andersonville-第38节

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At　first　these　depredations　were　only　perpetrated　at　night。　　The　quarry
was　selected　during　the　day；　and　arrangements　made　for　a　descent。　　After
the　victim　was　asleep　the　band　dashed　down　upon　him；　and　sheared　him　of
his　goods　with　incredible　swiftness。　　Those　near　would　raise　the　cry　of
〃Raiders！〃　and　attack　the　robbers。　　If　the　latter　had　secured　their　booty
they　retreated　with　all　possible　speed；　and　were　soon　lost　in　the　crowd。
If　not；　they　would　offer　battle；　and　signal　for　assistance　from　the　other
bands。　　Severe　engagements　of　this　kind　were　of　continual　occurrence；　in
which　men　were　so　badly　beaten　as　to　die　from　the　effects。　　The　weapons
used　were　fists；　clubs；　axes；　tent…poles；　etc。　　The　Raiders　were
plentifully　provided　with　the　usual　weapons　of　their　classslung…shots
and　brass…knuckles。　　Several　of　them　had　succeeded　in　smuggling　bowie…
knives　into　prison。

They　had　the　great　advantage　in　these　rows　of　being　well　acquainted　with
each　other；　while；　except　the　Plymouth　Pilgrims；　the　rest　of　the
prisoners　were　made　up　of　small　squads　of　men　from　each　regiment　in　the
service；　and　total　strangers　to　all　outside　of　their　own　little　band。
The　Raiders　could　concentrate；　if　necessary；　four　hundred　or　five　hundred
men　upon　any　point　of　attack；　and　each　member　of　the　gangs　had　become　so
familiarized　with　all　the　rest　by　long　association　in　New　York；　and
elsewhere；　that　he　never　dealt　a　blow　amiss；　while　their　opponents　were
nearly　as　likely　to　attack　friends　as　enemies。

By　the　middle　of　June　the　continual　success　of　the　Raiders　emboldened
them　so　that　they　no　longer　confined　their　depredations　to　the　night；
but　made　their　forays　in　broad　daylight；　and　there　was　hardly　an　hour　in
the　twenty…four　that　the　cry　of　〃Raiders！　　Raiders！〃　did；　not　go　up　from
some　part　of　the　pen；　and　on　looking　in　the　direction　of　the　cry；　one
would　see　a　surging　commotion；　men　struggling；　and　clubs　being　plied
vigorously。　　This　was　even　more　common　than　the　guards　shooting　men　at
the　Creek　crossing。

One　day　I　saw　〃Dick　Allen's　Raiders；〃　eleven　in　number；　attack　a　man
wearing　the　uniform　of　Ellett's　Marine　Brigade。　　He　was　a　recent　comer；
and　alone；　but　he　was　brave。　　He　had　come　into　possession　of　a　spade；　by
some　means　or　another；　and　he　used　this　with　delightful　vigor　and　effect。
Two　or　three　times　he　struck　one　of　his　assailants　so　fairly　on　the　head
and　with　such　good　will　that　I　congratulated　myself　that　he　had　killed
him。　　Finally；　Dick　Allen　managed　to　slip　around　behind　him　unnoticed；
and　striking　him　on　the　head　with　a　slung…shot；　knocked　him　down；　when
the　whole　crowd　pounced　upon　him　to　kill　him；　but　were　driven　off　by
others　rallying　to　his　assistance。

The　proceeds　of　these　forays　enabled　the　Raiders　to　wax　fat　and　lusty；
while　others　were　dying　from　starvation。　　They　all　had　good　tents；
constructed　of　stolen　blankets；　and　their　headquarters　was　a　large；　roomy
tent；　with　a　circular　top；　situated　on　the　street　leading　to　the　South
Gate；　and　capable　of　accommodating　from　seventy…five　to　one　hundred　men。
All　the　material　for　this　had　been　wrested　away　from　others。　　While
hundreds　were　dying　of　scurvy　and　diarrhea；　from　the　miserable；
insufficient　food；　and　lack　of　vegetables；　these　fellows　had　flour；　fresh
meat；　onions；　potatoes；　green　beans；　and　other　things；　the　very　looks　of
which　were　a　torture　to　hungry；　scorbutic；　dysenteric　men。　　They　were　on
the　best　possible　terms　with　the　Rebels；　whom　they　fawned　upon　and
groveled　before；　and　were　in　return　allowed　many　favors；　in　the　way　of
trading；　going　out　upon　detail；　and　making　purchases。

Among　their　special　objects　of　attack　were　the　small　traders　in　the
prison。　　We　had　quite　a　number　of　these　whose　genius　for　barter　was　so
strong　that　it　took　root　and　flourished　even　in　that　unpropitious　soil；
and　during　the　time　when　new　prisoners　were　constantly　coming　in　with
money；　they　managed　to　accumulate　small　sumsfrom　ten　dollars　upward；　by
trading　between　the　guards　and　the　prisoners。　　In　the　period　immediately
following　a　prisoner's　entrance　he　was　likely　to　spend　all　his　money　and
trade　off　all　his　possessions　for　food；　trusting　to　fortune　to　get　him
out　of　there　when　these　were　gone。　　Then　was　when　he　was　profitable　to
these　go…betweens；　who　managed　to　make　him　pay　handsomely　for　what　he
got。　　The　Raiders　kept　watch　of　these　traders；　and　plundered　them
whenever　occasion　served。　　It　reminded　one　of　the　habits　of　the　fishing
eagle；　which　hovers　around　until　some　other　bird　catches　a　fish；　and　then
takes　it　away。




