
through　parted　lips；　faces　fleshless　and　pinched；　long；　unkempt　and
ragged　hair　and　whiskers　just　stirred　by　the　lazy　breeze；　the　rotting
feet　and　limbs　drawn　up；　and　skinny　hands　clenched　in　the　last　agonies。

Their　fate　seemed　harder　than　that　of　any　who　had　died　before　them。
It　was　doubtful　if　many　of　them　knew　that　they　were　at　last　inside　of　our
own　lines。

Again　the　kind…hearted　boys　of　the　brigade　crowded　around　us　with
proffers　of　service。　　Of　an　Ohio　boy　who　directed　his　kind　tenders　to
Andrews　and　me；　we　procured　a　chunk　of　coarse　rosin　soap　about　as　big　as
a　pack　of　cards；　and　a　towel。　　Never　was　there　as　great　a　quantity　of
solid　comfort　got　out　of　that　much　soap　as　we　obtained。　　It　was　the　first
that　we　had　since　that　which　I　stole　in　Wirz's　headquarters；　in　June
nine　months　before。　　We　felt　that　the　dirt　which　had　accumulated　upon　us
since　then　would　subject　us　to　assessment　as　real　estate　if　we　were　in
the　North。

Hurrying　off　to　a　little　creek　we　began　our　ablutions；　and　it　was　not
long　until　Andrews　declared　that　there　was　a　perceptible　sand…bar　forming
in　the　stream；　from　what　we　washed　off。　　Dirt　deposits　of　the　Pliocene
era　rolled　off　feet　and　legs。　　Eocene　incrustations　let　loose　reluctantly
from　neck　and　ears；　the　hair　was　a　mass　of　tangled　locks　matted　with　nine
months'　accumulation　of　pitch　pine　tar；　rosin　soot；　and　South　Carolina
sand；　that　we　did　not　think　we　had　better　start　in　upon　it　until　we
either　had　the　shock　cut　off；　or　had　a　whole　ocean　and　a　vat　of　soap　to
wash　it　out　with。

After　scrubbing　until　we　were　exhausted　we　got　off　the　first　few　outer
layersthe　post　tertiary　formation；　a　geologist　would　term　itand　the
smell　of　many　breakfasts　cooking；　coming　down　over　the　hill；　set　our
stomachs　in　a　mutiny　against　any　longer　fasting。

We　went　back；　rosy；　panting；　glowing；　but　happy；　to　get　our　selves　some
breakfast。

Should　Providence；　for　some　inscrutable　reason；　vouchsafe　me　the　years　of
Methuselah；　one　of　the　pleasantest　recollections　that　will　abide　with　me
to　the　close　of　the　nine　hundredth　and　sixty…ninth　year；　will　be　of　that
delightful　odor　of　cooking　food　which　regaled　our　senses　as　we　came　back。
From　the　boiling　coffee　and　the　meat　frying　in　the　pan　rose　an　incense
sweeter　to　the　senses　a　thousand　times　than　all　the　perfumes　of　far
Arabia。　　It　differed　from　the　loathsome　odor　of　cooking　corn　meal　as　much
as　it　did　from　the　effluvia　of　a　sewer。

Our　noses　were　the　first　of　our　senses　to　bear　testimony　that　we　had
passed　from　the　land　of　starvation　to　that　of　plenty。　　Andrews　and　I
hastened　off　to　get　our　own　breakfast；　and　soon　had　a　half…gallon　of
strong　coffee；　and　a　frying…pan　full；　of　meat　cooking　over　the　firenot
one　of　the　beggarly　skimped　little　fires　we　had　crouched　over　during　our
months　of　imprisonment；　but　a　royal；　generous　fire；　fed　with　logs　instead
of　shavings　and　splinters；　and　giving　out　heat　enough　to　warm　a　regiment。

Having　eaten　positively　all　that　we　could　swallow；　those　of　us　who　could
walk　were　ordered　to　fall　in　and　march　over　to　Wilmington。　　We　crossed
the　branch　of　the　river　on　a　pontoon　bridge；　and　took　the　road　that　led
across　the　narrow　sandy　island　between　the　two　branches；　Wilmington　being
situated　on　the　opposite　bank　of　the　farther　one。

When　about　half　way　a　shout　from　some　one　in　advance　caused　us　to　look
up；　and　then　we　saw；　flying　from　a　tall　steeple　in　Wilmington；　the
glorious　old　Stars　and　Stripes；　resplendent　in　the　morning　sun；　and　more
beautiful　than　the　most　gorgeous　web　from　Tyrian　looms。　　We　stopped　with
one　accord；　and　shouted　and　cheered　and　cried　until　every　throat　was　sore
and　every　eye　red　and　blood…shot。　　It　seemed　as　if　our　cup　of　happiness
would　certainly　run　over　if　any　more　additions　were　made　to　it。

When　we　arrived　at　the　bank　of　the　river　opposite　Wilmington；　a　whole
world　of　new　and　interesting　sights　opened　up　before　us。　　Wilmington；
during　the　last　year…and…a…half　of　the　war；　was；　next　to　Richmond；　the
most　important　place　in　the　Southern　Confederacy。　　It　was　the　only　port
to　which　blockade　running　was　at　all　safe　enough　to　be　lucrative。　　The
Rebels　held　the　strong　forts　of　Caswell　and　Fisher；　at　the　mouth　of　Cape
Fear　River；　and　outside；　the　Frying　Pan　Shoals；　which　extended　along　the
coast　forty　or　fifty　miles；　kept　our　blockading　fleet　so　far　off；　and
made　the　line　so　weak　and　scattered；　that　there　was　comparatively　little
risk　to　the　small；　swift…sailing　vessels　employed　by　the　blockade　runners
in　running　through　it。　　The　only　way　that　blockade　running　could　be
stopped　was　by　the　reduction　of　Forts　Caswell　and　Fisher；　and　it　was　not
stopped　until　this　was　done。

Before　the　war　Wilmington　was　a　dull；　sleepy　North　Carolina　Town；　with　as
little　animation　of　any　kind　as　a　Breton　Pillage。　　The　only　business　was
the　handling　of　the　tar；　turpentine；　rosin；　and　peanuts　produced　in　the
surrounding　country；　a　business　never　lively　enough　to　excite　more　than　a
lazy　ripple　in　the　sluggish　lagoons　of　trade。　　But　very　new　wine　was　put
into　this　old　bottle　when　blockade　running　began　to　develop　in
importance。　　Then　this　Sleepy　hollow　of　a　place　took　on　the　appearance　of
San　Francisco　in　the　hight　of　the　gold　fever。　　The　English　houses　engaged
in　blockade　running　established　branches　there　conducted　by　young　men　who
lived　like　princes。　　All　the　best　houses　in　the　City　were　leased　by　them
and　fitted　up　in　the　most　gorgeous　style。　　They　literally　clothed
themselves　in　purple　and　fine　linen　and　fared　sumptuously　every　day；　with
their　fine　wines　and　imported　delicacies　and　retinue　of　servants　to　wait
upon　them。　　Fast　young　Rebel　officers；　eager　for　a　season　of　dissipation；
could　imagine　nothing　better　than　a　leave　of　absence　to　go　to　Wilmington。
Money　flowed　like　water。　　The　common　sailorsthe　scum　of　all　foreign
portswho　manned　the　blockade　runners；　received　as　high　as　one　hundred
dollars　in　gold　per　month；　and　a　bounty　of　fifty　dollars　for　every
successful　trip；　which　from　Nassau　could　be　easily　made　in　seven　days。
Other　pe