andersonville-第15部分

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〃All　right。　　Attention　！　　LEFT　SPOON！！　　and　the　whole　line　would　at　once
flop　over　on　their　left　sides。

The　feet　of　the　row　that　slept　along　the　east　wall　on　the　floor　below　us
were　in　a　line　with　the　edge　of　the　outer　door；　and　a　chalk　line　drawn
from　the　crack　between　the　door　and　the　frame　to　the　opposite　wall　would
touch；　say　150　pairs　of　feet。　　They　were　a　noisy　crowd　down　there；　and
one　night　their　noise　so　provoked　the　guard　in　front　of　the　door　that　he
called　out　to　them　to　keep　quiet　or　he　would　fire　in　upon　them。　　They
greeted　this　threat　with　a　chorus　profanely　uncomplimentary　to　the　purity
of　the　guard's　ancestry；　they　did　not　imply　his　descent　a　la　Darwin；　from
the　remote　monkey；　but　more　immediate　generation　by　a　common　domestic
animal。　　The　incensed　Rebel　opened　the　door　wide　enough　to　thrust　his　gun
in；　and　he　fired　directly　down　the　line　of　toes。　　His　piece　was
apparently　loaded　with　buckshot；　and　the　little　balls　must　have　struck
the　legs；　nipped　off　the　toes；　pierced　the　feet；　and　otherwise　slightly
wounded　the　lower　extremities　of　fifty　men。　　The　simultaneous　shriek　that
went　up　was　deafening。　　It　was　soon　found　out　that　nobody　had　been　hurt
seriously；　and　there　was　not　a　little　fun　over　the　occurrence。

One　of　the　prisoners　in　Libby　was　Brigadier　General　Neal　Dow；　of　Maine；
who　had　then　a　National　reputation　as　a　Temperance　advocate；　and　the
author　of　the　famous　Maine　Liquor　Law。　　We；　whose　places　were　near　the
front　window；　used　to　see　him　frequently　on　the　street；　accompanied　by　a
guard。　　He　was　allowed；　we　understood；　to　visit　our　sick　in　the　hospital。
His　long；　snowy　beard　and　hair　gave　him　a　venerable　and　commanding
appearance。

Newsboys　seemed　to　be　a　thing　unknown　in　Richmond。　　The　papers　were　sold
on　the　streets　by　negro　men。　　The　one　who　frequented　our　section　with　the
morning　journals　had　a　mellow；　rich　baritone　for　which　we　would　be　glad
to　exchange　the　shrill　cries　of　our　street　Arabs。　　We　long　remembered　him
as　one　of　the　peculiar　features　of　Richmond。　　He　had　one　unvarying
formula　for　proclaiming　his　wares。　　It　ran　in　this　wise：

〃Great　Nooze　in　de　papahs！

〃Great　Nooze　from　Orange　Coaht　House；　Virginny！

〃Great　Nooze　from　Alexandry；　Virginny！

〃Great　Nooze　from　Washington　City！

〃Great　Nooze　from　Chattanoogy；　Tennessee！

〃Great　Nooze　from　Chahlston；　Sou'　Cahlina！

〃Great　Nooze　in　depapahs！〃

It　did　not　matter　to　him　that　the　Rebels　had　not　been　at　some　of　these
places　for　months。　　He　would　not　change　for　such　mere　trifles　as　the
entire　evaporation　of　all　possible　interest　connected　with　Chattanooga
and　Alexandria。　　He　was　a　true　Bourbon　Southernerhe　learned　nothing　and
forgot　nothing。

There　was　a　considerable　trade　driven　between　the　prisoners　and　the　guard
at　the　door。　　This　was　a　very　lucrative　position　for　the　latter；　and　men
of　a　commercial　turn　of　mind　generally　managed　to　get　stationed　there。
The　blockade　had　cut　off　the　Confederacy's　supplies　from　the　outer　world；
and　the　many　trinkets　about　a　man's　person　were　in　good　demand　at　high
prices。　　The　men　of　the　Army　of　the　Potomac；　who　were　paid　regularly；
and　were　always　near　their　supplies；　had　their　pockets　filled　with　combs；
silk　handkerchiefs；　knives；　neckties；　gold　pens；　pencils；　silver　watches；
playing　cards；　dice；　etc。　　Such　of　these　as　escaped　appropriation　by
their　captors　and　Dick　Turner；　were　eagerly　bought　by　the　guards；　who
paid　fair　prices　in　Confederate　money；　or　traded　wheat　bread；　tobacco；
daily　papers；　etc。；　for　them。

