andersonville-第39节

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midst　of　their　friends。

This　state　of　things　had　become　unendurable。　　Sergeant　Leroy　L。　Key；
of　Company　M；　our　battalion；　resolved　to　make　an　effort　to　crush　the
Raiders。　　He　was　a　printer；　from　Bloomington；　Illinois；　tall；　dark；
intelligent　and　strong…willed；　and　one　of　the　bravest　men　I　ever　knew。
He　was　ably　seconded　by　〃Limber　Jim；〃　of　the　Sixty…Seventh　Illinois；
whose　lithe；　sinewy　form；　and　striking　features　reminded　one　of　a　young
Sioux　brave。　　He　had　all　of　Key's　desperate　courage；　but　not　his　brains
or　his　talent　for　leadership。　　Though　fearfully　reduced　in　numbers；　our
battalion　had　still　about　one　hundred　well　men　in　it；　and　these　formed
the　nucleus　for　Key's　band　of　〃Regulators；〃　as　they　were　styled。　　Among
them　were　several　who　had　no　equals　in　physical　strength　and　courage　in
any　of　the　Raider　chiefs。　　Our　best　man　was　Ned　Carrigan；　Corporal　of
Company　I；　from　Chicagowho　was　so　confessedly　the　best　man　in　the　whole
prison　that　he　was　never　called　upon　to　demonstrate　it。　　He　was　a　big…
hearted；　genial　Irish　boy；　who　was　never　known　to　get　into　trouble　on　his
own　account；　but　only　used　his　fists　when　some　of　his　comrades　were
imposed　upon。　　He　had　fought　in　the　ring；　and　on　one　occasion　had　killed
a　man　with　a　single　blow　of　his　fist；　in　a　prize　fight　near　St。　Louis。
We　were　all　very　proud　of　him；　and　it　was　as　good　as　an　entertainment　to
us　to　see　the　noisiest　roughs　subside　into　deferential　silence　as　Ned
would　come　among　them；　like　some　grand　mastiff　in　the　midst　of　a　pack　of
yelping　curs。　　Ned　entered　into　the　regulating　scheme　heartily。　　Other
stalwart　specimens　of　physical　manhood　in　our　battalion　were　Sergeant
Goody；　Ned　Johnson；　Tom　Larkin；　and　others；　who；　while　not　approaching
Carrigan's　perfect　manhood；　were　still　more　than　a　match　for　the　best　of
the　Raiders。

Key　proceeded　with　the　greatest　secrecy　in　the　organization　of　his
forces。　　He　accepted　none　but　Western　men；　and　preferred　Illinoisans；
Iowans；　Kansans；　Indianians　and　Ohioans。　　The　boys　from　those　States
seemed　to　naturally　go　together；　and　be　moved　by　the　same　motives。
He　informed　Wirz　what　he　proposed　doing；　so　that　any　unusual　commotion
within　the　prison　might　not　be　mistaken　for　an　attempt　upon　the　Stockade；
and　made　the　excuse　for　opening　with　the　artillery。　　Wirz；　who　happened
to　be　in　a　complaisant　humor；　approved　of　the　design；　and　allowed　him　the
use　of　the　enclosure　of　the　North　Gate　to　confine　his　prisoners　in。

In　spite　of　Key's　efforts　at　secrecy；　information　as　to　his　scheme
reached　the　Raiders。　　It　was　debated　at　their　headquarters；　and　decided
there　that　Key　must　be　killed。　　Three　men　were　selected　to　do　this　work。
They　called　on　Key；　a　dusk；　on　the　evening　of　the　2d　of　July。　　In
response　to　their　inquiries；　he　came　out　of　the　blanket…covered　hole　on
the　hillside　that　he　called　his　tent。　　They　told　him　what　they　had　heard；
and　asked　if　it　was　true。　　He　said　it　was。　　One　of　them　then　drew　a
knife；　and　the　other　two；　〃billies〃　to　attack　him。　　But；　anticipating
trouble；　Key　had　procured　a　revolver　which　one　of　the　Pilgrims　had
brought　in　in　his　knapsack　and　drawing　this　he　drove　them　off；　but
without　firing　a　shot。

The　occurrence　caused　the　greatest　excitement。　　To　us　of　the　Regulators
it　showed　that　the　Raiders　had　penetrated　our　designs；　and　were　prepared
for　them。　　To　the　great　majority　of　the　prisoners　it　was　the　first
intimation　that　such　a　thing　was　contemplated；　the　news　spread　from　squad
to　squad　with　the　greatest　rapidity；　and　soon　everybody　was　discussing
the　chances　of　the　movement。　　For　awhile　men　ceased　their　interminable
discussion　of　escape　and　exchangelet　those　over　worked　words　and　themes
have　a　rare　spell　of　reposeand　debated　whether　the　Raiders　would　whip
the　regulators；　oi　the　Regulators　conquer　the　Raiders。　　The　reasons　which
I　have　previously　enumerated；　induced　a　general　disbelief　in　the
probability　of　our　success。　　The　Raiders　were　in　good　health　well　fed；
used　to　operating　together；　and　had　the　confidence　begotten　by　a　long
series　of　successes。　　The　Regulators　lacked　in　all　these　respects。

Whether　Key　had　originally　fixed　on　the　next　day　for　making　the　attack；
or　whether　this　affair　precipitated　the　crisis；　I　know　not；　but　later　in
the　evening　he　sent　us　all　order：　to　be　on　our　guard　all　night；　and　ready
for　action　the　next　morning。

