andersonville-第31节

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pretty　thorough　search　for　him。　　As　they　did　not　think　to　probe　around
the　drift　wood　this　was　unsuccessful；　and　they　came　to　the　conclusion
that　Tom　had　been　drowned。　　Wirz　marched　the　other　two　back　and；　for　a
wonder；　did　not　punish　them；　probably　because　he　was　so　rejoiced　at　his
success　in　capturing　them。　　He　was　beaming　with　delight　when　he　returned
them　to　our　squad；　and　said；　with　a　chuckle：

〃Brisoners；　I　pring　you　pack　two　of　dem　tam　Yankees　wat　got　away
yesterday；　unt　I　run　de　oder　raskal　into　a　mill…pont　and　trowntet　him。〃

What　was　our　astonishment；　about　three　weeks　later；　to　see　Tom；　fat　and
healthy；　and　dressed　in　a　full　suit　of　butternut；　come　stalking　into　the
pen。　　He　had　nearly　reached　the　mountains；　when　a　pack　of　hounds；
patrolling　for　deserters　or　negros；　took　his　trail；　where　he　had　crossed
the　road　from　one　field　to　another；　and　speedily　ran　him　down。　　He　had
been　put　in　a　little　country　jail；　and　well　fed　till　an　opportunity
occurred　to　send　him　back。　　This　patrolling　for　negros　and　deserters　was
another　of　the　great　obstacles　to　a　successful　passage　through　the
country。　　The　rebels　had　put；　every　able…bodied　white　man　in　the　ranks；
and　were　bending　every　energy　to　keep　him　there。　　The　whole　country　was
carefully　policed　by　Provost　Marshals　to　bring　out　those　who　were
shirking　military　duty；　or　had　deserted　their　colors；　and　to　check　any
movement　by　the　negros。　　One　could　not　go　anywhere　without　a　pass；　as
every　road　was　continually　watched　by　men　and　hounds。　　It　was　the　policy
of　our　men；　when　escaping；　to　avoid　roads　as　much　as　possible　by
traveling　through　the　woods　and　fields。

From　what　I　saw　of　the　hounds；　and　what　I　could　learn　from　others；
I　believe　that　each　pack　was　made　up　of　two　bloodhounds　and　from　twenty…
five　to　fifty　other　dogs；　The　bloodhounds　were　debased　descendants　of　the
strong　and　fierce　hounds　imported　from　Cubamany　of　them　by　the　United
States　Governmentfor　hunting　Indians；　during　the　Seminole　war。　　The
other　dogs　were　the　mongrels　that　are　found　in　such　plentifulness　about
every　Southern　houseincreasing；　as　a　rule；　in　numbers　as　the　inhabitant
of　the　house　is　lower　down　and　poorer。　　They　are　like　wolves；　sneaking
and　cowardly　when　alone；　fierce　and　bold　when　in　packs。　　Each　pack　was
managed　by　a　well…armed　man；　who　rode　a　mule；　and　carried；　slung　over　his
shoulders　by　a　cord；　a　cow　horn；　scraped　very　thin；　with　which　he
controlled　the　band　by　signals。

What　always　puzzled　me　much　was　why　the　hounds　took　only　Yankee　trails；
in　the　vicinity　of　the　prison。　　There　was　about　the　Stockade　from　six
thousand　to　ten　thousand　Rebels　and　negros；　including　guards；　officers；
servants；　workmen；　etc。　　These　were；　of　course；　continually　in　motion　and
must　have　daily　made　trails　leading　in　every　direction。　　It　was　the
custom　of　the　Rebels　to　send　a　pack　of　hounds　around　the　prison　every
morning；　to　examine　if　any　Yankees　had　escaped　during　the　night。　　It　was
believed　that　they　rarely　failed　to　find　a　prisoner's　tracks；　and　still
more　rarely　ran　off　upon　a　Rebel's。　　If　those　outside　the　Stockade　had
been　confined　to　certain　path　and　roads　we　could　have　understood　this；
but；　as　I　understand；　they　were　not。　　It　was　part　of　the　interest　of　the
day；　for　us；　to　watch　the　packs　go　yelping　around　the　pen　searching　for
tracks。　　We　got　information　in　this　way　whether　any　tunnel　had　been
successfully　opened　during　the　night。

The　use　of　hounds　furnished　us　a　crushing　reply　to　the　ever　recurring
Rebel　question：

〃Why　are　you…uns　puttin'　niggers　in　the　field　to　fight　we…uns　for？〃

The　questioner　was　always　silenced　by　the　return　interrogatory：

〃Is　that　as　bad　as　running　white　men　down　with　blood　hounds？〃




CHAPTER　XXVIII

MAYINFLUX　OF　NEW　PRISONERSDISPARITY　IN　NUMBERS　BETWEEN　THE　EASTERN
AND　WESTERN　ARMIESTERRIBLE　CROWDINGSLAUGHTER　OF　MEN　AT　THE　CREEK。

In　May　the　long　gathering　storm　of　war　burst　with　angry　violence　all
along　the　line　held　by　the　contending　armies。　　The　campaign　began　which
was　to　terminate　eleven　months　later　in　the　obliteration　of　the　Southern
Confederacy。　　May　1；　Sigel　moved　up　the　Shenandoah　Valley　with　thirty
thousand　men；　May　3；　Butler　began　his　blundering　movement　against
Petersburg；　May　3；　the　Army　of　the　Potomac　left　Culpeper；　and　on　the　5th
began　its　deadly　grapple　with　Lee；　in　the　Wilderness；　May　6；　Sherman
moved　from　Chattanooga；　and　engaged　Joe　Johnston　at　Rocky　Face　Ridge　and
Tunnel　Hill。

