andersonville-第73部分

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Corps；　who　were　lying　back　at　the　Chattahoochee；　and　the　next　morning　the
General　commandingSlocumsent　out　a　reconnaissance。　　It　was　met　by　the
Mayor　of　Atlanta；　who　said　that　the　Rebels　had　blown　up　their　stores　and
retreated。　　The　Twentieth　Corps　then　came　in　and　took　'possession　of　the
City；　and　the　next　daythe　3dSherman　came　in；　and　issued　an　order
declaring　the　campaign　at　an　end；　and　that　we　would　rest　awhile　and
refit。

〃We　laid　around　Atlanta　a　good　while；　and　things　quieted　down　so　that　it
seemed　almost　like　peace；　after　the　four　months　of　continual　fighting　we
had　gone　through。　　We　had　been　under　a　strain　so　long　that　now　we　boys
went　in　the　other　direction；　and　became　too　careless；　and　that's　how　we
got　picked　up。　　We　went　out　about　five　miles　one　night　after　a　lot　of
nice　smoked　hams　that　a　nigger　told　us　were　stored　in　an　old　cotton
press；　and　which　we　knew　would　be　enough　sight　better　eating　for　Company
C；　than　the　commissary　pork　we　had　lived　on　so　long。　　We　found　the　cotton
press；　and　the　hams；　just　as　the　nigger　told　us；　and　we　hitched　up　a　team
to　take　them　into　camp。　　As　we　hadn't　seen　any　Johnny　signs　anywhere；
we　set　our　guns　down　to　help　load　the　meat；　and　just　as　we　all　came
stringing　out　to　the　wagon　with　as　much　meat　as　we　could　carry；　a　company
of　Ferguson's　Cavalry　popped　out　of　the　woods　about　one　hundred　yards　in
front　of　us　and　were　on　top　of　us　before　we　could　say　I　scat。　You　see
they'd　heard　of　the　meat；　too。〃




CHAPTER　LVII。

A　FAIR　SACRIFICETHE　STORY　OF　ONE　BOY　WHO　WILLINGLY　GAVE　HIS　YOUNG　LIFE
FOR　HIS　COUNTRY。

Charley　Barbour　was　one　of　the　truest…hearted　and　best…liked　of　my
school…boy　chums　and　friends。　　For　several　terms　we　sat　together　on　the
same　uncompromisingly　uncomfortable　bench；　worried　over　the　same　boy…
maddening　problems　in　〃Ray's　Arithmetic…Part　III。；〃　learned　the　same
jargon　of　meaningless　rules　from　〃Greene's　Grammar；〃　pondered　over
〃Mitchell's　Geography　and　Atlas；〃　and　tried　in　vain　to　understand　why
Providence　made　the　surface　of　one　State　obtrusively　pink　and　another
ultramarine　blue；　trod　slowly　and　painfully　over　the　rugged　road
〃Bullion〃　points　out　for　beginners　in　Latin；　and　began　to　believe　we
should　hate　ourselves　and　everybody　else；　if　we　were　gotten　up　after　the
manner　shown　by　〃Cutter's　Physiology。〃　　We　were　caught　together　in　the
same　long　series　of　school…boy　scrapesand　were　usually　ferruled
together　by　the　same　strong…armed　teacher。　　We　shared　nearly　everything
our　fun　and　work；　enjoyment　and　annoyanceall　were　generally　meted　out
to　us　together。　　We　read　from　the　same　books　the　story　of　the　wonderful
world　we　were　going　to　see　in　that　bright　future　〃when　we　were　men；〃　we
spent　our　Saturdays　and　vacations　in　the　miniature　explorations　of　the
rocky　hills　and　caves；　and　dark　cedar　woods　around　our　homes；　to　gather
ocular　helps　to　a　better　comprehension　of　that　magical　land　which　we　were
convinced　began　just　beyond　our　horizon；　and　had　in　it；　visible　to　the
eye　of　him　who　traveled　through　its　enchanted　breadth；　all　that
〃Gulliver's　Fables；〃　the　〃Arabian　Nights；〃　and　a　hundred　books　of　travel
and　adventure　told　of。

We　imagined　that　the　only　dull　and　commonplace　spot　on　earth　was　that
where　we　lived。　　Everywhere　else　life　was　a　grand　spectacular　drama；　full
of　thrilling　effects。

