andersonville-第29节

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six；　or　more。　　It　was　a　relief　to　us　when　he　died　in　about　a　month　after
he　came　in。

As　stated　above；　the　Plymouth　men　brought　in　a　large　amount　of　money
variously　estimated　at　from　ten　thousand　to　one　hundred　thousand　dollars。
The　presence　of　this　quantity　of　circulating　medium　immediately　started　a
lively　commerce。　　All　sorts　of　devices　were　resorted　to　by　the　other
prisoners　to　get　a　little　of　this　wealth。　　Rude　chuck…a…luck　boards　were
constructed　out　of　such　material　as　was　attainable；　and　put　in　operation。
Dice　and　cards　were　brought　out　by　those　skilled　in　such　matters。
As　those　of　us　already　in　the　Stockade　occupied　all　the　ground；　there　was
no　disposition　on　the　part　of　many　to　surrender　a　portion　of　their　space
without　exacting　a　pecuniary　compensation。　　Messes　having　ground　in　a
good　location　would　frequently　demand　and　get　ten　dollars　for　permission
for　two　or　three　to　quarter　with　them。　　Then　there　was　a　great　demand　for
poles　to　stretch　blankets　over　to　make　tents；　the　Rebels；　with　their
usual　stupid　cruelty；　would　not　supply　these；　nor　allow　the　prisoners　to
go　out　and　get　them　themselves。　　Many　of　the　older　prisoners　had　poles　to
spare　which　they　were　saying　up　for　fuel。　　They　sold　these　to　the
Plymouth　folks　at　the　rate　of　ten　dollars　for　threeenough　to　put　up　a
blanket。

The　most　considerable　trading　was　done　through　the　gates。　　The　Rebel
guards　were　found　quite　as　keen　to　barter　as　they　had　been　in　Richmond。
Though　the　laws　against　their　dealing　in　the　money　of　the　enemy　were
still　as　stringent　as　ever；　their　thirst　for　greenbacks　was　not　abated
one　whit；　and　they　were　ready　to　sell　anything　they　had　for　the　coveted
currency。　　The　rate　of　exchange　was　seven　or　eight　dollars　in　Confederate
money　for　one　dollar　in　greenbacks。　　Wood；　tobacco；　meat；　flour；　beans；
molasses；　onions　and　a　villainous　kind　of　whisky　made　from　sorghum；　were
the　staple　articles　of　trade。　　A　whole　race　of　little　traffickers　in
these　articles　sprang　up；　and　finally　Selden；　the　Rebel　Quartermaster；
established　a　sutler　shop　in　the　center　of　the　North　Side；　which　he　put
in　charge　of　Ira　Beverly；　of　the　One　Hundredth　Ohio；　and　Charlie
Huckleby；　of　the　Eighth　Tennessee。　　It　was　a　fine　illustration　of　the
development　of　the　commercial　instinct　in　some　men。　　No　more　unlikely
place　for　making　money　could　be　imagined；　yet　starting　in　without　a　cent；
they　contrived　to　turn　and　twist　and　trade；　until　they　had　transferred　to
their　pockets　a　portion　of　the　funds　which　were　in　some　one　else's。
The　Rebels；　of　course；　got　nine　out　of　every　ten　dollars　there　was　in　the
prison；　but　these　middle　men　contrived　to　have　a　little　of　it　stick　to
their　fingers。

It　was　only　the　very　few　who　were　able　to　do　this。　　Nine　hundred　and
ninety…nine　out　of　every　thousand　were；　like　myself；　either　wholly
destitute　of　money　and　unable　to　get　it　from　anybody　else；　or　they　paid
out　what　money　they　had　to　the　middlemen；　in　exorbitant　prices　for
articles　of　food。

The　N'Yaarkers　had　still　another　method　for　getting　food；　money；　blankets
and　clothing。　　They　formed　little　bands　called　〃Raiders；〃　under　the
leadership　of　a　chief　villain。　　One　of　these　bands　would　select　as　their
victim　a　man　who　had　good　blankets；　clothes；　a　watch；　or　greenbacks。
Frequently　he　would　be　one　of　the　little　traders；　with　a　sack　of　beans；
a　piece　of　meat；　or　something　of　that　kind。　　Pouncing　upon　him　at　night
they　would　snatch　away　his　possessions；　knock　down　his　friends　who　came
to　his　assistance；　and　scurry　away　into　the　darkness。




CHAPTER　XXVI

LONGINGS　FOR　GOD'S　COUNTRYCONSIDERATIONS　OF　THE　METHODS　OF　GETTING
THEREEXCHANGE　AND　ESCAPEDIGGING　TUNNELS；　AND　THE　DIFFICULTIES
CONNECTED　THEREWITHPUNISHMENT　OF　A　TRAITOR。

To　our　minds　the　world　now　contained　but　two　grand　divisions；　as　widely
different　from　each　other　as　happiness　and　misery。　　The　firstthat
portion　over　which　our　flag　floated　was　usually　spoken　of　as　〃God's
Country；〃　the　otherthat　under　the　baneful　shadow　of　the　banner　of
rebellionwas　designated　by　the　most　opprobrious　epithets　at　the
speaker's　command。

To　get　from　the　latter　to　the　former　was　to　attain；　at　one　bound；　the
highest　good。　　Better　to　be　a　doorkeeper　in　the　House　of　the　Lord；　under
the　Stars　and　Stripes；　than　to　dwell　in　the　tents　of　wickedness；　under
the　hateful　Southern　Cross。

