andersonville-第82节

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believed　the　one　which　was　told　us　now。

Andrews　and　I　hastily　snatched　our　worldly　possessionsour　overcoat；
blanket；　can；　spoon；　chessboard　and　men；　yelled　to　some　of　our　neighbors
that　they　could　have　our　hitherto　much…treasured　house；　and　running　down
to　the　gate；　forced　ourselves　well　up　to　the　front　of　the　crowd　that　was
being　assembled　to　go　out。

The　usual　scenes　accompanying　the　departure　of　first　squads　were　being
acted　tumultuously。　　Every　one　in　the　camp　wanted　to　be　one　of　the
supposed…to…be…favored　few；　and　if　not　selected　at　first；　tried　to　〃flank
in〃that　is；　slip　into　the　place　of　some　one　else　who　had　had　better
luck。　　This　one　naturally　resisted　displacement；　'vi　et　armis；'　and　the
fights　would　become　so　general　as　to　cause　a　resemblance　to　the　famed
Fair　of　Donnybrook。　　The　cry　would　go　up：

〃Look　out　for　flankers！〃

The　lines　of　the　selected　would　dress　up　compactly；　and　outsiders　trying
to　force　themselves　in　would　get　mercilessly　pounded。

We　finally　got　out　of　the　pen；　and　into　the　cars；　which　soon　rolled　away
to　the　westward。　　We　were　packed　in　too　densely　to　be　able　to　lie　down。
We　could　hardly　sit　down。　　Andrews　and　I　took　up　our　position　in　one
corner；　piled　our　little　treasures　under　us；　and　trying　to　lean　against
each　other　in　such　a　way　as　to　afford　mutual　support　and　rest；　dozed
fitfully　through　a　long；　weary　night。

When　morning　came　we　found　ourselves　running　northwest　through　a　poor；
pine…barren　country　that　strongly　resembled　that　we　had　traversed　in
coming　to　Savannah。　　The　more　we　looked　at　it　the　more　familiar　it
became；　and　soon　there　was　no　doubt　we　were　going　back　to　Andersonville。

By　noon　we　had　reached　Milleneighty　miles　from　Savannah；　and　fifty…
three　from　Augusta。　　It　was　the　junction　of　the　road　leading　to　Macon　and
that　running　to　Augusta。　　We　halted　a　little　while　at　the　〃Y；〃　and　to　us
the　minutes　were　full　of　anxiety。　　If　we　turned　off　to　the　left　we　were
going　back　to　Andersonville。　　If　we　took　the　right　hand　road　we　were　on
the　way　to　Charleston　or　Richmond；　with　the　chances　in　favor　of　exchange。

At　length　we　started；　and；　to　our　joy；　our　engine　took　the　right　hand
track。　　We　stopped　again；　after　a　run　of　five　miles；　in　the　midst　of　one
of　the　open；　scattering　forests　of　long　leaved　pine　that　I　have　before
described。　　We　were　ordered　out　of　the　cars；　and　marching　a　few　rods；
came　in　sight　of　another　of　those　hateful　Stockades；　which　seemed　to　be
as　natural　products　of　the　Sterile　sand　of　that　dreary　land　as　its
desolate　woods　and　its　breed　of　boy　murderers　and　gray…headed　assassins。

Again　our　hearts　sank；　and　death　seemed　more　welcome　than　incarceration
in　those　gloomy　wooden　walls。　　We　marched　despondently　up　to　the　gates　of
the　Prison；　and　halted　while　a　party　of　Rebel　clerks　made　a　list　of　our
names；　rank；　companies；　and　regiments。　　As　they　were　Rebels　it　was　slow
work。　　Reading　and　writing　never　came　by　nature；　as　Dogberry　would　say；
to　any　man　fighting　for　Secession。　　As　a　rule；　he　took　to　them　as
reluctantly　as　if；　he　thought　them　cunning　inventions　of　the　Northern
Abolitionist　to　perplex　and　demoralize　him。　　What　a　half…dozen　boys　taken
out　of　our　own　ranks　would　have　done　with　ease　in　an　hour　or　so；　these
Rebels　worried　over　all　of　the　afternoon；　and　then　their　register　of　us
was　so　imperfect；　badly　written　and　misspelled；　that　the　Yankee　clerks
afterwards　detailed　for　the　purpose；　never　could　succeed　in　reducing　it
to　intelligibility。