Brave　and　handsome　young　men　were　rescuing　distressed　damsels；　beautiful
as　they　were　wealthy；　bloody　pirates　and　swarthy　murderers　were　being
foiled　by　quaint　spoken　backwoodsmen；　who　carried　unerring　rifles；
gallant　but　blundering　Irishmen；　speaking　the　most　delightful　brogue；
and　making　the　funniest　mistakes；　were　daily　thwarting　cool　and
determined　villains；　bold　tars　were　encountering　fearful　sea　perils；
lionhearted　adventurers　were　cowing　and　quelling　whole　tribes　of
barbarians；　magicians　were　casting　spells；　misers　hoarding　gold；
scientists　making　astonishing　discoveries；　poor　and　unknown　boys
achieving　wealth　and　fame　at　a　single　bound；　hidden　mysteries　coming　to
light；　and　so　the　world　was　going　on；　making　reams　of　history　with　each
diurnal　revolution；　and　furnishing　boundless　material　for　the　most
delightful　books。

At　the　age　of　thirteen　a　perusal　of　the　lives　of　Benjamin　Franklin　and
Horace　Greeley　precipitated　my　determination　to　no　longer　hesitate　in
launching　my　small　bark　upon　the　great　ocean。　　I　ran　away　from　home　in　a
truly　romantic　way；　and　placed　my　foot　on　what　I　expected　to　be　the　first
round　of　the　ladder　of　fame；　by　becoming　〃devil　boy〃　in　a　printing　office
in　a　distant　large　City。　　Charley's　attachment　to　his　mother　and　his　home
was　too　strong　to　permit　him　to　take　this　step；　and　we　parted　in　sorrow；
mitigated　on　my　side　by　roseate　dreams　of　the　future。

Six　years　passed。　　One　hot　August　morning　I　met　an　old　acquaintance　at
the　Creek；　in　Andersonville。　　He　told　me　to　come　there　the　next　morning；
after　roll…call；　and　he　would　take　me　to　see　some　person　who　was　very
anxious　to　meet　me。　　I　was　prompt　at　the　rendezvous；　and　was　soon　joined
by　the　other　party。　　He　threaded　his　way　slowly　for　over　half　an　hour
through　the　closely…jumbled　mass　of　tents　and　burrows；　and　at　length
stopped　in　front　of　a　blanket…tent　in　the　northwestern　corner。　　The
occupant　rose　and　took　my　hand。　　For　an　instant　I　was　puzzled；　then　the
clear；　blue　eyes；　and　well…remembered　smile　recalled　to　me　my　old…time
comrade；　Charley　Barbour。　　His　story　was　soon　told。　　He　was　a　Sergeant　in
a　Western　Virginia　cavalry　regimentthe　Fourth；　I　think。　　At　the　time
Hunter　was　making　his　retreat　from　the　Valley　of　Virginia；　it　was　decided
to　mislead　the　enemy　by　sending　out　a　courier　with　false　dispatches　to　be
captured。　　There　was　a　call　for　a　volunteer　for　this　service。　　Charley
was　the　first　to　offer；　with　that　spirit　of　generous　self…sacrifice　that
was　one　of　his　pleasantest　traits　when　a　boy。　　He　knew　what　he　had　to
expect。　　Capture　meant　imprisonment　at　Andersonville；　our　men　had　now　a
pretty　clear　understanding　of　what　this　was。　　Charley　took　the　dispatches
and　rode　into　the　enemy's　lines。　　He　was　taken；　and　the　false　information
produced　the　desired　effect。　　On　his　way　to　Andersonville　he　was　stripped
of　all　his　clothing　but　his　shirt　and　pantaloons；　and　turned　into　the
Stockade　in　this　condition。　　When　I　saw　him　he　had　been　in　a　week　or
more。　　He　told　his　story　quietlyalmost　diffidentlynot　seeming　aware
that　he　had　done　more　than　his　simple　duty。　　I　left　him　with　the　promise
and　expectation　of　returning　the　next　day；　but　when　I　attempted　to　find
him　again；　I　was　lost　in　the　maze　of　tents　and　burrows。　　I　had　forgotten
to　ask　the　number　of　his　detachment；　and　after　spending　several　days　in
hunting　for　him；　I　was　forced　to　give　the　search　up。　　He　knew　as　little
of　my　whereabouts；　and　though　we　were　all　the　time　within　seventeen
hundred　feet　of　each　other；　neither　we　nor　our　common　acquaintance　could
ever　manage　to　meet　again。　　This　will　give　the　reader　an　idea　of　the
throng　compressed　within　the　narrow　limits　of　the　Stockade。　　After
leaving　Andersonville；　however；　I　met　this　man　once　more；　and　learned
from　him　that　Charley　had　sickened　and　died　within　a　month　after　his
entrance　to　prison。

