andersonville-第77节

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continue　to　have　to　this　daythat　our　Government　would　do　everything　for
us　possible；　consistent　with　its　honor；　and　the　success　of　military
operations；　and　outside　of　the　little　squad　of　which　I　speak；　not　an
admission　could　be　extracted　from　anybody　that　blame　could　be　attached　to
any　one；　except　the　Rebels。　　It　was　regarded　as　unmanly　and　unsoldier…
like　to　the　last　degree；　as　well　as　senseless；　to　revile　our　Government
for　the　crimes　committed　by　its　foes。

But　the　Rebels　were　led　to　believe　that　we　were　ripe　for　revolt　against
our　flag；　and　to　side　with　them。　　Imagine；　if　possible；　the　stupidity
that　would　mistake　our　bitter　hatred　of　those　who　were　our　deadly
enemies；　for　any　feeling　that　would　lead　us　to　join　hands　with　those
enemies。　　One　day　we　were　surprised　to　see　the　carpenters　erect　a　rude
stand　in　the　center　of　the　camp。　　When　it　was　finished；　Bradley　appeared
upon　it；　in　company　with　some　Rebel　officers　and　guards。　　We　gathered
around　in　curiosity；　and　Bradley　began　making　a　speech。

He　said　that　it　had　now　become　apparent　to　all　of　us　that　our　Government
had　abandoned　us；　that　it　cared　little　or　nothing　for　us；　since　it　could
hire　as　many　more　quite　readily；　by　offering　a　bounty　equal　to　the　pay
which　would　be　due　us　now；　that　it　cost　only　a　few　hundred　dollars　to
bring　over　a　shipload　of　Irish；　〃Dutch；〃　and　French；　who　were　only　too
glad　to　agree　to　fight　or　do　anything　else　to　get　to　this　country。　　＇The
peculiar　impudence　of　this　consisted　in　Bradley　himself　being　a
foreigner；　and　one　who　had　only　come　out　under　one　of　the　later　calls；
and　the　influence　of　a　big　bounty。＇

Continuing　in　this　strain　he　repeated　and　dwelt　upon　the　old　lie；　always
in　the　mouths　of　his　crowd；　that　Secretary　Stanton　and　General　Halleck
had　positively　refused　to　enter　upon　negotiations　for　exchange；　because
those　in　prison　were　〃only　a　miserable　lot　of　'coffee…boilers'　and
'blackberry　pickers；'　whom　the　Army　was　better　off　without。〃

The　terms　〃coffee…boiler；〃　and　〃blackberry…pickers〃　were　considered　the
worst　terms　of　opprobrium　we　had　in　prison。　　They　were　applied　to　that
class　of　stragglers　and　skulkers；　who　were　only　too　ready　to　give
themselves　up　to　the　enemy；　and　who；　on　coming　in；　told　some　gauzy　story
about　〃just　having　stopped　to　boil　a　cup　of　coffee；〃　or　to　do　something
else　which　they　should　not　have　done；　when　they　were　gobbled　up。　　It　is
not　risking　much　to　affirm　the　probability　of　Bradley　and　most　of　his
crowd　having　belonged　to　this　dishonorable　class。

The　assertion　that　either　the　great　Chief…of…Staff　or　the　still　greater
War…Secretary　were　even　capable　of　applying　such　epithets　to　the　mass　of
prisoners　is　too　preposterous　to　need　refutation；　or　even　denial。
No　person　outside　the　raider　crowd　ever　gave　the　silly　lie　a　moment's
toleration。

Bradley　concluded　his　speech　in　some　such　language　as　this：

〃And　now；　fellow　prisoners；　I　propose　to　you　this：　that　we　unite　in
informing　our　Government　that　unless　we　are　exchanged　in　thirty　days；　we
will　be　forced　by　self…preservation　to　join　the　Confederate　army。〃

For　an　instant　his　hearers　seemed　stunned　at　the　fellow's　audacity；　and
then　there　went　up　such　a　roar　of　denunciation　and　execration　that　the
air　trembled。　　The　Rebels　thought　that　the　whole　camp　was　going　to　rush
on　Bradley　and　tear　him　to　pieces；　and　they　drew　revolvers　and　leveled
muskets　to　defend　him。　　The　uproar　only　ceased　when　Bradley　was　hurried
out　of　the　prisons　but　for　hours　everybody　was　savage　and　sullen；　and
full　of　threatenings　against　him；　when　opportunity　served。　　We　never　saw
him　afterward。

Angry　as　I　was；　I　could　not　help　being　amused　at　the　tempestuous　rage　of
a　tall；　fine…looking　and　well　educated　Irish　Sergeant　of　an　Illinois
regiment。　　He　poured　forth　denunciations　of　the　traitor　and　the　Rebels；
with　the　vivid　fluency　of　his　Hibernian　nature；　vowed　he'd　〃give　a　year
of　me　life；　be　J…s；　to　have　the　handling　of　the　dirty　spalpeen　for　ten
minutes；　be　G…　d；〃　and　finally　in　his　rage；　tore　off　his　own　shirt　and
threw　it　on　the　ground　and　trampled　on　it。

Imagine　my　astonishment；　some　time　after　getting　out　of　prison；　to　find
the　Southern　papers　publishing　as　a　defense　against　the　charges　in　regard
to　Andersonville；　the　following　document；　which　they　claimed　to　have　been
adopted　by　〃a　mass　meeting　of　the　prisoners：〃

〃At　a　mass　meeting　held　September　28th；　1864；　by　the　Federal　prisoners
confined　at　Savannah；　Ga。；　it　was　unanimously　agreed　that　the　following
resolutions　be　sent　to　the　President　of　the　United　States；　in　the　hope
that　he　might　thereby　take　such　steps　as　in　his　wisdom　he　may　think
necessary　for　our　speedy　exchange　or　parole：

