andersonville-第61部分

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prisoners　who　would　accept　such　favors。　　Such　as　did　not　feel　inclined　to
go　outside　on　parole　received　frequent　presents　in　the　way　of　food；　and
especially　of　vegetables；　which　were　literally　beyond　price。　　Materials
were　sent　inside　to　build　tents　for　the　Masons；　and　I　think　such　as　made
themselves　known　before　death；　received　burial　according　to　the　rites　of
the　Order。　　Doctor　White；　and　perhaps　other　Surgeons；　belonged　to　the
fraternity；　and　the　wearing　of　a　Masonic　emblem　by　a　new　prisoner　was
pretty　sure　to　catch　their　eyes；　and　be　the　means　of　securing　for　the
wearer　the　tender　of　their　good　offices；　such　as　a　detail　into　the
Hospital　as　nurse；　ward…master；　etc。

I　was　not　fortunate　enough　to　be　one　of　the　mystic　brethren；　and　so
missed　all　share　in　any　of　these　benefits；　as　well　as　in　any　others；
and　I　take　special　pride　in　one　thing：　that　during　my　whole　imprisonment
I　was　not　beholden　to　a　Rebel　for　a　single　favor　of　any　kind。　　The　Rebel
does　not　live　who　can　say　that　he　ever　gave　me　so　much　as　a　handful　of
meal；　a　spoonful　of　salt；　an　inch　of　thread；　or　a　stick　of　wood。
From　first　to　last　I　received　nothing　but　my　rations；　except　occasional
trifles　that　I　succeeded　in　stealing　from　the　stupid　officers　charged
with　issuing　rations。　　I　owe　no　man　in　the　Southern　Confederacy　gratitude
for　anythingnot　even　for　a　kind　word。

Speaking　of　secret　society　pins　recalls　a　noteworthy　story　which　has　been
told　me　since　the　war；　of　boys　whom　I　knew。　　At　the　breaking　out　of
hostilities　there　existed　in　Toledo　a　festive　little　secret　society；
such　as　lurking　boys　frequently　organize；　with　no　other　object　than　fun
and　the　usual　adolescent　love　of　mystery。　　There　were　a　dozen　or　so
members　in　it　who　called　themselves　〃The　Royal　Reubens；〃　and　were　headed
by　a　bookbinder　named　Ned　Hopkins。　　Some　one　started　a　branch　of　the
Order　in　Napoleon；　O。；　and　among　the　members　was　Charles　E。　Reynolds；
of　that　town。　　The　badge　of　the　society　was　a　peculiarly　shaped　gold　pin。
Reynolds　and　Hopkins　never　met；　and　had　no　acquaintance　with　each　other。
When　the　war　broke　out；　Hopkins　enlisted　in　Battery　H；　First　Ohio
Artillery；　and　was　sent　to　the　Army　of　the　Potomac；　where　he　was
captured；　in　the　Fall　of　1863；　while　scouting；　in　the　neighborhood　of
Richmond。　　Reynolds　entered　the　Sixty…Eighth　Ohio　Volunteer　Infantry；
and　was　taken　in　the　neighborhood　of　Jackson；　Miss。；two　thousand　miles
from　the　place　of　Hopkins's　capture。　　At　Andersonville　Hopkins　became　one
of　the　officers　in　charge　of　the　Hospital。　　One　day　a　Rebel　Sergeant；　who
called　the　roll　in　the　Stockade；　after　studying　Hopkins's　pin　a　minute；
said：

〃I　seed　a　Yank　in　the　Stockade　to…day　a…wearing　a　pin　egzackly　like　that
ere。〃

This　aroused　Hopkins's　interest；　and　he　went　inside　in　search　of　the
other　〃feller。〃　　Having　his　squad　and　detachment　there　was　little
difficulty　in　finding　him。　　He　recognized　the　pin；　spoke　to　its　wearer；
gave　him　the　〃grand　hailing　sign〃　of　the　〃Royal　Reubens；〃　and　it　was　duly
responded　to。　　The　upshot　of　the　matter　was　that　he　took　Reynolds　out
with　him　as　clerk；　and　saved　his　life；　as　the　latter　was　going　down　hill
very　rapidly。　　Reynolds；　in　turn；　secured　the　detail　of　a　comrade　of　the
Sixty…Eighth　who　was　failing　fast；　and　succeeded　in　saving　his　lifeall
of　which　happy　results　were　directly　attributable　to　that　insignificant
boyish　society；　and　its　equally　unimportant　badge　of　membership。

