andersonville-第93节

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

Then　the　whole　car…load　shouted　back　at　him　at　once：

〃What　are　you'uns　putting　blood…hounds　on　our　trails　to　hunt　us　down；
for？〃

Old　Man（savagely）；　〃Waal；　ye　don't　think　ye　kin　ever　lick　us；　leastways
sich　fellers　as　ye　air？〃

Myself〃Well；　we　warmed　it　to　you　pretty　lively　until　you　caught　us。
There　were　none　of　us　but　what　were　doing　about　as　good　work　as　any　stock
you　fellows　could　turn　out。　　No　Rebels　in　our　neighborhood　had　much　to
brag　on。　　We　are　not　a　drop　in　the　bucket；　either。　　There's　millions　more
better　men　than　we　are　where　we　came　from；　and　they　are　all　determined　to
stamp　out　your　miserable　Confederacy。　　You've　got　to　come　to　it；　sooner
or　later；　you　must　knock　under；　sure　as　white　blossoms　make　little
apples。　　You'd　better　make　up　your　mind　to　it。〃

Old　Man〃No；　sah；　nevah。　　Ye　nevah　kin　conquer　us！　　We're　the　bravest
people　and　the　best　fighters　on　airth。　　Ye　nevah　kin　whip　any　people
that's　a　fightin'　fur　their　liberty　an'　their　right；　an'　ye　nevah　can
whip　the　South；　sah；　any　way。　　We'll　fight　ye　until　all　the　men　air
killed；　and　then　the　wimmen'll　fight　ye；　sah。〃

Myself〃Well；　you　may　think　so；　or　you　may　not。　　From　the　way　our　boys
are　snatching　the　Confederacy's　real　estate　away；　it　begins　to　look　as　if
you'd　not　have　enough　to　fight　anybody　on　pretty　soon。　　What's　the
meaning　of　all　this　fortifying？〃

Old　Man〃Why；　don't　you　know？　　Our　folks　are　fixin'　up　a　place　foh　Bill
Sherman　to　butt　his　brains　out　gain'。〃

〃Bill　Sherman！〃　we　all　shouted　in　surprise：　〃Why　he　ain't　within　two
hundred　miles　of　this　place；　is　he？'

Old　Man〃Yes；　but　he　is；　tho。'　　He　thinks　he's　played　a　sharp　Yankee
trick　on　Hood。　　He　found　out　he　couldn't　lick　him　in　a　squar'　fight；
nohow；　he'd　tried　that　on　too　often；　so　he　just　sneaked　'round　behind
him；　and　made　a　break　for　the　center　of　the　State；　where　he　thought　there
was　lots　of　good　stealin'　to　be　done。　　But　we'll　show　him。　　We'll　soon
hev　him　just　whar　we　want　him；　an'　we'll　learn　him　how　to　go　traipesin'
'round　the　country；　stealin'　nigahs；　burnin'　cotton；　an'　runnin'　off
folkses'　beef　critters。　　He　sees　now　the　scrape　he's　got　into；　an'　he's
tryin'　to　get　to　the　coast；　whar　the　gun…boats'll　help　'im　out。　　But
he'll　nevah　git　thar；　sah；　no　sah；　nevah。　　He's　mouty　nigh　the　end　of　his
rope；　sah；　and　we'll　purty'　soon　hev　him　jist　whar　you　fellows　air；　sah。〃

Myself〃Well；　if　you　fellows　intended　stopping　him；　why　didn't　you　do　it
up　about　Atlanta？　　What　did　you　let　him　come　clear　through　the　State；
burning　and　stealing；　as　you　say？　　It　was　money　in　your　pockets　to　head
him　off　as　soon　as　possible。〃

Old　Man〃Oh；　we　didn't　set　nothing　afore　him　up　thar　except　Joe　Brown's
Pets；　these　sorry　little　Reserves；　they're　powerful　little　account；　no
stand…up　to'em　at　all；　they'd　break　their　necks　runnin'　away　ef　ye　so
much　as　bust　a　cap　near　to　'em。〃