〃Resolved；　That　while　we　would　declare　our　unbounded　love　for　the　Union；
for　the　home　of　our　fathers；　and　for　the　graves　of　those　we　venerate；　we
would　beg　most　respectfully　that　our　situation　as　prisoners　be　diligently
inquired　into；　and　every　obstacle　consistent　with　the　honor　and　dignity
of　the　Government　at　once　removed。

〃Resolved；　That　while　allowing　the　Confederate　authorities　all　due　praise
for　the　attention　paid　to　prisoners；　numbers　of　our　men　are　daily
consigned　to　early　graves；　in　the　prime　of　manhood；　far　from　home　and
kindred；　and　this　is　not　caused　intentionally　by　the　Confederate
Government；　but　by　force　of　circumstances；　the　prisoners　are　forced　to　go
without　shelter；　and；　in　a　great　portion　of　cases；　without　medicine。

〃Resolved；　That；　whereas；　ten　thousand　of　our　brave　comrades　have
descended　into　an　untimely　grave　within　the　last　six　months；　and　as　we
believe　their　death　was　caused　by　the　difference　of　climate；　the　peculiar
kind　and　insufficiency　of　food；　and　lack　of　proper　medical　treatment；
and；　whereas；　those　difficulties　still　remain；　we　would　declare　as　our
firm　belief；　that　unless　we　are　speedily　exchanged；　we　have　no
alternative　but　to　share　the　lamentable　fate　of　our　comrades。　　Must　this
thing　still　go　on！　　Is　there　no　hope？

〃Resolved；　That；　whereas；　the　cold　and　inclement　season　of　the　year　is
fast　approaching；　we　hold　it　to　be　our　duty　as　soldiers　and　citizens　of
the　United　States；　to　inform　our　Government　that　the　majority　of　our
prisoners　ate　without　proper　clothing；　in　some　cases　being　almost　naked；
and　are　without　blankets　to　protect　us　from　the　scorching　sun　by　day　or
the　heavy　dews　by　night；　and　we　would　most　respectfully　request　the
Government　to　make　some　arrangement　whereby　we　can　be　supplied　with
these；　to　us；　necessary　articles。

〃Resolved；　That；　whereas；　the　term　of　service　of　many　of　our　comrades
having　expired；　they；　having　served　truly　and　faithfully　for　the　term　of
their　several　enlistments；　would　most　respectfully　ask　their　Government；
are　they　to　be　forgotten？　　Are　past　services　to　be　ignored？　　Not　having
seen　their　wives　and　little　ones　for　over　three　years；　they　would　most
respectfully；　but　firmly；　request　the　Government　to　make　some
arrangements　whereby　they　can　be　exchanged　or　paroled。

〃Resolved；　That；　whereas；　in　the　fortune　of　war；　it　was　our　lot　to　become
prisoners；　we　have　suffered　patiently；　and　are　still　willing　to　suffer；
if　by　so　doing　we　can　benefit　the　country；　but　we　must　most　respectfully
beg　to　say；　that　we　are　not　willing　to　suffer　to　further　the　ends　of　any
party　or　clique　to　the　detriment　of　our　honor；　our　families；　and　our
country；　and　we　beg　that　this　affair　be　explained　to　us；　that　we　may
continue　to　hold　the　Government　in　that　respect　which　is　necessary　to
make　a　good　citizen　and　soldier。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃P。　BRADLEY；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Chairman　of　Committee　in　behalf　of　Prisoners。〃


In　regard　to　the　above　I　will　simply　say　this；　that　while　I　cannot
pretend　to　know　or　even　much　that　went　on　around　me；　I　do　not　think　it
was　possible　for　a　mass　meeting　of　prisoners　to　have　been　held　without
my　knowing　it；　and　its　essential　features。　　Still　less　was　it　possible
for　a　mass　meeting　to　have　been　held　which　would　have　adopted　any　such
a　document　as　the　above；　or　anything　else　that　a　Rebel　would　have　found
the　least　pleasure　in　republishing。　　The　whole　thing　is　a　brazen
falsehood。




CHAPTER　LV。

WHY　WE　WERE　HURRIED　OUT　OF　ANDERSONVILLETHE　OF　THE　FALL　OF　ATLANTA
OUR　LONGING　TO　HEAR　THE　NEWSARRIVAL　OF　SOME　FRESH　FISHHOW　WE　KNEW
THEY　WERE　WESTERN　BOYSDIFFERENCE　IN　THE　APPEARANCE　OF　THE　SOLDIERS　OF
THE　TWO　ARMIES。

The　reason　of　our　being　hurried　out　of　Andersonville　under　the　false
pretext　of　exchange　dawned　on　us　before　we　had　been　in　Savannah　long。
If　the　reader　will　consult　the　map　of　Georgia　he　will　understand　this；
too。　　Let　him　remember　that　several　of　the　railroads　which　now　appear
were　not　built　then。　　The　road　upon　which　Andersonville　is　situated　was
about　one　hundred　and　twenty　miles　long；　reaching　from　Macon　to　Americus；
Andersonville　being　about　midway　between　these　two。　　It　had　no
connections　anywhere　except　at　Macon；　and　it　was　hundreds　of　miles　across
the　country　from　Andersonville　to　any　other　road。　　When　Atlanta　fell　it
brought　our　folks　to　within　sixty　miles　of　Macon；　and　any　day　they　were
liable　to　make　a　forward　movement；　which　would　capture　that　place；　and
have　us　where　we　could　be　retaken　with　ease。

The