andersonville-第28节

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feet；　and　voracious　troops　would　climb　up　on　one　like　streams　of　ants
swarming　up　a　tree。　　We　began　to　have　a　full　comprehension　of　the　third
plague　with　which　the　Lord　visited　the　Egyptians：

　　　　　And　the　Lord　said　unto　Moses；　Say　unto　Aaron；　Stretch　out　thy　rod；
　　　　　and　smite　the　dust　of　the　land；　that　it　may　become　lice　through　all
　　　　　the　land　of　Egypt。

　　　　　And　they　did　so；　for　Aaron　stretched　out　his　hand　with　his　rod；　and
　　　　　smote　the　dust　of　the　earth；　and　it　became　lice　in　man　and　in　beast；
　　　　　all　the　dust　of　the　land　became　lice　throughout　all　the　land　of
　　　　　Egypt。

The　total　number　of　deaths　in　April；　according　to　the　official　report；
was　five　hundred　and　seventy…six；　or　an　average　of　over　nineteen　a　day。
There　was　an　average　of　five　thousand　prisoner's　in　the　pen　during　all
but　the　last　few　days　of　the　month；　when　the　number　was　increased　by　the
arrival　of　the　captured　garrison　of　Plymouth。　　This　would　make　the　loss
over　eleven　per　cent。；　and　so　worse　than　decimation。　　At　that　rate　we
should　all　have　died　in　about　eight　months。　　We　could　have　gone　through　a
sharp　campaign　lasting　those　thirty　days　and　not　lost　so　great　a
proportion　of　our　forces。　　The　British　had　about　as　many　men　as　were　in
the　Stockade　at　the　battle　of　New　Orleans；　yet　their　loss　in　killed　fell
much　short　of　the　deaths　in　the　pen　in　April。

A　makeshift　of　a　hospital　was　established　in　the　northeastern　corner　of
the　Stockade。　　A　portion　of　the　ground　was　divided　from　the　rest　of　the
prison　by　a　railing；　a　few　tent　flies　were　stretched；　and　in　these　the
long　leaves　of　the　pine　were　made　into　apologies　for　beds　of　about　the
goodness　of　the　straw　on　which　a　Northern　farmer　beds　his　stock。　　The
sick　taken　there　were　no　better　off　than　if　they　had　staid　with　their
comrades。

What　they　needed　to　bring　about　their　recovery　was　clean　clothing；
nutritious　food；　shelter　and　freedom　from　the　tortures　of　the　lice。
They　obtained　none　of　these。　　Save　a　few　decoctions　of　roots；　there　were
no　medicines；　the　sick　were　fed　the　same　coarse　corn　meal　that　brought
about　the　malignant　dysentery　from　which　they　all　suffered；　they　wore　and
slept　in　the　same　vermin…infested　clothes；　and　there　could　be　but　one
result：　the　official　records　show　that　seventy…six　per　cent。　of　those
taken　to　the　hospitals　died　there。

The　establishment　of　the　hospital　was　specially　unfortunate　for　my　little
squad。　　The　ground　required　for　it　compelled　a　general　reduction　of　the
space　we　all　occupied。　　We　had　to　tear　down　our　huts　and　move。　　By　this
time　the　materials　had　become　so　dry　that　we　could　not　rebuild　with　them；
as　the　pine　tufts　fell　to　pieces。　　This　reduced　the　tent　and　bedding
material　of　our　partynow　numbering　fiveto　a　cavalry　overcoat　and　a
blanket。　　We　scooped　a　hole　a　foot　deep　in　the　sand　and　stuck　our　tent…
poles　around　it。　　By　day　we　spread　our　blanket　over　the　poles　for　a　tent。
At　night　we　lay　down　upon　the　overcoat　and　covered　ourselves　with　the
blanket。　　It　required　considerable　stretching　to　make　it　go　over　five；
the　two　out　side　fellows　used　to　get　very　chilly；　and　squeeze　the　three
inside　ones　until　they　felt　no　thicker　than　a　wafer。　　But　it　had　to　do；
and　we　took　turns　sleeping　on　the　outside。　　In　the　course　of　a　few　weeks
three　of　my　chums　died　and　left　myself　and　B。　B。　Andrews　（now　Dr。
Andrews；　of　Astoria；　Ill。）　sole　heirs　to　and　occupants　of；　the　overcoat
and　blanket。




