第31章

II

StatementshowingthewholenumberofFederalsandConfederatescaptured,（lessthenumberparoledonthefield）,thenumberwhodiedwhileprisoners,andthepercentageofdeaths,1861—1865

FEDERALS

Captured……187,818

Died,（asshownbyprisonandhospitalrecordsonfile）。30,674

Percentageofdeaths……16。375

CONFEDERATES

Captured……227,570

Died26,774

Percentageofdeaths……11。768

InthedetailedstatementpreparedforCongressdatedMarch1,1869,thewholenumberofdeathsgivenasshownbyPrisonerofWarrecordswastwenty—sixthousandthreehundredandtwenty—eight,butsincethatdateevidenceofthreethousandsixhundredandtwenty—eightadditionaldeathshasbeenobtainedfromthecapturedConfederaterecords,makingatotaloftwenty—ninethousandninehundredandfifty—sixasaboveshown。ThisisbelievedtobemanythousandslessthantheactualnumberofFederalprisonerswhodiedinConfederateprisons,aswehavenorecordsfromthoseatMontgomeryAla。,Mobile,Ala。,Millen,Ga。,Marietta,Ga。,Atlanta,Ga。,Charleston,S。C。,andothers。TherecordsofFlorence,S。C。,andSalisbury,N。C。,areveryincomplete。ItalsoappearsfromConfederateinspectionreportsofConfederateprisons,thatlargepercentageofthedeathsoccurredinprisonquarterwithoutthecareorknowledgeoftheSurgeon。ForthemonthofDecember,1864alone,theConfederate"burialreport";Salisbury,N。C。,showthatout,ofelevenhundredandfiftydeaths,twohundredandtwenty—three,ortwentypercent。,diedinprisonquartersandarenotaccountedforinthereportoftheSurgeon,andthereforenottakenintoconsiderationintheabovereport,astheonlyrecordsofsaidprisonsonfile（withoneexception）

aretheHospitalrecords。Calculatingthepercentageofdeathsonthisbasiswouldgivethenumberofdeathsatthirty—seventhousandfourhundredandforty—fiveandpercentageofdeathsat20。023。

[EndoftheLettersfromtheWarDepartment。]

IfweassumethattheGovernment\'srecordsofFlorenceascorrect,itwillbeapparentthatonemanineverythreediethere,since,whiletheremighthavebeenashighasfiftythousandatonetimeintheprison,duringthelastthreemonthsofitsexistenceIamquitesurethatthenumberdidnotexceedseventhousand。ThiswouldmakethemortalitymuchgreaterthanatAndersonville,whichitundoubtedlywas,sincethephysicalconditionoftheprisonersconfinedtherehadbeengreatlydepressedbytheirlongconfinement,whilethebulkctheprisonersatAndersonvillewerethosewhohadbeenbroughtthitherdirectlyfromthefield。IthinkalsothatallwhoexperiencedconfinementinthetwoplacesareunitedinpronouncingFlorencetobe,onthewhole,muchtheworsep1aceandmorefataltolife。

Themedicinesfurnishedthesickwerequitesimpleinnatureandmainlycomposedofindigenoussubstances。Fordiarrhearedpepperanddecoctionsofblackberryrootandofpineleaveweregiven。Forcoughsandlungdiseases,adecoctionofwildcherrybarkwasadministered。

Chillsandfeverweretreatedwithdecoctionsofdogwoodbark,andfeverpatientswhocravedsomethingsour,weregivenaweakaciddrink,madebyfermentingasmallquantityofmealinabarrelofwater。Alltheseremedieswerequitegoodintheirway,andwouldhavebenefittedthepatientshadtheybeenaccompaniedbypropershelter,foodandclothing。

Butitwasidletoattempttoarrestwithblackberryrootthediarrhea,orwithwildcherrybarktheconsumptionofamanlyinginacold,damp,mudhovel,devouredbyvermin,andstrugglingtomaintainlifeuponlessthanapintofunsaltedcornmealperdiem。

Findingthatthedoctorsissuedredpepperfordiarrhea,andanimitationofsweetoilmadefrompeanuts,forthegangrenoussoresabovedescribed,Ireportedtothemanimaginarycomradeinmytent,whosesymptomsindicatedthoseremedies,andsucceededindrawingasmallquantityofeach,twoorthreetimesaweek。TheredpepperIusedtowarmupourbreadandmush,andgivesomedifferenttastetothecornmeal,whichhadnowbecomesoloathsometous。Thepeanutoilservedtogiveahintoftheanimalfoodwehungeredfor。Itwasgreasy,andaswedidnothaveanymeatforthreemonths,eventhisflimsysubstitutewasinexpressiblygratefultopalateandstomach。ButonemorningtheHospitalStewardmadeamistake,andgavemecastoroilinstead,andtheconsequenceswereunpleasant。

