andersonville-第36部分

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When　all　was　ready　we　moved　down　upon　the　Big　Tent；　in　as　good　order　as
we　could　preserve　while　passing　through　the　narrow　tortuous　paths　between
the　tents。　　Key；　Limber　Jim；　Ned　Carigan；　Goody；　Tom　Larkin；　and　Ned
Johnson　led　the　advance　with　their　companies。　　The　prison　was　as　silent
as　a　graveyard。　　As　we　approached；　the　Raiders　massed　themselves　in　a
strong；　heavy　line；　with　the　center；　against　which　our　advance　was
moving；　held　by　the　most　redoubtable　of　their　leaders。　　How　many　there
were　of　them　could　not　be　told；　as　it　was　impossible　to　say　where　their
line　ended　and　the　mass　of　spectators　began。　　They　could　not　themselves
tell；　as　the　attitude　of　a　large　portion　of　the　spectators　would　be
determined　by　which　way　the　battle　went。

Not　a　blow　was　struck　until　the　lines　came　close　together。　　Then　the
Raider　center　launched　itself　forward　against　ours；　and　grappled　savagely
with　the　leading　Regulators。　　For　an　instantit　seemed　an　hourthe
struggle　was　desperate。

Strong；　fierce　men　clenched　and　strove　to　throttle　each　other；　great
muscles　strained　almost　to　bursting；　and　blows　with　fist　and　club…dealt
with　all　the　energy　of　mortal　hatefell　like　hail。　　One…perhaps　two…
endless　minutes　the　lines　surgedthrobbedbackward　and　forward　a　step
or　two；　and　then；　as　if　by　a　concentration　of　mighty　effort；　our　men
flung　the　Raider　line　back　from　itbrokenshattered。　　The　next　instant
our　leaders　were　striding　through　the　mass　like　raging　lions。　　Carrigan；
Limber　Jim；　Larkin；　Johnson　and　Goody　each　smote　down　a　swath　of　men
before　them；　as　they　moved　resistlessly　forward。

We　light　weights　had　been　sent　around　on　the　flanks　to　separate　the
spectators　from　the　combatants；　strike　the　Raiders　'en　revers；'　and；
as　far　as　possible；　keep　the　crowd　from　reinforcing　them。

In　five　minutes　after　the　first　blowwas　struck　the　overthrow　of　the
Raiders　was　complete。　　Resistance　ceased；　and　they　sought　safety　in
flight。

As　the　result　became　apparent　to　thewatchers　on　the　opposite　hillside；
they　vented　their　pent…up　excitement　in　a　yell　that　made　the　very　ground
tremble；　and　we　answered　them　with　a　shout　that　expressed　not　only　our
exultation　over　our　victory；　but　our　great　relief　from　the　intense　strain
we　had　long　borne。

We　picked　up　a　few　prisoners　on　the　battle　field；　and　retired　without
making　any　special　effort　to　get　any　more　then；　as　we　knew；　that　they
could　not　escape　us。

We　were　very　tired；　and　very　hungry。　　The　time　for　drawing　rations　had
arrived。　　Wagons　containing　bread　and　mush　had　driven　to　the　gates；　but
Wirz　would　not　allow　these　to　be　opened；　lest　in　the　excited　condition　of
the　men　an　attempt　might　be　made　to　carry　them。　　Key　ordered　operations
to　cease；　that　Wirz　might　be　re…assured　and　let　the　rations　enter。
It　was　in　vain。　　Wirz　was　thoroughly　scared。　　The　wagons　stood　out　in　the
hot　sun　until　the　mush　fermented　and　soured；　and　had　to　be　thrown　away；
while　we　event　rationless　to　bed；　and　rose　the　next　day　with　more　than
usually　empty　stomachs　to　goad　us　on　to　our　work。




CHAPTER　XXXVL

WHY　THE　REGULATORS　WERE　NOT　ASSISTED　BY　THE　ENTIRE　CAMPPECULIARITIES　OF
BOYS　FROM　DIFFERENT　SECTIONSHUNTING　THE　RAIDERS　DOWNEXPLOITS　OF　MY
LEFT…HANDED　LIEUTENANTRUNNING　THE　GAUNTLET。

