第21章

aswasquitelikelywithamanofhisshallop\'brainandvacillatingtemper——tobesimplyreturnedtothestockade。

Nothing,Iamsure,sincethedaysoftheInquisition——orstilllater,sincetheterriblepunishmentsvisitedupontheinsurgentsof1848bytheAustrianaristocrats——hasbeensodiabolicalasthestocksandchain—

gangs,asusedbyWirz。Atonetimesevenmen,sittinginthestocksneartheStarFort——inplainviewofthecamp——becameobjectsofinteresttoeverybodyinside。Theywereneverrelievedfromtheirpainfulposition,butwerekeptthereuntilallofthemdied。Ithinkitwasnearlytwoweeksbeforethelastonesuccumbed。Whattheyenduredinthattimeevenimaginationcannotconceive——IdonotthinkthatanIndiantribeeverdevisedkeenertortureforitscaptives。

Thechain—gangconsistedofanumberofmen——varyingfromtwelvetotwenty—five,allchainedtoonesixty—fourpoundball。TheywerealsostationedneartheStarFort,standingoutinthehotsun,withoutaparticleofshadeoverthem。Whenonemovedtheyallhadtomove。

Theywerescourgedwiththedysentery,andthenecessitiesofsomeoneoftheirnumberkeptthemconstantlyinmotion。Icanseethemdistinctlyyet,trampinglaboriouslyandpainfullybackandforwardoverthatburninghillside,everymomentofthelong,wearySummerdays。

AcomradewritestoremindmeofthebeneficentworkoftheMasonicOrder。Imentionitmostgladly,asitwasthesolerecognitiononthepartofanyofourfoesofourclaimstohumankinship。Thechurchesofalldenominations——exceptthesolitaryCatholicpriest,FatherHamilton,——ignoredusaswhollyasifweweredumbbeasts。Layhumanitarianswereequallyindifferent,andtheonlyinterestmanifestedbyanyRebelinthewelfareofanyprisonerwasbytheMasonicbrotherhood。TheRebelMasonsinterestedthemselvesinsecuringdetailsoutsidetheStockadeinthecookhouse,thecommissary,andelsewhere,forthebrethrenamongtheprisonerswhowouldacceptsuchfavors。Suchasdidnotfeelinclinedtogooutsideonparolereceivedfrequentpresentsinthewayoffood,andespeciallyofvegetables,whichwereliterallybeyondprice。MaterialsweresentinsidetobuildtentsfortheMasons,andIthinksuchasmadethemselvesknownbeforedeath,receivedburialaccordingtotheritesoftheOrder。DoctorWhite,andperhapsotherSurgeons,belongedtothefraternity,andthewearingofaMasonicemblembyanewprisonerwasprettysuretocatchtheireyes,andbethemeansofsecuringforthewearerthetenderoftheirgoodoffices,suchasadetailintotheHospitalasnurse,ward—master,etc。

Iwasnotfortunateenoughtobeoneofthemysticbrethren,andsomissedallshareinanyofthesebenefits,aswellasinanyothers,andItakespecialprideinonething:thatduringmywholeimprisonmentIwasnotbeholdentoaRebelforasinglefavorofanykind。TheRebeldoesnotlivewhocansaythatheevergavemesomuchasahandfulofmeal,aspoonfulofsalt,aninchofthread,orastickofwood。

FromfirsttolastIreceivednothingbutmyrations,exceptoccasionaltriflesthatIsucceededinstealingfromthestupidofficerschargedwithissuingrations。IowenomanintheSouthernConfederacygratitudeforanything——notevenforakindword。

