andersonville-第80部分

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they　gave　every　cent　to　Bowes　for　the　privilege　of　leaving。　　I　know
nothing　of　the　truth　of　this；　but　I　am　reasonably　certain　that　they　paid
him　very　handsomely。

Soon　we　heard　that　one　hundred　and　fifty　dollars　each　had　been　sufficient
to　buy　some　men　out；　then　one　hundred；　seventy…five；　fifty；　thirty；
twenty；　ten；　and　at　last　five　dollars。　　Whether　the　upright　Bowes　drew
the　line　at　the　latter　figure；　and　refused　to　sell　his　honor　for　less
than　the　ruling　rates　of　a　street…walker's　virtue；　I　know　not。　　It　was
the　lowest　quotation　that　came　to　my　knowledge；　but　he　may　have　gone
cheaper。　　I　have　always　observed　that　when　men　or　women　begin　to　traffic
in　themselves；　their　price　falls　as　rapidly　as　that　of　a　piece　of　tainted
meat　in　hot　weather。　　If　one　could　buy　them　at　the　rate　they　wind　up
with；　and　sell　them　at　their　first　price；　there　would　be　room　for　an
enormous　profit。

The　cheapest　I　ever　knew　a　Rebel　officer　to　be　bought　was　some　weeks
after　this　at　Florence。　　The　sick　exchange　was　still　going　on。　　I　have
before　spoken　of　the　Rebel　passion　for　bright　gilt　buttons。　　It　used　to
be　a　proverbial　comment　upon　the　small　treasons　that　were　of　daily
occurrence　on　both　sides；　that　you　could　buy　the　soul　of　a　mean　man　in
our　crowd　for　a　pint　of　corn　meal；　and　the　soul　of　a　Rebel　guard　for　a
half　dozen　brass　buttons。　　A　boy　of　the　Fifth…fourth　Ohio；　whose　home　was
at　or　near　Lima；　O。；　wore　a　blue　vest；　with　the　gilt；　bright…trimmed
buttons　of　a　staff　officer。　　The　Rebel　Surgeon　who　was　examining　the　sick
for　exchange　saw　the　buttons　and　admired　them　very　much。　　The　boy　stepped
back；　borrowed　a　knife　from　a　comrade；　cut　the　buttons　off；　and　handed
them　to　the　Doctor。

〃All　right；　sir；〃　said　he　as　his　itching　palm　closed　over　the　coveted
ornaments；　〃you　can　pass；〃　and　pass　he　did　to　home　and　friends。

Captain　Bowes's　merchandizing　in　the　matter　of　exchange　was　as　open　as
the　issuing　of　rations。　　His　agent　in　conducting　the　bargaining　was　a
Raidera　New　York　gambler　and　stool…pigeonwhom　we　called　〃Mattie。〃
He　dealt　quite　fairly；　for　several　times　when　the　exchange　was
interrupted；　Bowes　sent　the　money　back　to　those　who　had　paid　him；
and　received　it　again　when　the　exchange　was　renewed。

Had　it　been　possible　to　buy　our　way　out　for　five　cents　each　Andrews　and　I
would　have　had　to　stay　back；　since　we　had　not　had　that　much　money　for
months；　and　all　our　friends　were　in　an　equally　bad　plight。　　Like　almost
everybody　else　we　had　spent　the　few　dollars　we　happened　to　have　on
entering　prison；　in　a　week　or　so；　and　since　then　we　had　been　entirely
penniless。

There　was　no　hope　left　for　us　but　to　try　to　pass　the　Surgeons　as
desperately　sick；　and　we　expended　our　energies　in　simulating　this
condition。　　Rheumatism　was　our　forte；　and　I　flatter　myself　we　got　up　two
cases　that　were　apparently　bad　enough　to　serve　as　illustrations　for　a
patent　medicine　advertisement。　　But　it　would　not　do。　　Bad　as　we　made　our
condition　appear；　there　were　so　many　more　who　were　infinitely　worse；
that　we　stood　no　show　in　the　competitive　examination。　　I　doubt　if　we
would　have　been　given　an　average　of　〃50〃　in　a　report。　　We　had　to　stand
back；　and　see　about　one　quarter　of　our　number　march　out　and　away　home。
We　could　not　complain　at　thismuch　as　we　wanted　to　go　ourselves；
since　there　could　be　no　question　that　these　poor　fellows　deserved　the
precedence。　　We　did　grumble　savagely；　however；　at　Captain　Bowes's
venality；　in　selling　out　chances　to　moneyed　men；　since　these　were
invariably　those　who　were　best　prepared　to　withstand　the　hardships　of
imprisonment；　as　they　were　mostly　new　men；　and　all　had　good　clothes　and
blankets。　　We　did　not　blame　the　men；　however；　since　it　was　not　in　human
nature　to　resist　an　opportunity　to　get　awayat　any　cost…from　that
accursed　place。　　〃All　that　a　man　hath　he　will　give　for　his　life；〃　and　I
think　that　if　I　had　owned　the　City　of　New　York　in　fee　simple；　I　would
have　given　it　away　willingly；　rather　than　stand　in　prison　another　month。