CHAPTER　XXV。

THE　〃PLYMOUTH　PILGRIMS〃SAD　TRANSITION　FROM　COMFORTABLE　BARRACKS　TO
ANDERSONVILLEA　CRAZED　PENNSYLVANIANDEVELOPMENT　OF　THE　BUTLER
BUSINESS。

We　awoke　one　morning；　in　the　last　part　of　April；　to　find　about　two
thousand　freshly　arrived　prisoners　lying　asleep　in　the　main　streets
running　from　the　gates。　　They　were　attired　in　stylish　new　uniforms；
with　fancy　hats　and　shoes；　the　Sergeants　and　Corporals　wore　patent
leather　or　silk　chevrons；　and　each　man　had　a　large；　well…filled　knapsack；
of　the　kind　new　recruits　usually　carried　on　coming　first　to　the　front；
and　which　the　older　soldiers　spoke　of　humorously　as　〃bureaus。〃　　They　were
the　snuggest；　nattiest　lot　of　soldiers　we　had　ever　seen；　outside　of　the
〃paper　collar〃　fellows　forming　the　headquarter　guard　of　some　General　in　a
large　City。　　As　one　of　my　companions　surveyed　them；　he　said：

〃Hulloa！　　I'm　blanked　if　the　Johnnies　haven't　caught　a　regiment　of
Brigadier　Generals；　somewhere。〃

By…and…by　the　〃fresh　fish；〃　as　all　new　arrivals　were　termed；　began　to
wake　up；　and　then　we　learned　that　they　belonged　to　a　brigade　consisting
of　the　Eighty…Fifth　New　York；　One　Hundred　and　First　and　One　Hundred　and
Third　Pennsylvania；　Sixteenth　Connecticut；　Twenty…Fourth　New　York
Battery；　two　companies　of　Massachusetts　heavy　artillery；　and　a　company　of
the　Twelfth　New　York　Cavalry。

They　had　been　garrisoning　Plymouth；　N。　C。；　an　important　seaport　on　the
Roanoke　River。　　Three　small　gunboats　assisted　them　in　their　duty。　　The
Rebels　constructed　a　powerful　iron　clad　called　the　〃Albemarle；〃　at　a
point　further　up　the　Roanoke；　and　on　the　afternoon　of　the　17th；　with　her
and　three　brigades　of　infantry；　made　an　attack　upon　the　post。
The　〃Albemarle〃　ran　past　the　forts　unharmed；　sank　one　of　the　gunboats；
and　drove　the　others　away。　　She　then　turned　her　attention　to　the
garrison；　which　she　took　in　the　rear；　while　the　infantry　attacked　in
front。　　Our　men　held　out　until　the　20th；　when　they　capitulated。
They　were　allowed　to　retain　their　personal　effects；　of　all　kinds；
and；　as　is　the　case　with　all　men　in　garrison；　these　were　considerable。

The　One　Hundred　and　First　and　One　Hundred　and　Third　Pennsylvania　and
Eighty…Fifth　New　York　had　just　〃veteranized；〃　and　received　their　first
instalment　of　veteran　bounty。　　Had　they　not　been　attacked　they　would　have
sailed　for　home　in　a　day　or　two；　on　their　veteran　furlough；　and　this
accounted　for　their　fine　raiment。　　They　were　made　up　of　boys　from　good
New　York　and　Pennsylvania　families；　and　were；　as　a　rule；　intelligent　and
fairly　educated。

