andersonville-第99节

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Florence；　a　prisoner　on　the　East　Side　approached　one　of　the　Reserves　with
the　request：

〃Say；　Guard；　can't　you　give　a　fellow　a　chew　of　tobacco？〃

To　which　the　guard　replied：

〃Yes；　come　right　across　the　line　there　and　I'll　drop　you　down　a　bit。〃

The　unsuspecting　prisoner　stepped　across　the　Dead　Line；　and　the　guarda
boy　of　sixteenraised　his　gun　and　killed　him。

At　the　North　Side　of　the　prison；　the　path　down　to　the　Creek　lay　right
along　side　of　the　Dead　Line；　which　was　a　mere　furrow　in　the　ground。

At　night　the　guards；　in　their　zeal　to　kill　somebody；　were　very　likely　to
imagine　that　any　one　going　along　the　path　for　water　was　across　the　Dead
Line；　and　fire　upon　him。　　It　was　as　bad　as　going　upon　the　skirmish　line
to　go　for　water　after　nightfall。　　Yet　every　night　a　group　of　boys　would
be　found　standing　at　the　head　of　the　path　crying　out：

〃Fill　your　buckets　for　a　chew　of　tobacco。〃

That　is；　they　were　willing　to　take　all　the　risk　of　running　that　gauntlet
for　this　moderate　compensation。




CHAPTER　LXXI

DECEMBERRATIONS　OF　WOOD　AND　FOOD　GROW　LESS　DAILYUNCERTAINTY　AS　TO　THE
MORTALITY　AT　FLORENCEEVEN　THE　GOVERNMENT'S　STATISTICS　ARE　VERY
DEFICIENTCARE　FOB　THE　SICK。

The　rations　of　wood　grew　smaller　as　the　weather　grew　colder；　until　at
last　they　settled　down　to　a　piece　about　the　size　of　a　kitchen　rolling…pin
per　day　for　each　man。　　This　had　to　serve　for　all　purposescooking；　as
well　as　warming。　　We　split　the　rations　up　into　slips　about　the　size　of　a
carpenter's　lead　pencil；　and　used　them　parsimoniously；　never　building　a
fire　so　big　that　it　could　not　be　covered　with　a　half…peck　measure。
We　hovered　closely　over　thiscovering　it；　in　fact；　with　our　hands　and
bodies；　so　that　not　a　particle　of　heat　was　lost。　　Remembering　the
Indian's　sage　remark；　〃That　the　white　man　built　a　big　fire　and　sat　away
off　from　it；　the　Indian　made　a　little　fire　and　got　up　close　to　it；〃　we
let　nothing　in　the　way　of　caloric　be　wasted　by　distance。　　The　pitch…pine
produced　great　quantities　of　soot；　which；　in　cold　and　rainy　days；　when　we
hung　over　the　fires　all　the　time；　blackened　our　faces　until　we　were
beyond　the　recognition　of　intimate　friends。

There　was　the　same　economy　of　fuel　in　cooking。　　Less　than　half　as　much　as
is　contained　in　a　penny　bunch　of　kindling　was　made　to　suffice　in
preparing　our　daily　meal。　　If　we　cooked　mush　we　elevated　our　little　can
an　inch　from　the　ground　upon　a　chunk　of　clay；　and　piled　the　little　sticks
around　it　so　carefully　that　none　should　burn　without　yielding　all　its
heat　to　the　vessel；　and　not　one　more　was　burned　than　absolutely
necessary。　　If　we　baked　bread　we　spread　the　dough　upon　our　chessboard；
and　propped　it　up　before　the　little　fire…place；　and　used　every　particle
of　heat　evolved。　　We　had　to　pinch　and　starve　ourselves　thus；　while　within
five　minutes'　walk　from　the　prison…gate　stood　enough　timber　to　build　a
great　city。

The　stump　Andrews　and　I　had　the　foresight　to　save　now　did　us　excellent
service。　　It　was　pitch　pine；　very　fat　with　resin；　and　a　little　piece
split　off　each　day　added　much　to　our　fires　and　our　comfort。

One　morning；　upon　examining　the　pockets　of　an　infantryman　of　my　hundred
who　had　just　died；　I　had　the　wonderful　luck　to　find　a　silver　quarter。
I　hurried　off　to　tell　Andrews　of　our　unexpected　good　fortune。　　By　an
effort　he　succeeded　in　calming　himself　to　the　point　of　receiving　the　news
with　philosophic　coolness；　and　we　went　into　Committee　of　the　Whole　Upon
the　State　of　Our　Stomachs；　to　consider　how　the　money　could　be　spent　to
the　best　advantage。　　At　the　south　side　of　the　Stockade　on　the　outside　of
the　timbers；　was　a　sutler　shop；　kept　by　a　Rebel；　and　communicating　with
the　prison　by　a　hole　two　or　three　feet　square；　cut　through　the　logs。　　The
Dead　Line　was　broken　at　this　point；　so　as　to　permit　prisoners　to　come　up
to　the　hole　to　trade。　　The　articles　for　sale　were　corn　meal　and　bread；
flour　and　wheat　bread；　meat；　beaus；　molasses；　honey；　sweet　potatos；　etc。
I　went　down　to　the　place；　carefully　inspected　the　stock；　priced
everything　there；　and　studied　the　relative　food　value　of　each。　　I　came
back；　reported　my　observations　and　conclusions　to　Andrews；　and　then　staid
at　the　tent　while　he　went　on　a　similar　errand。　　The　consideration　of　the
matter　was　continued　during　the　day　and　night；　and　the　next　morning　we
determined　upon　investing　our　twenty…five　cents　in　sweet　potatos；　as　we
could　get　nearly　a　half…bushel　of　them；　which　was　〃more　fillin'　at　the
price；〃　to　use　the　words　of　Dickens's　Fat　Boy；　than　anything　else　offered
us。　　We　bought　the　potatos；　carried　them　home　in　our　blanket；　buried　them
in　the　bottom　of　our　tent；　to　keep　them　from　being　stolen；　and　restricted
ourselves　to　two　per　day　until　we　had　eaten　them　all。