Speakingofsecretsocietypinsrecallsanoteworthystorywhichhasbeentoldmesincethewar,ofboyswhomIknew。AtthebreakingoutofhostilitiesthereexistedinToledoafestivelittlesecretsociety,suchaslurkingboysfrequentlyorganize,withnootherobjectthanfunandtheusualadolescentloveofmystery。Therewereadozenorsomembersinitwhocalledthemselves"TheRoyalReubens,"andwereheadedbyabookbindernamedNedHopkins。SomeonestartedabranchoftheOrderinNapoleon,O。,andamongthememberswasCharlesE。Reynolds,ofthattown。Thebadgeofthesocietywasapeculiarlyshapedgoldpin。

ReynoldsandHopkinsnevermet,andhadnoacquaintancewitheachother。

Whenthewarbrokeout,HopkinsenlistedinBatteryH,FirstOhioArtillery,andwassenttotheArmyofthePotomac,wherehewascaptured,intheFallof1863,whilescouting,intheneighborhoodofRichmond。ReynoldsenteredtheSixty—EighthOhioVolunteerInfantry,andwastakenintheneighborhoodofJackson,Miss。,——twothousandmilesfromtheplaceofHopkins\'scapture。AtAndersonvilleHopkinsbecameoneoftheofficersinchargeoftheHospital。OnedayaRebelSergeant,whocalledtherollintheStockade,afterstudyingHopkins\'spinaminute,said:

"IseedaYankintheStockadeto—daya—wearingapinegzacklylikethatere。"

ThisarousedHopkins\'sinterest,andhewentinsideinsearchoftheother"feller。"Havinghissquadanddetachmenttherewaslittledifficultyinfindinghim。Herecognizedthepin,spoketoitswearer,gavehimthe"grandhailingsign"ofthe"RoyalReubens,"anditwasdulyrespondedto。TheupshotofthematterwasthathetookReynoldsoutwithhimasclerk,andsavedhislife,asthelatterwasgoingdownhillveryrapidly。Reynolds,inturn,securedthedetailofacomradeoftheSixty—Eighthwhowasfailingfast,andsucceededinsavinghislife——allofwhichhappyresultsweredirectlyattributabletothatinsignificantboyishsociety,anditsequallyunimportantbadgeofmembership。

AlonginthelastofAugusttheRebelslearnedthattherewerebetweentwoandthreehundredCaptainsandLieutenantsintheStockade,passingthemselvesoffasenlistedmen。Themotiveoftheseofficerswastwo—

fold:first,achivalrouswishtosharethefortunesandfateoftheirboys,andsecond,disinclinationtogratifytheRebelsbytheknowledgeoftherankoftheircaptives。ThesecretwassowellkeptthatnoneofussuspectedituntilthefactwasannouncedbytheRebelsthemselves。

Theyweretakenoutimmediately,andsenttoMacon,wherethecommissionedofficers\'prisonwas。Itwouldnotdototrustsuchpossibleleaderswithusanotherday。

CHAPTERL

FOOD——THEMEAGERNESS,INFERIORQUALITY,ANDTERRIBLESAMENESS——

REBELTESTIMONYONTHESUBJECT——FUTILITYOFSUCCESSFULEXPLANATION。

Ihaveinotherplacesdweltupontheinsufficiencyandthenauseousnessofthefood。NowordsthatIcanuse,noinsistenceuponthistheme,cangivethereaderanyideaofitsmortalimportancetous。

Letthereaderconsiderforamomentthequantity,quality,andvarietyoffoodthathenowholdstobenecessaryforthemaintenanceoflifeandhealth。Itrustthateveryonewhoperusesthisbook——thateveryoneinfactoverwhomtheStarsandStripeswave——hashiscupofcoffee,hisbiscuitsandhisbeefsteakforbreakfast——asubstantialdinnerofroastorboiled——andalighter,butstillsufficientmealintheevening。

