andersonville-第81部分

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rites；　not　even　making　a　record　of　their　names　and　regiments。　　Negro
laborers　came　along　afterwards；　with　carts；　took　the　bodies　to　some
vacant　ground；　and　sunk　them　out　of　sight　in　the　sand。

We　were　given　a　few　crackers　eachthe　same　rude　imitation　of　〃hard　tack〃
that　had　been　served　out　to　us　when　we　arrived　at　Savannah　the　first
time；　and　then　were　marched　over　and　put　upon　a　train　on　the　Atlantic　&
Gulf　Railroad；　running　from　Savannah　along　the　sea　coast　towards　Florida。
What　this　meant　we　had　little　conception；　but　hope；　which　sprang　eternal
in　the　prisoner's　breast；　whispered　that　perhaps　it　was　exchange；　that
there　was　some　difficulty　about　our　vessels　coming　to　Savannah；　and　we
were　being　taken　to　some　other　more　convenient　sea　port；　probably　to
Florida；　to　deliver　us　to　our　folks　there。　　We　satisfied　ourselves　that
we　were　running　along　the　sea　coast　by　tasting　the　water　in　the　streams
we　crossed；　whenever　we　could　get　an　opportunity　to　dip　up　some。　　As　long
as　the　water　tasted　salty　we　knew　we　were　near　the　sea；　and　hope　burned
brightly。

The　truth　wasas　we　afterwards　learnedthe　Rebels　were　terribly　puzzled
what　to　do　with　us。　　We　were　brought　to　Savannah；　but　that　did　not　solve
the　problem；　and　we　were　sent　down　the　Atlantic　&　Gulf　road　as　a
temporary　expedient

The　railroad　was　the　worst　of　the　many　bad　ones　which　it　was　my　fortune
to　ride　upon　in　my　excursions　while　a　guest　of　the　Southern　Confederacy。
It　had　run　down　until　it　had　nearly　reached　the　worn…out　condition　of
that　Western　road；　of　which　an　employee　of　a　rival　route　once　said；　〃that
all　there　was　left　of　it　now　was　two　streaks　of　rust　and　the　right　of
way。〃　　As　it　was　one　of　the　non…essential　roads　to　the　Southern
Confederacy；　it　was　stripped　of　the　best　of　its　rolling…stock　and
machinery　to　supply　the　other　more　important　lines。

I　have　before　mentioned　the　scarcity　of　grease　in　the　South；　and　the
difficulty　of　supplying　the　railroads　with　lubricants。　　Apparently　there
had　been　no　oil　on　the　Atlantic　&　Gulf　since　the　beginning　of　the　war；
and　the　screeches　of　the　dry　axles　revolving　in　the　worn…out　boxes　were
agonizing。　　Some　thing　would　break　on　the　cars　or　blow　out　on　the　engine
every　few　miles；　necessitating　a　long　stop　for　repairs。　　Then　there　was
no　supply　of　fuel　along　the　line。　　When　the　engine　ran　out　of　wood　it
would　halt；　and　a　couple　of　negros　riding　on　the　tender　would　assail　a
panel　of　fence　or　a　fallen　tree　with　their　axes；　and　after　an　hour　or
such　matter　of　hard　chopping；　would　pile　sufficient　wood　upon　the　tender
to　enable　us　to　renew　our　journey。

Frequently　the　engine　stopped　as　if　from　sheer　fatigue　or　inanition。
The　Rebel　officers　tried　to　get　us　to　assist　it　up　the　grade　by
dismounting　and　pushing　behind。　　We　respectfully；　but　firmly；　declined。
We　were　gentlemen　of　leisure；　we　said；　and　decidedly　averse　to　manual
labor；　we　had　been　invited　on　this　excursion　by　Mr。　Jeff。　Davis　and　his
friends；　who　set　themselves　up　as　our　entertainers；　and　it　would　be　a
gross　breach　of　hospitality　to　reflect　upon　our　hosts　by　working　our
passage。　　If　this　was　insisted　upon；　we　should　certainly　not　visit　them
again。　　Besides；　it　made　no　difference　to　us　whether　the　train　got　along
or　not。　　We　were　not　losing　anything　by　the　delay；　we　were　not　anxious　to
go　anywhere。　　One　part　of　the　Southern　Confederacy　was　just　as　good　as
another　to　us。　　So　not　a　finger　could　they　persuade　any　of　us　to　raise　to
help　along　the　journey。

The　country　we　were　traversing　was　sterile　and　poorworse　even　than　that
in　the　neighborhood　of　Andersonville。　　Farms　and　farmhouses　were　scarce；
and　of　towns　there　were　none。　　Not　even　a　collection　of　houses　big　enough
to　justify　a　blacksmith　shop　or　a　store　appeared　along　the　whole　route。
But　few　fields　of　any　kind　were　seen；　and　nowhere　was　there　a　farm　which
gave　evidence　of　a　determined　effort　on　the　part　of　its　occupants　to　till
the　soil　and　to　improve　their　condition。

When　the　train　stopped　for　wood；　or　for　repairs；　or　from　exhaustion；
we　were　allowed　to　descend　from　the　cars　and　stretch　our　numbed　limbs。
It　did　us　good　in　other　ways；　too。　　It　seemed　almost　happiness　to　be
outside　of　those　cursed　Stockades；　to　rest　our　eyes　by　looking　away
through　the　woods；　and　seeing　birds　and　animals　that　were　free。　　They
must　be　happy；　because　to　us　to　be　free　once　more　was　the　summit　of
earthly　happiness。