The　sutlers；　to　whom　I　have　alluded　above；　had　accumulated　sufficient　to
supply　themselves　with　all　the　necessaries　and　some　of　the　comforts　of
life；　during　any　probable　term　of　imprisonment；　and　still　have　a　snug
amount　left；　but　they；　would　rather　give　it　all　up　and　return　to　service
with　their　regiments　in　the　field；　than　take　the　chances　of　any　longer
continuance　in　prison。

I　can　only　surmise　how　much　Bowes　realized　out　of　the　prisoners　by　his
venality；　but　I　feel　sure　that　it　could　not　have　been　less　than　three
thousand　dollars；　and　I　would　not　be　astonished　to　learn　that　it　was　ten
thousand　dollars　in　green。




CHAPTER　LXIV

ANOTHER　REMOVALSHERMAN'S　ADVANCE　SCARES　THE　REBELS　INTO　RUNNING　US　AWAY
FROM　MILLENWE　ARE　TAKEN　TO　SAVANNAH；　AND　THENCE　DOWN　THE　ATLANTIC　&
GULF　ROAD　TO　BLACKSHEAR

One　night；　toward　the　last　of　November；　there　was　a　general　alarm　around
the　prison。　　A　gun　was　fired　from　the　Fort；　the　long…roll　was　beaten　in
the　various　camps　of　the　guards；　and　the　regiments　answered　by　getting
under　arms　in　haste；　and　forming　near　the　prison　gates。

The　reason　for　this；　which　we　did　not　learn　until　weeks　later；　was　that
Sherman；　who　had　cut　loose　from　Atlanta　and　started　on　his　famous　March
to　the　Sea；　had　taken　such　a　course　as　rendered　it　probable　that　Millen
was　one　of　his　objective　points。　　It　was；　therefore；　necessary　that　we
should　be　hurried　away　with　all　possible　speed。　　As　we　had　had　no　news
from　Sherman　since　the　end　of　the　Atlanta　campaign；　and　were　ignorant　of
his　having　begun　his　great　raid；　we　were　at　an　utter　loss　to　account　for
the　commotion　among　our　keepers。

About　3　o'clock　in　the　morning　the　Rebel　Sergeants；　who　called　the　roll；
came　in　and　ordered　us　to　turn　out　immediately　and　get　ready　to　move。

The　morning　was　one　of　the　most　cheerless　I　ever　knew。　　A　cold　rain
poured　relentlessly　down　upon　us　half…naked；　shivering　wretches；　as　we
groped　around　in　the　darkness　for　our　pitiful　little　belongings　of　rags
and　cooking　utensils；　and　huddled　together　in　groups；　urged　on
continually　by　the　curses　and　abuse　of　the　Rebel　officers　sent　in　to　get
us　ready　to　move。

Though　roused　at　3　o'clock；　the　cars　were　not　ready　to　receive　us　till
nearly　noon。　　In　the　meantime　we　stood　in　ranksnumb；　trembling；　and
heart…sick。　　The　guards　around　us　crouched　over　fires；　and　shielded
themselves　as　best　they　could　with　blankets　and　bits　of　tent　cloth。
We　had　nothing　to　build　fires　with；　and　were　not　allowed　to　approach
those　of　the　guards。

