andersonville-第19部分

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to　hold　a　little　meal　to　be　carefully　browned；　and　then　water　boiled　upon
it；　so　as　to　form　a　feeble　imitation　of　coffee。　　I　found　my　education　at
Jonesville　in　the　art　of　baking　a　hoe…cake　now　came　in　good　play；　both
for　myself　and　companions。　　Taking　one　of　the　pieces　of　tin　which　had　not
yet　been　made　into　a　pan；　we　spread　upon　it　a　layer　of　dough　about　a
half…inch　thick。　　Propping　this　up　nearly　upright　before　the　fire；　it　was
soon　nicely　browned　over。　　This　process　made　it　sweat　itself　loose　from
the　tin；　when　it　was　turned　over　and　the　bottom　browned　also。　　Save　that
it　was　destitute　of　salt；　it　was　quite　a　toothsome　bit　of　nutriment　for　a
hungry　man；　and　I　recommend　my　readers　to　try　making　a　〃pone〃　of　this
kind　once；　just　to　see　what　it　was　like。

The　supreme　indifference　with　which　the　Rebels　always　treated　the　matter
of　cooking　utensils　for　us；　excited　my　wonder。　　It　never　seemed　to　occur
to　them　that　we　could　have　any　more　need　of　vessels　for　our　food　than
cattle　or　swine。　　Never；　during　my　whole　prison　life；　did　I　see　so　much
as　a　tin　cup　or　a　bucket　issued　to　a　prisoner。　　Starving　men　were　driven
to　all　sorts　of　shifts　for　want　of　these。　　Pantaloons　or　coats　were
pulled　off　and　their　sleeves　or　legs　used　to　draw　a　mess's　meal　in。
Boots　were　common　vessels　for　carrying　water；　and　when　the　feet　of　these
gave　way　the　legs　were　ingeniously　closed　up　with　pine　pegs；　so　as　to
form　rude　leathern　buckets。　　Men　whose　pocket　knives　had　escaped　the
search　at　the　gates　made　very　ingenious　little　tubs　and　buckets；　and
these　devices　enabled　us　to　get　along　after　a　fashion。

After　our　meal　was　disposed　of；　we　held　a　council　on　the　situation。
Though　we　had　been　sadly　disappointed　in　not　being　exchanged；　it　seemed
that　on　the　whole　our　condition　had　been　bettered。　　This　first　ration　was
a　decided　improvement　on　those　of　the　Pemberton　building；　we　had　left　the
snow　and　ice　behind　at　Richmondor　rather　at　some　place　between　Raleigh；
N。　C。；　and　Columbia；　S。　C。and　the　air　here；　though　chill；　was　not
nipping；　but　bracing。　　It　looked　as　if　we　would　have　a　plenty　of　wood　for
shelter　and　fuel；　it　was　certainly　better　to　have　sixteen　acres　to　roam
over　than　the　stiffing　confines　of　a　building；　and；　still　better；　it
seemed　as　if　there　would　be　plenty　of　opportunities　to　get　beyond　the
stockade；　and　attempt　a　journey　through　the　woods　to　that　blissful　land
〃Our　lines。〃

We　settled　down　to　make　the　best　of　things。　　A　Rebel　Sergeant　came　in
presently　and　arranged　us　in　hundreds。　　We　subdivided　these　into　messes
of　twenty…five；　and　began　devising　means　for　shelter。　　Nothing　showed　the
inborn　capacity　of　the　Northern　soldier　to　take　care　of　himself　better
than　the　way　in　which　we　accomplished　this　with　the　rude　materials　at　our
command。　　No　ax；　spade　nor　mattock　was　allowed　us　by　the　Rebels；　who
treated　us　in　regard　to　these　the　same　as　in　respect　to　culinary　vessels。
The　only　tools　were　a　few　pocket…knives；　and　perhaps　half…a…dozen
hatchets　which　some　infantrymen…principally　members　of　the　Third
Michiganwere　allowed　to　retain。　　Yet；　despite　all　these　drawbacks；　we
had　quite　a　village　of　huts　erected　in　a　few　days；nearly　enough；　in
fact；　to　afford　tolerable　shelter　for　the　whole　five　hundred　of　us　first…
comers。