Along　in　the　last　of　August　the　Rebels　learned　that　there　were　between
two　and　three　hundred　Captains　and　Lieutenants　in　the　Stockade；　passing
themselves　off　as　enlisted　men。　　The　motive　of　these　officers　was　two…
fold：　first；　a　chivalrous　wish　to　share　the　fortunes　and　fate　of　their
boys；　and　second；　disinclination　to　gratify　the　Rebels　by　the　knowledge
of　the　rank　of　their　captives。　　The　secret　was　so　well　kept　that　none　of
us　suspected　it　until　the　fact　was　announced　by　the　Rebels　themselves。
They　were　taken　out　immediately；　and　sent　to　Macon；　where　the
commissioned　officers'　prison　was。　　It　would　not　do　to　trust　such
possible　leaders　with　us　another　day。




CHAPTER　L

FOODTHE　MEAGERNESS；　INFERIOR　QUALITY；　AND　TERRIBLE　SAMENESS
REBEL　TESTIMONY　ON　THE　SUBJECTFUTILITY　OF　SUCCESSFUL　EXPLANATION。

I　have　in　other　places　dwelt　upon　the　insufficiency　and　the　nauseousness
of　the　food。　　No　words　that　I　can　use；　no　insistence　upon　this　theme；　can
give　the　reader　any　idea　of　its　mortal　importance　to　us。

Let　the　reader　consider　for　a　moment　the　quantity；　quality；　and　variety
of　food　that　he　now　holds　to　be　necessary　for　the　maintenance　of　life　and
health。　　I　trust　that　every　one　who　peruses　this　bookthat　every　one　in
fact　over　whom　the　Stars　and　Stripes　wavehas　his　cup　of　coffee；　his
biscuits　and　his　beefsteak　for　breakfasta　substantial　dinner　of　roast
or　boiledand　a　lighter；　but　still　sufficient　meal　in　the　evening。
In　all；　certainly　not　less　than　fifty　different　articles　are　set　before
him　during　the　day；　for　his　choice　as　elements　of　nourishment。　　Let　him
scan　this　extended　bill…of…fare；　which　long　custom　has　made　so　common…
place　as　to　be　uninterestingperhaps　even　wearisome　to　think　about
and　see　what　he　could　omit　from　it；　if　necessity　compelled　him。　　After　a
reluctant　farewell　to　fish；　butter；　eggs；　milk；　sugar；　green　and
preserved　fruits；　etc。；　he　thinks　that　perhaps　under　extraordinary
circumstances　he　might　be　able　to　merely　sustain　life　for　a　limited
period　on　a　diet　of　bread　and　meat　three　times　a　day；　washed　down　with
creamless；　unsweetened　coffee；　and　varied　occasionally　with　additions　of
potatos；　onions；　beans；　etc。　　It　would　astonish　the　Innocent　to　have　one
of　our　veterans　inform　him　that　this　was　not　even　the　first　stage　of
destitution；　that　a　soldier　who　had　these　was　expected　to　be　on　the
summit　level　of　contentment。　　Any　of　the　boys　who　followed　Grant　to
Appomattox　Court　House；　Sherman　to　the　Sea；　or　〃Pap〃　Thomas　till　his
glorious　career　culminated　with　the　annihilation　of　Hood；　will　tell　him
of　many　weeks　when　a　slice　of　fat　pork　on　a　piece　of　〃hard　tack〃　had　to
do　duty　for　the　breakfast　of　beefsteak　and　biscuits；　when　another　slice
of　fat　pork　and　another　cracker　served　for　the　dinner　of　roast　beef　and
vegetables；　and　a　third　cracker　and　slice　of　pork　was　a　substitute　for
the　supper　of　toast　and　chops。

I　say　to　these　veterans　in　turn　that　they　did　not　arrive　at　the　first
stages　of　destitution　compared　with　the　depths　to　which　we　were　dragged。
The　restriction　for　a　few　weeks　to　a　diet　of　crackers　and　fat　pork　was
certainly　a　hardship；　but　the　crackers　alone；　chemists　tell　us；　contain
all　the　elements　necessary　to　support　life；　and　in　our　Army　they　were
always　well　made　and　very　palatable。　　I　believe　I　risk　nothing　in　saying
that　one　of　the　ordinary　square　crackers　of　our　Commissary　Department
contained　much　more　real　nutriment　than　the　whole　of　our　average　ration。

