andersonville-第26节

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justify　them　in　shooting　men　down；　the　Alabamians　never　fired　until　they
were　satisfied　that　a　deliberate　offense　was　intended。　　I　can　recall　of
my　own　seeing　at　least　a　dozen　instances　where　men　of　the　Fifty…Fifth
Georgia　Killed　prisoners　under　the　pretense　that　they　were　across　the
Dead　Line；　when　the　victims　were　a　yard　or　more　from　the　Dead　Line；　and
had　not　the　remotest　idea　of　going　any　nearer。

The　only　man　I　ever　knew　to　be　killed　by　one　of　the　Twenty…Sixth　Alabama
was　named　Hubbard；　from　Chicago；　Ills。；　and　a　member　of　the　Thirty…Eighth
Illinois。　　He　had　lost　one　leg；　and　went　hobbling　about　the　camp　on
crutches；　chattering　continually　in　a　loud；　discordant　voice；　saying　all
manner　of　hateful　and　annoying　things；　wherever　he　saw　an　opportunity。
This　and　his　beak…like　nose　gained　for　him　the　name　of　〃Poll　Parrot。〃
His　misfortune　caused　him　to　be　tolerated　where　another　man　would　have
been　suppressed。　　By…and…by　he　gave　still　greater　cause　for　offense　by
his　obsequious　attempts　to　curry　favor　with　Captain　Wirz；　who　took　him
outside　several　times　for　purposes　that　were　not　well　explained。
Finally；　some　hours　after　one　of　Poll　Parrot's　visits　outside；　a　Rebel
officer　came　in　with　a　guard；　and；　proceeding　with　suspicious　directness
to　a　tent　which　was　the　mouth　of　a　large　tunnel　that　a　hundred　men　or
more　had　been　quietly　pushing　forward；　broke　the　tunnel　in；　and　took　the
occupants　of　the　tent　outside　for　punishment。　　The　question　that　demanded
immediate　solution　then　was：

〃Who　is　the　traitor　who　has　informed　the　Rebels？〃

Suspicion　pointed　very　strongly　to　〃Poll　Parrot。〃　　By　the　next　morning
the　evidence　collected　seemed　to　amount　to　a　certainty；　and　a　crowd
caught　the　Parrot　with　the　intention　of　lynching　him。　　He　succeeded　in
breaking　away　from　them　and　ran　under　the　Dead　Line；　near　where　I　was
sitting　in；　my　tent。　　At　first　it　looked　as　if　he　had　done　this　to　secure
the　protection　of　the　guard。　　The　lattera　Twenty…Sixth　Alabamian
ordered　him　out。　　Poll　Parrot　rose　up　on　his　one　leg；　put　his　back
against　the　Dead　Line；　faced　the　guard；　and　said　in　his　harsh；　cackling
voice：

〃No；　I　won't　go　out。　　If　I've　lost　the　confidence　of　my　comrades　I　want
to　die。〃

Part　of　the　crowd　were　taken　back　by　this　move；　and　felt　disposed　to
accept　it　as　a　demonstration　of　the　Parrot's　innocence。　　The　rest　thought
it　was　a　piece　of　bravado；　because　of　his　belief　that　the　Rebels　would
not　injure；　him　after　he　had　served　them。　　They　renewed　their　yells；　the
guard　again　ordered　the　Parrot　out；　but　the　latter；　tearing　open　his
blouse；　cackled　out：

〃No；　I　won't　go；　fire　at　me；　guard。　　There's　my　heart　shoot　me　right
there。〃

There　was　no　help　for　it。　　The　Rebel　leveled　his　gun　and　fired。　　The
charge　struck　the　Parrot's　lower　jaw；　and　carried　it　completely　away；
leaving　his　tongue　and　the　roof　of　his　mouth　exposed。　　As　he　was　carried
back　to　die；　he　wagged　his　tongue　rigorously；　in　attempting　to　speak；　but
it　was　of　no　use。

The　guard　set　his　gun　down　and　buried　his　face　in　his　hands。　　It　was　the
only　time　that　I　saw　a　sentinel　show　anything　but　exultation　at　killing　a
Yankee。

