第27章

FromColumbusweweresentbyrailtoMacon,wherewewereplacedinaprisonsomewhatsimilartoAndersonville,butofnothinglikeitspretensionstosecurity。Isoonlearnedthatitwasonlyusedasakindofreceptionplacefortheprisonerswhowerecapturedinsmallsquads,andwhentheynumberedtwoorthreehundred,theywouldbeshippedtoAndersonville,orsomeotherplaceofgreaterdimensionsandstrength。

Whatbecameoftheotherboyswhowerewithme,afterwegottoMacon,Idonotknow,forIlostsightofthemthere。Theverynextdayafterourarrival,therewereshippedtoAndersonvillefromthisprisonbetweentwoandthreehundredmen。Iwascalledontogowiththecrowd,buthavinghadasufficientexperienceofthehospitalityofthathotel,Iconcludedtoplay"oldsoldier,"soIbecametoosicktotravel。

InthiswayIescapedbeingsentofffourdifferenttimes。

Meanwhile,quitealargenumberofcommissionedofficershadbeensentupfromCharlestontobeexchangedatRoughandReady。Withthemwereaboutfortymorethanthecartelcalledfor,andtheywereleftatMaconfortendaysortwoweeks。Amongtheseofficerswereseveralofmyacquaintance,onebeingLieut。Huntlyofourregiment（IamnotquitesurethatIamrightinthenameofthisofficer,butIthinkIam）,throughwhoseinfluenceIwasallowedtogooutsidewiththemonparole。

ItwaswhileenjoyingthisparolethatIgotmorefamiliarlyacquaintedwithCaptainHurtell,orHurtrell,whowasincommandoftheprisonatMacon,andtohishonor,Ihereassert,thathewastheonlygentlemanandtheonlyofficerthathadtheleasthumanefeelinginhisbreast,whoeverhadchargeofmewhileaprisonerofwarafterweweretakenoutofthehandsofouroriginalcaptorsatJonesville,Va。

ItnowbecameveryevidentthattheRebelsweremovingtheprisonersfromAndersonvilleandelsewhere,soastoplacethembeyondthereachofShermanandStoneman。AtmypresentplaceofconfinementthefearofourrecapturehadalsotakenpossessionoftheRebelauthorities,sotheprisonersweresentoffinmuchsmallersquadsthanformerly,frequentlynotmorethantenorfifteeninagang,whereas,before,theyneverthoughtofdispatchinglessthantwoorthreehundredtogether。

IacknowledgethatIbegantogetveryuneasy,fearfulthatthe"oldsoldier"dodgewouldnotbemuchlongersuccessful,andIwouldbeforcedbacktomyoldhaunts。Itsohappened,however,thatImanagedtomakeitserveme,bygettingdetailedintheprisonhospitalasnurse,sothatIwasenabledtoplayanother"dodge"upontheRebelofficers。Atfirst,whentheSergeantwouldcomearoundtofindoutwhowereabletowalk,withassistance,tothedepot,Iwasshakingwithachill,which,accordingtomyrepresentation,hadnotabatedintheleastforseveralhours。Myteethwereactuallychatteringatthetime,forIhadlearnedhowtomakethemdoso。Iwaspassed。Thenextdaytheordersforremovalweremorestringentthanhadyetbeenissued,statingthatallwhocouldstandittoberemovedonstretchersmustgo。IconcludedatoncethatIwasgone,soassoonasIlearnedhowmatterswere,Igotoutfromundermydirtyblanket,stoodupandfoundIwasabletowalk,tomygreatastonishment,ofcourse。Anofficercameearlyinthemorningtomusterusintorankspreparatoryforremoval。Ifellinwiththerest。

Weweremarchedoutandaroundtothegateoftheprison。

Now,itsohappenedthatjustaswenearedthegateoftheprison,theprisonerswerebeingmarchedfromtheStockade。Theofficerinchargeofus——wenumberingpossiblyaboutten——undertooktoplaceusattheheadofthecolumncomingout,buttheguardinchargeofthatsquadrefusedtolethimdoso。WewerethenorderedtostandatonesidewithnoguardoverusbuttheofficerwhohadbroughtusfromtheHospital。

Takingthisinataglance,Iconcludedthatnowwasmychancetomakemysecondattempttoescape。Isteppedbehindthegateoffice（asmallframebuildingwithonlyoneroom）,whichwasnotmorethansixfeetfromme,andasluck（orProvidence）wouldhaveit,thenegromanwhosedutyitwas,asIknew,towaitonandtakecareofthisoffice,andwhohadtakenquitealikingforme,wasstandingatthebackdoor。Iwinkedathimandthrewhimmyblanketandthecup,atthesametimetellinghiminawhispertohidethemawayformeuntilheheardfrommeagain。Withagrinandanod,heacceptedthetrust,andIstarteddownalongthewallsoftheStockadealone。Inordertomakethismoreplain,andtoshowwhatariskIwasrunningatthetime,IwillstatethatbetweentheStockadeandabrickwall,fullyashighastheStockadefencethatwasparallelwithit,throughoutitsentirelengthonthatside,therewasaspaceofnotmorethanthirtyfeet。OntheoutsideofthisStockadewasaplatform,builtfortheguardstowalkon,sufficientlyclearthetoptoallowthemtolookinsidewithease,andonthisside,ontheplatform,werethreeguards。Ihadtraveledaboutfiftyfeetonly,fromthegateoffice,whenIheardthecommandto"Halt！"Ididso,ofcourse。