Our　guards；　who　belonged　to　these　Reserves；　instantly　felt　that　the
conversation　had　progressed　farther　than　was　profitable　and　one　of　them
spoke　up　roughly：

〃See　heah；　old　man；　you　must　go　off；　I　can't　hev　ye　talkin'　to　these
prisoners；　hits　a；gin　my　awdahs。　　Go　'way　now！〃

The　old　fellow　moved　off；　but　as　he　did　he　flung　this　Parthian　arrow：

〃When　Sherman　gits　down　deep；　he'll　find　somethin'　different　from　the
little　snots　of　Reserves　he　ran　over　up　about　Milledgeville；　he'll　find
he's　got　to　fight　real　soldiers。〃

We　could　not　help　enjoying　the　rage　of　the　guards；　over　the　low　estimate
placed　upon　the　fighting　ability　of　themselves　and　comrades；　and　as　they
raved；　around　about　what　they　would　do　if　they　were　only　given　an
opportunity　to　go　into　a　line　of　battle　against　Sherman；　we　added　fuel　to
the　flames　of　their　anger　by　confiding　to　each　other　that　we　always　〃knew
that　little　Brats　whose　highest　ambition　was　to　murder　a　defenseless
prisoner；　could　be　nothing　else　than　cowards　end　skulkers　in　the　field。〃

〃Yaassonnies；〃　said　Charlie　Burroughs；　of　the　Third　Michigan；　in　that
nasal　Yankee　drawl；　that　he　always　assumed；　when　he　wanted　to　say
anything　very　cutting；　〃youtrundlebedsoldierswho've　neverseen
arealwildYankeedon'tknowhowdifferenttheyarefromthe
kindthatarestarveddown…　to　tameness。　　They'rejestas
differentas…　alion　inamenagerieisfromhisbrotherinthe
woodswhohasaniggerevery　dayfor…dinner。　　Youfellowswill
gointoacircustentandthrowtobaccoquids　inthefaceof
the　lioninthecagewhenyouhaven'tspunk　enoughtolook　a
woodchuckintheeyeifyoumethimalone。　　It'slotso'fun
to　youtoshootdownasickandstarving…manintheStockade；
butwhenyouseeaYank　withaguninhishandyourlivers
getsowhitethatchalkwouldmakeablackmarkon'em。〃

A　little　later；　a　paper；　which　some　one　had　gotten　hold　of；　in　some
mysterious　manner；　was　secretly　passed　to　me。　　I　read　it　as　I　could　find
opportunity；　and　communicated　its　contents　to　the　rest　of　the　boys。
The　most　important　of　these　was　a　flaming　proclamation　by　Governor　Joe
Brown；　setting　forth　that　General　Sherman　was　now　traversing　the　State；
committing　all　sorts　of　depredations；　that　he　had　prepared　the　way　for
his　own　destruction；　and　the　Governor　called　upon　all　good　citizens　to
rise　en　masse；　and　assist　in　crushing　the　audacious　invader。　　Bridges
must　be　burned　before　and　behind　him；　roads　obstructed；　and　every　inch　of
soil　resolutely　disputed。

We　enjoyed　this。　　It　showed　that　the　Rebels　were　terribly　alarmed；　and　we
began　to　feel　some　of　that　confidence　that　〃Sherman　will　come　out　all
right；〃　which　so　marvelously　animated　all　under　his　command。




CHAPTER　LXVII。

OFF　TO　CHARLESTONPASSING　THROUGH　THE　RICE　SWAMPSTWO　EXTREMES　OF
SOCIETYENTRY　INTO　CHARLESTONLEISURELY　WARFARESHELLING　THE　CITY　AT
REGULAR　INTERVALSWE　CAMP　IN　A　MASS　OF　RUINSDEPARTURE　FOR　FLORENCE。

