andersonville-第75节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


since　the　fall　of　Atlanta。

He　was　sent　back　to　us　at　Savannah。　　As　he　came　into　the　prison　gate
Lieutenant　Davis　was　standing　near。　　He　looked　sternly　at　Frank　and　his
Rebel　garments；　and　muttering；

〃By　God；　I'll　stop　this！〃　caught　the　coat　by　the　tails；　tore　it　to　the
collar；　and　took　it　and　his　hat　away　from　Frank。

There　was　a　strange　sequel　to　this　episode。　　A　few　weeks　afterward　a
special　exchange　for　ten　thousand　was　made；　and　Frank　succeeded　in　being
included　in　this。　　He　was　given　the　usual　furlough　from　the　paroled　camp
at　Annapolis；　and　went　to　his　home　in　a　little　town　near　Mansfield；　O。

One　day　while　on　the　cars　goingI　think　to　Newark；　O。；　he　saw　Lieutenant
Davis　on　the　train；　in　citizens'　clothes。　　He　had　been　sent　by　the　Rebel
Government　to　Canada　with　dispatches　relating　to　some　of　the　raids　then
harassing　our　Northern　borders。　　Davis　was　the　last　man　in　the　world　to
successfully　disguise　himself。　　He　had　a　large；　coarse　mouth；　that　made
him　remembered　by　all　who　had　ever　seen　him。　　Frank　recognized　him
instantly　and　said：

〃You　are　Lieutenant　Davis？〃

Davis　replied：

〃You　are　totally　mistaken；　sah；　I　am　…〃

Frank　insisted　that　he　was　right。　　Davis　fumed　and　blustered；　but　though
Frank　was　small；　he　was　as　game　as　a　bantam　rooster；　and　he　gave　Davis　to
understand　that　there　had　been　a　vast　change　in　their　relative　positions；
that　the　one；　while　still　the　same　insolent　swaggerer；　had　not　regiments
of　infantry　or　batteries　of　artillery　to　emphasize　his　insolence；　and　the
other　was　no　longer　embarrassed　in　the　discussion　by　the　immense　odds　in
favor　of　his　jailor　opponent。

After　a　stormy　scene　Frank　called　in　the　assistance　of　some　other
soldiers　in　the　car；　arrested　Davis；　and　took　him　to　Camp　Chasenear
Columbus；　O。；where　he　was　fully　identified　by　a　number　of　paroled
prisoners。　　He　was　searched；　and　documents　showing　the　nature　of　his
mission　beyond　a　doubt；　were　found　upon　his　person。

A　court　martial　was　immediately　convened　for　his　trial。

This　found　him　guilty；　and　sentenced　him　to　be　hanged　as　a　spy。

At　the　conclusion　of　the　trial　Frank　stepped　up　to　the　prisoner　and　said：

〃Mr。　Davis；　I　believe　we're　even　on　that　coat；　now。〃

Davis　was　sent　to　Johnson's　Island　for　execution；　but　influences　were
immediately　set　at　work　to　secure　Executive　clemency。　　What　they　were
I　know　not；　but　I　am　informed　by　the　Rev。　Robert　McCune；　who　was　then
Chaplain　of　the　One　Hundred　and　Twenty…Eighth　Ohio　Infantry　and　the　Post
of　Johnson's　Island　and　who　was　the　spiritual　adviser　appointed　to
prepare　Davis　for　execution；　that　the　sentence　was　hardly　pronounced
before　Davis　was　visited　by　an　emissary；　who　told　him　to　dismiss　his
fears；　that　he　should　not　suffer　the　punishment。

It　is　likely　that　leading　Baltimore　Unionists　were　enlisted　in　his　behalf
through　family　connections；　and　as　the　Border　State　Unionists　were　then
potent　at　Washington；　they　readily　secured　a　commutation　of　his　sentence
to　imprisonment　during　the　war。

