第33章

YouhavegiventhebestdescriptionofprisonlifethatIhaveeverseenwritten。Theonlytroubleisthatitcannotbeportrayedsothatpersonscanrealizethesufferingandabusethatoursoldiersenduredinthoseprisonhells。Yourstatementsareallcorrectinregardtothetreatmentthatwereceived,andallthosescenesyouhavedepictedareasvividinmymindtodayasiftheyhadonlyoccurredyesterday。Pleaseletmehearfromyouagain。Wishingyousuccessinallyourundertakings,Iremainyourfriend,WALTER,HARTSOUGH,LateofKCompany,SixteenthIllinoisVolunteerofInfantry。

CHAPTERLXXVI

THEPECULIARTYPEOFINSANITYPREVALENTATFLORENCE——BARRETT\'SWANTONNESS

OFCRUELTY——WELEARNOFSHERMAN\'SADVANCEINTOSOUTHCAROLINA——THEREBELS

BEGINMOVINGTHEPRISONERSAWAY——ANDREWSANDICHANGEOURTACTICS,AND

STAYBEHIND——ARRIVALOFFIVEPRISONERSFROMSHERMAN\'SCOMMAND——THEIR

UNBOUNDEDCONFIDENCEINSHERMAN\'SSUCCESS,ANDITSBENEFICIALEFFECTUPON

US。

OneterriblephaseofexistenceatFlorencewasthevastincreaseofinsanity。WehadmanyinsanemenatAndersonville,butthetypeofthederangementwasdifferent,partakingmoreofwhatthedoctorstermmelancholia。Prisonerscominginfromthefrontwerestruckaghastbythehorrorstheysaweverywhere。Mendyingofpainfulandrepulsivediseaseslinedeverystepofwhateverpaththeytrod;therationsgiventhemwererepugnanttotasteandstomach;shelterfromthefierysuntherewasnone,andscarcelyroomenoughforthemtoliedownupon。

Underthesediscouragingcircumstances,home—loving,kindly—heartedmen,especiallythosewhohadpassedoutofthefirstflushofyouth,andhadleftwifeandchildrenbehindwhentheyenteredtheservice,werespeedilyovercomewithdespairofsurvivinguntilreleased;theirhopelessnessfedonthesamegermswhichgaveitbirth,untilitbecamesenseless,vacant—eyed,unreasoning,incurablemelancholy,whenthevictimwouldlieforhours,withoutspeakingaword,excepttobabbleofhome,orwouldwanderaimlesslyaboutthecamp——frequentlystarknaked——

untilhediedorwasshotforcomingtooneartheDeadLine。SoldiersmustnotsupposethatthiswasthesameclassofweaklingswhousuallypinethemselvesintotheHospitalwithinthreemonthsaftertheirregimententersthefield。Theywereasarule,madeupofseasonedsoldiery,whohadbecomeinuredtothedangersandhardshipsofactiveservice,andwerenotlikelytosinkdownunderanyordinarytrials。

TheinsaneofFlorencewereofadifferentclass;theyweretheboyswhohadlaughedatsuchayieldingtoadversityinAndersonville,andfeltaloftypityforthemisfortunesofthosewhosuccumbedso。Butnowthelongstrainofhardship,privationandexposurehaddoneforthemwhatdiscouragementhaddoneforthoseoflessfortitudeinAndersonville。

Thefacultiesshrankunderdisuseandmisfortune,untiltheyforgottheirregiments,companies,placesanddateofcapture,andfinally,eventheirnames。IshouldthinkthatbythemiddleofJanuary,atleastoneineverytenhadsunktothisimbecilecondition。Itwasnotinsanitysomuchasmentalatrophy——notsomuchaberrationofthemind,asaparalysisofmentalaction。Thesufferersbecameapatheticidiots,withnodesireorwishtodoorbeanything。Iftheywalkedaroundatalltheyhadtobewatchedclosely,topreventtheirstrayingovertheDeadLine,andgivingtheyoungbratsofguardsthecovetedopportunityofkillingthem。Verymanyofsuchwerekilled,andoneofmyMidwintermemoriesofFlorencewasthatofseeingoneoftheseunfortunateimbecileswanderingwitlesslyuptotheDeadLinefromtheSwamp,whiletheguard——aboyofseventeen——stoodwithguninhand,intheattitudeofamanexpectingacoveytobeflushed,waitingforthepoordeviltocomesoneartheDeadLineastoaffordanexcuseforkillinghim。Twosaneprisoners,comprehendingthesituation,rusheduptothelunatic,attheriskoftheirownlives,caughthimbythearms,anddrewhimbacktosafety。

ThebrutalBarrettseemedtodelightinmaltreatingthesedementedunfortunates。Heeithercouldnotbemadetounderstandtheircondition,orwillfullydisregardedit,foritwasoneofthecommonestsightstoseehimknockdown,beat,kickorotherwiseabusethemfornotinstantlyobeyingorderswhichtheirdazedsensescouldnotcomprehend,ortheirfeeblelimbsexecute,evenifcomprehended。

