andersonville-第20节

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yellow　sand；　broken　at　intervals　by　foul　swamps；　with　a　jungle…life
growth　of　unwholesome　vegetation；　and　teeming　With　venomous　snakes；　and
all　manner　of　hideous　crawling　thing。

The　original　forest　still　stands　almost　unbroken　on　this　wide　stretch　of
thirty　thousand　square　miles；　but　it　does　not　cover　it　as　we　say　of
forests　in　more　favored　lands。　　The　tall；　solemn　pines；　upright　and
symmetrical　as　huge　masts；　and　wholly　destitute　of　limbs；　except　the
little；　umbrella…like　crest　at　the　very　top；　stand　far　apart　from　each
other　in　an　unfriendly　isolation。　　There　is　no　fraternal　interlacing　of
branches　to　form　a　kindly；　umbrageous　shadow。　　Between　them　is　no　genial
undergrowth　of　vines；　shrubs；　and　demi…trees；　generous　in　fruits；　berries
and　nuts；　such　as　make　one　of　the　charms　of　Northern　forests。　　On　the
ground　is　no　rich；　springing　sod　of　emerald　green；　fragrant　with　the
elusive　sweetness　of　white　clover；　and　dainty　flowers；　but　a　sparse；
wiry；　famished　grass；　scattered　thinly　over　the　surface　in　tufts　and
patches；　like　the　hair　on　a　mangy　cur。

The　giant　pines　seem　to　have　sucked　up　into　their　immense　boles　all　the
nutriment　in　the　earth；　and　starved　out　every　minor　growth。　　So　wide　and
clean　is　the　space　between　them；　that　one　can　look　through　the　forest　in
any　direction　for　miles；　with　almost　as　little　interference　with　the　view
as　on　a　prairie。　　In　the　swampier　parts　the　trees　are　lower；　and　their
limbs　are　hung　with　heavy　festoons　of　the　gloomy　Spanish　moss；　or　〃death
moss；〃　as　it　is　more　frequently　called；　because　where　it　grows　rankest
the　malaria　is　the　deadliest。　　Everywhere　Nature　seems　sad；　subdued　and
somber。

I　have　long　entertained　a　peculiar　theory　to　account　for　the　decadence
and　ruin　of　countries。　　My　reading　of　the　world's　history　seems　to　teach
me　that　when　a　strong　people　take　possession　of　a　fertile　land；　they
reduce　it　to　cultivation；　thrive　upon　its　bountifulness；　multiply　into
millions　the　mouths　to　be　fed　from　it；　tax　it　to　the　last　limit　of
production　of　the　necessities　of　life；　take　from　it　continually；　and　give
nothing　back；　starve　and　overwork　it　as　cruel；　grasping　men　do　a　servant
or　a　beast；　and　when　at　last　it　breaks　down　under　the　strain；　it　revenges
itself　by　starving　many　of　them　with　great　famines；　while　the　others　go
off　in　search　of　new　countries　to　put　through　the　same　process　of
exhaustion。　　We　have　seen　one　country　after　another　undergo　this　process
as　the　seat　of　empire　took　its　westward　way；　from　the　cradle　of　the　race
on　the　banks　of　the　Oxus　to　the　fertile　plains　in　the　Valley　of　the
Euphrates。　　Impoverishing　these；　men　next　sought　the　Valley　of　the　Nile；
then　the　Grecian　Peninsula；　next　Syracuse　and　the　Italian　Peninsula；
then　the　Iberian　Peninsula；　and　the　African　shores　of　the　Mediterranean。
Exhausting　all　these；　they　were　deserted　for　the　French；　German　and
English　portions　of　Europe。　　The　turn　of　the　latter　is　now　come；　famines
are　becoming　terribly　frequent；　and　mankind　is　pouring　into　the　virgin
fields　of　America。

Lower　Georgia；　the　Carolinas　and　Eastern　Virginia　have　all　the
characteristics　of　these　starved　and　worn…out　lands。　　It　would　seem　as
if；　away　back　in　the　distance　of　ages；　some　numerous　and　civilized　race
had　drained　from　the　soil　the　last　atom　of　food…producing　constituents；
and　that　it　is　now　slowly　gathering　back；　as　the　centuries　pass；　the
elements　that　have　been　wrung　from　the　land。

Lower　Georgia　is　very　thinly　settled。　　Much　of　the　land　is　still　in　the
hands　of　the　Government。　　The　three　or　four　railroads　which　pass　through
it　have　little　reference　to　local　traffic。　　There　are　no　towns　along　them
as　a　rule；　stations　are　made　every　ten　miles；　and　not　named；　but
numbered；　as　〃Station　No。　4〃　No。　10；〃　etc。　　The　roads　were　built　as
through　lines；　to　bring　to　the　seaboard　the　rich　products　of　the
interior。

Andersonville　is　one　of　the　few　stations　dignified　with　a　same；　probably
because　it　contained　some　half　dozen　of　shabby　houses；　whereas　at　the
others　there　was　usually　nothing　more　than　a　mere　open　shed；　to　shelter
goods　and　travelers。　　It　is　on　a　rudely　constructed；　rickety　railroad；
that　runs　from　Macon　to　Albany；　the　head　of　navigation　on　the　Flint
River；　which　is；　one　hundred　and　six　miles　from　Macon；　and　two　hundred
and　fifty　from　the　Gulf　of　Mexico。　　Andersonville　is　about　sixty　miles
from　Macon；　and；　consequently；　about　three　hundred　miles　from　the　Gulf。
The　camp　was　merely　a　hole　cut　in　the　wilderness。　　It　was　as　remote　a
point　from；　our　armies；　as　they　then　lay；　as　the　Southern　Confederacy
could　give。　　The　nearest　was　Sherman；　at　Chattanooga；　four　hundred　miles
away；　and　on　the　other　side　of　a　range　of　mountains　hundreds　of　miles
wide。