It　seems　that　the　justice　of　this　world　is　very　unevenly　dispensed　when
so　much　solicitude　is　shown　for　the　life　of　such　a　man；　and　none　at　all
for　the　much　better　men　whom　he　assisted　to　destroy。

The　official　notice　of　the　commutation　of　the　sentence　was　not　published
until　the　day　set　for　the　execution；　but　the　certain　knowledge　that　it
would　be　forthcoming　enabled　Davis　to　display　a　great　deal　of　bravado　on
approaching　what　was　supposed　to　be　his　end。　　As　the　reader　can　readily
imagine；　from　what　I　have　heretofore　said　of　him；　Davis　was　the　man　to
improve　to　the　utmost　every　opportunity　to　strut　his　little　hour；　and　he
did　it　in　this　instance。　　He　posed；　attitudinized　and　vapored；　so　that
the　camp　and　the　country　were　filled　with　stories　of　the　wonderful
coolness　with　which　he　contemplated　his　approaching　fate。

Among　other　things　he　said　to　his　guard；　as　he　washed　himself　elaborately
the　night　before　the　day　announced　for　the　execution：

〃Well；　you　can　be　sure　of　one　thing；　to…morrow　night　there　will　certainly
be　one　clean　corpse　on　this　Island。〃

Unfortunately　for　his　braggadocio；　he　let　it　leak　out　in　some　way　that　he
had　been　well　aware　all　the　time　that　he　would　not　be　executed。

He　was　taken　to　Fort　Delaware　for　confinement；　and　died　there　some　time
after。

Frank　Beverstock　went　back　to　his　regiment；　and　served　with　it　until　the
close　of　the　war。　　He　then　returned　home；　and；　after　awhile　became　a
banker　at　Bowling　Green；　O。　　He　was　a　fine　business　man　and　became　very
prosperous。　　But　though　naturally　healthy　and　vigorous；　his　system
carried　in　it　the　seeds　of　death；　sown　there　by　the　hardships　of
captivity。　　He　had　been　one　of　the　victims　of　the　Rebels'　vaccination；
the　virus　injected　into　his　blood　had　caused　a　large　part　of　his　right
temple　to　slough　off；　and　when　it　healed　it　left　a　ghastly　cicatrix。

Two　years　ago　he　was　taken　suddenly　ill；　and　died　before　his　friends　had
any　idea　that　his　condition　was　serious。




CHAPTER　LIV。

SAVANNAH　PROVES　TO　BE　A　CHANGE　FOR　THE　BETTERESCAPE　FROM　THE　BRATS　OF
GUARDSCOMPARISON　BETWEEN　WIRZ　AND　DAVISA　BRIEF　INTERVAL　OF　GOOD
RATIONSWINDER；　THE　MAN　WITH　THE　EVIL　EYE
THE　DISLOYAL　WORK　OF　A　SHYSTER。

After　all　Savannah　was　a　wonderful　improvement　on　Andersonville。
We　got　away　from　the　pestilential　Swamp　and　that　poisonous　ground。
Every　mouthful　of　air　was　not　laden　with　disease　germs；　nor　every　cup　of
water　polluted　with　the　seeds　of　death。　　The　earth　did　not　breed
gangrene；　nor　the　atmosphere　promote　fever。　　As　only　the　more　vigorous
had　come　away；　we　were　freed　from　the　depressing　spectacle　of　every　third
man　dying。　　The　keen　disappointment　prostrated　very　many　who　had　been　of
average　health；　and　I　imagine；　several　hundred　died；　but　there　were
hospital　arrangements　of　some　kind；　and　the　sick　were　taken　away　from
among　us。　　Those　of　us　who　tunneled　out　had　an　opportunity　of　stretching
our　legs；　which　we　had　not　had　for　months　in　the　overcrowded　Stockade　we
had　left。　　The　attempts　to　escape　did　all　engaged　in　them　good；　even
though　they　failed；　since　they　aroused　new　ideas　and　hopes；　set　the　blood
into　more　rapid　circulation；　and　toned　up　the　mind　and　system　both。
I　had　come　away　from　Andersonville　with　considerable　scurvy　manifesting
itself　in　my　gums　and　feet。　　Soon　these　signs　almost　wholly　disappeared。