There　was　very　little　sleep　anywhere　that　night。　　The　Rebels　learned
through　their　spies　that　something　unusual　was　going　on　inside；　and　as
their　only　interpretation　of　anything　unusual　there　was　a　design　upon　the
Stockade；　they　strengthened　the　guards；　took　additional　precautions　in
every　way；　and　spent　the　hours　in　anxious　anticipation。

We；　fearing　that　the　Raiders　might　attempt　to　frustrate　the　scheme　by　an
attack　in　overpowering　force　on　Key's　squad；　which　would　be　accompanied
by　the　assassination　of　him　and　Limber　Jim；　held　ourselves　in　readiness
to　offer　any　assistance　that　might　be　needed。

The　Raiders；　though　confident　of　success；　were　no　less　exercised。　　They
threw　out　pickets　to　all　the　approaches　to　their　headquarters；　and
provided　otherwise　against　surprise。　　They　had　smuggled　in　some　canteens
of　a　cheap；　vile　whisky　made　from　sorghumand　they　grew　quite　hilarious
in　their　Big　Tent　over　their　potations。　　Two　songs　had　long　ago　been
accepted　by　us　as　peculiarly　the　Raiders'　ownas　some　one　in　their　crowd
sang　them　nearly　every　evening；　and　we　never　heard　them　anywhere　else。
The　first　began：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　In　Athol　lived　a　man　named　Jerry　Lanagan；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　He　battered　away　till　he　hadn't　a　pound。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　His　father　he　died；　and　he　made　him　a　man　agin；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Left　him　a　farm　of　ten　acres　of　ground。

The　other　related　the　exploits　of　an　Irish　highwayman　named　Brennan；
whose　chief　virtue　was　that

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　What　he　rob…bed　from　the　rich　he　gave　unto　the　poor。

And　this　was　the　villainous　chorus　in　which　they　all　joined；　and　sang　in
such　a　way　as　suggested　highway　robbery；　murder；　mayhem　and　arson：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Brennan　on　the　moor！
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Brennan　on　the　moor！
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Proud　and　undaunted　stood
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　John　Brennan　on　the　moor。

They　howled　these　two　yearly　the　live…long　night。　　They　became　eventually
quite　monotonous　to　us；　who　were　waiting　and　watching。　　It　would　have
been　quite　a　relief　if　they　had　thrown　in　a　new　one　every　hour　or　so；
by　way　of　variety。

Morning　at　last　came。　　Our　companies　mustered　on　their　grounds；　and　then
marched　to　the　space　on　the　South　Side　where　the　rations　were　issued。
Each　man　was　armed　with　a　small　club；　secured　to　his　wrist　by　a　string。

The　Rebelswith　their　chronic　fear　of　an　outbreak　animating　themhad
all　the　infantry　in　line　of　battle　with　loaded　guns。　　The　cannon　in　the
works　were　shotted；　the　fuses　thrust　into　the　touch…holes　and　the　men
stood　with　lanyards　in　hand　ready　to　mow　down　everybody；　at　any　instant。

The　sun　rose　rapidly　through　the　clear　sky；　which　soon　glowed　down　on　us
like　a　brazen　oven。　　The　whole　camp　gathered　where　it　could　best　view　the
encounter。　　This　was　upon　the　North　Side。　　As　I　have　before　explained　the
two　sides　sloped　toward　each　other　like　those　of　a　great　trough。　　The
Raiders'　headquarters　stood　upon　the　center　of　the　southern　slope；　and
consequently　those　standing　on　the　northern　slope　saw　everything　as　if
upon　the　stage　of　a　theater。

While　standing　in　ranks　waiting　the　orders　to　move；　one　of　my　comrades
touched　me　on　the　arm；　and　said：

〃My　God！　　just　look　over　there！〃

I　turned　from　watching　the　Rebel　artillerists；　whose　intentions　gave　me
more　uneasiness　than　anything　else；　and　looked　in　the　direction　indicated
by　the　speaker。　　The　sight　was　the　strangest　one　my　eyes　ever
encountered。　　There　were　at　least　fifteen　thousand　perhaps　twenty
thousandmen　packed　together　on　the　bank；　and　every　eye　was　turned　on
us。　　The　slope　was　such　that　each　man's　face　showed　over　the　shoulders　of
the　one　in　front　of　him；　making　acres　on　acres　of　faces。　　It　was　as　if
the　whole　broad　hillside　was　paved　or　thatched　with　human　countenances。

When　all　was　ready　we　moved　down　upon　the　Big　Tent；　in　as　good　order　as
we　could　preserve　while　passing　through　the　narrow　tortuous　paths　between
the　tents。　　Key；　Limber　Jim；　Ned　Carigan；　Goody；　Tom　Larkin；　and　Ned
Johnson　led　the　advance　with　their　companies。　　The　prison　was　as　silent
as　a　graveyard。　　As　we　approached；　the　Raiders　massed　themselves　in　a
strong；　heavy　line；　with　the　center；　against　which　our　advance　was
moving；　held　by　the　most　redoubtable　of　their　leaders。　　How　many　there
were　of　them　could　not　be　told；　as　it　was　impossible　to　say　where　their
line　ended　and　the　mass　of　spectators　began。　　They　could　not　themselves
tell；　as　the　attitude　of　a　large　portion　of　the　spectators　would　be
determined　by　which　way　the　battle　went。

Not　a　blow　was　struck　until　the　lines　came　close　together。　　Then　the
Raider　center　launched　itself　forward　against　ours；　and　grappled　savagely
with　the　leading　Regulators。　　For　an　instantit　seemed　an　hourthe
struggle　was　desperate。

Strong；　fierce　men　clenched　and　strove　to　throttle　each　other；　great
muscles　strained　almost　to　bursting；　and　blows　with　fist