第24章

"AtamassmeetingheldSeptember28th,1864,bytheFederalprisonersconfinedatSavannah,Ga。,itwasunanimouslyagreedthatthefollowingresolutionsbesenttothePresidentoftheUnitedStates,inthehopethathemighttherebytakesuchstepsasinhiswisdomhemaythinknecessaryforourspeedyexchangeorparole:

"Resolved,ThatwhilewewoulddeclareourunboundedlovefortheUnion,forthehomeofourfathers,andforthegravesofthosewevenerate,wewouldbegmostrespectfullythatoursituationasprisonersbediligentlyinquiredinto,andeveryobstacleconsistentwiththehonoranddignityoftheGovernmentatonceremoved。

"Resolved,ThatwhileallowingtheConfederateauthoritiesallduepraisefortheattentionpaidtoprisoners,numbersofourmenaredailyconsignedtoearlygraves,intheprimeofmanhood,farfromhomeandkindred,andthisisnotcausedintentionallybytheConfederateGovernment,butbyforceofcircumstances;theprisonersareforcedtogowithoutshelter,and,inagreatportionofcases,withoutmedicine。

"Resolved,That,whereas,tenthousandofourbravecomradeshavedescendedintoanuntimelygravewithinthelastsixmonths,andaswebelievetheirdeathwascausedbythedifferenceofclimate,thepeculiarkindandinsufficiencyoffood,andlackofpropermedicaltreatment;

and,whereas,thosedifficultiesstillremain,wewoulddeclareasourfirmbelief,thatunlesswearespeedilyexchanged,wehavenoalternativebuttosharethelamentablefateofourcomrades。Mustthisthingstillgoon！Istherenohope？

"Resolved,That,whereas,thecoldandinclementseasonoftheyearisfastapproaching,weholdittobeourdutyassoldiersandcitizensoftheUnitedStates,toinformourGovernmentthatthemajorityofourprisonersatewithoutproperclothing,insomecasesbeingalmostnaked,andarewithoutblanketstoprotectusfromthescorchingsunbydayortheheavydewsbynight,andwewouldmostrespectfullyrequesttheGovernmenttomakesomearrangementwherebywecanbesuppliedwiththese,tous,necessaryarticles。

"Resolved,That,whereas,thetermofserviceofmanyofourcomradeshavingexpired,they,havingservedtrulyandfaithfullyforthetermoftheirseveralenlistments,wouldmostrespectfullyasktheirGovernment,aretheytobeforgotten？Arepastservicestobeignored？Nothavingseentheirwivesandlittleonesforoverthreeyears,theywouldmostrespectfully,butfirmly,requesttheGovernmenttomakesomearrangementswherebytheycanbeexchangedorparoled。

"Resolved,That,whereas,inthefortuneofwar,itwasourlottobecomeprisoners,wehavesufferedpatiently,andarestillwillingtosuffer,ifbysodoingwecanbenefitthecountry;butwemustmostrespectfullybegtosay,thatwearenotwillingtosuffertofurthertheendsofanypartyorcliquetothedetrimentofourhonor,ourfamilies,andourcountry,andwebegthatthisaffairbeexplainedtous,thatwemaycontinuetoholdtheGovernmentinthatrespectwhichisnecessarytomakeagoodcitizenandsoldier。

"P。BRADLEY,"ChairmanofCommitteeinbehalfofPrisoners。"

InregardtotheaboveIwillsimplysaythis,thatwhileIcannotpretendtoknoworevenmuchthatwentonaroundme,Idonotthinkitwaspossibleforamassmeetingofprisonerstohavebeenheldwithoutmyknowingit,anditsessentialfeatures。Stilllesswasitpossibleforamassmeetingtohavebeenheldwhichwouldhaveadoptedanysuchadocumentastheabove,oranythingelsethataRebelwouldhavefoundtheleastpleasureinrepublishing。Thewholethingisabrazenfalsehood。

CHAPTERLV。

WHYWEWEREHURRIEDOUTOFANDERSONVILLE——THEOFTHEFALLOFATLANTA——

OURLONGINGTOHEARTHENEWS——ARRIVALOFSOMEFRESHFISH——HOWWEKNEW

THEYWEREWESTERNBOYS——DIFFERENCEINTHEAPPEARANCEOFTHESOLDIERSOF

THETWOARMIES。

ThereasonofourbeinghurriedoutofAndersonvilleunderthefalsepretextofexchangedawnedonusbeforewehadbeeninSavannahlong。

IfthereaderwillconsultthemapofGeorgiahewillunderstandthis,too。Lethimrememberthatseveraloftherailroadswhichnowappearwerenotbuiltthen。TheroaduponwhichAndersonvilleissituatedwasaboutonehundredandtwentymileslong,reachingfromMacontoAmericus,Andersonvillebeingaboutmidwaybetweenthesetwo。IthadnoconnectionsanywhereexceptatMacon,anditwashundredsofmilesacrossthecountryfromAndersonvilletoanyotherroad。WhenAtlantafellitbroughtourfolkstowithinsixtymilesofMacon,andanydaytheywereliabletomakeaforwardmovement,whichwouldcapturethatplace,andhaveuswherewecouldberetakenwithease。