The　wither　and　poles　that　grew　in　the　swamp　were　bent　into　the　shape　of
the　semi…circular　bows　that　support　the　canvas　covers　of　army　wagons；　and
both　ends　thrust　in　the　ground。　　These　formed　the　timbers　of　our
dwellings。　　They　were　held　in　place　by　weaving　in；　basket…wise；　a　network
of　briers　and　vines。　　Tufts　of　the　long　leaves　which　are　the
distinguishing　characteristic　of　the　Georgia　pine　（popularly　known　as　the
〃long…leaved　pine〃）　were　wrought　into　this　network　until　a　thatch　was
formed；　that　was　a　fair　protection　against　the　rainit　was　like　the
Irishman's　unglazed　window…sash；　which　〃kep'　out　the　coarsest　uv　the
cold。〃

The　results　accomplished　were　as　astonishing　to　us　as　to　the　Rebels；
who　would　have　lain　unsheltered　upon　the　sand　until　bleached　out　like
field…rotted　flax；　before　thinking　to　protect　themselves　in　this　way。
As　our　village　was　approaching　completion；　the　Rebel　Sergeant　who　called
the　roll　entered。　　He　was　very　odd…looking。　　The　cervical　muscles　were
distorted　in　such　a　way　as　to　suggest　to　us　the　name　of　〃Wry…necked
Smith；〃　by　which　we　always　designated　him。　　Pete　Bates；　of　the　Third
Michigan；　who　was　the　wag　of　our　squad；　accounted　for　Smith's　condition
by　saying　that　while　on　dress　parade　once　the　Colonel　of　Smith's　regiment
had　commanded　〃eyes　right；〃　and　then　forgot　to　give　the　order　〃front。〃
Smith；　being　a　good　soldier；　had　kept　his　eyes　in　the　position　of　gazing
at　the　buttons　of　the　third　man　to　the　right；　waiting　for　the　order　to
restore　them　to　their　natural　direction；　until　they　had　become
permanently　fixed　in　their　obliquity　and　he　was　compelled　to　go　through
life　taking　a　biased　view　of　all　things。

Smith　walked　in；　made　a　diagonal　survey　of　the　encampment；　which；　if　he
had　ever　seen　〃Mitchell's　Geography；〃　probably　reminded　him　of　the
picture　of　a　Kaffir　village；　in　that　instructive　but　awfully　dull　book；
and　then　expressed　the　opinion　that　usually　welled　up　to　every　Rebel's
lips：

〃Well；　I'll　be　durned；　if　you　Yanks　don't　just　beat　the　devil。〃

Of　course；　we　replied　with　the　well…worn　prison　joke；　that　we　supposed　we
did；　as　we　beat　the　Rebels；　who　were　worse　than　the　devil。

There　rode　in　among　us；　a　few　days　after　our　arrival；　an　old　man　whose
collar　bore　the　wreathed　stars　of　a　Major　General。　　Heavy　white　locks
fell　from　beneath　his　slouched　hat；　nearly　to　his　shoulders。　　Sunken　gray
eyes；　too　dull　and　cold　to　light　up；　marked　a　hard；　stony　face；　the
salient　feature　of　which　was　a　thin…upped；　compressed　mouth；　with　corners
drawn　down　deeplythe　mouth　which　seems　the　world　over　to　be　the　index
of　selfish；　cruel；　sulky　malignance。　　It　is　such　a　mouth　as　has　the
school…boythe　coward　of　the　play　ground；　who　delights　in　pulling　off
the　wings　of　flies。　　It　is　such　a　mouth　as　we　can　imagine　some
remorseless　inquisitor　to　have　hadthat　is；　not　an　inquisitor　filled
with　holy　zeal　for　what　he　mistakenly　thought　the　cause　of　Christ
demanded；　but　a　spleeny；　envious；　rancorous　shaveling；　who　tortured　men
from　hatred　of　their　superiority　to　him；　and　sheer　love　of　inflicting
pain。

The　rider　was　John　H。　Winder；　Commissary　General　of　Prisoners；
Baltimorean　renegade　and　the　malign　genius　to　whose　account　should　be
charged　the　deaths　of　more　gallant　men　than　all　the　inquisitors　of　the
world　ever　slew　by　the　less　dreadful　rack　and　wheel。　　It　was　he　who　in
August　could　point　to　the　three　thousand　and　eighty…one　new　made　graves
for　that　month；　and　exultingly　tell　his　hearer　that　he　was　〃doing　more
for　the　Confederacy　than　twenty　regiments。〃