A　ludicrous　contrast　to　this　took　place　a　few　nights　later。　　The　rains
had　ceased；　the　weather　had　become　warmer；　and　our　spirits　rising　with
this　increase　in　the　comfort　of　our　surroundings；　a　number　of　us　were
sitting　around　〃Nosey〃a　boy　with　a　superb　tenor　voicewho　was　singing
patriotic　songs。　　We　were　coming　in　strong　on　the　chorus；　in　a　way　that
spoke　vastly　more　for　our　enthusiasm　for　the　Union　than　our　musical
knowledge。　　〃Nosey〃　sang　the　〃Star　Spangled　Banner；〃　〃The　Battle　Cry　of
Freedom；〃　〃Brave　Boys　are　They；〃　etc。；　capitally；　and　we　threw　our　whole
lungs　into　the　chorus。　　It　was　quite　dark；　and　while　our　noise　was　going
on　the　guards　changed；　new　men　coming　on　duty。　　Suddenly；　bang！　went　the
gun　of　the　guard　in　the　box　about　fifty　feet　away　from　us。　　We　knew　it
was　a　Fifty…Fifth　Georgian；　and　supposed　that；　irritated　at　our　singing；
he　was　trying　to　kill　some　of　us　for　spite。　　At　the　sound　of　the　gun　we
jumped　up　and　scattered。　　As　no　one　gave　the　usual　agonized　yell　of　a
prisoner　when　shot；　we　supposed　the　ball　had　not　taken　effect。　　We　could
hear　the　sentinel　ramming　down　another　cartridge；　hear　him　〃return
rammer；〃　and　cock　his　rifle。　　Again　the　gun　cracked；　and　again　there　was
no　sound　of　anybody　being　hit。　　Again　we　could　hear　the　sentry　churning
down　another　cartridge。　　The　drums　began　beating　the　long　roll　in　the
camps；　and　officers　could　be　heard　turning　the　men　out。　　The　thing　was
becoming　exciting；　and　one　of　us　sang　out　to　the　guard：

〃S…a…y！　　What　the　are　you　shooting　at；　any　how？〃

〃I'm　a　shootin'　at　that　　　Yank　thar　by　the　Dead　Line；　and　by　…
if　you'uns　don't　take　him　in　I'll　blow　the　whole　head　offn　him。〃

〃What　Yank？　　Where's　any　Yank？〃

〃Why；　tharright　thara…standin'　agin　the　Ded　Line。〃

〃Why；　you　Rebel　fool；　that's　a　chunk　of　wood。　　You　can't　get　any　furlough
for　shooting　that！〃

At　this　there　was　a　general　roar　from　the　rest　of　the　camp；　which　the
other　guards　took　up；　and　as　the　Reserves　came　double…quicking　up；　and
learned　the　occasion　of　the　alarm；　they　gave　the　rascal　who　had　been　so
anxious　to　kill　somebody　a　torrent　of　abuse　for　having　disturbed　them。

A　part　of　our　crowd　had　been　out　after　wood　during　the　day；　and　secured　a
piece　of　a　log　as　large　as　two　of　them　could　carry；　and　bringing　it　in；
stood　it　up　near　the　Dead　Line。　　When　the　guard　mounted　to　his　post　he
was　sure　he　saw　a　temerarious　Yankee　in　front　of　him；　and　hastened　to
slay　him。

It　was　an　unusual　good　fortune　that　nobody　was　struck。　　It　was　very　rare
that　the　guards　fired　into　the　prison　without　hitting　at　least　one
person。　　The　Georgia　Reserves；　who　formed　our　guards　later　in　the　season；
were　armed　with　an　old　gun　called　a　Queen　Anne　musket；　altered　to
percussion。　　It　carried　a　bullet　as　big　as　a　large　marble；　and　three　or
four　buckshot。　　When　fired　into　a　group　of　men　it　was　sure　to　bring
several　down。

