andersonville-第92节

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As　we　marched　down　and　boarded　the　train；　the　Rebels　confirmed　their
previous　action　by　taking　all　the　guards　from　around　us。　　Only　some　eight
or　ten　were　sent　to　the　train；　and　these　quartered　themselves　in　the
caboose；　and　paid　us　no　further　attention。

The　train　rolled　away　amid　cheering　by　ourselves　and　those　we　left
behind。　　One　thousand　happier　boys　than　we　never　started　on　a　journey。
We　were　going　home。　　That　was　enough　to　wreathe　the　skies　with　glory；　and
fill　the　world　with　sweetness　and　light。　　The　wintry　sun　had　something　of
geniality　and　warmth；　the　landscape　lost　some　of　its　repulsiveness；　the
dreary　palmettos　had　less　of　that　hideousness　which　made　us　regard　them
as　very　fitting　emblems　of　treason。　　We　even　began　to　feel　a　little　good…
humored　contempt　for　our　hateful　little　Brats　of　guards；　and　to　reflect
how　much　vicious　education　and　surroundings　were　to　be　held　responsible
for　their　misdeeds。

We　laughed　and　sang　as　we　rolled　along　toward　Savannahgoing　back　much
faster　than　the　came。　　We　re…told　old　stories；　and　repeated　old　jokes；
that　had　become　wearisome　months　and　months　ago；　but　were　now　freshened
up　and　given　their　olden　pith　by　the　joyousness　of　the　occasion。　　We
revived　and　talked　over　old　schemes　gotten　up　in　the　earlier　days　of
prison　life；　of　what　〃we　would　do　when　we　got　out；〃　but　almost　forgotten
since；　in　the　general　uncertainty　of　ever　getting　out。　　We　exchanged
addresses；　and　promised　faithfully　to　write　to　each　other　and　tell　how　we
found　everything　at　home。

So　the　afternoon　and　night　passed。　　We　were　too　excited　to　sleep；　and
passed　the　hours　watching　the　scenery；　recalling　the　objects　we　had
passed　on　the　way　to　Blackshear；　and　guessing　how　near　we　were　to
Savannah。

Though　we　were　running　along　within　fifteen　or　twenty　miles　of　the　coast；
with　all　our　guards　asleep　in　the　caboose；　no　one　thought　of　escape。
We　could　step　off　the　cars　and　walk　over　to　the　seashore　as　easily　as　a
man　steps　out　of　his　door　and　walks　to　a　neighboring　town；　but　why　should
we？　　Were　we　not　going　directly　to　our　vessels　in　the　harbor　of　Savannah；
and　was　it　not　better　to　do　this；　than　to　take　the　chances　of　escaping；
and　encounter　the　difficulties　of　reaching　our　blockaders！　　We　thought
so；　and　we　staid　on　the　cars。

A　cold；　gray　Winter　morning　was　just　breaking　as　we　reached　Savannah。
Our　train　ran　down　in　the　City；　and　then　whistled　sharply　and　ran　back　a
mile　or　so；　it　repeated　this　maneuver　two　or　three　times；　the　evident
design　being　to　keep　us　on　the　cars　until　the　people　were　ready　to
receive　us。　　Finally　our　engine　ran　with　all　the　speed　she　was　capable
of；　and　as　the　train　dashed　into　the　street　we　found　ourselves　between
two　heavy　lines　of　guards　with　bayonets　fixed。

The　whole　sickening　reality　was　made　apparent　by　one　glance　at　the　guard
line。　　Our　parole　was　a　mockery；　its　only　object　being　to　get　us　to
Savannah　as　easily　as　possible；　and　to　prevent　benefit　from　our　recapture
to　any　of　Sherman's　Raiders；　who　might　make　a　dash　for　the　railroad　while
we　were　in　transit。　　There　had　been　no　intention　of　exchanging　us。　　There
was　no　exchange　going　on　at　Savannah。