To　us　it　seemed　beyond　the　last　forlorn　limits　of　civilization。　　We　felt
that　we　were　more　completely　at　the　mercy　of　our　foes　than　ever。　　While
in　Richmond　we　were　in　the　heart　of　the　Confederacy；　we　were　in　the　midst
of　the　Rebel　military　and；　civil　force；　and　were　surrounded　on　every　hand
by　visible　evidences　of　the　great　magnitude　of　that　power；　but　this；
while　it　enforced　our　ready　submission；　did　not　overawe　us　depressingly；
We　knew　that　though　the　Rebels　were　all　about　us　in　great　force；　our　own
men　were　also　near；　and　in　still　greater　forcethat　while　they　were　very
strong　our　army　was　still　stronger；　and　there　was　no　telling　what　day
this　superiority　of　strength；　might　be　demonstrated　in　such　a　way　as　to
decisively　benefit　us。

But　here　we　felt　as　did　the　Ancient　Mariner：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Alone　on　a　wide；　wide　sea；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　So　lonely　'twas　that　God　himself
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Scarce　seemed　there　to　be。




CHAPTER　XVL

WAKING　UP　IN　ANDERSONVILLESOME　DESCRIPTION　OF　THE　PLACEOUR　FIRST
MAILBUILDING　SHELTERGEN。　WINDERHIMSELF　AND　LINEAGE。

We　roused　up　promptly　with　the　dawn　to　take　a　survey　of　our　new　abiding
place。　　We　found　ourselves　in　an　immense　pen；　about　one　thousand　feet
long　by　eight　hundred　wide；　as　a　young　surveyora　member　of　the　Thirty…
fourth　Ohioinformed　us　after　he　had　paced　it　off。　　He　estimated　that　it
contained　about　sixteen　acres。　　The　walls　were　formed　by　pine　logs
twenty…five　feet　long；　from　two　to　three　feet　in　diameter；　hewn　square；
set　into　the　ground　to　a　depth　of　five　feet；　and　placed　so　close　together
as　to　leave　no　crack　through　which　the　country　outside　could　be　seen。
There　being　five　feet　of　the　logs　in　the　ground；　the　wall　was；　of　course；
twenty　feet　high。　　This　manner　of　enclosure　was　in　some　respects　superior
to　a　wall　of　masonry。　　It　was　equally　unscalable；　and　much　more　difficult
to　undermine　or　batter　down。

The　pen　was　Longest　due　north　and　south。　　It　was！　　divided　in　the　center
by　a　creek　about　a　yard　wide　and　ten　inches　deep；　running　from　west　to
east。　　On　each　side　of　this　was　a　quaking　bog　of　slimy　ooze　one　hundred
and　fifty　feet　wide；　and　so　yielding　that　one　attempting　to　walk　upon　it
would　sink　to　the　waist。　　From　this　swamp　the　sand…hills　sloped　north　and
south　to　the　stockade。　　All　the　trees　inside　the　stockade；　save　two；　had
been　cut　down　and　used　in　its　construction。　　All　the　rank　vegetation　of
the　swamp　had　also　been　cut　off。

There　were　two　entrances　to　the　stockade；　one　on　each　side　of　the　creek；
midway　between　it　and　the　ends；　and　called　respectively　the　〃North　Gate〃
and　the　〃　South　Gate。〃　　These　were　constructed　double；　by　building
smaller　stockades　around　them　on　the　outside；　with　another　set　of　gates。
When　prisoners　or　wagons　with　rations　were　brought　in；　they　were　first
brought　inside　the　outer　gates；　which　were　carefully　secured；　before　the
inner　gates　were　opened。　　This　was　done　to　prevent　the　gates　being
carried　by　a　rush　by　those　confined　inside。

At　regular　intervals　along　the　palisades　were　little　perches；　upon　which
stood　guards；　who　overlooked　the　whole　inside　of　the　prison。

The　only　view　we　had　of　the　outside　was　that　obtained　by　looking　from　the
highest　points　of　the　North　or　South　Sides　across　the　depression　where
the　stockade　crossed　the　swamp。　　In　this　way　we　could　see　about　forty
acres　at　a　time　of　the　adjoining　woodland；　or　say　one　hundred　and　sixty
acres　altogether；　and　this　meager　landscape　had　to　content　us　for　the
next　half　year。

Before　our　inspection　was　finished；　a　wagon　drove　in　with　rations；　and　a
quart　of　meal；　a　sweet　potato　and　a　few　ounces　of　salt　beef　were　issued
to　each　one　of　us。

In　a　few　minutes　we　were　all　hard　at　work　preparing　our　first　meal　in
Andersonville。　　The　debris　of　the　forest　left　a　temporary　abundance　of
fuel；　and　we　had　already　a　cheerful　fire　blazing　for　every　little　squad。
There　were　a　number　of　tobacco　presses　in　the　rooms　we　occupied　in
Richmond；　and　to　each　of　these　was　a　quantity　of　sheets　of　tin；　evidently
used　to　put　between　the　layers　of　tobacco。　　The　deft　hands　of　the
mechanics　among　us　bent　these　up　into　square　pans；　which　were　real　handy
cooking　utensils；　holding　abouta　quart。　　Water　was　carried　in　them　from
the　creek；　the　meal　mixed　in　them　to　a　dough；　or　else　boiled　as　mush　in
the　same　vessels；　the　potatoes　were　boiled；　and　their　final　service　was
to　hold　a　little　meal　to　be　carefully　browned；　and　then　water　boiled　upon
it；　so　as　to　form　a　feeble　imitat