andersonville-第113节

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came　back　soon　with　a　man　with　more　straw；　and　a　colored　soldier　whom　he
stationed　by　the　horses；　saying：

〃Now；　look　here。　　You　musn't　let　anybody　take　anything　sway　from　these
stalls；　d'you　understand　me？　not　a　thing。〃

He　then　went　out。　　Andrews　and　I　had　just　finished　cooking　dinner；　and
were　sitting　down　to　eat　it。　　Wishing　to　lend　our　frying…pan　to　another
mess；　I　looked　around　for　something　to　lay　our　meat　upon。　　Near　the
horses　I　saw　a　book　cover；　which　would　answer　the　purpose　admirably。
Springing　up；　I　skipped　across　to　where　it　was；　snatched　it　up；　and　ran
back　to　my　place。　　As　I　reached　it　a　yell　from　the　boys　made　me　look
around。　　The　darky　was　coming　at　me　〃full　tilt；〃　with　his　gun　at　a
〃charge　bayonets。〃　　As　I　turned　he　said：

〃Put　dat　right　back　dah！〃

I　said：

〃Why；　this　don't　amount　to　anything；　this　is　only　an　old　book　cover。
It　hasn't　anything　in　the　world　to　do　with　the　horses。

He　only　replied：

〃Put　dat　right　back　dah！〃

I　tried　another　appeal：

〃Now；　you　woolly…headed　son　of　thunder；　haven't　you　got　sense　enough　to
know　that　the　officer　who　posted　you　didn't　mean　such　a　thing　as　this！
He　only　meant　that　we　should　not　be　allowed　to　take　any　of　the　horses'
bedding　or　equipments；　don't　you　see？〃

I　might　as　well　have　reasoned　with　a　cigar　store　Indian。　　He　set　his
teeth；　his　eyes　showed　a　dangerous　amount　of　white；　and　foreshortening
his　musket　for　a　lunge；　he　hissed　out　again　〃Put　dat　right　back　dah；　I
tell　you！〃

I　looked　at　the　bayonet；　it　was　very　long；　very　bright；　and　very　sharp。
It　gleamed　cold　and　chilly　like；　as　if　it　had　not　run　through　a　man　for　a
long　time；　and　yearned　for　another　opportunity。　　Nothing　but　the　whites
of　the　darky's　eyes　could　now　be　seen。　　I　did　not　want　to　perish　there　in
the　fresh　bloom　of　my　youth　and　loveliness；　it　seemed　to　me　as　if　it　was
my　duty　to　reserve　myself　for　fields　of　future　usefulness；　so　I　walked
back　and　laid　the　book　cover　precisely　on　the　spot　whence　I　had　obtained
it；　while　the　thousand　boys　in　the　house　set　up　a　yell　of　sarcastic
laughter。

We　staid　in　Wilmington　a　few　days；　days　of　almost　purely　animal
enjoymentthe　joy　of　having　just　as　much　to　eat　as　we　could　possibly
swallow；　and　no　one　to　molest　or　make　us　afraid　in　any　way。　　How　we　did
eat　and　fill　up。　　The　wrinkles　in　our　skin　smoothed　out　under　the
stretching；　and　we　began　to　feel　as　if　we　were　returning　to　our　old
plumpness；　though　so　far　the　plumpness　was　wholly　abdominal。