Amoreagreeableremembranceisthatoftwosmallapples,aboutthesizeofwalnuts,givenmebyaboynamedHenryClayMontaguePorter,oftheSixteenthConnecticut。HehadrelativeslivinginNorthCarolina,whosenthimasmallpacksofeatables,outofwhich,inthefulnessofhisgeneroushearthegavemethisshare——enoughtomakemealwaysrememberhimwithkindness。

Speakingofeatablesremindsmeofanincident。JoeDarling,oftheFirstMaine,ourChiefofPolice,hadasisterlivingatAugusta,Ga。,whooccasionallycametoFlorencewithbasketoffoodandothernecessariesforherbrother。Ononeofthesejourneys,whilesittinginColonelIverson\'stent,waitingforherbrothertobebroughtoutofprison,shepickedoutofherbasketanicelybrowneddoughnutandhandedittotheguardpacinginfrontofthetent,with:

"Here,guard,wouldn\'tyoulikeagenuineYankeedoughnut？"

Theguard—alank,loose—jointedGeorgiacracker——whoinallhislifeseenverylittlemoreinvitingfoodthanthehishominyandmolasses,uponwhichhehadbeenraised,tookthecake,turneditoverandinspecteditcuriouslyforsometimewithoutapparentlygettingtheleastideaofwhatitwasfor,andthenhandeditbacktothedonor,saying:

"Really,mum,Idon\'tbelieveI\'vegotanyuseforit"

CHAPTERLXXII

DULLWINTERDAYS——TOOWEAKANDTOOSTUPIDToAMUSEOURSELVES——ATTEMPTSOF

THEREBELSTORECRUITUSINTOTHEIRARMY——THECLASSOFMENTHEYOBTAINED

——VENGEANCEON"THEGALVANIZED"——ASINGULAREXPERIENCE——RAREGLIMPSES

OFFUN——INABILITYOFTHEREBELSTOCOUNT。

TheRebelscontinuedtheireffortstoinduceprisonerstoenlistintheirarmy,andwithmuchbettersuccessthanatanyprevioustime。Manymenhadbecomesodesperatethattheywererecklessastowhattheydid。

Home,relatives,friends,happiness——alltheyhadrememberedorlookedforwardto,allthathadnervedthemuptoendurethepresentandbravethefuture——nowseemedseparatedfromthemforeverbyayawningandimpassablechasm。Formanyweeksnonewprisonershadcomeintorousetheirdroopingcouragewithnewsoftheprogressofourarmstowardsfinalvictory,orrefreshtheirremembrancesofhome,andthegladsomenessof"God\'sCountry。"Beforethemtheysawnothingbutweeksofslowandpainfulprogresstowardsbitterdeath。TheotheralternativewasenlistmentintheRebelarmy。

Anotherclasswentoutandjoined,withnootherintentionthantoescapeatthefirstopportunity。TheyjustifiedtheirbadfaithtotheRebelsbyrecallingthenumberlessinstancesoftheRebels\'badfaithtous,andusuallyclosedtheirargumentsindefenseoftheircoursewith:

"NooathadministeredbyaRebelcanhaveanybindingobligation。ThesemenareoutlawswhohavenotonlybrokentheiroathstotheGovernment,butwhohavedesertedfromitsservice,andturneditsarmsagainstit。

Theyareperjurersandtraitors,andinaddition,theoaththeyadministertousisundercompulsionandforthatreasonisofnoaccount。"

Stillanotherclass,mostlymadeupfromtheoldRaidercrowd,enlistedfromnaturaldepravity。Theywentoutmorethanforanythingelsebecausetheirheartswerepronetoevilandtheydidthatwhichwaswronginpreferencetowhatwasright。ByfarthelargestportionofthosetheRebelsobtainedwereofthisclass,andamoreworthlesscrowdofsoldiershasnotbeenseensinceFalstaffmusteredhisfamousrecruits。

Afterall,however,thenumberwhodesertedtheirflagwasastonishinglysmall,consideringallthecircumstances。Theofficialreportsaysthreehundredandtwenty—six,butIimagingthisisunderthetruth,sincequiteanumberwereturnedbackinaftertheirutteruselessnesshadbeendemonstrated。Isupposethatfivehundred"galvanized,"aswetermedit,butthiswasveryfewwhenthehopelessnessofexchange,thedespairoflife,andthewretchednessoftheconditionoftheelevenortwelvethousandinsidetheStockadeisremembered。

Themotivesactuatingmentodesertwerenotcloselyanalyzedbyus,butweheldallwhodidsoasdespicablescoundrels,tooviletobeadequatelydescribedinwords。Itwasnotsafeforamantoannouncehisintentionof"galvanizing,"forheincurredmuchdangerofbeingbeatenuntilhewasphysicallyunabletoreachthegate。ThosewhowentovertotheenemyhadtousegreatdiscretioninlettingtheRebelofficer,knowsomuchoftheirwishesaswouldsecuretheirbeingtakeroutside。Menwerefrequentlyknockeddownanddraggedawaywhiletellingtheofficerstheywantedtogoout。

Ononeoccasiononehundredormoreoftheraidercrowdwhohadgalvanized,w

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