I　may　not　have　made　it　wholly　clear　to　the　reader　why　we　did　not　have　the
active　assistance　of　the　whole　prison　in　the　struggle　with　the　Raiders。
There　were　many　reasons　for　this。　　First；　the　great　bulk　of　the　prisoners
were　new　comers；　having　been；　at　the　farthest；　but　three　or　four　weeks　in
the　Stockade。　They　did　not　comprehend　the　situation　of　affairs　as　we
older　prisoners　did。　　They　did　not　understand　that　all　the　outragesor
very　nearly　allwere　the　work　ofa　relatively　small　crowd　of　graduates
from　the　metropolitan　school　of　vice。　　The　activity　and　audacity　of　the
Raiders　gave　them　the　impression　that　at　least　half　the　able…bodied　men
in　the　Stockade　were　engaged　in　these　depredations。　　This　is　always　the
case。　　A　half　dozen　burglars　or　other　active　criminals　in　a　town　will
produce　the　impression　that　a　large　portion　of　the　population　are　law
breakers。　　We　never　estimated　that　the　raiding　N'Yaarkers；　with　their
spies　and　other　accomplices；　exceeded　five　hundred；　but　it　would　have
been　difficult　to　convince　a　new　prisoner　that　there　were　not　thousands
of　them。　　Secondly；　the　prisoners　were　made　up　of　small　squads　from　every
regiment　at　the　front　along　the　whole　line　from　the　Mississippi　to　the
Atlantic。　　These　were　strangers　to　and　distrustful　of　all　out　side　their
own　little　circles。　　The　Eastern　men　were　especially　so。　　The
Pennsylvanians　and　New　Yorkers　each　formed　groups；　and　did　not　fraternize
readily　with　those　outside　their　State　lines。　　The　New　Jerseyans　held
aloof　from　all　the　rest；　while　the　Massachusetts　soldiers　had　very　little
in　Common　with　anybodyeven　their　fellow　New　Englanders。　　The　Michigan
men　were　modified　New　Englanders。　　They　had　the　same　tricks　of　speech；
they　said　〃I　be〃　for　〃I　am；〃　and　〃haag〃　for　〃hog；〃　〃Let　me　look　at　your
knife　half　a　second；〃　or　〃Give　me　just　a　sup　of　that　water；〃　where　we
said　simply　〃Lend　me　your　knife；〃　or　〃hand　me　a　drink。〃　　They　were　less
reserved　than　the　true　Yankees；　more　disposed　to　be　social；　and；　with　all
their　eccentricities；　were　as　manly；　honorable　a　set　of　fellows　as　it　was
my　fortune　to　meet　with　in　the　army。　　I　could　ask　no　better　comrades　than
the　boys　of　the　Third　Michigan　Infantry；　who　belonged　to　the　same
〃Ninety〃　with　me。　　The　boys　from　Minnesota　and　Wisconsin　were　very　much
like　those　from　Michigan。　　Those　from　Ohio；　Indiana；　Illinois；　Iowa　and
Kansas　all　seemed　cut　off　the　same　piece。　　To　all　intents　and　purposes
they　might　have　come　from　the　same　County。　　They　spoke　the　same　dialect；
read　the　same　newspapers；　had　studied　McGuffey's　Readers；　Mitchell's
Geography；　and　Ray's　Arithmetics　at　school；　admired　the　same　great　men；
and　held　generally　the　same　opinions　on　any　given　subject。　　It　was　never
difficult　to　get　them　to　act　in　unisonthey　did　it　spontaneously；　while
it　required　an　effort　to　bring　about　harmony　of　action　with　those　from
other　sections。　　Had　the　Western　boys　in　prison　been　thoroughly　advised
of　the　nature　of　our　enterprise；　we　could；　doubtless；　have　commanded
their　cordial　assistance；　but　they　were　not；　and　there　was　no　way　in
which　it　could　be　done　readily；　until　after　the　decisive　blow　was　struck。

The　work　of　arresting　the　leading　Raiders　went　on　actively　all　day　on　the
Fourth　of　July。　　They　made　occasional　shows　of　fierce　resistance；　but　the
events　of　the　day　before　had　destroyed　their　prestige；　broken　their
confidence；　and　driven　away　from　their；　support　very　many　who　followed
their　lead　when　they　were　considered　all…powerful。　　They　scattered　from
their；　former　haunts；　and　mingled　with　the　crowds　in　other　parts　of　the
prison；　but　were　recognized；　and　reported　to　Key；　who　sent　parties　to
arrest　them。　　Several　times　they　managed　to　collect　enough　adherents　to
drive　off　the　squads　sent　after　them；　but　this　only　gave　them　a　short
respite；　for　the　squad　would　return　reinforced；　and　make　short　work　of
them。　　Besides；　the　prisoners　generally　were　beginning　to　understand　and
approve　of　the　Regulators'　movement；　and　were　disposed　to　give　all　the
assistance　needed。