"Whereareyougoing,youd———dYank？"saidtheguard。

"Goingaftermyclothes,thatareoverthereinthewash,"pointingtoasmallcabinjustbeyondtheStockade,whereIhappenedtoknowthattheofficershadtheirwashingdone。

"Oh,yes,"saidhe;"youareoneoftheYank\'sthat\'sbeenon,parole,areyou？"

"Yes。"

"Well,hurryup,oryouwillgetleft。"

TheotherguardsheardthisconversationandthinkingitallrightIwasallowedtopasswithoutfurthertrouble。Iwenttothecabininquestion——forIsawthelastguardonthelinewatchingme,andboldlyentered。ImadeaclearstatementtothewomaninchargeofitabouthowIhadmademyescape,andaskedhertosecretemeinthehouseuntilnight。Iwassoonconvinced,however,fromwhatshetoldme,aswellasfrommyownknowledgeofhowthingsweremanagedintheConfederacy,thatitwouldnotberightformetostaythere,forifthehousewassearchedandIfoundinit,itwouldbetheworseforher。Therefore,notwishingtoentailmiseryuponanother,Ibeggedhertogivemesomethingtoeat,andgoingtotheswampnearby,succeededingettingwellwithoutdetection。

Ilaythereallday,andduringthetimehadaveryseverechillandafterwardsaburningfever,sothatwhennightcame,knowingIcouldnottravel,Iresolvedtoreturntothecabinandspendthenight,andgivemyselfupthenextmorning。Therewasnotroubleinreturning。I

learnedthatmyfearsofthemorninghadnotbeengroundless,fortheguardshadactuallysearchedthehouseforme。ThewomantoldthemthatIhadgotmyclothesandleftthehouseshortlyaftermyentrance（whichwasthetruthexceptthepartabouttheclothesIthankedherverykindlyandbeggedtobeallowedtostayinthecabintillmorning,whenIwouldpresentmyselfatCaptainH。\'sofficeandsuffertheconsequences。Thissheallowedmetodo。Ishalleverfeelgratefultothiswomanforherprotection。Shewaswhiteandhergivennamewas"Sallie,"buttheotherIhaveforgotten。

AboutdaylightIstrolledoverneartheofficeandlookedaroundthereuntilIsawtheCaptaintakehisseatathisdesk。IsteppedintothedoorassoonasIsawthathewasnotoccupiedandsalutedhim"alamilitaire。"

"Whoareyou？"heasked;"youlooklikeaYank。"

"Yes,sir,"saidI,"IamcalledbythatnamesinceIwascapturedintheFederalArmy。"

"Well,whatareyoudoinghere,andwhatisyourname？"

Itoldhim。

"Whydidn\'tyouanswertoyournamewhenitwascalledatthegateyesterday,sir？"

"Ineverheardanyonecallmyname。"Wherewereyou？"

"Iranawaydownintotheswamp。"

"Wereyoure—capturedandbroughtback？"

"No,sir,Icamebackofmyownaccord。"

"Whatdoyoumeanbythisevasion？"

"Iamnottryingtoevade,sir,orImightnothavebeenherenow。Thetruthis,Captain,Ihavebeeninmanyprisonssincemycapture,andhavebeentreatedverybadlyinallofthem,untilIcamehere。"

"IthenexplainedtohimfreelymyescapefromAndersonville,andmysubsequentre—capture,howitwasthatIhadplayed"oldsoldier"etc。

"Now,"saidI,"Captain,aslongasIamaprisonerofwar,Iwishtostaywithyou,orunderyourcommand。Thisismyreasonforrunningawayyesterday,whenIfeltconfidentthatifIdidnotdosoIwouldbereturnedunderWirz\'scommand,and,ifIhadbeensoreturned,Iwouldhavekilledmyselfratherthansubmittotheuntoldtortureswhichhewouldhaveputmeto,forhavingtheaudacitytoattemptanescapefromhim。"

TheCaptain\'sattentionwasherecalledtosomeothermattersinhand,andIwassentbackintotheStockadewithacommandverypleasantlygiven,thatIshouldstaythereuntilorderedout,whichIverygratefullypromisedtodo,anddid。ThiswasthelastchanceIeverhadtotalktoCaptainHurtrell,tomygreatsorrow,forIhadreallyformedalikingfortheman,notwithstandingthefactthathewasaRebel,andacommanderofprisoners。

ThenextdayweallhadtoleaveMacon。Whetherwewereableornot,theorderwasimperative。GreatwasmyjoywhenIlearnedthatwewereonthewaytoSavannahandnottoAndersonville。Wetraveledoverthesameroad,sowelldescribedinoneofyourarticlesonAndersonville,andarrivedinSavannahsometimeintheafternoonofthe21stdayofNovember,1864。Oursquadwasplacedinsomebarracksandconfinedthereuntilthenextday。Iwassickatthetime,sosickinfact,thatI

couldhardlyholdmyheadup。Soonafter,weweretakentotheFloridadepot,astheytoldus,tobeshippedtosomeprisoninthosedismalswamps。Icamenearfaintingwhenthiswastoldtous,forIwasconfidentthatIcouldnotsurviveanothersiegeofprisonlife,ifitwasanythingtocompareto—whatIhadalreadysuffered。Whenwearrivedatthedepot,itwasra

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