So　ended　his　day…dream　of　a　career　in　the　busy　world。




CHAPTER　LVIII。

WE　LEAVE　SAVANNAHMORE　HOPES　OF　EXCHANGESCENES　AT　DEPARTURE
〃FLANKERS〃ON　THE　BACK　TRACK　TOWARD　ANDERSONVILLEALARM　THEREAT
AT　THE　PARTING　OF　TWO　WAYSWE　FINALLY　BRING　UP　AT　CAMP　LAWTON。

On　the　evening　of　the　11th　of　October　there　came　an　order　for　one
thousand　prisoners　to　fall　in　and　march　out；　for　transfer　to　some　other
point。

Of　course；　Andrews　and　I　〃flanked〃　into　this　crowd。　　That　was　our　usual
way　of　doing。　　Holding　that　the　chances　were　strongly　in　favor　of　every
movement　of　prisoners　being　to　our　lines；　we　never　failed　to　be　numbered
in　the　first　squad　of　prisoners　that　were　sent　out。　　The　seductive　mirage
of　〃exchange〃　was　always　luring　us　on。　　It　must　come　some　time；
certainly；　and　it　would　be　most　likely　to　come　to　those　who　were　most
earnestly　searching　for　it。　　At　all　events；　we　should　leave　no　means
untried　to　avail　ourselves　of　whatever　seeming　chances　there　might　be。
There　could　be　no　other　motive　for　this　move；　we　argued；　than　exchange。
The　Confederacy　was　not　likely　to　be　at　the　trouble　and　expense　of
hauling　us　about　the　country　without　some　good　reasonsomething　better
than　a　wish　to　make　us　acquainted　with　Southern　scenery　and　topography。
It　would　hardly　take　us　away　from　Savannah　so　soon　after　bringing　us
there　for　any　other　purpose　than　delivery　to　our　people。

The　Rebels　encouraged　this　belief　with　direct　assertions　of　its　truth。
They　framed　a　plausible　lie　about　there　having　arisen　some　difficulty
concerning　the　admission　of　our　vessels　past　the　harbor　defenses　of
Savannah；　which　made　it　necessary　to　take　us　elsewhereprobably　to
Charlestonfor　delivery　to　our　men。

Wishes　are　always　the　most　powerful　allies　of　belief。　　There　is　little
difficulty　in　convincing　a　man　of　that　of　which　he　wants　to　be　convinced。
We　forgot　the　lie　told　us　when　we　were　taken　from　Andersonville；　and
believed　the　one　which　was　told　us　now。

Andrews　and　I　hastily　snatched　our　worldly　possessionsour　overcoat；
blanket；　can；　spoon；　chessboard　and　men；　yelled　to　some　of　our　neighbors
that　they　could　have　our　hitherto　much…treasured　house；　and　running　down
to　the　gate；　forced　ourselves　well　up　to　the　front　of　the　crowd　that　was
being　assembled　to　go　out。

The　usual　scenes　accompanying　the　departure　of　first　squads　were　being
acted　tumultuously。　　Every　one　in　the　camp　wanted　to　be　one　of　the
supposed…to…be…favored　few；　and　if　not　selected　at　first；　tried　to　〃flank
in〃that　is；　slip　into　the　place　of　some　one　else　who　had　had　better
luck。　　This　one　naturally　resisted　displacement；　'vi　et　armis；'　and　the
fights　would　become　so　general　as　to　cause　a　resemblance　to　the　famed
Fair　of　Donnybrook。　　The　cry　would　go　up：

〃Look　out　for　flankers！〃

The　lines　of　the　selected　would　dress　up　compactly；　and　outsiders　trying
to　force　themselves　in　would　get　mercilessly　pounded。

We　finally　got　out　of　the　pen；　and　into　the　cars；　which　soon　rolled　away
to　the　westward。　　We　were　packed　in　too　densely　to　be　able　to　l