I　have　before　compared　the　size；　shape　and　appearance　of　the　daily　half
loaf　of　corn　bread　issued　to　us　to　a　half…brick；　and　I　do　not　yet　know　of
a　more　fitting　comparison。　　At　first　we　got　a　small　piece　of　rusty　bacon
along　with　this；　but　the　size　of　this　diminished　steadily　until　at　last
it　faded　away　entirely；　and　during　the　last　six　months　of　our
imprisonment　I　do　not　believe　that　we　received　rations　of　meat　above　a
half…dozen　times。

To　this　smallness　was　added　ineffable　badness。　　The　meal　was　ground　very
coarsely；　by　dull；　weakly　propelled　stones；　that　imperfectly　crushed　the
grains；　and　left　the　tough；　hard　coating　of　the　kernels　in　large；　sharp；
mica…like　scales；　which　cut　and　inflamed　the　stomach　and　intestines；
like　handfuls　of　pounded　glass。　　The　alimentary　canals　of　all　compelled
to　eat　it　were　kept　in　a　continual　state　of　irritation　that　usually
terminated　in　incurable　dysentery。

That　I　have　not　over…stated　this　evil　can　be　seen　by　reference　to　the
testimony　of　so　competent　a　scientific　observer　as　Professor　Jones；　and　I
add　to　that　unimpeachable　testimony　the　following　extract　from　the
statement　made　in　an　attempted　defense　of　Andersonville　by　Doctor　R。
Randolph　Stevenson；　who　styles　himself；　formerly　Surgeon　in　the　Army　of
the　Confederate　States　of　America；　Chief　Surgeon　of　the　Confederate
States　Military　Prison　Hospitals；　Andersonville；　Ga。〃：

V。　　From　the　sameness　of　the　food；　and　from　the　action　of　the　poisonous
gases　in　the　densely　crowded　and　filthy　Stockade　and　Hospital；　the　blood
was　altered　in　its　constitution；　even；　before　the　manifestation　of　actual
disease。

In　both　the　well　and　the　sick；　the　red　corpuscles　were　diminished；　and　in
all　diseases　uncomplicated　with　inflammation；　the　fibrinous　element　was
deficient。　　In　cases　of　ulceration　of　the　mucous　membrane　of　the
intestinal　canal；　the　fibrinous　element　of　the　blood　appeared　to　be
increased；　while　in　simple　diarrhea；　uncomplicated　with　ulceration；　and
dependent　upon　the　character　of　the　food　and　the　existence　of　scurvy；
it　was　either　diminished　or　remained　stationary。　　Heart…clots　were　very
common；　if　not　universally　present；　in　the　cases　of　ulceration　of　the
intestinal　mucous　membrane；　while　in　the　uncomplicated　cases　of　diarrhea
and　scurvy；　the　blood　was　fluid　and　did　not　coagulate　readily；　and　the
heart…clots　and　fibrinous　concretions　were　almost　universally　absent。
From　the　watery　condition　of　the　blood　there　resulted　various　serous
effusions　into　the　pericardium；　into　the　ventricles　of　the　brain；　and
into　the　abdominal　cavity。

In　almost　all　cases　which　I　examined　after　death；　even　in　the　most
emaciated；　there　was　more　or　less　serous　effusion　into　the　abdominal
cavity。　　In　cases　of　hospital　gangrene　of　the　extremities；　and　in　cases
of　gangrene　of　the　intestines；　heart…clots　and　firm　coagula　were
universally　present。　　The　presence　of　these　clots　in　the　cases　of
hospital　gangrene；　whilst　they　were　absent　in　the　cases　in　which　there
were　no　inflammatory　symptoms；　appears　to　sustain　the　conclusion　that
hospital　gangrene　is　a　species　of　inflammation　（imperfect　and　irregular
though　it　may　be　in　its　progress）；　in　which　the　fibrinous　element　and
coagulability　of　the　blood　are　increased；　even　in　those　who　are　suffering
from　such　a　condition　of　the　blood　and　from　such　disease