andersonville-第62节
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invitations of this kind from Englishmen； and especially from those who；
like Marriott； have served a term in the army； for they are likely to be
so handy with their fists as to make the consequences of an acceptance
more lively than desirable。
So the Sergeant found。 〃Marriott；〃 as one of the spectators expressed
it； 〃went around him like a cooper around a barrel。〃 He planted his
blows just where he wished； to the intense delight of the boys； who
yelled enthusiastically whenever he got in 〃a hot one；〃 and their delight
at seeing the Sergeant drubbed so thoroughly and artistically； worked an
entire revolution in his favor。
Thenceforward we viewed his eccentricities with lenient eyes； and became
rather proud of his bull…dog stolidity and surliness。 The whole
battalion soon came to share this feeling； and everybody enjoyed hearing
his deep…toned growl； which mischievous boys would incite by some petty
annoyances deliberately designed for that purpose。 I will mention
incidentally； that after his encounter with the Sergeant no one ever
again volunteered to 〃polish〃 him off。
Andersonville did not improve either his temper or his communicativeness。
He seemed to want to get as far away from the rest of us as possible；
and took up his quarters in a remote corner of the Stockade； among utter
strangers。 Those of us who wandered up in his neighborhood occasionally；
to see how he was getting along； were received with such scant courtesy；
that we did not hasten to repeat the visit。 At length； after none of us
had seen him for weeks； we thought that comradeship demanded another
visit。 We found him in the last stages of scurvy and diarrhea。 Chunks
of uneaten corn bread lay by his head。 They were at least a week old。
The rations since then had evidently been stolen from the helpless man by
those around him。 The place where he lay was indescribably filthy； and
his body was swarming with vermin。 Some good Samaritan had filled his
little black oyster can with water； and placed it within his reach。
For a week； at least； he had not been able to rise from the ground；
he could barely reach for the water near him。 He gave us such a glare of
recognition as I remembered to have seen light up the fast…darkening eyes
of a savage old mastiff； that I and my boyish companions once found dying
in the woods of disease and hurts。 Had he been able he would have driven
us away； or at least assailed us with biting English epithets。 Thus he
had doubtless driven away all those who had attempted to help him。
We did what little we could； and staid with him until the next afternoon；
when he died。 We prepared his body； in the customary way： folded the
hands across his breast； tied the toes together； and carried it outside；
not forgetting each of us； to bring back a load of wood。
The scarcity of mechanics of all kinds in the Confederacy； and the urgent
needs of the people for many things which the war and the blockade
prevented their obtaining； led to continual inducements being offered to
the artizans among us to go outside and work at their trade。 Shoemakers
seemed most in demand； next to these blacksmiths； machinists； molders and
metal workers generally。 Not a week passed during my imprisonment that I
did not see a Rebel emissary of some kind about the prison seeking to
engage skilled workmen for some purpose or another。 While in Richmond
the managers of the Tredegar Iron Works were brazen and persistent in
their efforts to seduce what are termed 〃malleable iron workers；〃 to
enter their employ。 A boy who was master of any one of the commoner
trades had but to make his wishes known； and he would be allowed to go
out on parole to work。 I was a printer； and I think that at least a
dozen times I was approached by Rebel publishers with offers of a parole；
and work at good prices。 One from Columbia； S。 C。； offered me two
dollars and a half a 〃thousand〃 for composition。 As the highest price
for such work that I had received before enlisting was thirty cents a
thousand； this seemed a chance to accumulate u4told wealth。 Since a man
working in day time can set from thirty…five to fifty 〃thousand〃 a week；
this would make weekly wages run from eighty…seven dollars and fifty
cents to one hundred and twenty…five dollarsbut it was in Confederate
money； then worth from ten to twenty cents on the dollar。
Still better offers were made to iron workers of all kinds；
to shoemakers； tanners； weavers； tailors； hatters； engineers； machinists；
millers； railroad men； and similar tradesmen。 Any of these could have
made a handsome thing by accepting the offers made them almost weekly。
As nearly all in the prison had useful trades； it would have been of
immense benefit to the Confederacy if they could have been induced to
work at them。 There is no measuring the benefit it would have been to
the Southern cause if all the hundreds of tanners and shoemakers in the
Stockade could have； been persuaded to go outside and labor in providing
leather and shoes for the almost shoeless people and soldiery。 The
machinists alone could have done more good to the Southern Confederacy
than one of our brigades was doing harm； by consenting to go to the
railroad shops at Griswoldville and ply their handicraft。 The lack of
material resources in the South was one of the strongest allies our arms
had。 This lack of resources was primarily caused by a lack of skilled
labor to develop those resources； and nowhere could there be found a
finer collection of skilled laborers than in the thirty…three thousand
prisoners incarcerated in Andersonville。
All solicitations to accept a parole and go outside to work at one's
trade were treated with the scorn they deserved。 If any mechanic yielded
to them； the fact did not come under my notice。 The usual reply to
invitations of this kind was：
〃No； Sir！ By God； I'll stay in here till I rot； and the maggots carry me
out through the cracks in the Stockade； before I'll so much as raise my
little finger to help the infernal Confederacy； or Rebels； in any shape
or form。〃
In August a Macon shoemaker came in to get some of his trade to go back
with him to work in the Confederate shoe factory。 He prosecuted his
search for these until he reached the center of the camp on the North
Side； when some of the shoemakers who had gathered around him； apparently
considering his propositions； seized him and threw him into a well。
He was kept there a whole day； and only released when Wirz cut off the
rations of the prison for that day； and announced that no more would be
issued until the man was returned safe and sound to the gate。
The terrible crowding was somewhat ameliorated by the opening in July of
an additionsix hundred feet longto the North Side of the Stockade。
This increased the room inside to twenty acres； giving about an acre to
every one thousand seven hundred men；a preposterously contracted area
still。 The new ground was not a hotbed of virulent poison like the olds
however； and those who moved on to it had that much in their favor。
The palisades between the new and the old portions of the pen were left
standing when the new portion was opened。 We were still suffering a
great deal of inconvenience from lack of wood。 That night the standing
timbers were attacked by thousands of prisoners armed with every species
of a tool to cut wood； from a case…knife to an ax。 They worked the live…
long night with such energy that by morning not only every inch of the
logs above ground had disappeared； but that below had been dug up； and
there was not enough left of the eight hundred foot wall of twenty…five…
foot logs to make a box of matches。
One afternoonearly in Augustone of the violent rain storms common to
that section sprung up； and in a little while the water was falling in
torrents。 The little creek running through the camp swelled up
immensely； and swept out large gaps in the Stockade； both in the west and
east sides。 The Rebels noticed the breaches as soon as the prisoners。
Two guns were fired from the Star Tort； and all the guards rushed out；
and formed so as to prevent any egress； if one was attempted。 Taken by
surprise； we were not in a condition to profit by the opportunity until
it was too late。
The storm did one good thing： it swept away a great deal of filth； and
left the camp much more wholesome。 The foul stench rising from the camp
made an excellent electrical conductor； and the lightning struck several
times within one hundred feet of the prison。
Toward the end of August there happened what the religously inclined
termed a Providential Dispensation。 The water in the Creek was
indescribably bad。 No amount of familiarity with it； no increase of
intimacy with our offensive surroundings； could lessen the disgust at the
polluted water。 As I have said previously； before the stream entered the
Stockade； it was rendered too filthy for any use by the contaminations
from the camps of the guards； situated about a half…mile above。
Immediately on entering the Stockade the contamination became terrible。
The oozy seep at the bottom of the hillsides drained directly into it all
the mass of filth from a population o