We　also　got　away　from　those　murderous　little　brats　of　Reserves；
who　guarded　us　at　Andersonville；　and　shot　men　down　as　they　would　stone
apples　out　of　a　tree。　　Our　guards　now　were　mostly；　sailors；　from　the
Rebel　fleet　in　the　harborIrishmen；　Englishmen　and　Scandinavians；　as
free　hearted　and　kindly　as　sailors　always　are。　　I　do　not　think　they　ever
fired　a　shot　at　one　of　us。　　The　only　trouble　we　had　was　with　that　portion
of　the　guard　drawn　from　the　infantry　of　the　garrison。　　They　had　the　same
rattlesnake　venom　of　the　Home　Guard　crowd　wherever　we　met　it；　and　shot　us
down　at　the　least　provocation。　　Fortunately　they　only　formed　a　small　part
of　the　sentinels。

Best　of　all；　we　escaped　for　a　while　from　the　upas…like　shadow　of　Winder
and　Wirz；　in　whose　presence　strong　men　sickened　and　died；　as　when　near
some　malign　genii　of　an　Eastern　story。　　The　peasantry　of　Italy　believed
firmly　in　the　evil　eye。　　Did　they　ever　know　any　such　men　as　Winder　and
his　satellite；　I　could　comprehend　how　much　foundation　they　could　have　for
such　a　belief。

Lieutenant　Davis　had　many　faults；　but　there　was　no　comparison　between　him
and　the　Andersonville　commandant。　　He　was　a　typical　young　Southern　man；
ignorant　and　bumptious　as　to　the　most　common　matters　of　school…boy
knowledge；　inordinately　vain　of　himself　and　his　family；　coarse　in　tastes
and　thoughts；　violent　in　his　prejudices；　but　after　all　with　some　streaks
of　honor　and　generosity　that　made　the　widest　possible　difference　between
him　and　Wirz；　who　never　had　any。　　As　one　of　my　chums　said　to　me：

〃Wirz　is　the　most　even…tempered　man　I　ever　knew；　he's　always　foaming
mad。〃

This　was　nearly　the　truth。　　I　never　saw　Wirz　when　he　was　not　angry；
if　not　violently　abusive；　he　was　cynical　and　sardonic。　　Never；　in　my
little　experience　with　him　did　I　detect　a　glint　of　kindly；　generous
humanity；　if　he　ever　was　moved　by　any　sight　of　suffering　its　exhibition
in　his　face　escaped　my　eye。　　If　he　ever　had　even　a　wish　to　mitigate　the
pain　or　hardship　of　any　man　the　expression　of　such　wish　never　fell　on　my
ear。　　How　a　man　could　move　daily　through　such　misery　as　he　encountered；
and　never　be　moved　by　it　except　to　scorn　and　mocking　is　beyond　my　limited
understanding。

Davis　vapored　a　great　deal；　swearing　big　round　oaths　in　the　broadest　of
Southern　patois；　he　was　perpetually　threatening　to：

〃Open　on　ye　wid　de　ahtillery；〃　but　the　only　death　that　I　knew　him　to
directly　cause　or　sanction　was　that　I　have　described　in　the　previous
chapter。　　He　would　not　put　himself　out　of　the　way　to　annoy　and　oppress
prisoners；　as　Wirz　would；　but　frequently　showed　even　a　disposition　to
humor　them　in　some　little　thing；　when　it　could　be　done　without　danger　or
trouble　to　himself。

By…and…by；　however；　he　got　an　idea　that　there　was　some　money　to　be　made
out　of　the　prisoners；　and　he　set　his　wits　to　work　in　this　direction。
One　day；　s