andersonville-第57节

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is　to　furnish　liberal　supplies　of　well…cured　meat；　together　with　fresh
beef　and　vegetables；　and　to　enforce　a　rigid　system　of　hygiene。

10th。　　Finally；　this　gigantic　mass　of　human　misery　calls　loudly　for
relief；　not　only　for　the　sake　of　suffering　humanity；　but　also　on　account
of　our　own　brave　soldiers　now　captives　in　the　hands　of　the　Federal
Government。　　Strict　justice　to　the　gallant　men　of　the　Confederate　Armies；
who　have　been　or　who　may　be；　so　unfortunate　as　to　be　compelled　to
surrender　in　battle；　demands　that　the　Confederate　Government　should　adopt
that　course　which　will　best　secure　their　health　and　comfort　in　captivity；
or　at　least　leave　their　enemies　without　a　shadow　of　an　excuse　for　any
violation　of　the　rules　of　civilized　warfare　in　the　treatment　of
prisoners。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　＇End　of　the　Witness's　Testimony。＇


The　variationfrom　month　to　monthof　the　proportion　of　deaths　to　the
whole　number　living　is　singular　and　interesting。　　It　supports　the　theory
I　have　advanced　above；　as　the　following　facts；　taken　from　the　official
report；　will　show：
　　　　　In　April　one　in　every　sixteen　died。
　　　　　In　May　one　in　every　twenty…six　died。
　　　　　In　June　one　in　every　twenty…two　died。
　　　　　In　July　one　in　every　eighteen　died。
　　　　　In　August　one　in　every　eleven　died。
　　　　　In　September　one　in　every　three　died。
　　　　　In　October　one　in　every　two　died。
　　　　　In　November　one　in　every　three　died。

Does　the　reader　fully　understand　that　in　September　one…third　of　those　in
the　pen　died；　that　in　October　one…half　of　the　remainder　perished；　and　in
November　one…third　of　those　who　still　survived；　died？　　Let　him　pause　for
a　moment　and　read　this　over　carefully　again；　because　its　startling
magnitude　will　hardly　dawn　upon　him　at　first　reading。　　It　is　true　that
the　fearfully　disproportionate　mortality　of　those　months　was　largely　due
to　the　fact　that　it　was　mostly　the　sick　that　remained　behind；　but　even
this　diminishes　but　little　the　frightfulness　of　the　showing。　　Did　any　one
ever　hear　of　an　epidemic　so　fatal　that　one…third　of　those　attacked　by　it
in　one　month　died；　one…half　of　the　remnant　the　next　month；　and　one…third
of　the　feeble　remainder　the　next　month？　　If　he　did；　his　reading　has　been
much　more　extensive　than　mine。

The　greatest　number　of　deaths　in　one　day　is　reported　to　have　occurred　on
the　23d　of　August；　when　one　hundred　and　twenty…seven　died；　or　one　man
every　eleven　minutes。

The　greatest　number　of　prisoners　in　the　Stockade　is　stated　to　have　been
August　8；　when　there　were　thirty…three　thousand　one　hundred　and　fourteen。

I　have　always　imagined　both　these　statements　to　be　short　of　the　truth；
because　my　remembrance　is　that　one　day　in　August　I　counted　over　two
hundred　dead　lying　in　a　row。　　As　for　the　greatest　number　of　prisoners；
I　remember　quite　distinctly　standing　by　the　ration　wagon　during　the　whole
time　of　the　delivery　of　rations；　to　see　how　many　prisoners　there　really
were　inside。　　That　day　the　One　Hundred　and　Thirty…Third　Detachment　was
called；　and　its　Sergeant　came　up　and　drew　rations　for　a　full　detachment。
All　the　other　detachments　were　habitually　kept　full　by　replacing　those
who　died　with　new　comers。　　As　each　detachment　consisted　of　two　hundred
and　seventy　men；　one　hundred　and　thirty…three　detachments　would　make
thirty…five　thousand　nine　hundred　and　ten；　exclusive　of　those　in　the
hospital；　and　those　detailed　outside　as　cooks；　clerks；　hospital
attendants　and　various　other　employmentssay　from　one　to　two　thousand
more。




CHAPTER　XLIII。

DIFFICULTY　OF　EXERCISINGEMBARRASSMENTS　OF　A　MORNING　WALKTHE　RIALTO
OF　THE　PRISONCURSING　THE　SOUTHERN　CONFEDERACYTHE　STORY　OF　THE　BATTLE
OF　SPOTTSYLVANIA　COURTHOUSE。

Certainly；　in　no　other　great　community；　that　ever　existed　upon　the　face
of　the　globe　was　there　so　little　daily　ebb　and　flow　as　in　this。　　Dull　as
an　ordinary　Town　or　City　may　be；　however　monotonous；　eventless；　even
stupid　the　lives　of　its　citizens；　there　is　yet；　nevertheless；　a　flow
every　day　of　its　life…bloodits　population　towards　its　heart；　and　an　ebb
of　the　same；　every　evening　towards　its　extremities。　　These　recurring
tides　mingle　all　classes　together　and　promote　the　general　healthfulness；
as　the　constant　motion　hither　and　yon　of　the　ocean's　waters　purify　and
sweeten　them。

The　lack　of　these　helped　vastly　to　make　the　living　mass　inside　the
Stockade　a　human　Dead　Seaor　rather　a　Dying　Seaa　putrefying；　stinking
lake；　resolving　itself　into　phosphorescent　corruption；　like　those　rotting
southern　seas；　whose　seething　filth　burns　in　hideous　reds；　and　ghastly
greens　and　yellows。

