andersonville-第51节

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I　am　pretty　certain　that　I　should　have　ended　the　matter　by　crossing　the
Dead　Line。　　I　was　firmly　resolved　not　to　die　the　disgusting；　agonizing
death　that　so　many　around　me　were　dying。

One　of　our　best　purveyors　of　information　was　a　bright；　blue…eyed；　fair…
haired　little　drummer　boy；　as　handsome　as　a　girl；　well…bred　as　a　lady；
and　evidently　the　darling　of　some　refined　loving　mother。　　He　belonged；
I　think；　to　some　loyal　Virginia　regiment；　was　captured　in　one　of　the
actions　in　the　Shenandoa　Valley；　and　had　been　with　us　in　Richmond。
We　called　him　〃Red　Cap；〃　from　his　wearing　a　jaunty；　gold…laced；　crimson
cap。　　Ordinarily；　the　smaller　a　drummer　boy　is　the　harder　he　is；　but　no
amount　of　attrition　with　rough　men　could　coarse　the　ingrained　refinement
of　Red　Cap's　manners。　　He　was　between　thirteen　and　fourteen；　and　it
seemed　utterly　shameful　that　men；　calling　themselves　soldier　should　make
war　on　such　a　tender　boy　and　drag　him　off　to　prison。

But　no　six…footer　had　a　more　soldierly　heart　than　little　Red　Cap；　and
none　were　more　loyal　to　the　cause。　　It　was　a　pleasure　to　hear　him　tell
the　story　of　the　fights　and　movements　his　regiment　had　been　engaged　in。
He　was　a　good　observer　and　told　his　tale　with　boyish　fervor。　　Shortly
after　Wirz　assumed　command　he　took　Red　Cap　into　his　office　as　an　Orderly。
His　bright　face　and　winning　manner；　fascinated　the　women　visitors　at
headquarters；　and　numbers　of　them　tried　to　adopt　him；　but　with　poor
success。　　Like　the　rest　of　us；　he　could　see　few　charms　in　an　existence
under　the　Rebel　flag；　and　turned　a　deaf　ear　to　their　blandishments。
He　kept　his　ears　open　to　the　conversation　of　the　Rebel　officers　around
him；　and　frequently　secured　permission　to　visit　the　interior　of　the
Stockade；　when　he　would　communicate　to　us　all　that　he　has　heard。
He　received　a　flattering　reception　every　time　he　cams　in；　and　no　orator
ever　secured　a　more　attentive　audience　than　would　gather　around　him　to
listen　to　what　he　had　to　say。　　He　was；　beyond　a　doubt；　the　best　known　and
most　popular　person　in　the　prison；　and　I　know　all　the　survivors　of　his
old　admirer；　share　my　great　interest　in　him；　and　my　curiosity　as　to
whether　he　yet　lives；　and　whether　his　subsequent　career　has　justified　the
sanguine　hopes　we　all　had　as　to　his　future。　　I　hope　that　if　he　sees　this；
or　any　one　who　knows　anything　about　him；　he　will　communicate　with　me。
There　are　thousands　who　will　be　glad　to　hear　from　him。

＇A　most　remarkable　coincidence　occurred　in　regard　to　this　comrade。
Several　days　after　the　above　had　been　written；　and　〃set　up；〃　but　before
it　had　yet　appeared　in　the　paper；　I　received　the　following　letter：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ECKHART　MINES；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Alleghany　County；　Md。；　March　24。

To　the　Editor　of　the　BLADE：

Last　evening　I　saw　a　copy　of　your　paper；　in　which　was　a　chapter　or　two　of
a　prison　life　of　a　soldier　during　the　late　war。　　I　was　forcibly　struck
with　the　correctness　of　what　he　wrote；　and　the　names　of　several　of　my　old
comrades　which　he　quoted：　Hill；　Limber　Jim；　etc。；　etc。　　I　was　a　drummer
boy　of　Company　I；　Tenth　West　Virginia　Infantry；　and　was　fifteen　years　of
age　a　day　or　two　after　arriving　in　Andersonville；　which　was　in　the　last
of　February；　1884。　　Nineteen　of　my　comrades　were　there　with　me；　and；　poor
fellows；　they　are　there　yet。　　I　have　no　doubt　that　I　would　have　remained
there；　too；　had　I　not　been　more　fortunate。

I　do　not　know　who　your　soldier　correspondent　is；　but　assume　to　say　that
from　the　following　description　he　will　remember　having　seen　me　in
Andersonville：　I　was　the　little　boy　that　for　three　or　four　months
officiated　as　orderly　for　Captain　Wirz。　　I　wore　a　red　cap；　and　every　day
could　be　seen　riding　Wirz's　gray　mare；　either　at　headquarters；　or　about
the　Stockade。　　I　was　acting　in　this　capacity　when　the　six　raiders
〃Mosby；〃　（proper　name　Collins）　Delaney；　Curtis；　andI　forget　the　other
nameswere　executed。　　I　believe　that　I　was　the　first　that　conveyed　the
intelligence　to　them　that　Confederate　General　Winder　had　approved　their
sentence。　　As　soon　as　Wirz　received　the　dispatch　to　that　effect；　I　ran
down　to　the　stocks　and　told　them。

I　visited　Hill；　of　Wauseon；　Fulton　County；　O。；　since　the　war；　and　found
him　hale　and　hearty。　　I　have　not　heard　from　him　for　a　number　of　years
until　reading　your　correspondent's　letter　last　evening。　　It　is　the　only
letter　of　the　series　that　I　have　seen；　but　after　reading　that　one；　I　feel
called　upon　to　certify　that　I　have　no　doubts　of　the　truthfulness　of　your
correspondent's　story。　　The　world　will　never　know　or　believe　the　horrors
of　Andersonville　and　other　prisons　in　the　South。　　No　living；　human　being；
in　my　judgment；　will　ever　be　able　to　properly　paint　the　horrors　of　those
infernal　dens。