The　Rebels　did　something　more　towards　properly　caring　for　the　sick　than
at　Andersonville。　　A　hospital　was　established　in　the　northwestern　corner
of　the　Stockade；　and　separated　from　the　rest　of　the　camp　by　a　line　of
police；　composed　of　our　own　men。　　In　this　space　several　large　sheds　were
erected；　of　that　rude　architecture　common　to　the　coarser　sort　of
buildings　in　the　South。　　There　was　not　a　nail　or　a　bolt　used　in　their
entire　construction。　　Forked　posts　at　the　ends　and　sides　supported　poles
upon　which　were　laid　the　long　〃shakes；〃　or　split　shingles；　forming　the
roofs；　and　which　were　held　in　place　by　other　poles　laid　upon　them。
The　sides　and　ends　were　enclosed　by　similar　〃shakes；〃　and　altogether　they
formed　quite　a　fair　protection　against　the　weather。　　Beds　of　pine　leaves
were　provided　for　the　sick；　and　some　coverlets；　which　our　Sanitary
Commission　had　been　allowed　to　send　through。　　But　nothing　was　done　to
bathe　or　cleanse　them；　or　to　exchange　their　lice…infested　garments　for
others　less　full　of　torture。　　The　long　tangled　hair　and　whiskers　were　not
cut；　nor　indeed　were　any　of　the　commonest　suggestions　for　the　improvement
of　the　condition　of　the　sick　put　into　execution。　　Men　who　had　laid　in
their　mud　hovels　until　they　had　become　helpless　and　hopeless；　were
admitted　to　the　hospital；　usually　only　to　die。

The　diseases　were　different　in　character　from　those　which　swept　off　the
prisoners　at　Andersonville。　　There　they　were　mostly　of　the　digestive
organs；　here　of　the　respiratory。　　The　filthy；　putrid；　speedily　fatal
gangrene　of　Andersonville　became　here　a　dry；　slow　wasting　away　of　the
parts；　which　continued　for　weeks；　even　months；　without　being　necessarily
fatal。　　Men's　feet　and　legs；　and　less　frequently　their　hands　and　arms；
decayed　and　sloughed　off。　　The　parts　became　so　dead　that　a　knife　could　be
run　through　them　without　causing　a　particle　of　pain。　　The　dead　flesh　hung
on　to　the　bones　and　tendons　long　after　the　nerves　and　veins　had　ceased　to
perform　their　functions；　and　sometimes　startled　one　by　dropping　off　in　a
lump；　without　causing　pain　or　hemorrhage。

The　appearance　of　these　was；　of　course；　frightful；　or　would　have　been；
had　we　not　become　accustomed　to　them。　　The　spectacle　of　men　with　their
feet　and　legs　a　mass　of　dry　ulceration；　which　had　reduced　the　flesh　to
putrescent　deadness；　and　left　the　tendons　standing　out　like　cords；　was
too　common　to　excite　remark　or　even　attention。　　Unless　the　victim　was　a
comrade；　no　one　specially　heeded　his　condition。　　Lung　diseases　and　low
fevers　ravaged　the　camp；　existing　all　the　time　in　a　more　or　less　virulent
condition；　according　to　the　changes　of　the　weather；　and　occasionally
ragging　in　destructive　epidemics。　　I　am　unable　to　speak　with　any　degree
of　definiteness　as　to　the　death　rate；　since　I　had　ceased　to　interest
myself　about　the　number　dying　each　day。　　I　had　now　been　a　prisoner　a
year；　and　had　become　so　torpid　and　stupefied；　mentally　and　physically；
that　I　cared　comparatively　little　for　anything　save　the　rations　of　food
and　of　fuel。　　The　difference　of　a　few　spoonfuls　of　meal；　or　a　large
splinter　of　wood　in　the　daily　issues　to　me；　were　of　more　actual
importance　than　the　increase　or　decrease　of　the　death　rate　by　a　half　a
score　or　more。　　At　Andersonville　I　frequently　took　the　trouble　to　count
the　number　of　dead　and　living；　but　all　curiosity　of　this　kind　had　now
died　out。

Nor　can　I　find　that　anybody　else　is　in　possession　of　much　more　than　my
own　information　on　the　subject。　　Inquiry　at　the　War　Department　has
elicited　the　following　letters：


I。

The　prison　records　of　Florence；　S。　C。；　have　never　come　to　light；　and
therefore　the　number　of　prisoners　confined　there　could　not　be　ascertained
from　the　records　on　file　in　this　office；　nor　do　I　think　that　any
statement　purporting　to　show　that　number　has　ever　been　made。

In　the　report　to　Congress　of　March　1；　1869；　it　was　shown　from　records　as
follows：


Escaped；　fifty…eight；　paroled；　one；　died；　two　thousand　seven　hundred　and
ninety…three。　　Total；　two　thousand　eight　hundred　and　fifty…two。

Since　date　of　said　report　there　have　been　added　to　the　records　as
follows：

Died；　two　hundred　and　twelve；　enlisted　in　Rebel　army；　three　hundred　and
twenty…six。　　Total；　five　hundred　and　thirty…eight。

Making　a　total　disposed　of　from　there；　as　shown　by　records　on　file；　of
three　thousand　three　hundred　and　ninety。

This；　no　doubt；　is　a　small　proportion　of　the　number　actually　confined
there。

The　hospital　register　on