We　learned　that　the　place　at　which　we　had　arrived　was　Camp　Lawton；　but　we
almost　always　spoke　of　it　as　〃Millen；〃　the　same　as　Camp　Sumter　is
universally　known　as　Andersonville。

Shortly　after　dark　we　were　turned　inside　the　Stockade。　　Being　the　first
that　had　entered；　there　was　quite　a　quantity　of　woodthe　offal　from　the
timber　used　in　constructing　the　Stockadelying　on　the　ground。　　The　night
was　chilly　one　we　soon　had　a　number　of　fires　blazing。　　Green　pitch　pine；
when　burned；　gives　off　a　peculiar；　pungent　odor；　which　is　never　forgotten
by　one　who　has　once　smelled　it。　　I　first　became　acquainted　with　it　on
entering　Andersonville；　and　to　this　day　it　is　the　most　powerful
remembrance　I　can　have　of　the　opening　of　that　dreadful　Iliad　of　woes。
On　my　journey　to　Washington　of　late　years　the　locomotives　are　invariably
fed　with　pitch　pine　as　we　near　the　Capital；　and　as　the　well…remembered
smell　reaches　me；　I　grow　sick　at　heart　with　the　flood　of　saddening
recollections　indissolubly　associated　with　it。

As　our　fires　blazed　up　the　clinging；　penetrating　fumes　diffused
themselves　everywhere。　　The　night　was　as　cool　as　the　one　when　we　arrived
at　Andersonville；　the　earth；　meagerly　sodded　with　sparse；　hard；　wiry
grass；　was　the　same；　the　same　piney　breezes　blew　in　from　the　surrounding
trees；　the　same　dismal　owls　hooted　at　us；　the　same　mournful　whip…poor…
will　lamented；　God　knows　what；　in　the　gathering　twilight。　　What　we　both
felt　in　the　gloomy　recesses　of　downcast　hearts　Andrews　expressed　as　he
turned　to　me　with：

〃My　God；　Mc；　this　looks　like　Andersonville　all　over　again。〃

A　cupful　of　corn　meal　was　issued　to　each　of　us。　　I　hunted　up　some　water。
Andrews　made　a　stiff　dough；　and　spread　it　about　half　an　inch　thick　on　the
back　of　our　chessboard。　　He　propped　this　up　before　the　fire；　and　when　the
surface　was　neatly　browned　over；　slipped　it　off　the　board　and　turned　it
over　to　brown　the　other　side　similarly。　　This　done；　we　divided　it
carefully　between　us；　swallowed　it　in　silence；　spread　our　old　overcoat　on
the　ground；　tucked　chess…board；　can；　and　spoon　under　far　enough　to　be　out
of　the　reach　of　thieves；　adjusted　the　thin　blanket　so　as　to　get　the　most
possible　warmth　out　of　it；　crawled　in　close　together；　and　went　to　sleep。
This；　thank　Heaven；　we　could　do；　we　could　still　sleep；　and　Nature　had
some　opportunity　to　repair　the　waste　of　the　day。　　We　slept；　and　forgot
where　we　were。




CHAPTER　LIX。

OUR　NEW　QUARTERS　AT　CAMP　LAWTONBUILDING　A　HUTAN　EXCEPTIONAL
COMMANDANTHE　IS　a　GOOD　MAN；　BUT　WILL　TAKE　BRIBESRATIONS。

In　the　morning　we　took　a　survey　of　our　new　quarters；　and　found　that　we
were　in　a　Stockade　resembling　very　much　in　construction　and　dimensions
that　at　Andersonville。　　The　principal　difference　was　that　the　upright
logs　were　in　their　rough　state；　whereas　they　were　hewed　at　Andersonville；
and　the　brook　running　through　the　camp　was　not　bordered　by　a　swamp；　but
had　clean；　firm　banks。