I　formed　the　acquaintance　of　several　Ohio　soldiers　whilst　in　prison。
Among　these　were　O。　D。　Streeter；　of　Cleveland；　who　went　to　Andersonville
about　the　same　time　that　I　did；　and　escaped；　and　was　the　only　man　that　I
ever　knew　that　escaped　and　reached　our　lines。　　After　an　absence　of
several　months　he　was　retaken　in　one　of　Sherman's　battles　before　Atlanta；
and　brought　back。　　I　also　knew　John　L。　Richards；　of　Fostoria；　Seneca
County；　O。　or　Eaglesville；　Wood　County。　　Also；　a　man　by　the　name　of
Beverly；　who　was　a　partner　of　Charley　Aucklebv；　of　Tennessee。　　I　would
like　to　hear　from　all　of　these　parties。　　They　all　know　me。

Mr。　Editor；　I　will　close　by　wishing　all　my　comrades　who　shared　in　the
sufferings　and　dangers　of　Confederate　prisons；　a　long　and　useful　life。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Yours　truly；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　RANSOM　T。　POWELL




CHAPTER　XLII

SOME　FEATURES　OF　THE　MORTALITYPERCENTAGE　OF　DEATHS　TO　THOSE　LIVING
AN　AVERAGE　MEAN　ONLY　STANDS　THE　MISERY　THREE　MONTHSDESCRIPTION　OF　THE
PRISON　AND　THE　CONDITION　OF　THE　MEN　THEREIN；　BY　A　LEADING　SCIENTIFIC　MAN
OF　THE　SOUTH。

Speaking　of　the　manner　in　which　the　Plymouth　Pilgrims　were　now　dying；
I　am　reminded　of　my　theory　that　the　ordinary　man's　endurance　of　this
prison　life　did　not　average　over　three　months。　　The　Plymouth　boys　arrived
in　May；　the　bulk　of　those　who　died　passed　away　in　July　and　August。
The　　great　increase　of　prisoners　from　all　sources　was　in　May；　June　and
July。　　The　greatest　mortality　among　these　was　in　August；　September　and
October。

Many　came　in　who　had　been　in　good　health　during　their　service　in　the
field；　but　who　seemed　utterly　overwhelmed　by　the　appalling　misery　they
saw　on　every　hand；　and　giving　way　to　despondency；　died　in　a　few　days　or
weeks。　　I　do　not　mean　to　include　them　in　the　above　class；　as　their
sickness　was　more　mental　than　physical。　　my　idea　is　that；　taking　one
hundred　ordinarily　healthful　young　soldiers　from　a　regiment　in　active
service；　and　putting　them　into　Andersonville；　by　the　end　of　the　third
month　at　least　thirty…three　of　those　weakest　and　most　vulnerable　to
disease　would　have　succumbed　to　the　exposure；　the　pollution　of　ground　and
air；　and　the　insufficiency　of　the　ration　of　coarse　corn　meal。　　After　this
the　mortality　would　be　somewhat　less；　say　at　the　end　of　six　months　fifty
of　them　would　be　dead。　　The　remainder　would　hang　on　still　more
tenaciously；　and　at　the　end　of　a　year　there　would　be　fifteen　or　twenty
still　alive。　　There　were　sixty…three　of　my　company　taken；　thirteen　lived
through。　　I　believe　this　was　about　the　usual　proportion　for　those　who
were　in　as　long　as　we。　　In　all　there　were　forty…five　thousand　six　hundred
and　thirteen　prisoners　brought　into　Andersonville。　　Of　these　twelve
thousand　nine　hundred　and　twelve　died　there；　to　say　nothing　of　thousands
that　died　in　other　prisons　in　Georgia　and　the　Carolinas；　immediately
after　their　removal　from　Andersonville。　　One　of　every　three　and　a…half
men　upon　whom　the　gates　of　the　Stockade　closed　never　repassed　them　alive。
Twenty…nine　per　cent。　of　the　boys　who　so　much　as　set　foot　in
Andersonville　died　there。　　Let　it　be　kept　in　mind　all　the　time；　that　the
average　stay　of　a　prisoner　there　was　not　four　months。　　The　great　majority
came　in　after　the　1st　of　May；　and　left　before　the　middle　of　September。
May　1；　1864；　there　were　ten　thousand　four　hundred　and　twenty…seven　in　the
Stockade。　　August　8　there　were　thirty…three　thousand　one　hundred　and
fourteen；　September　30　all　these　were　dead　or　gone；　except　eight　thousand
two　hundred　and　eighteen；　of　whom　four　thousand　five　hundred　and　ninety
died　inside　of　the　next　thirty　days。　　The　records　of　the　world　can　shove
no　parallel　to　this　astounding　mortality。

Since　the　above　matter　was　first　published　in　the　BLADE；　a　friend　has
sent　me　a　transcript　of　the　evidence　at　the　Wirz　trial；　of　Professor
Joseph　Jones；　a　Surgeon　of　high　rank　in　the　Rebel　Army；　and　who　stood　at
the　head　of　the　medical　profession　in　Georgia。　　He　visited　Andersonville
at　the　instance　of　the　Surgeon…General　of　the　Confederate　States'　Army；
to　make　a　study；　for　the　benefit　of　science；　of　the　phenomena　of　disease
occurring　there。　　His　capacity　and　opportunities　for　observation；　and　for
clearly　estimating　the　value　of　the　facts　coming　under　his　notice　were；
of　course；　vastly　superior　to　mine；　and　as　he　states　the　case　stronger
than　I　dare　to；　for　fear　of　being　accused　of　exaggeration　and　d