Around　us　everywhere　was　the　dull；　cold；　gray；　hopeless　desolation　of　the
approach　of　minter。　　The　hard；　wiry　grass　that　thinly　covered　the　once
and　sand；　the　occasional　stunted　weeds；　and　the　sparse　foliage　of　the
gnarled　and　dwarfish　undergrowth；　all　were　parched　brown　and　sere　by　the
fiery　heat　of　the　long　Summer；　and　now　rattled　drearily　under　the
pitiless；　cold　rain；　streaming　from　lowering　clouds　that　seemed　to　have
floated　down　to　us　from　the　cheerless　summit　of　some　great　iceberg；　the
tall；　naked　pines　moaned　and　shivered；　dead；　sapless　leaves　fell　wearily
to　the　sodden　earth；　like　withered　hopes　drifting　down　to　deepen　some
Slough　of　Despond。

Scores　of　our　crowd　found　this　the　culmination　of　their　misery。　　They
laid　down　upon　the　ground　and　yielded　to　death　as　s　welcome　relief；
and　we　left　them　lying　there　unburied　when　we　moved　to　the　cars。

As　we　passed　through　the　Rebel　camp　at　dawn；　on　our　way　to　the　cars；
Andrews　and　I　noticed　a　nest　of　four　large；　bright；　new　tin　pansa　rare
thing　in　the　Confederacy　at　that　time。　　We　managed　to　snatch　them　without
the　guard's　attention　being　attracted；　and　in　an　instant　had　them　wrapped
up　in　our　blanket。　　But　the　blanket　was　full　of　holes；　and　in　spite　of
all　our　efforts；　it　would　slip　at　the　most　inconvenient　times；　so　as　to
show　a　broad　glare　of　the　bright　metal；　just　when　it　seemed　it　could　not
help　attracting　the　attention　of　the　guards　or　their　officers。　　A　dozen
times　at　least　we　were　on　the　imminent　brink　of　detection；　but　we　finally
got　our　treasures　safely　to　the　cars；　and　sat　down　upon　them。

The　cars　were　open　flats。　　The　rain　still　beat　down　unrelentingly。
Andrews　and　I　huddled　ourselves　together　so　as　to　make　our　bodies　afford
as　much　heat　as　possible；　pulled　our　faithful　old　overcoat　around　us　as
far　as　it　would　go；　and　endured　the　inclemency　as　best　we　could。

Our　train　headed　back　to　Savannah；　and　again　our　hearts　warmed　up　with
hopes　of　exchange。　　It　seemed　as　if　there　could　be　no　other　purpose　of
taking　us　out　of　a　prison　so　recently　established　and　at　such　cost　as
Millen。

As　we　approached　the　coast　the　rain　ceased；　but　a　piercing　cold　wind　set
in；　that　threatened　to　convert　our　soaked　rags　into　icicles。

Very　many　died　on　the　way。　　When　we　arrived　at　Savannah　almost；　if　not
quite；　every　car　had　upon　it　one　whom　hunger　no　longer　gnawed　or　disease
wasted；　whom　cold　had　pinched　for　the　last　time；　and　for　whom　the　golden
portals　of　the　Beyond　had　opened　for　an　exchange　that　neither　Davis　nor
his　despicable　tool；　Winder；　could　control。

We　did　not　sentimentalize　over　these。　　We　could　not　mourn；　the　thousands
that　we　had　seen　pass　away　made　that　emotion　hackneyed　and　wearisome；
with　the　death　of　some　friend　and　comrade　as　regularly　an　event　of　each
day　as　roll　call　and　drawing　rations；　the　sentiment　of　grief　had　become
nearly　obsolete。　　We　were　not　hardened；　we　had　simply　come　to　look　upon
death　as　commonplace　and　ordinary。　　To　have　had　no　one　dead　or　dying
around　us　would　have　been　regarded　as　singular。

Besides；　why　should　we　feel　any　regret　at　the　passing　away　of　those　whose
condition　would　probably　be　bettered　thereby！　　It　was　difficult　to　see
where　we　who　still　lived　were　any　better　off　than　they　who　were　gone
before　and　now　〃forever　at　peace；　each　in　his　windowless　palace　of　rest。〃
If　imprisonment　was　to　continue　only　another　month；　we　would　rather　be
with　them。

Arriving　at　Savannah；　we　were　ordered　off　the　cars。　　A　squad　from　each
car　carried　the　dead　to　a　designated　spot；　and　land　them　in　a　row；
composing　their　limbs　as　well　as　possible；　but　giving　no　other　funeral
rites；　not　even　making　a　record　of　their　names　and　regiments。　　Negro
laborers　came　along　a