Inall,certainlynotlessthanfiftydifferentarticlesaresetbeforehimduringtheday,forhischoiceaselementsofnourishment。Lethimscanthisextendedbill—of—fare,whichlongcustomhasmadesocommon—

placeastobeuninteresting——perhapsevenwearisometothinkabout——

andseewhathecouldomitfromit,ifnecessitycompelledhim。Afterareluctantfarewelltofish,butter,eggs,milk,sugar,greenandpreservedfruits,etc。,hethinksthatperhapsunderextraordinarycircumstanceshemightbeabletomerelysustainlifeforalimitedperiodonadietofbreadandmeatthreetimesaday,washeddownwithcreamless,unsweetenedcoffee,andvariedoccasionallywithadditionsofpotatos,onions,beans,etc。ItwouldastonishtheInnocenttohaveoneofourveteransinformhimthatthiswasnoteventhefirststageofdestitution;thatasoldierwhohadthesewasexpectedtobeonthesummitlevelofcontentment。AnyoftheboyswhofollowedGranttoAppomattoxCourtHouse,ShermantotheSea,or"Pap"ThomastillhisgloriouscareerculminatedwiththeannihilationofHood,willtellhimofmanyweekswhenasliceoffatporkonapieceof"hardtack"hadtododutyforthebreakfastofbeefsteakandbiscuits;whenanothersliceoffatporkandanothercrackerservedforthedinnerofroastbeefandvegetables,andathirdcrackerandsliceofporkwasasubstituteforthesupperoftoastandchops。

Isaytotheseveteransinturnthattheydidnotarriveatthefirststagesofdestitutioncomparedwiththedepthstowhichweweredragged。

Therestrictionforafewweekstoadietofcrackersandfatporkwascertainlyahardship,butthecrackersalone,chemiststellus,containalltheelementsnecessarytosupportlife,andinourArmytheywerealwayswellmadeandverypalatable。IbelieveIrisknothinginsayingthatoneoftheordinarysquarecrackersofourCommissaryDepartmentcontainedmuchmorerealnutrimentthanthewholeofouraverageration。

Ihavebeforecomparedthesize,shapeandappearanceofthedailyhalfloafofcornbreadissuedtoustoahalf—brick,andIdonotyetknowofamorefittingcomparison。Atfirstwegotasmallpieceofrustybaconalongwiththis;butthesizeofthisdiminishedsteadilyuntilatlastitfadedawayentirely,andduringthelastsixmonthsofourimprisonmentIdonotbelievethatwereceivedrationsofmeataboveahalf—dozentimes。

Tothissmallnesswasaddedineffablebadness。Themealwasgroundverycoarsely,bydull,weaklypropelledstones,thatimperfectlycrushedthegrains,andleftthetough,hardcoatingofthekernelsinlarge,sharp,mica—likescales,whichcutandinflamedthestomachandintestines,likehandfulsofpoundedglass。Thealimentarycanalsofallcompelledtoeatitwerekeptinacontinualstateofirritationthatusuallyterminatedinincurabledysentery。

ThatIhavenotover—statedthisevilcanbeseenbyreferencetothetestimonyofsocompetentascientificobserverasProfessorJones,andI

addtothatunimpeachabletestimonythefollowingextractfromthestatementmadeinanattempteddefenseofAndersonvillebyDoctorR。

RandolphStevenson,whostyleshimself,formerlySurgeonintheArmyoftheConfederateStatesofAmerica,ChiefSurgeonoftheConfederateStatesMilitaryPrisonHospitals,Andersonville,Ga。":

V。Fromthesamenessofthefood,andfromtheactionofthepoisonousgasesinthedenselycrowdedandfilthyStockadeandHospital,thebloodwasalteredinitsconstitution,even,beforethemanifestationofactualdisease。

Inboththewellandthesick,theredcorpuscleswerediminished;andinalldiseasesuncomplicatedwithinflammation,thefibrinouselementwasdeficient。Incasesofulcerationofthemucousmembraneoftheintestinalcanal,thefibrinouselementofthebloodappearedtobeincreased;whileinsimplediarrhea,uncomplicatedwithulc

后续内容为VIP可读请开通VIP，或购买此章节