TherewasnothingleftundonetorousetheapprehensionsoftheRebelsinthatdirection。ThehumiliatingsurrenderofGeneralStonemanatMaconinJuly,showedthemwhatour,folkswerethinkingof,andawakenedtheirmindstothedisastrousconsequencesofsuchamovementwhenexecutedbyabolderandablercommander。TwodaysofoneofKilpatrick\'sswift,silentmarcheswouldcarryhishard—ridingtroopersaroundHood\'srightflank,andintothestreetsofMacon,whereahalfhour\'sworkwiththetorchonthebridgesacrosstheOcmulgeeandthecreeksthatenteritatthatpoint,wouldhavecutalloftheConfederateArmyoftheTennessee\'scommunications。AnotherdayandnightofeasymarchingwouldbringhisguidonsflutteringthroughthewoodsabouttheStockadeatAndersonville,andgivehimareinforcementoftwelveorfifteenthousandable—bodiedsoldiers,withwhomhecouldhaveheldthewholeValleyoftheChattahoochie,andbecomethenethermillstone,againstwhichShermancouldhavegroundHood\'sarmytopowder。

Suchathingwasnotonlypossible,butveryprobable,anddoubtlesswouldhaveoccurredhadweremainedinAndersonvilleanotherweek。

Hencethehastetogetusaway,andhencethelieaboutexchange,for,haditnotbeenforthis,one—quarteratleastofthosetakenonthecarswouldhavesucceededingettingoffandattemptedtohavereachedSherman\'slines。

TheremovalwentonwithsuchrapiditythatbytheendofSeptemberonlyeightthousandtwohundredandeighteenremainedatAndersonville,andtheseweremostlytoosicktobemoved;twothousandsevenhundreddiedinSeptember,fifteenhundredandsixtyinOctober,andfourhundredandeighty—fiveinNovember,sothatatthebeginningofDecembertherewereonlythirteenhundredandfifty—nineremaining。ThelargerpartofthosetakenoutweresentontoCharleston,andsubsequentlytoFlorenceandSalisbury。Aboutsixorseventhousandofus,asnearasIremember,werebroughttoSavannah……

WewereallexceedinglyanxioustoknowhowtheAtlantacampaignhadended。Sofarourinformationonlycomprisedthefactsthatasharpbattlehadbeenfought,andtheresultwasthecompletepossessionofourgreatobjectivepoint。Themannerofaccomplishingthisgloriousend,themagnitudeoftheengagement,theregiments,brigadesandcorpsparticipating,thelossonbothsides,thecompletenessofthevictories,etc。,wereallmattersthatweknewnothingof,andthirstedtolearn。

TheRebelpaperssaidaslittleaspossibleaboutthecapture,andthefactsinthatlittleweresolargelydilutedwithfictionastoconveynorealinformation。Butfewnew,prisonerswerecomingin,andnoneofthesewerefromSherman。However,towardthelastofSeptember,ahandfulof"freshfish"wereturnedinside,whomourexperiencedeyesinstantlytolduswereWesternboys。

Therewasneveranydifficultyintelling,asfarashecouldbeseen,whetheraboybelongedtotheEastorthewest。First,noonefromtheArmyofthePotomacwaseverwithouthiscorpsbadgewornconspicuously;

itwasraretoseesuchathingononeofSherman\'smen。ThentherewasadressyairabouttheArmyofthePotomacthatwaswhollywantinginthesoldiersservingwestoftheAlleghanies。

TheArmy,ofthePotomacwasalwaysneartoitsbaseofsupplies,alwayshaditsstoresaccessible,andthecareoftheclothingandequipmentsofthemenwasanessentialpartofitsdiscipline。Araggedorshabbilydressedmanwasararity。Dresscoats,papercollars,freshwoolenshirts,neat—fittingpantaloons,goodcomfortableshoes,andtrimcapsorhats,withalltheblazingbrassofcompanylettersaninchlong,regimentalnumber,bugleandeagle,accordingtotheRegulations,wereascommontoEasternboysastheywererareamongtheWesterners。

Thelatterusuallyworeblouses,insteadofdresscoats,andasaruletheirclothinghadnotbeenrenewedsincetheopening,ofthecampaign—

anditshowedthis。Thosewhoworegoodbootsorshoesgenerallyhadtosubmittoforcibleexchangesbytheir,captors,andthesamewastrueofheadgear。TheRebelswerebadlyoffinregardtohats。Theydidnothaveskillandingenuityenoughtomaketheseoutoffeltorstraw,andthemake—shiftstheycontrivedofquiltedcalicoandlong—leavedpine,wereuglyenoughtofrightenhornedcattle。

Ineverblamedthemmuchforwantingtogetridofthese,eveniftheydidhavetocommitasortofhighwayrobberyupondefenselessprisonerstodoso。Tobeatraitorinarmswasbadcertainly,butoneneverappreciatedtheentiremagnitudeofthecrimeuntilhesawaRebelwearingacalicoorapine—leafhat。Thenonefeltasifitwouldbeagreatmistaketoevershowsuchamanmercy。

TheArmyofNorthernVirginiaseemedtohavesuppliedthemselveswithhead—gearofYankeemanufactureofpreviousyears,andtheyt

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