One　morning　we　were　told　that　the　transports　would　begin　going　back　with
us　that　afternoon；　the　first　that　left　taking　the　sick。　　Andrews　and　I；
true　to　our　old　prison　practices；　resolved　to　be　among　those　on　the　first
boat。　　We　slipped　through　the　guards　and　going　up　town；　went　straight　to
Major　General　Schofield's　headquarters　and　solicited　a　pass　to　go　on　the
first　boatthe　steamer　〃Thorn。〃　　General　Schofield　treated　us　very
kindly；　but　declined　to　let　anybody　but　the　helplessly　sick　go　on　the
〃Thorn。〃　　Defeated　here　we　went　down　to　where　the　vessel　was　lying　at　the
dock；　and　tried　to　smuggle　ourselves　aboard；　but　the　guard　was　too　strong
and　too　vigilant；　and　we　were　driven　away。　　Going　along　the　dock；　angry
and　discouraged　by　our　failure；　we　saw　a　Surgeon；　at　a　little　distance；
who　was　examining　and　sending　the　sick　who　could　walk　aboard　another
vesselthe　〃General　Lyon。〃　　We　took　our　cue；　and　a　little　shamming
secured　from　him　tickets　which　permitted　us　to　take　our　passage　in　her。
The　larger　portion　of　those　on　board　were　in　the　hold；　and　a　few　were　on
deck。　　Andrews　and　I　found　a　snug　place　under　the　forecastle；　by　the
anchor　chains。

Both　vessels　speedily　received　their　complement；　and　leaving　their　docks；
started　down　the　river。　　The　〃Thorn〃　steamed　ahead　of　us；　and
disappeared。　　Shortly　after　we　got　under　way；　the　Colonel　who　was　put　in
command　of　the　boathimself　a　released　prisonercame　around　on　a　tour
of　inspection。　　He　found　about　one　thousand　of　us　aboard；　and　singling　me
out　made　me　the　non…commissioned　officer　in　command。　　I　was　put　in
charge；　of　issuing　the　rations　and　of　a　barrel　of　milk　punch　which　the
Sanitary　Commission　had　sent　down　to　be　dealt　out　on　the　voyage　to　such
as　needed　it。　　I　went　to　work　and　arranged　the　boys　in　the　best　way　I
could；　and　returned　to　the　deck　to　view　the　scenery。

Wilmington　is　thirty…four　miles　from　the　sea；　and　the　river　for　that
distance　is　a　calm；　broad　estuary。　　At　this　time　the　resources　of　Rebel
engineering　were　exhausted　in　defense　against　its　passage　by　a　hostile
fleet；　and　undoubtedly　the　best　work　of　the　kind　in　the　Southern
Confederacy　was　done　upon　it。　　At　its　mouth　were　Forts　Fisher　and
Caswell；　the　strongest　sea　coast　forts　in　the　Confederacy。　　Fort　Caswell
was　an　old　United　States　fort；　much　enlarged　and　strengthened。　　Fort
Fisher　was　a　new　work；　begun　immediately　after　the　beginning　of　the　war；
and　labored　at　incessantly　until　captured。　　Behind　these　every　one　of　the
thirty…four　miles　to　Wilmington　was　covered　with　the　fire　of　the　best
guns　the　English　arsenals　could　produce；　mounted　on　forts　built　at　every
advantageous　spot。　　Lines　of　piles　running　out　into　the　water；　forced
incoming　vessels　to　wind　back　and　forth　across　the　stream　under　the
point…blank　range　of　massive　Armstrong　rifles。　　As　if　this　were　not
sufficient；　the　channel　was　thickly　studded　with　torpedoes　that　would
explode　at　the　touch　of　the　keel　of　a　passing　vessel。　　These　abundant
precautions；　and　the　telegram　from　General　Lee；　found　in　Fort　Fisher；
stating　that　unless　that　stronghold　and　Fort　Caswell　were　held　he　could
not　hold　Richmond；　give　some　idea　of　the　importance　of　the　place　to　the
Rebels。

We　passed　groups　of　hundreds　of　sailors　fishing　for　torpedos；　and　saw
many　of　these　dangerous　monsters；　which　they　had　hauled　up　out　of　the
water。　　We　caught　up　with　the　〃Thorn；〃　when　about　half　way　to　the　sea；
passed　her；　to　our　great　delight；　and　soon　left　a　gap　between　us　of
nearly　half…a…mile。　　We　ran　through　an　opening　in　the　piling；　holding　up
close　to　the　left　side；　and　she　apparently　followed　our　course　exactly。
Suddenly　there　was　a　dull　roar；　a　column　of　water；　bearing　with　it
fragments　of　timbers；　planking　and　human　bodies；　rose　up　through　one　side
of　the　vessel；　and；　as　it　fell；　she　lurched　forward　and　sank。　　She　had
struck　a　torpedo。　　I　never　learned　the　number　lost；　but　it　must　have　been
very　great。