The　train　started　in　a　few　minutes　after　the　close　of　the　conversation
with　the　old　Georgian；　and　we　soon　came　to　and　crossed　the　Savannah　River
into　South　Carolina。　　The　river　was　wide　and　apparently　deep；　the　tide
was　setting　back　in　a　swift；　muddy　current；　the　crazy　old　bridge　creaked
and　shook；　and　the　grinding　axles　shrieked　in　the　dry　journals；　as　we
pulled　across。　　It　looked　very　much　at　times　as　if　we　were　to　all　crash
down　into　the　turbid　floodand　we　did　not　care　very　much　if　we　did；　if
we　were　not　going　to　be　exchanged。

The　road　lay　through　the　tide　swamp　region　of　South　Carolina；　a　peculiar
and　interesting　country。　　Though　swamps　and　fens　stretched　in　all
directions　as　far　as　the　eye　could　reach；　the　landscape　was　more　grateful
to　the　eye　than　the　famine…stricken；　pine…barrens　of　Georgia；　which　had
become　wearisome　to　the　sight。　　The　soil　where　it　appeared；　was　rich；
vegetation　was　luxuriant；　great　clumps　of　laurel　showed　glossy　richness
in　the　greenness　of　its　verdure；　that　reminded　us　of　the　fresh　color　of
the　vegetation　of　our　Northern　homes；　so　different　from　the　parched　and
impoverished　look　of　Georgian　foliage。　　Immense　flocks　of　wild　fowl
fluttered　around　us；　the　Georgian　woods　were　almost　destitute　of　living
creatures；　the　evergreen　live…oak；　with　its　queer　festoons　of　Spanish
moss；　and　the　ugly　and　useless　palmettos　gave　novelty　and　interest　to　the
view。

The　rice　swamps　through　which　we　were　passing　were　the　princely
possessions　of　the　few　nabobs　who　before　the　war　stood　at　the　head　of
South　Carolina　aristocracythey　were　South　Carolina；　in　fact；　as
absolutely　as　Louis　XIV。　was　France。　　In　their　handsbut　a　few　score　in
numberwas　concentrated　about　all　there　was　of　South　Carolina　education；
wealth；　culture；　and　breeding。　　They　represented　a　pinchbeck　imitation　of
that　regime　in　France　which　was　happily　swept　out　of　existence　by　the
Revolution；　and　the　destruction　of　which　more　than　compensated　for　every
drop　of　blood　shed　in　those　terrible　days。　　Like　the　provincial　'grandes
seigneurs'　of　Louis　XVI's　reign；　they　were　gay；　dissipated　and　turbulent；
〃accomplished〃　in　the　superficial　acquirements　that　made　the　〃gentleman〃
one　hundred　years　ago；　but　are　grotesquely　out　of　place　in　this　sensible；
solid　age；　which　demands　that　a　man　shall　be　of　use；　and　not　merely　for
show。　　They　ran　horses　and　fought　cocks；　dawdled　through　society　when
young；　and　intrigued　in　politics　the　rest　of　their　lives；　with　frequent
spice…work　of　duels。　　Esteeming　personal　courage　as　a　supreme　human
virtue；　and　never　wearying　of　prating　their　devotion　to　the　highest
standard　of　intrepidity；　they　never　produced　a　General　who　　was　even
mediocre；　nor　did　any　one　ever　hear　of　a　South　Carolina　regiment　gaining
distinction。　　Regarding　politics　and　the　art　of　government　as；　equally
with　arms；　their　natural　vocations；　they　have　never　given　the　Nation　a
statesman；　and　their　greatest　politicians　achieved　eminence　by　advocating
ideas　which　only　attracted　attention　by　their　balefulness。

Still　further　resembling　the　French　'grandes　seigneurs'　of　the　eighteenth
century；　they　rolled　in　wealth　wrung　from　the　laborer　by　reducing　the
rewards　of　his　toil　to　the　last　fraction　that　would　support　his　life　and
strength。　　The　rice　culture　was　immensely　profitable；　because　they　had
found　the　secret　for　raising　it　more　cheaply　than　even　the　pauper　laborer
of　the　of　world　could。　　The