There　was　also　considerable　brokerage　in　money；　and　the　manner　of　doing
this　was　an　admirable　exemplification　of　the　folly　of　the　〃fiat〃　money
idea。　　The　Rebels　exhausted　their　ingenuity　in　framing　laws　to　sustain
the　purchasing　power　of　their　paper　money。　　It　was　made　legal　tender　for
all　debts　public　and　private；　it　was　decreed　that　the　man　who　refused　to
take　it　was　a　public　enemy；　all　the　considerations　of　patriotism　were
rallied　to　its　support；　and　the　law　provided　that　any　citizens　found
trafficking　in　the　money　of　the　enemyi。e。；　greenbacks；　should　suffer
imprisonment　in　the　Penitentiary；　and　any　soldier　so　offending　should
suffer　death。

Notwithstanding　all　this；　in　Richmond；　the　head　and　heart　of　the
Confederacy；　in　January；　1864long　before　the　Rebel　cause　began　to　look
at　all　desperateit　took　a　dollar　to　buy　such　a　loaf　of　bread　as　now
sells　for　ten　cents；　a　newspaper　was　a　half　dollar；　and　everything　else
in　proportion。　　And　still　worse：　There　was　not　a　day　during　our　stay　in
Richmond　but　what　one　could　go　to　the　hole　in　the　door　before　which　the
guard　was　pacing　and　call　out　in　a　loud　whisper：

〃Say；　Guard：　do　you　want　to　buy　some　greenbacks？〃

And　be　sure　that　the　reply　would　be；　after　a　furtive　glance　around　to　see
that　no　officer　was　watching：

〃Yes；　how　much　do　you　want　for　them？〃

The　reply　was　then：　〃Ten　for　one。〃

〃All　right；　how　much　have　you　got？〃

The　Yankee　would　reply；　the　Rebel　would　walk　to　the　farther　end　of　his
beat；　count　out　the　necessary　amount；　and；　returning；　put　up　one　hand
with　it；　while　with　the　other　he　caught　hold　of　one　end　of　the　Yankee's
greenback。　　At　the　word；　both　would　release　their　holds　simultaneously；
the　exchange　was　complete；　and　the　Rebel　would　pace　industriously　up　and
down　his　beat　with　the　air　of　the　school　boy　who　〃ain't　been　a…doin'
nothing。〃

There　was　never　any　risk　in　approaching　any　guard　with　a　proposition　of
this　kind。　　I　never　heard　of　one　refusing　to　trade　for　greenbacks；　and　if
the　men　on　guard　could　not　be　restrained　by　these　stringent　laws；　what
hope　could　there　be　of　restraining　anybody　else？

One　day　we　were　favored　with　a　visit　from　the　redoubtable　General　John　H。
Morgan；　next　to　J。　E。　B。　Stuart　the　greatest　of　Rebel　cavalry　leaders。
He　had　lately　escaped　from　the　Ohio　Penitentiary。　　He　was　invited　to
Richmond　to　be　made　a　Major　General；　and　was　given　a　grand　ovation　by　the
citizens　and　civic　Government。　　He　came　into　our　building　to　visit　a
number　of　the　First　Kentucky　Cavalry　（loyal）captured　at　New
Philadelphia；　East　Tennesseewhom　he　was　anxious　to　have　exchanged　for
men　of　his　own　regimentthe　First　Kentucky　Cavalry　（Rebel）who　were
captured　at　the　same　time　he　was。　　I　happened　to　get　very　close　to　him
while　he　was　standing　there　talking　to　his　old　acquaintances；　and　I　made
a　mental　photograph　of　him；　which　still　retains　all　its　original
distinctness。　　He　was　a　tall；　heavy　man；　with　a　full；　coarse；　and
somewhat　dull　face；　and　lazy；　sluggish　gray　eyes。　　His　long　black　hair
was　carefully　oiled；　and　turned　under　at　the　ends；　as　was　the　custom　with
the　rural　beaux　some　years　ago。　　His　face　was　clean　shaved；　except　a
large；　sandy　goatee。　　He　wore　a　high　silk　hat；　a　black　broadcloth　coat；
Kentucky　jeans　pantaloons；　neatly　fitting　boots；　and　no　vest。　　There　was
nothing　remotely　suggestive　of　unusual　ability　or　force　of　character；　and
I　thought　as　I　studied　him　that　the　sting　of　George　D。　Prentice's　bon　mot
about　him　was　in　its　acrid　truth。　　Said　Mr。　Prentice：