Being　little　call　for　motion　of　any　kind；　and　no　room　to　exercise
whatever　wish　there　might　be　in　that　direction；　very　many　succumbed
unresistingly　to　the　apathy　which　was　so　strongly　favored　by　despondency
and　the　weakness　induced　by　continual　hunger；　and　lying　supinely　on　the
hot　sand；　day　in　and　day　out；　speedily　brought　themselves　into　such　a
condition　as　invited　the　attacks　of　disease。

It　required　both　determination　and　effort　to　take　a　little　walking
exercise。　　The　ground　was　so　densely　crowded　with　holes　and　other　devices
for　shelter　that　it　took　one　at　least　ten　minutes　to　pick　his　way　through
the　narrow　and　tortuous　labyrinth　which　served　as　paths　for　communication
between　different　parts　of　the　Camp。　　Still　further；　there　was　nothing　to
see　anywhere　or　to　form　sufficient　inducement　for　any　one　to　make　so
laborious　a　journey。　　One　simply　encountered　at　every　new　step　the　same
unwelcome　sights　that　he　had　just　left；　there　was　a　monotony　in　the
misery　as　in　everything　else；　and　consequently　the　temptation　to　sit　or
lie　still　in　one's　own　quarters　became　very　great。

I　used　to　make　it　a　point　to　go　to　some　of　the　remoter　parts　of　the
Stockade　once　every　day；　simply　for　exercise。　　One　can　gain　some　idea　of
the　crowd；　and　the　difficulty　of　making　one's　way　through　it；　when　I　say
that　no　point　in　the　prison　could　be　more　than　fifteen　hundred　feet　from
where　I　staid；　and；　had　the　way　been　clear；　I　could　have　walked　thither
and　back　in　at　most　a　half　an　hour；　yet　it　usually　took　me　from　two　to
three　hours　to　make　one　of　these　journeys。

This　daily　trip；　a　few　visits　to　the　Creek　to　wash　all　over；　a　few　games
of　chess；　attendance　upon　roll　call；　drawing　rations；　cooking　and　eating
the　same；　〃lousing〃　my　fragments　of　clothes；　and　doing　some　little　duties
for　my　sick　and　helpless　comrades；　constituted　the　daily　routine　for
myself；　as　for　most　of　the　active　youths　in　the　prison。

The　Creek　was　the　great　meeting　point　for　all　inside　the　Stockade。
All　able　to　walk　were　certain　to　be　there　at　least　once　during　the　day；
and　we　made　it　a　rendezvous；　a　place　to　exchange　gossip；　discuss　the
latest　news；　canvass　the　prospects　of　exchange；　and；　most　of　all；
to　curse　the　Rebels。　　Indeed　no　conversation　ever　progressed　very　far
without　both　speaker　and　listener　taking　frequent　rests　to　say　bitter
things　as　to　the　Rebels　generally；　and　Wirz；　Winder　and　Davis　in
particular。

A　conversation　between　two　boysstrangers　to　each　other　who　came　to　the
Creek　to　wash　themselves　or　their　clothes；　or　for　some　other　purpose；
would　progress　thus：

First　Boy〃I　belong　to　the　Second　Corps；Hancock's；　＇the　Army　of　the
Potomac　boys　always　mentioned　what　Corps　they　belonged　to；　where　the
Western　boys　stated　their　Regiment。＇　　They　got　me　at　Spottsylvania；　when
they　were　butting　their　heads　against　our　breast…works；　trying　to　get
even　with　us　for　gobbling　up　Johnson　in　the　morning；〃He　stops　suddenly
and　changes　tone　to　say：　〃I　hope　to　God；　that　when　our　folks　get
Richmond；　they　will　put　old　Ben　Butler　in　command　of　it；　with　orders　to
limb；　skin　and　jayhawk　it　worse　than　he　did　New　Orleans。〃

Second　Boy；　（fervently　：）　〃I　wish　to　God　he　would；　and　that　he'd　catch
old　Jeff。；　and　that　grayheaded　devil；　Winder；　and　the　old　Dutch　Captain；
strip　'em　just　as　we　were；　put　'em　in　this　pen；　with　just　the　rations
they　are　givin'　us；　and　set　a　guard　of　plantation　niggers　over　'em；　with
orders　to　blow　their　whole　infernal　heads　off；　if　they　dared　so　much　as
to　look　at　the　dead　line。〃

First　Boy（returning　to　the　story　of　his　capture。）　〃Old　Hancock　caught
the　Johnnies　that　morning　the　neatest　you　ever　saw　anything　in　your　life。
After　the　two　armies　had　murdered　each　other　for　four　or　five　days　in　the
Wilderness；　by　fighting　so　close　together　that　much　of　the　time　you　could
almost　shake　hands　with　the　Graybacks；　both　hauled　off　a　little；　and　lay
and　glowered　at　each　other。　　Each　side　had　lost　about　twenty　thousand　men
in　learning　that　if　it　attacked　the　other　it　would　get　mashed　fine。
So　each　built　a　line　of　works　and　lay　behind　them；　and　tried　to　nag　the
other　into　coming　out　and　attacking。　　At　Spottsylvania　our　lines　and
those　of　the　Johnnies　weren't　twelve　hundred　yards　apart。　　The　ground　was
clear　and　clean　between　them；　and　any　force　that　attempted　to　cross　it　to
attack　would　be　cut　to　pieces；　as　sure　as　anything。　　We　laid　there　three
or　four　days　watching　each　otherjust　like　boys　at　school；　who　shake
fists　and　dare　each　other。　　At　one　place　the　Rebel　line　ran　out　towards
us　like　the　top　of　a　great　letter　'A。'　The　night　of　the　11th　of　May　it
rained　very　hard；　and　then　came　a　fog　so　thick