CHAPTER　XXXV

A　COMMUNITY　WITHOUT　GOVERNMENTFORMATION　OF　THE　REGULATORSRAIDERS
ATTACK　KEY　BUT　ARE　BLUFFED　OFFASSAULT　OF　THE　REGULATORS　ON　THE　RAIDERS
DESPERATE　BATTLEOVERTHROW　OF　THE　RAIDERS。

To　fully　appreciate　the　condition　of　affairs　let　it　be　remembered　that　we
were　a　community　of　twenty…five　thousand　boys　and　young　mennone　too
regardful　of　control　at　bestand　now　wholly　destitute　of　government。
The　Rebels　never　made　the　slightest　attempt　to　maintain　order　in　the
prison。　　Their　whole　energies　were　concentrated　in　preventing　our　escape。
So　long　as　we　staid　inside　the　Stockade；　they　cared　as　little　what　we　did
there　as　for　the　performances　of　savages　in　the　interior　of　Africa。
I　doubt　if　they　would　have　interfered　had　one…half　of　us　killed　and　eaten
the　other　half。　　They　rather　took　a　delight　in　such　atrocities　as　came　to
their　notice。　　It　was　an　ocular　demonstration　of　the　total　depravity　of
the　Yankees。

Among　ourselves　there　was　no　one　in　position　to　lay　down　law　and　enforce
it。　　Being　all　enlisted　men　we　were　on　a　dead　level　as　far　as　rank　was
concernedthe　highest　being　only　Sergeants；　whose　stripes　carried　no
weight　of　authority。　　The　time　of　our　stay　wasit　was　hopedtoo
transient　to　make　it　worth　while　bothering　about　organizing　any　form　of
government。　　The　great　bulk　of　the　boys　were　recent　comers；　who　hoped
that　in　another　week　or　so　they　would　be　out　again。　　There　were　no　fat
salaries　to　tempt　any　one　to　take　upon　himself　the　duty　of　ruling　the
masses；　and　all　were　left　to　their　own　devices；　to　do　good　or　evil；
according　to　their　several　bents；　and　as　fear　of　consequences　swayed
them。　　Each　little　squad　of　men　was　a　law　unto　themselves；　and　made　and
enforced　their　own　regulations　on　their　own　territory。　The　administration
of　justice　was　reduced　to　its　simplest　terms。　　If　a　fellow　did　wrong　he
was　poundedif　there　was　anybody　capable　of　doing　it。　　If　not　he　went
free。

The　almost　unvarying　success　of　the　Raiders　intheir　forays　gave　the
general　impression　that　they　were　invinciblethat　is；　that　not　enough
men　could　be　concentrated　against　them　to　whip　them。　　Our　ill…success　in
the　attack　we　made　on　them　in　April　helped　us　to　the　same　belief。　　If　we
could　not　beat　them　then；　we　could　not　now；　after　we　had　been　enfeebled
by　months　of　starvation　and　disease。　　It　seemed　to　us　that　the　Plymouth
Pilgrims；　whose　organization　was　yet　very　strong；　should　undertake　the
task；　but；　as　is　usually　the　case　in　this　world；　where　we　think　somebody
else　ought　to　undertake　the　performance　of　a　disagreeable　public　duty；
they　did　not　see　it　in　the　light　that　we　wished　them　to。　　They
established　guards　around　their　squads；　and　helped　beat　off　the　Raiders
when　their　own　territory　was　invaded；　but　this　was　all　they　would　do。
The　rest　of　us　formed　similar　guards。　　In　the　southwest　corner　of　the
Stockadewhere　I　waswe　formed　ourselves　into　a　company　of　fifty　active
boysmostly　belonging　to　my　own　battalion　and　to　other　Illinois
regimentsof　which　I　was　elected　Captain。　　My　First　Lieutenant　was　a
tall；　taciturn；　long…armed　member　of　the　One　Hundred　and　Eleventh
Illinois；　whom　we　called　〃Egypt；〃　as　he　came　from　that　section　of　the
State。　　He　was　wonderfully　handy　with　his　fists。　　I　think　he　could　knock
a　fellow　down　so　that　he　would　fall…harder；　and　lie　longer　than　any
person　I　ever　saw。　　We　made　a　tacit　division　of　duties：　I　did　the
talking；　and　〃Egypt〃　went　through　the　manual　labor　of　knocking　our
opponents　down。　　In　the　numerous　little　encounters　in　which　our　company
was　engaged；　〃Egypt〃　would　stand　by　my　side；　silent；　grim　and　patient；
while　I　pursued　the　dialogue　with　the　leader　of　the　other　crowd。　　As　soon
as　he　thought　the　conversation　had　reached　the　proper　point；　his　long
left　arm　stretched　out　like　a　flash；　and　the　other　fellow　dropped　as　if
he　had　suddenly　come　in　range　of　a　mule　that　was　feeling　well。　　That
unexpected　left…hander　never　failed。　　It　would　have　made　Charles　Reade's
heart　leap　for　joy　to　see　it。

In　spite　of　our　company　and　our　watchfulness；　the　Raiders　beat　us　badly
on　one　occasion。　　Marion　Friend；　of　Company　I　of　our　battalion；　was　one
of　the　small　traders；　and　had　accumulated　forty　dollars　by　his　bartering。
One　evening　at　dusk　Delaney's　Raiders；　about　twenty…five　strong；　took
advantage　of　the　absence　of　most　of　us　drawing　rations；　to　make　a　rush
for　Marion。　　They　knocked　him　down；　cut　him　across　the　wrist　and　neck
with　a　razor；　and　robbed　him　of　his　forty　dollars。　　By　the　time　we　could
rally　Delaney　and　his　attendant　scoundrels　were　safe　from　pursuit　in　the
midst　of　their　friends。

This　state　of　things　had　become　unendurable。　　Sergeant　Le