andersonville-第98节

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of　healthy；　clean；　well…clothed　men　were　as　continually　coming　in　from
the　front；　so　that　a　large　portion　of　those　inside　looked　in　fairly　good
condition。　　Put　now　no　new　prisoners　had　come　in　for　months；　the　money
which　made　such　a　show　about　the　sutler　shops　of　Andersonville　had　been
spent；　and　there　was　in　every　face　the　same　look　of　ghastly　emaciation；
the　same　shrunken　muscles　and　feeble　limbs；　the　same　lack…luster　eyes　and
hopeless　countenances。

One　of　the　commonest　of　sights　was　to　see　men　whose　hands　and　feet　were
simply　rotting　off。　　The　nights　were　frequently　so　cold　that　ice　a
quarter　of　an　inch　thick　formed　on　the　water。　　The　naked　frames　of
starving　men　were　poorly　calculated　to　withstand　this　frosty　rigor；　and
thousands　had　their　extremities　so　badly　frozen　as　to　destroy　the　life　in
those　parts；　and　induce　a　rotting　of　the　tissues　by　a　dry　gangrene。
The　rotted　flesh　frequently　remained　in　its　place　for　a　long　time
a　loathsome　but　painless　mass；　that　gradually　sloughed　off；　leaving　the
sinews　that　passed　through　it　to　stand　out　like　shining；　white　cords。

While　this　was　in　some　respects　less　terrible　than　the　hospital　gangrene
at　Andersonville；　it　was　more　generally　diffused；　and　dreadful　to　the
last　degree。　　The　Rebel　Surgeons　at　Florence　did　not　follow　the　habit　of
those　at　Andersonville；　and　try　to　check　the　disease　by　wholesale
amputation；　but　simply　let　it　run　its　course；　and　thousands　finally
carried　their　putrefied　limbs　through　our　lines；　when　the　Confederacy
broke　up　in　the　Spring；　to　be　treated　by　our　Surgeons。

I　had　been　in　prison　but　a　little　while　when　a　voice　called　out　from　a
hole　in　the　ground；　as　I　was　passing：

〃S…a…y；　Sergeant！　　Won't　you　please　take　these　shears　and　cut　my　toes
off？〃

〃What？〃　said　I；　in　amazement；　stopping　in　front　of　the　dugout。

〃Just　take　these　shears；　won't　you；　and　cut　my　toes　off？〃　answered　the
inmate；　an　Indiana　infantrymanholding　up　a　pair　of　dull　shears　in　his
hand；　and　elevating　a　foot　for　me　to　look　at。

I　examined　the　latter　carefully。　　All　the　flesh　of　the　toes；　except
little　pads　at　the　ends；　had　rotted　off；　leaving　the　bones　as　clean　as　if
scraped。　　The　little　tendons　still　remained；　and　held　the　bones　to　their
places；　but　this　seemed　to　hurt　the　rest　of　the　feet　and　annoy　the　man。

〃You'd　better　let　one　of　the　Rebel　doctors　see　this；〃　I　said；　after
finishing　my　survey；　〃before　you　conclude　to　have　them　off。　　May　be　they
can　be　saved。〃

〃No；　dd　if　I'm　going　to　have　any　of　them　Rebel　butchers　fooling
around　me。　　I'd　die　first；　and　then　I　wouldn't；〃　was　the　reply。　　〃You　can
do　it　better　than　they　can。　　It's　just　a　little　snip。　　Just　try　it。〃

〃I　don't　like　to；〃　I　replied。　　〃I　might　lame　you　for　life；　and　make　you
lots　of　trouble。〃

〃O；　bother！　what　business　is　that　of　yours？　　They're　my　toes；　and　I　want
'em　off。　　They　hurt　me　so　I　can't　sleep。　　Come；　now；　take　the　shears　and
cut　'em　off。〃