To　take　even　the　humblest　and　hardest　of　service　in　the　field　now　would
be　a　delightsome　change。　　We　did　not　ask　to　go　homewe　would　be　content
with　anything；　so　long　as　it　was　in　that　blest　place　〃within　our　lines。〃
Only　let　us　get　back　once；　and　there　would　be　no　more　grumbling　at
rations　or　guard　dutywe　would　willingly　endure　all　the　hardships　and
privations　that　soldier　flesh　is　heir　to。

There　were　two　ways　of　getting　backescape　and　exchange。　　Exchange　was
like　the　ever　receding　mirage　of　the　desert；　that　lures　the　thirsty
traveler　on　over　the　parched　sands；　with　illusions　of　refreshing　springs；
only　to　leave　his　bones　at　last　to　whiten　by　the　side　of　those　of　his
unremembered　predecessors。　　Every　day　there　came　something　to　build　up
the　hopes　that　exchange　was　near　at　handevery　day　brought　something　to
extinguish　the　hopes　of　the　preceding　one。　　We　took　these　varying　phases
according　to　our　several　temperaments。　　The　sanguine　built　themselves　up
on　the　encouraging　reports；　the　desponding　sank　down　and　died　under　the
discouraging　ones。

Escape　was　a　perpetual　allurement。　　To　the　actively　inclined　among　us　it
seemed　always　possible；　and　daring；　busy　brains　were　indefatigable　in
concocting　schemes　for　it。　　The　only　bit　of　Rebel　brain　work　that　I　ever
saw　for　which　I　did　not　feel　contempt　was　the　perfect　precautions　taken
to　prevent　our　escape。　　This　is　shown　by　the　fact　that；　although；　from
first　to　last；　there　were　nearly　fifty　thousand　prisoners　in
Andersonville；　and　three　out　of　every　five　of　these　were　ever　on　the
alert　to　take　French　leave　of　their　captors；　only　three　hundred　and
twenty…eight　succeeded　in　getting　so　far　away　from　Andersonville　as　to
leave　it　to　be　presumed　that　they　had　reached　our　lines。

The　first；　and　almost　superhuman　difficulty　was　to　get　outside　the
Stockade。　　It　was　simply　impossible　to　scale　it。　　The　guards　were　too
close　together　to　allow　an　instant's　hope　to　the　most　sanguine；　that　he
could　even　pass　the　Dead　Line　without　being　shot　by　some　one　of　them。
This　same　closeness　prevented　any　hope　of　bribing　them。　　To　be　successful
half　those　on　post　would　have　to　be　bribed；　as　every　part　of　the　Stockade
was　clearly　visible　from　every　other　part；　and　there　was　no　night　so　dark
as　not　to　allow　a　plain　view　to　a　number　of　guards　of　the　dark　figure
outlined　against　the　light　colored　logs　of　any　Yankee　who　should　essay　to
clamber　towards　the　top　of　the　palisades。

The　gates　were　so　carefully　guarded　every　time　they　were　opened　as　to
preclude　hope　of　slipping　out　through　theme。　　They　were　only　unclosed
twice　or　thrice　a　dayonce　to　admit；　the　men　to　call　the　roll；　once　to
let　them　out　again；　once　to　let　the　wagons　come　in　with　rations；　and
once；　perhaps；　to　admit；　new　prisoners。　　At　all　these　times　every
precaution　was　taken　to　prevent　any　one　getting　out　surreptitiously。

This　narrowed　down　the　possibilities　of　passing　the　limits　of　the　pen
alive；　to　tunneling。　　This　was　also　surrounded　by　almost　insuperable
difficulties。　　First；　it　required　not　less　than　fifty　feet　of
subterranean　excavation　to　get　out；　which　was　an　enormous　work　with　our
limited　means。　　Then　the　logs　forming　the　Stockade　were　set　in　the　ground
to　a　depth　of　five　feet；　and　the　tunnel　had　to　go　down　beneath　them。
They　had　an　unpleasant　habit　of　dropping　down　into　the　burrow　under　them。
It　added　much　to　the　discouragements　of　tunneling　to　think　of　one　of
these　massive　timbers　dropping　upon　a　fellow　as　he　worked　his　mole…like
way　under　it；　and　either　crushing　him　to　death　outright；　or　pinning　him
there　to　die　of　suffocation　or　hunger。

In　one　instance；　in　a　tunnel　near　me；　but　in　which　I　was　not　interested；
the　log　slipped　down　after　the　digger　had　got　out　beyond　it。
He　immediately　began　digging　for　the　surface；　for　life；　and　was
fortunately　able　to　break　through　before　he　suffocated。　　He　got　his　head
above　the　ground；　and　then　fainted。　　The　guard　outside　saw　him；　pulled
him　out　of　the　hole；　and　when　he　recovered　sensibility　hurried　him　back
into　the　Stockade。

In　another　tunnel；　also　near　us；　a　broad…shouldered　German；　of　the　Second
Minnesota；　went　in　to　take　his　turn　at　digging。　　He　was　so　much　larger
than　any　of　his　predecessors　that　he　stuck　fast　in　a　narrow　part；　and
despite　all　the　efforts　of　himself　and　comrades；　it　was　found　impossible
to　move　him　one　way　or　the　other。　　The　comrades　were　at　last　reduced　to
the　humiliation　of　informing　the　Officer　of　the　Guard　of　their　tunnel　and
the　condition　of　their　friend；　and　of　asking　assistance　to　release　him；
which　was　given。

The　great　tunneling　tool　was　the　indispensable　half…canteen。　　The
inventive　genius　of　our　people；　stimulated　by　the　war；　produced　nothing
for　the　comfort　and　effectiveness　of　the　soldier　equal　in　usefulness　to
this　humble　and　unrecognized　utensil。　　It　will　be　remembered　that　a
canteen　was　comp