Their　horror　at　the　appearance　of　their　place　of　incarceration　was　beyond
expression。　　At　one　moment　they　could　not　comprehend　that　we　dirty　and
haggard　tatterdemalions　had　once　been　clean；　self…respecting；　well…fed
soldiers　like　themselves；　at　the　next　they　would　affirm　that　they　knew
they　could　not　stand　it　a　month；　in　here　we　had　then　endured　it　from　four
to　nine　months。　　They　took　it；　in　every　way；　the　hardest　of　any　prisoners
that　came　in；　except　some　of　the　'Hundred…Days'　men；　who　were　brought　in
in　August；　from　the　Valley　of　Virginia。　　They　had　served　nearly　all　their
time　in　various　garrisons　along　the　seacoastfrom　Fortress　Monroe　to
Beaufortwhere　they　had　had　comparatively　little　of　the　actual　hardships
of　soldiering　in　the　field。　　They　had　nearly　always　had　comfortable
quarters；　an　abundance　of　food；　few　hard　marches　or　other　severe　service。
Consequently　they　were　not　so　well　hardened　for　Andersonville　as　the
majority　who　came　in。　　In　other　respects　they　were　better　prepared；
as　they　had　an　abundance　of　clothing；　blankets　and　cooking　utensils；
and　each　man　had　some　of　his　veteran　bounty　still　in　possession。

It　was　painful　to　see　how　rapidly　many　of　them　sank　under　the　miseries　of
the　situation。　　They　gave　up　the　moment　the　gates　were　closed　upon　them；
and　began　pining　away。　　We　older　prisoners　buoyed　ourselves　up
continually　with　hopes　of　escape　or　exchange。　　We　dug　tunnels　with　the
persistence　of　beavers；　and　we　watched　every　possible　opportunity　to　get
outside　the　accursed　walls　of　the　pen。　　But　we　could　not　enlist　the
interest　of　these　discouraged　ones　in　any　of　our　schemes；　or　talk。
They　resigned　themselves　to　Death；　and　waited　despondingly　till　he　came。

A　middle…aged　One　Hundred　and　First　Pennsylvanian；　who　had　taken　up　his
quarters　near　me；　was　an　object　of　peculiar　interest。　　Reasonably
intelligent　and　fairly　read；　I　presume　that　he　was　a　respectable　mechanic
before　entering　the　Army。　　He　was　evidently　a　very　domestic　man；　whose
whole　happiness　centered　in　his　family。

When　he　first　came　in　he　was　thoroughly　dazed　by　the　greatness　of　his
misfortune。　　He　would　sit　for　hours　with　his　face　in　his　hands　and　his
elbows　on　his　knees；　gazing　out　upon　the　mass　of　men　and　huts；　with
vacant；　lack…luster　eyes。　　We　could　not　interest　him　in　anything。
We　tried　to　show　him　how　to　fix　his　blanket　up　to　give　him　some　shelter；
but　he　went　at　the　work　in　a　disheartened　way；　and　finally　smiled　feebly
and　stopped。　　He　had　some　letters　from　his　family　and　a　melaineotype　of　a
plain…faced　womanhis　wifeand　her　children；　and　spent　much　time　in
looking　at　them。　　At　first　he　ate　his　rations　when　he　drew　them；　but
finally　began　to　reject；　them。　　In　a　few　days　he　was　delirious　with
hunger　and　homesick　ness。　　He　would　sit　on　the　sand　for　hours　imagining
that　be　was　at　his　family　table；　dispensing　his　frugal　hospitalities　to
his　wife　and　children。

Making　a　motion；　as　if　presenting　a　dish；　he　would　say：

〃Janie；　have　another　biscuit；　do！〃

Or；

〃Eddie；　son；　won't　you　have　another　piece　of　this　nice　steak？〃

Or；

〃Maggie；　have　some　more　potatos；〃　and　so　on；　through　a　whole　family　of
six；　or　more。　　It　was　a　relief　to　us　when　he　died　in　about　a　month　after
he　came　in。