〃Why　don't　somebody　put　a　pistol　to　Basil　Duke's　head；　and　blow　John
Morgan's　brains　out！〃　＇Basil　Duke　was　John　Morgan's　right　hand　man。＇




CHAPTER　XII。

REMARKS　AS　TO　NOMENCLATUREVACC1NATION　AND　ITS　EFFECTS〃N'YAARKER'S；〃
THEIR　CHARACTERISTICS　AND　THEIR　METHODS　OF　OPERATING。

Before　going　any　further　in　this　narrative　it　may　be　well　to　state　that
the　nomenclature　employed　is　not　used　in　any　odious　or　disparaging　sense。
It　is　simply　the　adoption　of　the　usual　terms　employed　by　the　soldiers　of
both　sides　in　speaking　to　or　of　each　other。　　We　habitually　spoke　of　them
and　to　them；　as　〃Rebels；〃　and　〃Johnnies　；〃　they　of　and　to　us；　as　〃Yanks；〃
and　〃Yankees。〃　　To　have　said　〃Confederates；〃　〃Southerners；〃
〃Secessionists；〃　or　〃Federalists；〃　〃Unionists；〃　〃Northerners〃　or
〃Nationalists；〃　would　have　seemed　useless　euphemism。　　The　plainer　terms
suited　better；　and　it　was　a　day　when　things　were　more　important　than
names。

For　some　inscrutable　reason　the　Rebels　decided　to　vaccinate　us　all。
Why　they　did　this　has　been　one　of　the　unsolved　problems　of　my　life。
It　is　true　that　there　was　small　pox　in　the　City；　and　among　the　prisoners
at　Danville；　but　that　any　consideration　for　our　safety　should　have　led
them　to　order　general　inoculation　is　not　among　the　reasonable　inferences。
But；　be　that　as　it　may；　vaccination　was　ordered；　and　performed。　　By　great
good　luck　I　was　absent　from　the　building　with　the　squad　drawing　rations；
when　our　room　was　inoculated；　so　I　escaped　what　was　an　infliction　to　all；
and　fatal　to　many。　　The　direst　consequences　followed　the　operation。
Foul　ulcers　appeared　on　various　parts　of　the　bodies　of　the　vaccinated。
In　many　instances　the　arms　literally　rotted　off；　and　death　followed　from
a　corruption　of　the　blood。　　Frequently　the　faces；　and　other　parts　of
those　who　recovered；　were　disfigured　by　the　ghastly　cicatrices　of　healed
ulcers。　　A　special　friend　of　mine；　Sergeant　Frank　Beverstockthen　a
member　of　the　Third　Virginia　Cavalry；　（loyal）；　and　after　the　war　a　banker
in　Bowling　Green；　O。；bore　upon　his　temple　to　his　dying　day；　（which
occurred　a　year　ago）；　a　fearful　scar；　where　the　flesh　had　sloughed　off
from　the　effects　of　the　virus　that　had　tainted　his　blood。

This　I　do　not　pretend　to　account　for。　　We　thought　at　the　time　that　the
Rebels　had　deliberately　poisoned　the　vaccine　matter　with　syphilitic
virus；　and　it　was　so　charged　upon　them。　　I　do　not　now　believe　that　this
was　so；　I　can　hardly　think　that　members　of　the　humane　profession　of
medicine　would　be　guilty　of　such　subtle　diabolismworse　even　than
poisoning　the　wells　from　which　an　enemy　must　drink。　　The　explanation　with
which　I　have　satisfied　myself　is　that　some　careless　or　stupid
practitioner　took　the　vaccinating　lymph　from　diseased　human　bodies；
and　thus　infected　all　with　the　blood　venom；　without　any　conception　of
what　he　was　doing。　　The　low　standard　of　medical　education　in　the　South
makes　this　theory　quite　plausible。

We　now　formed　the　acquaintance　of　a　species　of　human　vermin　that　united
with　the　Rebels；　cold；　hunger；　lice　and　the　oppression　of　distraint；　to
leave　nothing　undone　that　could　add　to　the　miseries　of　our　prison　life。

These　were　the　fledglings　of　the　slums　and