After　all；　I　do　not　think　we　felt　the　disappointment　as　keenly　as　the
first　time　we　were　brought　to　Savannah。　　Imprisonment　had　stupefied　us；
we　were　duller　and　more　hopeless。

Ordered　down　out　of　the　cars；　we　were　formed　in　line　in　the　street。

Said　a　Rebel　officer：

〃Now；　any　of　you　fellahs　that　ah　too　sick　to　go　to　Chahlston；　step
fohwahd　one　pace。〃

We　looked　at　each　other　an　instant；　and　then　the　whole　line　stepped
forward。　　We　all　felt　too　sick　to　go　to　Charleston；　or　to　do　anything
else　in　the　world。




CHAPTER　LXVI。

SPECIMEN　CONVERSATION　WITH　AN　AVERAGE　NATIVE　GEORGIANWE　LEARN　THAT
SHERMAN　IS　HEADING　FOR　SAVANNAHTHE　RESERVES　GET　A　LITTLE　SETTLING　DOWN。

As　the　train　left　the　northern　suburbs　of　Savannah　we　came　upon　a　scene
of　busy　activity；　strongly　contrasting　with　the　somnolent　lethargy　that
seemed　to　be　the　normal　condition　of　the　City　and　its　inhabitants。　　Long
lines　of　earthworks　were　being　constructed；　gangs　of　negros　were　felling
trees；　building　forts　and　batteries；　making　abatis；　and　toiling　with
numbers　of　huge　guns　which　were　being　moved　out　and　placed　in　position。

As　we　had　had　no　new　prisoners　nor　any　papers　for　some　weeksthe　papers
being　doubtless　designedly　kept　away　from　uswe　were　at　a　loss　to　know
what　this　meant。　　We　could　not　understand　this　erection　of　fortifications
on　that　side；　because；　knowing　as　we　did　how　well　the　flanks　of　the　City
were　protected　by　the　Savannah　and　Ogeeche　Rivers；　we　could　not　see　how　a
force　from　the　coastwhence　we　supposed　an　attack　must　come；　could　hope
to　reach　the　City's　rear；　especially　as　we　had　just　come　up　on　the　right
flank　of　the　City；　and　saw　no　sign　of　our　folks　in　that　direction。

Our　train　stopped　for　a　few　minutes　at　the　edge　of　this　line　of　works；
and　an　old　citizen　who　had　been　surveying　the　scene　with　senile　interest；
tottered　over　to　our　car　to　take　a　look　at　us。　　He　was　a　type　of　the　old
man　of　the　South　of　the　scanty　middle　class；　the　small　farmer。　　Long
white　hair　and　beard；　spectacles　with　great　round；　staring　glasses；
a　broad…brimmed　hat　of　ante…Revolutionary　pattern；　clothes　that　had
apparently　descended　to　him　from　some　ancestor　who　had　come　over　with
Oglethorpe；　and　a　two…handed　staff　with　a　head　of　buckhorn；　upon　which　he
leaned　as　old　peasants　do　in　plays；　formed　such　an　image　as　recalled　to
me　the　picture　of　the　old　man　in　the　illustrations　in　〃The　Dairyman's
Daughter。〃　　He　was　as　garrulous　as　a　magpie；　and　as　opinionated　as　a
Southern　white　always　is。　　Halting　in　front　of　our　car；　he　steadied
himself　by　planting　his　staff；　clasping　it　with　both　lean　and　skinny
hands；　and　leaning　forward　upon　it；　his　jaws　then　addressed　themselves　to
motion　thus：

〃Boys；　who　mout　these　be　that　ye　got？
〃One　of　the　Guards：〃O；　these　is　some　Yanks　that　we've　bin　hivin'　down
at　Camp　Sumter。〃

〃Yes？〃　（with　an　upward　inflection　of　the　voice；　followed　by　a　close
scrutiny　of　us　through　the　goggle…eyed　glasses；）　〃Wall；　they're　a
powerful　ornary　lookin'　lot；　I'll　declah。〃

