第22章

Afewwagonloadsofroastingearsandsweetpotatoswouldhavebanishedeverytraceofscurvyfromthecamp,healedupthewastingdysentery,andsavedthousandsoflives。AnydaythattheRebelshadchosentheycouldhavegottenathousandvolunteerswhowouldhavegiventheirsolemnparolenottoescape,andgoneanydistanceintothecountry,togatherthepotatosandcorn,andsuchothervegetablesaswerereadilyobtainable,andbring,themintothecamp。

WhateverelsemaybesaidindefenseoftheSouthernmanagementofmilitaryprisons,thepermittingseventhousandmentodieofthescurvyintheSummertime,inthemidstofanagriculturalregion,filledwithallmannerofgreenvegetation,mustforeverremainimpossibleofexplanation。

CHAPTERLI。

SOLICITUDEASTOTHEFATEOFATLANTAANDSHERMAN\'SARMY——PAUCITYOFNEWS

——HOWWEHEARDTHATATLANTAHADFALLEN——ANNOUNCEMENTOFAGENERAL

EXCHANGE——WELEAVEANDERSONVILLE。

WeagainbegantobeexceedinglysolicitousoverthefateofAtlantaandSherman\'sArmy:wehadheardbutlittledirectlyfromthatfrontforseveralweeks。Fewprisonershadcomeinsincethosecapturedinthebloodyengagementsofthe20th,22d,and28thofJuly。Inspiteoftheirconfidenttones,andourownsanguinehopes,theoutlookadmittedofverygravedoubts。ThebattlesofthelastweekofJulyhadbeenlookedatitinthebestlightpossible——indecisive。Ourmenhadheldtheirown,itistrue,butaninvadingarmycannotaffordtosimplyholditsown。

Anythingshortofanabsolutesuccessistoitdisguiseddefeat。ThenweknewthatthecavalrycolumnsentoutunderStonemanhadbeensobadlyhandledbythatinefficientcommanderthatithadfailedridiculouslyinitsobject,beingbeatenindetail,andsufferingthelossofitscommanderandaconsiderableportionofitsnumbers。ThishadbeenfollowedbyadefeatofourinfantryatEtowahCreek,andthencamealongintervalinwhichwereceivednonewssavewhattheRebelpaperscontained,andtheypretendednodoubtthatSherman\'sfailurewasalreadydemonstrated。Nextcamewell—authenticatednewsthatShermanhadraisedthesiegeandfallenbacktotheChattahoochee,andwefeltsomethingofthebitternessofdespair。Fordaysthereafterweheardnothing,thoughthehot,closeSummerairseemedsurchargedwiththepremonitionsofawarstormabouttoburst,evenasnatureheraldsinthesamewayaconcentrationofthemightyforceoftheelementsforthegrandcrashofthethunderstorm。Wewaitedintenseexpectancyforthedecisionofthefateswhetherfinalvictoryordefeatshouldendthelongandarduouscampaign。

AtnighttheguardsintheperchesaroundtheStockadecalledouteveryhalfhour,soastoshowtheofficersthattheywereawakeandattendingtotheirduty。Theformulaforthisranthus:

"Postnumbah1;half—pasteighto\'clock,anda—1—1\'sw—e—l—l！"

PostNo。2repeatedthiscry,andsoitwentaround。

OneeveningwhenouranxietyastoAtlantawaswroughttothehighestpitch,oneoftheguardssangout:

"Postnumbahfoah——halfpasteighto\'clock——andAtlanta\'s——gone——t—o——

hell"

Theheartofeverymanwithinhearingleapedtohismouth。Welookedtowardeachother,almostspeechlesswithgladsurprise,andthengaspedout:

"Did\'youhearTHAT？"

Thenextinstantsucharingingcheerburstoutaswellsspontaneouslyfromthethroatsandheartsofmen,inthefirstecstaticmomentsofvictory——acheertowhichoursaddenedheartsandenfeebledlungshadlongbeenstrangers。Itwasthegenuine,honest,manlyNortherncheer,asdifferentfromtheshrillRebelyellasthehonestmastiff\'sdeep—

voicedwelcomeisfromthehowloftheprowlingwolf。

Theshoutwastakenupallovertheprison。Eventhosewhohadnotheardtheguardunderstoodthatitmeantthat"Atlantawasoursandfairlywon,"andtheytookuptheacclamationwithasmuchenthusiasmaswehadbegunit。Allthoughtsofsleepwereputtoflight:wewouldhaveaseasonofrejoicing。Littleknotsgatheredtogether,debatedthenews,andindulgedinthemostsanguinehopesastotheeffectupontheRebels。

InsomepartsoftheStockadestumpspeechesweremade。IbelievethatBostonCorbettandhispartyorganizedaprayerandpraisemeeting。

Inourcornerwestirredupourtunefulfriend"Nosey,"whosangagainthegrandoldpatriotichymnsthatsetourthinbloodtobounding,andmadeusrememberthatwewerestillUnionsoldiers,withhigherhopesthanthatofstarvinganddyinginAndersonville。Hesangtheever—

gloriousStarSpangledBanner,asheusedtosingitaroundthecampfireinhappierdays,whenwewereinthefield。Hesangtherousing"RallyRoundtheFlag,"withitswealthofpatrioticfireandmartialvigor,andwe,withthroatshoarsefromshouting;joinedinthechorusuntilthewelkinrangagain。