Myself　and　〃Egypt；〃　my　taciturn　Lieutenant　of　the　sinewy　left　arm；　were
sent　with　our　company　to　arrest　Pete　Donnelly；　a　notorious　character；　and
leader　of；　a　bad　crowd。　　He　was　more　〃knocker〃　than　Raider；　however。
He　was　an　old　Pemberton　building　acquaintance；　and　as　we　marched　up　to
where　he　was　standing　at　the　head　of　his　gathering　clan；　he　recognized　me
and　said：

〃Hello；　Illinoy；〃　（the　name　by　which　I　was　generally　known　in　prison）
〃what　do　you　want　here？〃

I　replied；　〃Pete；　Key　has　sent　me　for　you。　　I　want　you　to　go　to
headquarters。〃

〃What　the　　does　Key　want　with　me？〃

〃I　don't　know；　I'm　sure；　he　only　said　to　bring　you。〃

〃But　I　haven't　had　anything　to　do　with　them　other　snoozers　you　have　been
a…having　trouble　with。〃

〃I　don't　know　anything　about　that；　you　can　talk　to　Key　as　to　that。
I　only　know　that　we　are　sent　for　you。〃

〃Well；　you　don't　think　you　can　take　me　unless　I　choose　to　go？　　You　haint
got　anybody　in　that　crowd　big　enough　to　make　it　worth　while　for　him　to
waste　his　time　trying　it。〃

I　replied　diffidently　that　one　never　knew　whathe　could　do　till　he
tried；　that　while　none　of　us　were　very　big；　we　were　as　willing　a　lot　of
little　fellows　as　he　ever　saw；　and　if　it　were　all　the　same　to　him；　we
would　undertake　to　waste　a　little　time　getting　him　to　headquarters。

The　conversation　seemed　unnecessarily　long　to　〃Egypt；〃　who　stood　by　my
side；　about　a　half　step　in　advance。　　Pete　was　becoming　angrier　and　more
defiant　every　minute。　　His　followers　were　crowding　up　to　us；　club　in
hand。　　Finally　Pete　thrust　his　fist　in　my　face；　and　roared　out：

〃By　…；　I　ain't　a　going　with　ye；　and　ye　can't　take　me；
you　　　　〃

This　was　〃　Egypt's〃　cue。　　His　long　left　arm　uncoupled　like　the　loosening
of　the　weight　of　a　pile…driver。　　It　caught　Mr。　Donnelly　under　the　chin；
fairly　lifted　him　from　his　feet；　and　dropped　him　on　his　back　among　his
followers。　　It　seemed　to　me　that　the　predominating　expression　in　his　face
as　he　went；　over　was　that　of　profound　wonder　as　to　where　that　blow　could
have　come　from；　and　why　he　did　not　see　it　in　time　to　dodge　or　ward　it
off。

As　Pete　dropped；　the　rest　of　us　stepped　forward　with　our　clubs；　to　engage
his　followers；　while　〃Egypt〃　and　one　or　two　others　tied　his　hands　and
otherwise　secured　him。　　But　his　henchmen　made　no　effort　to　rescue　him；
and　we　carried　him　over　to　headquarters　without　molestation。

The　work　of　arresting　increased　in　interest　and　excitement　until　it
developed　into　the　furore　of　a　hunt；　with　thousands　eagerly　engaged　in
it。　　The　Raiders'　tents　were　torn　down　and　pillaged。　　Blankets；　tent
poles；　and　cooking　utensils　were　carried　off　as　spoils；　and　the　ground
was　dug　over　for　secreted　property。　　A　large　quantity　of　watches；　chains；
knives；　rings；　gold　pens；　etc。；　etc。the　booty　of　many　a　raidwas
found；　and　helped　to　give　impetus　to　the　hunt。　　Even　the　Rebel
Quartermaster；　with　the　characteristic　keen　scent　of　the　Rebels　for
spoils；　smell