InmylifeIhaveseenmanywantonlycruelmen。IhaveknownnumbersofmatesofMississippiriversteamers——aclasswhichseemscarefullyselectedfromruffiansmostproficientinprofanity,obscenityandswift—

handedviolence;Ihaveseennegro—driversintheslavemartsofSt。Louis,MemphisandNewOrleans,andoverseersontheplantationsofMississippiandLouisiana;asapolicereporterinoneofthelargestcitiesinAmerica,Ihavecomeincontactwiththousandsofthebrutalizedscoundrels——thethugsofthebrothel,bar—roomandalley——whoformthedangerousclassesofametropolis。IknewCaptainWirz。Butinallthisexceptionallyextensiveandvariedexperience,InevermetamanwhoseemedtolovecrueltyforitsownsakeaswellasLieutenantBarrett。HetooksuchpleasureininflictingpainasthoseIndianswhosliceofftheirprisoners\'eyelids,ears,nosesandhands,beforeburningthematthestake。

Thatathinghurtsomeoneelsewasalwaysamplereasonforhisdoingit。

Thestarving,freezingprisonersusedtocollectinconsiderablenumbersbeforethegate,andstandthereforhoursgazingvacantlyatit。Therewasnospecialobjectindoingthis,onlythatitwasacentralpoint,therationscameinthere,andoccasionallyanofficerwouldenter,anditwastheonlyplacewhereanythingwaslikelytooccurtovarythedrearymonotonyoftheday,andtheboyswenttherebecausetherewasnothingelsetoofferanyoccupationtotheirminds。ItbecameafavoritepracticaljokeofBarrett\'stoslipuptothegatewithanarmfulofclubs,andsuddenlyopeningthewicket,flingthemoneafteranother,intothecrowd,withalltheforcehepossessed。Manywereknockeddown,andmanyreceivedhurtswhichresultedinfatalgangrene。

Ifhehadlefttheclubslyingwherethrown,therewouldhavebeensomecompensationforhismeanness,buthealwayscameinandcarefullygatheredupsuchashecouldget,asammunitionforanothertime。

Ihaveheardmenspeakofreceivingjustice——evenfavorsfromWirz。

IneverheardanyonesayingthatmuchofBarrett。LikeWinder,ifhehadaredeemingqualityitwascarefullyobscuredfromtheviewofallthatIevermetwhoknewhim。

Wherethefellowcamefrom,whatStatewasentitledtothediscreditofproducingandraisinghim,whathewasbeforetheWar,whatbecameofhimafterheleftus,aremattersofwhichIneverheardevenarumor,exceptaveryvagueonethathehadbeenkilledbyourcavalry,somereturnedprisonerhavingrecognizedandshothim。

ColonelIverson,oftheFifthGeorgia,wasthePostCommander。Hewasamanofsomeeducation,buthadaviolent,ungovernabletemper,duringfitsofwhichhedidverybrutalthings。Atothertimeshewouldshowadispositiontowardsfairnessandjustice。TheworstpointinmyindictmentagainsthimisthathesufferedBarretttodoashedid。

LetthereaderunderstandthatIhavenopersonalreasonsformyopinionofthesemen。Theyneverdidanythingtome,savewhattheydidtoallofmycompanions。Iheldmyselfalooffromthem,andshunnedintercoursesoeffectuallythatduringmywholeimprisonmentIdidnotspeakasmanywordstoRebelofficersasareinthisandtheaboveparagraphs,andmostofthosewerespokentotheSurgeonwhovisitedmyhundred。IdonotusuallyseekconversationwithpeopleIdonotlike,andcertainlydidnotwithpersonsforwhomIhadsolittleloveasIhadforTurner,Ross,Winder,Wirz,Davis,Iverson,Barrett,etal。Possiblytheyfeltbadlyovermydistanceandreserve,butImustconfessthattheynevershoweditverypalpably。

AsJanuarydraggedslowlyawayintoFebruary,rumorsoftheastonishingsuccessofShermanbegantobesodefiniteandwellauthenticatedastoinducebelief。WeknewthattheWesternChieftainhadmarchedalmostunresistedthroughGeorgia,andcapturedSavannahwithcomparativelylittledifficulty。Wedidnotunderstandit,nordidtheRebelsaroundus,forneitherofuscomprehendedtheConfederacy\'snearapproachtodissolution,andwecouldnotexplainwhyadesperateattemptwasnotmadesomewheretoarresttheonwardsweepoftheconqueringarmiesoftheWest。ItseemedthatiftherewasanyvitalityleftinRebeldomitwoulddealablowthatwouldatleastcausethepresumptuousinvadertopause。

AsweknewnothingofthebattlesofFranklinandNashville,wewereignorantofthedestructionofHood\'sarmy,andwereatalosstoaccountforitsfailuretocontestSherman\'sprogress。ThelastwehadheardofHood,hehadbeenflankedoutofAtlanta,butwedidnotunderstandthatthestrengthormoraleofhisforcehadbeenseriouslyreducedinconsequence。

SoonitdriftedintousthatShermanhadcutloosefromSavannah,asfromAtlanta,andenteredSouthCarolina,torepeattherethemarchthroughhersisterState。Oursourcesofinformationnowwereconfinedtothegossipwhichourmen——workingoutsideonparole,——couldoverhearfromtheRebels,andcommunicatetousasoccasionserved。Theseoccasionswerenotfrequent,asthemenoutsidewerenotallowedtocomeinexceptrarely,orstaylongthen。Sti

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