andersonville-第8部分

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rider　came　near　I　called　out　to　him；　he　stopped　and　gave　a　whinny　of
recognition；　which　seemed　also　a　plaintive　appeal　for　an　explanation　of
the　changed　condition　of　affairs。

The　Sergeant　was　a　pleasant；　gentlemanly　boy　of　about　my　own　age。
He　rode　up　to　me　and　inquired　if　it　was　my　horse；　to　which　I　replied　in
the　affirmative；　and　asked　permission　to　take　from　the　saddle　pockets
some　letters；　pictures　and　other　trinkets。　　He　granted　this；　and　we
became　friends　from　thence　on　until　we　separated。　　He　rode　by　my　side　as
we　plodded　over　the　steep；　slippery　hills；　and　we　beguiled　the　way　by
chatting　of　the　thousand　things　that　soldiers　find　to　talk　about；　and
exchanged　reminiscences　of　the　service　on　both　sides。　　But　the　subject　he
was　fondest　of　was　that　which　I　relished　least：　mynow　hishorse。　　Into
the　open　ulcer　of　my　heart　he　poured　the　acid　of　all　manner　of　questions
concerning　my　lost　steed's　qualities　and　capabilities：　would　he　swim？
how　was　he　in　fording？　　did　he　jump　well！　　how　did　he　stand　fire？
I　smothered　my　irritation；　and　answered　as　pleasantly　as　I　could。

In　the　afternoon　of　the　third　day　after　the　capture；　we　came　up　to　where
a　party　of　rustic　belles　were　collected　at　〃quilting。〃　　The　〃Yankees〃
were　instantly　objects　of　greater　interest　than　the　parade　of　a　menagerie
would　have　been。　　The　Sergeant　told　the　girls　we　were　going　to　camp　for
the　night　a　mile　or　so　ahead；　and　if　they　would　be　at　a　certain　house；
he　would　have　a　Yankee　for　them　for　close　inspection。　　After　halting；
the　Sergeant　obtained　leave　to　take　me　out　with　a　guard；　and　I　was
presently　ushered　into　a　room　in　which　the　damsels　were　massed　in　force；
a　carnation…checked；　staring；　open…mouthed；　linsey…clad　crowd；　as
ignorant　of　corsets　and　gloves　as　of　Hebrew；　and　with　a　propensity　to
giggle　that　was　chronic　and　irrepressible。　　When　we　entered　the　room
there　was　a　general　giggle；　and　then　a　shower　of　comments　upon　my
appearance；each　sentence　punctuated　with　the　chorus　of　feminine
cachination。　　A　remark　was　made　about　my　hair　and　eyes；　and　their
risibles　gave　way；　judgment　was　passed　on　my　nose；　and　then　came　a　ripple
of　laughter。　　I　got　very　red　in　the　face；　and　uncomfortable　generally。
Attention　was　called　to　the　size　of　my　feet　and　hands；　and　the　usual
chorus　followed。　　Those　useful　members　of　my　body　seemed　to　swell　up　as
they　do　to　a　young　man　at　his　first　party。

Then　I　saw　that　in　the　minds　of　these　bucolic　maidens　I　was　scarcely；
if　at　all；　human；　they　did　not　understand　that　I　belonged　to　the　race；
I　was　a　〃Yankee〃a　something　of　the　non…human　class；　as　the　gorilla　or
the　chimpanzee。　　They　felt　as　free　to　discuss　my　points　before　my　face　as
they　would　to　talk　of　a　horse　or　a　wild　animal　in　a　show。　　My　equanimity
was　partially　restored　by　this　reflection；　but　I　was　still　too　young　to
escape　embarrassment　and　irritation　at　being　thus　dissected　and　giggled
at　by　a　party　of　girls；　even　if　they　were　ignorant　Virginia　mountaineers。

I　turned　around　to　speak　to　the　Sergeant；　and　in　so　doing　showed　my　back
to　the　ladies。　　The　hum　of　comment　deepened　into　surprise；　that　half
stopped　and　then　intensified　the　giggle。