I　yielded；　and　taking　the　shears；　snipped　one　tendon　after　another；　close
to　the　feet；　and　in　a　few　seconds　had　the　whole　ten　toes　lying　in　a　heap
at　the　bottom　of　the　dug…out。　　I　picked　them　up　and　handed　them　to　their
owner；　who　gazed　at　them；　complacently；　and　remarked：

〃Well；　I'm　darned　glad　they're　off。　　I　won't　be　bothered　with　corns　any
more；　I　flatter　myself。〃




CHAPTER　LXX

HOUSE　AND　CLOTHESEFFORTS　TO　ERECT　A　SUITABLE　RESIDENCEDIFFICULTIES
ATTENDING　THISVARIETIES　OF　FLORENTINE　ARCHITECTUREWAITING　FOR　DEAD
MEN'S　CLOTHESCRAVING　FOR　TOBACCO。

We　were　put　into　the　old　squads　to　fill　the　places　of　those　who　had
recently　died；　being　assigned　to　these　vacancies　according　to　the
initials　of　our　surnames；　the　same　rolls　being　used　that　we　had　signed　as
paroles。　　This　separated　Andrews　and　me；　for　the　〃A's〃　were　taken　to　fill
up　the　first　hundreds　of　the　First　Thousand；　while　the　〃M's；〃　to　which　I
belonged；　went　into　the　next　Thousand。

I　was　put　into　the　Second　Hundred　of　the　Second　Thousand；　and　its
Sergeant　dying　shortly　after；　I　was　given　his　place；　and　commanded　the
hundred；　drew　its　rations；　made　out　its　rolls；　and　looked　out　for　its
sick　during　the　rest　of　our　stay　there。

Andrews　and　I　got　together　again；　and　began　fixing　up　what　little　we
could　to　protect　ourselves　against　the　weather。　　Cold　as　this　was　we
decided　that　it　was　safer　to　endure　it　and　risk　frost…biting　every　night
than　to　build　one　of　the　mud…walled　and　mud…covered　holes　that　so　many；
lived　in。　　These　were　much　warmer　than　lying　out　on　the　frozen　ground；
but　we　believed　that　they　were　very　unhealthy；　and　that　no　one　lived　long
who　inhabited　them。

So　we　set　about　repairing　our　faithful　old　blanketnow　full　of　great
holes。　　We　watched　the　dead　men　to　get　pieces　of　cloth　from　their
garments　to　make　patches；　which　we　sewed　on　with　yarn　raveled　from　other
fragments　of　woolen　cloth。　　Some　of　our　company；　whom　we　found　in　the
prison；　donated　us　the　three　sticks　necessary　to　make　tent…poles
wonderful　generosity　when　the　preciousness　of　firewood　is　remembered。
We　hoisted　our　blanket　upon　these；　built　a　wall　of　mud　bricks　at　one　end；
and　in　it　a　little　fireplace　to　economize　our　scanty　fuel　to　the　last
degree；　and　were　once　more　at　home；　and　much　better　off　than　most　of　our
neighbors。

One　of　these；　the　proprietor　of　a　hole　in　the　ground　covered　with　an　arch
of　adobe　bricks；　had　absolutely　no　bed…clothes　except　a　couple　of　short
pieces　of　boardand　very　little　other　clothing。　　He　dug　a　trench　in　the
bottom　of　what　was　by　courtesy　called　his　tent；　sufficiently　large　to
contain　his　body　below　his　neck。　　At　nightfall　he　would　crawl　into　this；
put　his　two　bits　of　board　so　that　they　joined　over　his　breast；　and　then
say：　〃Now；　boys；　cover　me　over；〃　whereupon　his　friends　would　cover　him　up
with　dry　sand　from　the　sides　of　his　domicile；　in　which　he　would　slumber
quietly　till　morning；　when　he　would　rise；　shake　the　sand　from　his
garments；　and　declare　that　he　felt　as　well　refreshed　as　if　he　had　slept
on　a　spring　mattress。