Our　next　move　was　to　make　the　best　of　the　situation。　　We　were　divided
into　hundreds；　each　commanded　by　a　Sergeant。　　Ten　hundreds　constituted　a
division；　the　head　of　which　was　also　a　Sergeant。　　I　was　elected　by　my
comrades　to　the　Sergeantcy　of　the　Second　Hundred　of　the　First　Division。
As　soon　as　we　were　assigned　to　our　ground；　we　began　constructing　shelter。
For　the　first　and　only　time　in　my　prison　experience；　we　found　a　full
supply　of　material　for　this　purpose；　and　the　use　we　made　of　it　showed　how
infinitely　better　we　would　have　fared　if　in　each　prison　the　Rebels　had
done　even　so　slight　a　thing　as　to　bring　in　a　few　logs　from　the
surrounding　woods　and　distribute　them　to　us。　　A　hundred　or　so　of　these
would　probably　have　saved　thousands　of　lives　at　Andersonville　and
Florence。

A　large　tree　lay　on　the　ground　assigned　to　our　hundred。　　Andrews　and　I
took　possession　of　one　side　of　the　ten　feet　nearest　the　butt。　　Other　boys
occupied　the　rest　in　a　similar　manner。　　One　of　our　boys　had　succeeded　in
smuggling　an　ax　in　with　him；　and　we　kept　it　in　constant　use　day　and
night；　each　group　borrowing　it　for　an　hour　or　so　at　a　time。　　It　was　as
dull　as　a　hoe；　and　we　were　very　weak；　so　that　it　was　slow　work　〃niggering
off〃（as　the　boys　termed　it）　a　cut　of　the　log。　　It　seemed　as　if　beavers
could　have　gnawed　it　off　easier　and　more　quickly。　　We　only　cut　an　inch　or
so　at　a　time；　and　then　passed　the　ax　to　the　next　users。　　Making　little
wedges　with　a　dull　knife；　we　drove　them　into　the　log　with　clubs；　and
split　off　long；　thin　strips；　like　the　weatherboards　of　a　house；　and　by
the　time　we　had　split　off　our　share　of　the　log　in　this　slow　and　laborious
way；　we　had　a　fine　lot　of　these　strips。　　We　were　lucky　enough　to　find
four　forked　sticks；　of　which　we　made　the　corners　of　our　dwelling；　and
roofed　it　carefully　with　our　strips；　held　in　place　by　sods　torn　up　from
the　edge　of　the　creek　bank。　　The　sides　and　ends　were　enclosed；　we
gathered　enough　pine　tops　to　cover　the　ground　to　a　depth　of　several
inches；　we　banked　up　the　outside；　and　ditched　around　it；　and　then　had　the
most　comfortable　abode　we　had　during　our　prison　career。　　It　was　truly　a
house　builded　with　our　own　hands；　for　we　had　no　tools　whatever　save　the
occasional　use　of　the　aforementioned　dull　axe　and　equally　dull　knife。

The　rude　little　hut　represented　as　much　actual　hard；　manual　labor　as
would　be　required　to　build　a　comfortable　little　cottage　in　the　North；
but　we　gladly　performed　it；　as　we　would　have　done　any　other　work　to
better　our　condition。

For　a　while　wood　was　quite　plentiful；　and　we　had　the　luxury　daily　of　warm
fires；　which　the　increasing　coolness　of　the　weather　made　important
accessories　to　our　comfort。

Other　prisoners　kept　coming　in。　　Those　we　left　behind　at　Savannah
followed　us；　and　the　prison　there　was　broken