His　lineage　was　in　accordance　with　his　character。　　His　father　was　that
General　William　H。　Winder；　whose　poltroonery　at　Bladensburg；　in　1814；
nullified　the　resistance　of　the　gallant　Commodore　Barney；　and　gave
Washington　to　the　British。

The　father　was　a　coward　and　an　incompetent；　the　son；　always　cautiously
distant　from　the　scene　of　hostilities；　was　the　tormentor　of　those　whom
the　fortunes　of　war；　and　the　arms　of　brave　men　threw　into　his　hands。

Winder　gazed　at　us　stonily　for　a　few　minutes　without　speaking；　and；
turning；　rode　out　again。

Our　troubles；　from　that　hour；　rapidly　increased。




CHAPTER　XVII。

THE　PLANTATION　NEGROSNOT　STUPID　TO　BE　LOYALTHEIR　DITHYRAMBIC　MUSIC
COPPERHEAD　OPINION　OF　LONGFELLOW。

The　stockade　was　not　quite　finished　at　the　time　of　our　arrivala　gap　of
several　hundred　feet　appearing　at　the　southwest　corner。　　A　gang　of　about
two　hundred　negros　were　at　work　felling　trees；　hewing　legs；　and　placing
them　upright　in　the　trenches。　　We　had　an　opportunitysoon　to　disappear
foreverof　studying　the　workings　of　the　〃peculiar　institution〃　in　its
very　home。　　The　negros　were　of　the　lowest　field…hand　class；　strong；　dull；
ox…like；　but　each　having　in　our　eyes　an　admixture　of　cunning　and
secretiveness　that　their　masters　pretended　was　not　in　them。　　Their
demeanor　toward　us　illustrated　this。　　We　were　the　objects　of　the　most
supreme　interest　to　them；　but　when　near　us　and　in　the　presence　of　a　white
Rebel；　this　interest　took　the　shape　of　stupid；　open…eyed；　open…mouthed
wonder；　something　akin　to　the　look　on　the　face　of　the　rustic　lout；　gazing
for　the　first　time　upon　a　locomotive　or　a　steam　threshing　machine。
But　if　chance　threw　one　of　them　near　us　when　he　thought　himself
unobserved　by　the　Rebels；　the　blank；　vacant　face　lighted　up　with　an
entirely　different　expression。　　He　was　no　longer　the　credulous　yokel　who
believed　the　Yankees　were　only　slightly　modified　devils；　ready　at　any
instant　to　return　to　their　original　horn…and…tail　condition　and　snatch
him　away　to　the　bluest　kind　of　perdition；　he　knew；　apparently　quite　as
well　as　his　master；　that　they　were　in　some　way　his　friends　and　allies；
and　he　lost　no　opportunity　in　communicating　his　appreciation　of　that
fact；　and　of　offering　his　services　in　any　possible　way。　　And　these　offers
were　sincere。　　It　is　the　testimony　of　every　Union　prisoner　in　the　South
that　he　was　never　betrayed　by　or　disappointed　in　a　field…negro；　but　could
always　approach　any　one　of　them　with　perfect　confidence　in　his　extending
all　the　aid　in　his　power；　whether　as　a　guide　to　escape；　as　sentinel　to
signal　danger；　or　a　purveyor　of　food。　　These　services　were　frequently
attended　with　the　greatest　personal　risk；　but　they　were　none　the　less
readily　undertaken。　　This　applies　only　to　the　field…hands；　the　house
servants　were　treacherous　and　wholly　unreliable。　　Very　many　of　our　men
who　managed　to　get　away　from　the　prisons　were　recaptured　through　their
betrayal　by　house　servants；　but　none　were　retaken　where　a　field　hand
could　prevent　it。

We　were　much　interested　in　watching　the　negro　work。　　They　wove　in　a　great
deal　of　their　peculiar；　wild；　mournful　music；　whenever　the　character　of
the　labor　permitted。　　They　seemed　to　sing　the　music　for　the　music's　sake
alone；　and　were　as　heedless　of　the　fitness　of　the　accompanying　words；
as　the　composer　of　a　modern　opera　is　of　his　libretto。　　One　middle　aged
man；　with　a　powerful；　mellow　baritone；　li