I　was　puzzled　for　a　minute；　and　then　the　direction　of　their　glances；　and
their　remarks　explained　it　all。　　At　the　rear　of　the　lower　part　of　the
cavalry　jacket；　about　where　the　upper　ornamental　buttons　are　on　the　tail
of　a　frock　coat；　are　two　funny　tabs；　about　the　size　of　small　pin…
cushions。　　They　are　fastened　by　the　edge；　and　stick　out　straight　behind。
Their　use　is　to　support　the　heavy　belt　in　the　rear；　as　the　buttons　do　in
front。　　When　the　belt　is　off　it　would　puzzle　the　Seven　Wise　Men　to　guess
what　they　are　for。　　The　unsophisticated　young　ladies；　with　that　swift
intuition　which　is　one　of　lovely　woman's　salient　mental　traits；
immediately　jumped　at　the　conclusion　that　the　projections　covered　some
peculiar　conformation　of　the　Yankee　anatomysome　incipient；　dromedary…
like　humps；　or　perchance　the　horns　of　which　they　had　heard　so　much。

This　anatomical　phenomena　was　discussed　intently　for　a　few　minutes；
during　which　I　heard　one　of　the　girls　inquire　whether　〃it　would　hurt　him
to　cut　'em　off？〃　and　another　hazarded　the　opinion　that　〃it　would　probably
bleed　him　to　death。〃

Then　a　new　idea　seized　them；　and　they　said　to　the　Sergeant　〃Make　him
sing！　　Make　him　sing！〃

This　was　too　much　for　the　Sergeant；　who　had　been　intensely　amused　at　the
girls'　wonderment。　　He　turned　to　me；　very　red　in　the　face；　with：

〃Sergeant：　the　girls　want　to　hear　you　sing。〃

I　replied　that　I　could　not　sing　a　note。　　Said　he：

〃Oh；　come　now。　　I　know　better　than　that；　I　never　seed　or　heerd　of　a
Yankee　that　couldn't　sing。〃

I　nevertheless　assured　him　that　there　really　were　some　Yankees　that　did
not　have　any　musical　accomplishments；　and　that　I　was　one　of　that
unfortunate　number。　　I　asked　him　to　get　the　ladies　to　sing　for　me；
and　to　this　they　acceded　quite　readily。　　One　girl；　with　a　fair　soprano；
who　seemed　to　be　the　leader　of　the　crowd；　sang　〃The　Homespun　Dress；〃　a
song　very　popular　in　the　South；　and　having　the　same　tune　as　the　〃Bonnie
Blue　Flag。〃　　It　began；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　I　envy　not　the　Northern　girl
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Their　silks　and　jewels　fine；

and　proceeded　to　compare　the　homespun　habiliments　of　the　Southern　women
to　the　finery　and　frippery　of　the　ladies　on　the　other　side　of　Mason　and
Dixon's　line　in　a　manner　very　disadvantageous　to　the　latter。

The　rest　of　the　girls　made　a　fine　exhibition　of　the　lung…power　acquired
in　climbing　their　precipitous　mountains；　when　they　came　in　on　the　chorus

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Hurra！　　Hurra！　for　southern　rights　Hurra！
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Hurra　for　the　homespun　dress；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Southern　ladies　wear。

This　ended　the　entertainment。

On　our　journey　to　Bristol　we　met　many　Rebel　soldiers；　of　all　ranks；
and　a　small　number　of　citizens。　　As　the　conscription　had　then　been
enforced　pretty　sharply　for　over　a　year　the　only　able…bodied　men　seen　in
civil　life　were　those　who　had　some　trade　which　exempted　them　from　being
forced　into　active　service。　　It　greatly　astonished　us　at　first　to　find
that　nearly　all　the　mechanics　were　included　among　the　exempts；　or　could
be　if　they　chose；　but　a　very　little　reflection　showed　us　the　wisdom　of
such　a　policy。　　The　South　is　as　nearly　a　purely　agricultural　country　as
is　Russia　or　South　America。　　The　people　have；　little　inclination　or
capacity　for　anything　else　than　pastoral　pursuits。　　Consequently
mechanics　are　very　scarce；　and　manufactories　much　scarcer。　　The　limited
quantity　of　products　of　mechanical　skill　needed　by　the　people　was　mostly
imported　from　the　North　or　Europe。　　Both　these　sources　of　supply　were
cutoff　by　the　war；　and　the　country　was　thrown　upon　its　own　slender
manufacturing　resources。　　To　force　its　mechanics　into　the　army　would
therefore　be　suicidal。　　The　Army　would　gain　a　few　thousand　men；　but　its
operations　would　be　embarrassed；　if　not　stopped　altogether；　by　a　want　of
supplies。　　This　condition　of　affairs　reminded　one　of　the　singular　paucity
of　mechanical　skill　among　the　Bedouins　of　the　desert；　which　renders　the
life　of　a　blacksmith　sacred。　　No　matter　how　bitter　the　feud　between
tribes；　no　one　will　kill　the　other's　workers　of　iron；　and　instances　are
told　of　warriors　saving　their　lives　at　critical　periods　by　falling　on
their　knees　and　making　with　their　garments　an　imitation　of　the　action　of
a　smith's　bellows。