I　was　standing　one　day　in　the　line　at　the　gate；　waiting　for　a　chance　to
go　out　after　wood。　　A　Fifty…Fifth　Georgian　was　the　gate　guard；　and　he
drew　a　line　in　the　sand　with　his　bayonet　which　we　should　not　cross。
The　crowd　behind　pushed　one　man　till　he　put　his　foot　a　few　inches　over
the　line；　to　save　himself　from　falling；　the　guard　sank　a　bayonet　through
the　foot　as　quick　as　a　flash。




CHAPTER　XXIII

A　NEW　LOT　OF　PRISONERSTHE　BATTLE　OF　OOLUSTEEMEN　SACRIFICED　TO　A
GENERAL'S　INCOMPETENCYA　HOODLUM　REINFORCEMENTA　QUEER　CROWD
MISTREATMENT　OF　AN　OFFICER　OF　A　COLORED　REGIMENTKILLING　THE　SERGEANT　OF
A　NEGRO　SQUAD。

So　far　only　old　prisonersthose　taken　at　Gettysburg；　Chicamauga　and　Mine
Runhad　been　brought　in。　　The　armies　had　been　very　quiet　during　the
Winter；　preparing　for　the　death　grapple　in　the　Spring。　　There　had　been
nothing　done；　save　a　few　cavalry　raids；　such　as　our　own；　and　Averill's
attempt　to　gain　and　break　up　the　Rebel　salt　works　at　Wytheville；　and
Saltville。　　Consequently　none　but　a　few　cavalry　prisoners　were　added　to
the　number　already　in　the　hands　of　the　Rebels。

The　first　lot　of　new　ones　came　in　about　the　middle　of　March。　　There　were
about　seven　hundred　of　them；　who　had　been　captured　at　the　battle　of
Oolustee；　Fla。；　on　the　20th　of　February。　　About　five　hundred　of　them　were
white；　and　belonged　to　the　Seventh　Connecticut；　the　Seventh　New
Hampshire；　Forty　Seventh；　Forty…Eighth　and　One　Hundred　and　Fifteenth　New
York；　and　Sherman's　regular　battery。　　The　rest　were　colored；　and　belonged
to　the　Eighth　United　States；　and　Fifty…Fourth　Massachusetts。　　The　story
they　told　of　the　battle　was　one　which　had　many　shameful　reiterations
during　the　war。　　It　was　the　story　told　whenever　Banks；　Sturgis；　Butler；
or　one　of　a　host　of　similar　smaller　failures　were　trusted　with　commands。
It　was　a　senseless　waste　of　the　lives　of　private　soldiers；　and　the
property　of　the　United　States　by　pretentious　blunderers；　who；　in　some
inscrutable　manner；　had　attained　to　responsible　commands。　　In　this
instance；　a　bungling　Brigadier　named　Seymore　had　marched　his　forces
across　the　State　of　Florida；　to　do　he　hardly　knew　what；　and　in　the
neighborhood　of　an　enemy　of　whose　numbers；　disposition；　location；　and
intentions　he　was　profoundly　ignorant。　　The　Rebels；　under　General
Finnegan；　waited　till　he　had　strung　his　command　along　through　swamps
and　cane　brakes；　scores　of　miles　from　his　supports；　and　then　fell
unexpectedly　upon　his　advance。　　The　regiment　was　overpowered；　and　another
regiment　that　hurried　up　to　its　support；　suffered　the　same　fate。　　The
balance　of　the　regiments　were　sent　in　in　the　same　mannereach　arriving
on　the　field　just　after　its　predecessor　had　been　thoroughly　whipped　by
the　concentrated　force　of　the　Rebels。　　The　men　fought　gallantly；　but　the
stupidity　of　a　Commanding　General　is　a　thing　that　the　gods　themselves
strive　against　in　vain。　　We　suffered　a　humiliating　defeat；　with　a　loss　of
two　thousand　men　and　a　fine　rifled　battery；　which　was　brought　to
Andersonville　and　placed　in　position　to　command　the　prison。

The　majority　of　the　Seventh　New　Hampshire　were　an　unwelcome　addition　to
our　numbers。　　They　were　N'Yaarkersold　time　colleagues　of　those　alr