TheRebelsbecameexcited,lestourexaltationofspiritswouldleadtoanassaultupontheStockade。Theygotunderarms,andremainedsountiltheenthusiasmbecamelessdemonstrative。

Afewdayslater——ontheeveningofthe6thofSeptember——theRebelSergeantswhocalledtherollenteredtheStockade,andeachassemblinghissquads,addressedthemasfollows:

"PRISONERS:IaminstructedbyGeneralWindertoinformyouthatageneralexchangehasbeenagreedupon。TwentythousandmenwillbeexchangedimmediatelyatSavannah,whereyourvesselsarenowwaitingforyou。DetachmentsfromOnetoTenwillpreparetoleaveearlyto—morrowmorning。"

Theexcitementthatthisnewsproducedwassimplyindescribable。Ihaveseenmenineverypossibleexigencythatcanconfrontmen,andalargeproportionviewedthatwhichimpendedoverthemwithatleastoutwardcomposure。Theboysaroundmehadenduredallthatwesufferedwithstoicalfirmness。Groansfrompain—rackedbodiescouldnotberepressed,andbittercursesandmaledictionsagainsttheRebelsleapedunbiddentothelipsattheslightestoccasion,buttherewasnomurmuringorwhining。Therewasnotaday——hardlyanhour——inwhichonedidnotseesuchexhibitionsofmanlyfortitudeasmadehimproudofbelongingtoaraceofwhicheveryindividualwasahero。

Buttheemotionwhichpainandsufferinganddangercouldnotdevelop,joycould,andboyssang,andshoutedandcried,anddancedasifinadelirium。"God\'scountry,"fairerthanthesweetpromisedlandofCanaanappearedtotheraptvisionoftheHebrewpoetprophet,spreadoutingladvistabeforethemind\'seyeofeveryone。Ithadcome——atlastithadcomethatwhichwehadsolongedfor,wishedfor,prayedfor,dreamedof;schemed,planned,toiledfor,andforwhichwentupthelastearnest,dyingwishofthethousandsofourcomradeswhowouldnowknownoexchangesaveintothateternalGod\'scountry"whereSicknessandsorrow,painanddeathArefeltandfearednomore。

Our"preparations,"forleavingwerefewandsimple。Whenthemorningcame,andshortlyaftertheordertomove,AndrewsandIpickedourwell—

wornblanket,ourtatteredovercoat,ourrudechessmen,andnolessrudeboard,ourlittleblackcan,andthespoonmadeofhoop—iron,andbadefarewelltothehole—in—the—groundthathadbeenourhomefornearlysevenlongmonths。

Myfeetwerestillinmiserableconditionfromthelacerationsreceivedintheattempttoescape,butItookoneofourtentpolesasastaffandhobbledaway。Were—passedthegateswhichwehadenteredonthatFebruarynight,agessince,itseemed,andcrawledslowlyovertothedepot。

IhadcometoregardtheRebelsaroundusassuchmeasurelessliarsthatmyfirstimpulsewastobelievethereverseofanythingtheysaidtous;

andevennow,whileIhopedforthebest,myoldhabitofmindwassostronglyuponmethatIhadsomedoubtsofourgoingtobeexchanged,simplybecauseitwasaRebelwhohadsaidso。ButinthecrowdofRebelswhostoodclosetotheroaduponwhichwewerewalkingwasayoungSecondLieutenant,whosaidtoaColonelasIpassed:

"Weil,thosefellowscansing\'HomewardBound,\'can\'tthey？"

Thissetmylastmisgivingatrest。NowIwascertainthatweweregoingtobeexchanged,andmyspiritssoaredtotheskies。

Enteringthecarswethumpedandpoundedtoilsomelyalong,afterthemannerofSouthernrailroads,attherateofsixoreightmilesanhour。

Savannahwastwohundredandfortymilesaway,andtoourimpatientmindsitseemedasifwewouldnevergetthere。TheroutelaythewholedistancethroughthecheerlesspinebarrenswhichcoverthegreaterpartofGeorgia。TheonlyconsiderabletownonthewaywasMacon,whichhadthenapopulationoffivethousandorthereabouts。Forscoresofmilestherewouldnotbeasignofahumanhabitation,andintheonehundredandeightymilesbetweenMaconandSavannahtherewereonlythreeinsignificantvillages。Therewasastationeverytenmiles,atwhichtheonlybuildingwasanopenshed,toshelterfromsunandrainacasualpassenger,orabitofgoods。

Theoccasionalspecimensofthepoorwhite"cracker"populationthatwesaw,seemedindigenousproductsofthestarvedsoil。Theysuitedtheirpoverty—strickensurroundingsaswellasthegnarledandscrubbyvegetationsuitedthesterilesand。Thin—chested,round—shouldered,scraggy—bearded,dull—eyedandopen—mouthed,theyalllookedalike——alllookedasignorant,asstupid,andaslazyastheywerepoorandweak。

Theywere"low—downers"ineveryrespect,andmadeourroughandsimple。

mindedEastTennesseanslooklikemodelsofelegantandculturedgentlemenincontrast。

Welookedonthepoverty—strickenlandwithgood—naturedcontempt,forwethoughtwewereleavingitforever,andwouldsoonbeinonewhich,comparedtoit,wasasthefatnessatEgypttothe

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