There　has　been　much　talk　of　earth　baths　of　late　years　in　scientific　and
medical　circles。　　I　have　been　sorry　that　our　Florence　comrade　if　he　still
livesdid　not　contribute　the　results　of　his　experience。

The　pinching　cold　cured　me　of　my　repugnance　to　wearing　dead　men's
clothes；　or　rather　it　made　my　nakedness　so　painful　that　I　was　glad　to
cover　it　as　best　I　could；　and　I　began　foraging　among　the　corpses　for
garments。　　For　awhile　my　efforts　to　set　myself　up　in　the　mortuary　second…
hand　clothing　business　were　not　all　successful。　　I　found　that　dying　men
with　good　clothes　were　as　carefully　watched　over　by　sets　of　fellows　who
constituted　themselves　their　residuary　legatees　as　if　they　were　men　of
fortune　dying　in　the　midst　of　a　circle　of　expectant　nephews　and　nieces。
Before　one　was　fairly　cold　his　clothes　would　be　appropriated　and　divided；
and　I　have　seen　many　sharp　fights　between　contesting　claimants。

I　soon　perceived　that　my　best　chance　was　to　get　up　very　early　in　the
morning；　and　do　my　hunting。　　The　nights　were　so　cold　that　many　could　not
sleep；　and　they　would　walk　up　and　down　the　streets；　trying　to　keep　warm
by　exercise。　　Towards　morning；　becoming　exhausted；　they　would　lie　down　on
the　ground　almost　anywhere；　and　die。　　I　have　frequently　seen　so　many　as
fifty　of　these。　　My　first　〃find〃　of　any　importance　was　a　young
Pennsylvania　Zouave；　who　was　lying　dead　near　the　bridge　that　crossed　the
Creek。　　His　clothes　were　all　badly　worn；　except　his　baggy；　dark　trousers；
which　were　nearly　new。　　I　removed　these；　scraped　out　from　each　of　the
dozens　of　great　folds　in　the　legs　about　a　half　pint　of　lice；　and　drew　the
garments　over　my　own　half…frozen　limbs；　the　first　real　covering　those
members　had　had　for　four　or　five　months。　　The　pantaloons　only　came　down
about　half…way　between　my　knees　and　feet；　but　still　they　were　wonderfully
comfortable　to　what　I　had　beenor　rather　not　beenwearing。　　I　had
picked　up　a　pair　of　boot　bottoms；　which　answered　me　for　shoes；　and　now　I
began　a　hunt　for　socks。　　This　took　several　morning　expeditions；　but　on
one　of　them　I　was　rewarded　with　finding　a　corpse　with　a　good　brown　one
army　makeand　a　few　days　later　I　got　another；　a　good；　thick　genuine　one；
knit　at　home；　of　blue　yarn；　by　some　patient；　careful　housewife。　　Almost
the　next　morning　I　had　the　good　fortune　to　find　a　dead　man　with　a　warm；
whole；　infantry　dress…coat；　a　most　serviceable　garment。　　As　I　still　had
for　a　shirt　the　blouse　Andrews　had　given　me　at　Millen；　I　now　considered
my　wardrobe　complete；　and　left　the　rest　of　the　clothes　to　those　who　were
more　needy　than　I。

Those　who　used　tobacco　seemed　to　suffer　more　from　a　deprivation　of　the
weed　than　from　lack　of　food。　　There　were　no　sacrifices　they　would　not
make　to　obtain　it；　and　it　was　no　uncommon　thing　for　boys　to　trade　off
half　their　rations　for　a　chew　of　〃navy　plug。〃　　As　long　as　one　had
anythingespecially　buttonsto　trade；　tobacco　could　be　procured　from
the　guards；　who　were　plentifully　supplied　with　it。　　When　means　of　barter
were　gone；　chewers　frequently　became　so　desperate　as　to　beg　the　guards　to
throw　them　a　bit　of　the　precious　nicotine。　　Shortly　after　our　arrival　at
Florence；　a　prisoner　on　the　East　Side　approached　one　of　the　Reserves　with
the　re