Each　of　these　columns　lost　heavily　in　prisoners。　　It　could　not　be
otherwise；　it　was　a　consequence　of　the　aggressive　movements。　　An　army
acting　offensively　usually　suffers　more　from　capture　than　one　on　the
defensive。　　Our　armies　were　penetrating　the　enemy's　country　in　close
proximity　to　a　determined　and　vigilant　foe。　　Every　scout；　every　skirmish
line；　every　picket；　every　foraging　party　ran　the　risk　of　falling　into　a
Rebel　trap。　　This　was　in　addition　to　the　risk　of　capture　in　action。

The　bulk　of　the　prisoners　were　taken　from　the　Army　of　the　Potomac。　　For
this　there　were　two　reasons：　First；　that　there　were　many　more　men　in　that
Army　than　in　any　other；　and　second；　that　the　entanglement　in　the　dense
thickets　and　shrubbery　of　the　Wilderness　enabled　both　sides　to　capture
great　numbers　of　the　other's　men。　　Grant　lost　in　prisoners　from　May　5　to
May　31；　seven　thousand　four　hundred　and　fifty；　he　probably　captured　two…
thirds　of　that　number　from　the　Johnnies。

Wirz's　headquarters　were　established　in　a　large　log　house　which　had　been
built　in　the　fort　a　little　distant　from　the　southeast　corner　of　the
prison。　　Every　dayand　sometimes　twice　or　thrice　a　daywe　would　see
great　squads　of　prisoners　marched　up　to　these　headquarters；　where　they
would　be　searched；　their　names　entered　upon　the　prison　records；　by　clerks
（detailed　prisoners；　few　Rebels　had　the　requisite　clerical　skill）　and
then　be　marched　into　the　prison。　　As　they　entered；　the　Rebel　guards　would
stand　to　arms。　　The　infantry　would　be　in　line　of　battle；　the　cavalry
mounted；　and　the　artillerymen　standing　by　their　guns；　ready　to　open　at
the　instant　with　grape　and　canister。

The　disparity　between　the　number　coming　in　from　the　Army　of　the　Potomac
and　Western　armies　was　so　great；　that　we　Westerners　began　to　take　some
advantage　of　it。　　If　we　saw　a　squad　of　one　hundred　and　fifty　or
thereabouts　at　the　headquarters；　we　felt　pretty　certain　they　were　from
Sherman；　and　gathered　to　meet　them；　and　learn　the　news　from　our　friends。
If　there　were　from　five　hundred　to　two　thousand　we　knew　they　were　from
the　Army　of　the　Potomac；　and　there　were　none　of　our　comrades　among　them。
There　were　three　exceptions　to　this　rule　while　we　were　in　Andersonville。
The　first　was　in　June；　when　the　drunken　and　incompetent　Sturgis　（now
Colonel　of　the　Seventh　United　States　Cavalry）　shamefully　sacrificed　a
superb　division　at　Guntown；　Miss。　　The　next　was　after　Hood　made　his
desperate　attack　on　Sherman；　on　the　22d　of　July；　and　the　third　was　when
Stoneman　was　captured　at　Macon。　　At　each　of　these　times　about　two
thousand　prisoners　were　brought　in。

By　the　end　of　May　there　were　eighteen　thousand　four　hundred　and　fifty…
four　prisoners　in　the　Stockade。　　Before　the　reader　dismisses　this
statement　from　his　mind　let　him　reflect　how　great　a　number　this　is。
It　is　more　active；　able…bodied　young　men　than　there　are　in　any　of　our
leading　Cities；　save　New　York　and　Philadelphia。　　It　is　more　than　the
average　population　of　an　Ohio　County。　　It　is　four　times　as　many　troops　as
Taylor　won　the　victory　of　Buena　Vista　with；　and　about　twice　as　many　as
Scott　went　into　battle　with　at　any　time　in　his　march　to　the　City　of
Mexico。

These　eighteen　thousand　four　hundred　and　fifty…four　men　were　cooped　up　on
less　than　thirteen　acres　of　ground；　making　about　fifteen　hundred　to　the
acre。　　No　room　could　be　given　up　for　streets；　or　for　the　usual
arrangements　of　a　camp；　and　most　kinds　of　exercise　were　wholly　precluded。
The　men　crowded　together　like　pigs　nesting　in　the　woods　on　cold　nights。
The　ground；　despite　all　our　efforts；　became　indescribably　filthy；　and
this　condition　grew　rapidly　worse　as　the　season　advanced　and　the　sun's
rays　gained　fervency。　　As　it　is　impossible　to　describe　this　adequately；
I　must　again　ask　the　reader　to　assist　with　a　few　comparisons。　　He　has　an
idea　of　how　much　filth　is　produced；　on　an　ordinary　City　lot；　in　a　week；
by　its　occupation　by　a　family　say　of　six　persons。　　Now　let　him　imagine
what　would　be　the　result　if　that　lot；　instead　of　having　upon　it　six
persons；　with　every　appliance　for　keeping　themselves　clean；　and　for
removing　and　concealing　filth；　was　the　home　of　one　hundred　and　eight　men；
with　none　of　these　appliances。

That　he　may　figure　out　these　proportions　for　himself；　I　will　repeat　some
of　the　elements　of　the　problem：　We　will　say　that　an　average　City　lot　is
thirty　feet　front　by　one　hundred　deep。　　This　is　more　front　than　most　of
them　have；　but　we　will　be　liberal。　　This　gives　us　a　surface　of　three
thousand　square　feet。　　An　acre　contains　forty…three　thousand　five　hundred
and　sixty　square　feet。　　Upon　thirteen　of　these　acres；　we　had　eighteen
thousand　four　hundred　and　fifty…four　men。　　After　he　has　found　the　number
of　square　feet　that　each　man　had　for　sleeping　apar