Some　little　time　after　this　happened　we　approached　Fort　Anderson；　the
most　powerful　of　the　works　between　Wilmington　and　the　forts　at　the　mouth
of　the　sea。　　It　was　built　on　the　ruins　of　the　little　Town　of　Brunswick；
destroyed　by　Cornwallis　during　the　Revolutionary　War。　　We　saw　a　monitor
lying　near　it；　and　sought　good　positions　to　view　this　specimen　of　the
redoubtable　ironclads　of　which　we　had　heard　and　read　so　much。　　It　looked
precisely　as　it　did　in　pictures；　as　black；　as　grim；　and　as　uncompromising
as　the　impregnable　floating　fortress　which　had　brought　the　〃Merrimac〃　to
terms。

But　as　we　approached　closely　we　noticed　a　limpness　about　the　smoke　stack
that　seemed　very　inconsistent　with　the　customary　rigidity　of　cylindrical
iron。　　Then　the　escape　pipe　seemed　scarcely　able　to　maintain　itself
upright。　　A　few　minutes　later　we　discovered　that　our　terrible　Cyclops　of
the　sea　was　a　flimsy　humbug；　a　theatrical　imitation；　made　by　stretching
blackened　canvas　over　a　wooden　frame。

One　of　the　officers　on　board　told　us　its　story。　　After　the　fall　of　Fort
Fisher　the　Rebels　retired　to　Fort　Anderson；　and　offered　a　desperate
resistance　to　our　army　and　fleet。　　Owing　to　the　shallowness　of　the　water
the　latter　could　not　come　into　close　enough　range　to　do　effective　work。
Then　the　happy　idea　of　this　sham　monitor　suggested　itself　to　some　one。
It　was　prepared；　and　one　morning　before　daybreak　it　was　sent　floating　in
on　the　tide。　　The　other　monitors　opened　up　a　heavy　fire　from　their
position。　　The　Rebels　manned　their　guns　and　replied　vigorously；　by
concentrating　a　terrible　cannonade　on　the　sham　monitor；　which　sailed
grandly　on；　undisturbed　by　the　heavy　rifled　bolts　tearing　through　her
canvas　turret。　　Almost　frantic　with　apprehension　of　the　result　if　she
could　not　be　checked；　every　gun　that　would　bear　was　turned　upon　her；　and
torpedos　were　exploded　in　her　pathway　by　electricity。　　All　these　she
treated　with　the　silent　contempt　they　merited　from　so　invulnerable　a
monster。　　At　length；　as　she　reached　a　good　easy　range　of　the　fort；　her
bow　struck　something；　and　she　swung　around　as　if　to　open　fire。　　That　was
enough　for　the　Rebels。　　With　Schofield's　army　reaching　out　to　cut　off
their　retreat；　and　this　dreadful　thing　about　to　tear　the　insides　out　of
their　fort　with　four…hundred…pound　shot　at　quarter…mile　range；　there　was
nothing　for　them　to　do　but　consult　their　own　safety；　which　they　did　with
such　haste　that　they　did　not　spike　a　gun；　or　destroy　a　pound　of　stores。




CHAPTER　LXXX

VISIT　TO　FORT　FISHER；　AND　INSPECTION　OF　THAT　STRONGHOLDTHE　WAY　IT　WAS
CAPTUREDOUT　ON　THE　OCEAN　SAILINGTERRIBLY　SEASICKRAPID　RECOVERY
ARRIVAL　AT　ANNAPOLISWASHED；　CLOTHED　AND　FEDUNBOUNDED　LUXURY；　AND　DAYS
OF　UNADULTERATED　HAPPINESS。

When　we　reached　the　mouth　of　Cape　Fear　River　the　wind　was　blowing　so　har