It　will　be　seen　that　the　old；　gentleman's　perceptive　powers　were　much
more　highly　developed　than　his　politeness。

〃Well；　they　ain't　what　ye　mout　call　purty；　that's　a　fack；〃　said　the
guard。

〃So　yer　Yanks；　air　ye？〃　said　the　venerable　Goober…Grabber；　（the　nick…name
in　the　South　for　Georgians）；　directing　his　conversation　to　me。　　〃Wall；
I'm　powerful　glad　to　see　ye；　an'　'specially　whar　ye　can't　do　no　harm；
I've　wanted　to　see　some　Yankees　ever　sence　the　beginnin'　of　the　wah；　but
hev　never　had　no　chance。　　Whah　did　ye　cum　from？〃

I　seemed　called　upon　to　answer；　and　said：　〃I　came　from　Illinois；　most　of
the　boys　in　this　car　are　from　Illinois；　Ohio；　Indiana；　Michigan　and
Iowa。〃

〃'Deed！　All　Westerners；　air　ye？　　Wall；　do　ye　know　I　alluz　liked　the
Westerners　a　heap　sight　better　than　them　blue…bellied　New　England
Yankees。〃

No　discussion　with　a　Rebel　ever　proceeded　very　far　without　his　making　an
assertion　like　this。　　It　was　a　favorite　declaration　of　theirs；　but　its
absurdity　was　comical；　when　one　remembered　that　the　majority　of　them
could　not　for　their　lives　tell　the　names　of　the　New　England　States；　and
could　no　more　distinguish　a　Downeaster　from　an　Illinoisan　than　they　could
tell　a　Saxon　from　a　Bavarian。　　One　day；　while　I　was　holding　a
conversation　similar　to　the　above　with　an　old　man　on　guard；　another
guard；　who　had　been　stationed　near　a　squad　made　up　of　Germans；　that
talked　altogether　in　the　language　of　the　Fatherland；　broke　in　with：

〃Out　there　by　post　numbah　foahteen；　where　I　wuz　yesterday；　there's　a　lot
of　Yanks　who　jest　jabbered　away　all　the　hull　time；　and　I　hope　I　may　never
see　the　back　of　my　neck　ef　I　could　understand　ary　word　they　said；　Are
them　the　regular　blue…belly　kind？〃

The　old　gentleman　entered　upon　the　next　stage　of　the　invariable　routine
of　discussion　with　a　Rebel：

〃Wall；　what　air　you'uns　down　heah；　a…fightin'　we'uns　foh？〃

As　I　had　answered　this　question　several　hundred　times；　I　had　found　the
most　extinguishing　reply　to　be　to　ask　in　return：

〃What　are　you'uns　coming　up　into　our　country　to　fight　we'uns　for？〃

Disdaining　to　notice　this　return　in　kind；　the　old　man　passed　on　to　the
next　stage：

〃What　are　you'uns　takin'　ouah　niggahs　away　from　us　foh？〃

Now；　if　negros　had　been　as　cheap　as　oreoide　watches；　it　is　doubtful
whether　the　speaker　had　ever　had　money　enough　in　his　possession　at　one
time　to　buy　one；　and　yet　he　talked　of　taking　away　〃ouah　niggahs；〃　as　if
they　were　as　plenty　about　his　place　as　hills　of　corn。　　As　a　rule；　the
more　abjectly　poor　a　Southerner　was；　the　more　readily　he　worked　himself
into　a　rage　over　the　idea　of　〃takin'　away　ouah　niggahs。〃

I　replied　in　burlesque　of　his　assumption　of　ownership：

〃What　are　you　coming　up　North　to　burn　my　rolling　mills　and　rob　my　comrade
here's　bank；　and　plunder　my　brother's　store；　and　burn　down　my　uncle's
factories？〃

No　reply；　to　this　counter　thrust。　　The　old　man　passed　to　the　third
inevitable　proposition：

〃What　air　you'uns　puttin'　ouah　niggahs　in　the　field　to　fight　we'uns　foh？〃

Then　the　whole　c