All　whom　we　met　were　eager　to　discuss　with　us　the　causes；　phases　and
progress　of　the　war；　and　whenever　opportunity　offered　or　could　be　made；
those　of　us　who　were　inclined　to　talk　were　speedily　involved　in　an
argument　with　crowds　of　soldiers　and　citizens。　　But；　owing　to　the　polemic
poverty　of　our　opponents；　the　argument　was　more　in　name　than　in　fact。
Like　all　people　of　slender　or　untrained　intellectual　powers　they　labored
under　the　hallucination　that　asserting　was　reasoning；　and　the　emphatic
reiteration　of　bald　statements；　logic。　　The　narrow　round　which　all　from
highest　to　lowesttraveled　was　sometimes　comical；　and　sometimes
irritating；　according　to　one's　mood！　　The　dispute　invariably　began　by
their　asking：

〃Well；　what　are　you　'uns　down　here　a…fightin'　we　'uns　for？

As　this　was　replied　to　the　newt　one　followed：

〃Why　are　you'uns　takin'　our　niggers　away　from　we　'uns　for？〃

Then　came：

〃What　do　you　'uns　put　our　niggers　to　fightin'　we'uns　for？〃　　The　windup
always　was：　〃Well；　let　me　tell　you；　sir；　you　can　never　whip　people　that
are　fighting　for　liberty；　sir。〃

Even　General　Giltner；　who　had　achieved　considerable　military　reputation
as　commander　of　a　division　of　Kentucky　cavalry；　seemed　to　be　as　slenderly
furnished　with　logical　ammunition　as　the　balance；　for　as　he　halted　by　us
he　opened　the　conversation　with　the　well…worn　formula：

〃Well：　what　are　you　'uns　down　here　a…fighting　we'uns　for？〃

The　question　had　become　raspingly　monotonous　to　me；　whom　he　addressed；
and　I　replied　with　marked　acerbity：

〃Because　we　are　the　Northern　mudsills　whom　you　affect　to　despise；　and　we
came　down　here　to　lick　you　into　respecting　us。〃

The　answer　seemed　to　tickle　him；　a　pleasanter　light　came　into　his
sinister　gray　eyes；　he　laughed　lightly；　and　bade　us　a　kindly　good　day。

Four　days　after　our　capture　we　arrived　in　Bristol。　　The　guards　who　had
brought　us　over　the　mountains　were　relieved　by　others；　the　Sergeant　bade
me　good　by；　struck　his　spurs　into　〃Hiatoga's〃　sides；　and　he　and　my
faithful　horse　were　soon　lost　to　view　in　the　darkness。

A　new　and　keener　sense　of　desolation　came　over　me　at　the　final　separation
from　my　tried　and　true　four…footed　friend；　who　had　been　my　constant
companion　through　so　many　perils　and　hardships。　　We　had　endured　together
the　Winter's　cold；　the　dispiriting　drench　of　the　rain；　the　fatigue　of　the
long　march；　the　discomforts　of　the　muddy　camp；　the　gripings　of　hunger；
the　weariness　of　the　drill　and　review；　the　perils　of　the　vidette　post；
the　courier　service；　the　scout　and　the　fight。　　We　had　shared　in　common

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　whips　and　scorns　of　time；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　oppressor's　wrong；　the　proud　man's　contumely；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　insolence　of　office；　and　the　spurns

which　a　patient　private　and　his　horse　of　the　unworthy　take；　we　had　had
our　frequen