There　was　a　chance；　too；　to　pick　up　something　green　to　eat；　and　we　were
famishing　for　this。　　The　scurvy　still　lingered　in　our　systems；　and　we
were　hungry　for　an　antidote。　　A　plant　grew　rather　plentifully　along　the
track　that　looked　very　much　as　I　imagine　a　palm　leaf　fan　does　in　its
green　state。　　The　leaf　was　not　so　large　as　an　ordinary　palm　leaf　fan；
and　came　directly　out　of　the　ground。　　The　natives　called　it　〃bull…grass；〃
but　anything　more　unlike　grass　I　never　saw；　so　we　rejected　that
nomenclature；　and　dubbed　them　〃green　fans。〃　　They　were　very　hard　to　pull
up；　it　being　usually　as　much　as　the　strongest　of　us　could　do　to　draw　them
out　of　the　ground。　　When　pulled　up　there　was　found　the　smallest　bit　of　a
stocknot　as　much　as　a　joint　of　one's　little　fingerthat　was　eatable。
It　had　no　particular　taste；　and　probably　little　nutriment；　still　it　was
fresh　and　green；　and　we　strained　our　weak　muscles　and　enfeebled　sinews　at
every　opportunity；　endeavoring　to　pull　up　a　〃green　fan。〃

At　one　place　where　we　stopped　there　was　a　makeshift　of　a　garden；　one　of
those　sorry　〃truck　patches；〃　which　do　poor　duty　about　Southern　cabins　for
the　kitchen　gardens　of　the　Northern；　farmers；　and　produce　a　few　coarse
cow　peas；　a　scanty　lot　of　collards　（a　coarse　kind　of　cabbage；　with　a
stalk　about　a　yard　long）　and　some　onions　to　vary　the　usual　side…meat　and
corn　pone；　diet　of　the　Georgia　〃cracker。〃　　Scanning　the　patch's　ruins　of
vine　arid　stalk；　Andrews　espied　a　handful　of　onions；　which　had；　remained
ungathered。　　They　tempted　him　as　the　apple　did　Eve。　　Without　stopping　to
communicate　his　intention　to　me；　he　sprang　from　the　car；　snatched　the
onions　from　their　bed；　pulled　up；　half　a　dozen　collard　stalks　and　was　on
his　way　back　before　the　guard　could　make　up　his　mind　to　fire　upon　him。
The　swiftness　of　his　motions　saved　his　life；　for　had　he　been　more
deliberate　the　guard　would　have　concluded　he　was　trying　to；　escape；　and
shot　him　down。　　As　it　was　he　was　returning　back　before　the　guard　could
get　his　gun　up。　　The　onions　he　had；　secured　were　to　us　more　delicious
than　wine　upon　the　lees。　　They　seemed　to　find　their　way　into　every　fiber
of　our　bodies；　and　invigorate　every　organ。　　The　collard　stalks　he　had
snatched　up；　in　the　expectation　of　finding　in　them　something　resembling
the　nutritious　〃heart〃　that　we　remembered　as　children；　seeking　and；
finding　in　the　stalks　of　cabbage。　　But　we　were　disappointed。　　The　stalks
were　as　dry　and　rotten　as　the　bones　of　Southern；　society。　　Even　hunger
could　find　no　meat　in　them。

After　some　days　of　this　leisurely　journeying　toward　the　South；　we　halted
permanently　about　eighty…six　miles　from　Savannah。　　There　was　no　reason
why　we　should　stop　there　more　than　any　place　else　where　we　had　been　or
were　likely　to　go。　　It　seemed　as　if　the　Rebels　had　simply　tired　of
hauling　us；　and　dumped　us；　off。　　We　had　another　lot　of　dead；　accumulated
since　we　left　Savannah；　and　the　scenes　at　that　place　were　repeated。

The　train　returned　for　another　load　of　prisoners。




CHAPTER　LXV。

BLACKSHEAR　AND　PIERCE　COUNTRYWE　TAKE　UP　NEW　QUARTERS；　BUT　ARE　CALLED
OUT　FOR　EXCHANGEEXCITEMENT　OVER　SIGNING　THE　PAROLEA　HAPPY　JOURNEY　TO
SAVANNAHGRIEVOUS　DISAPPOINTMENT

We　were　informed　that　the　place　we　were　at　was　Blackshear；　and　that　it
was　the　Court　House；　i。　e。；　the　County　seat　of　Pierce　County。　　Where　they
kept　the　Court　House；　or　County　seat；　is　beyond　conjecture　to　me；　since　I
could　not　see　a　half　dozen　houses　in　the　whole　clearing；　and　not　one　of
them　was　a　respectable　dwelling；　taking　even　so　low　a　standard　for
respectable　dwellings　as　that　afforded　by　the　majority　of　Georgia　houses。

Pierce　County；　as　I　have　since　learned　by　the　census　report；　is　one　of
the　poorest　Counties　of　a　poor　section　of　a　very　poor　State。
A　population　of　less　than　two　thousand　is　thinly　scattered　over　its　five
hundred　square　miles　of　territory；　and　gain　a　meager　subsistence　by　a
weak　simulation　of　cultivating　patches　of　its　sandy　dunes　and　plains　in
〃nubbin〃　corn　and　dropsical　sweet　potatos。　　A　few　〃razor…back〃　hogs
a　species　so　gaunt　and　thin　that　I　heard　a　man　once　declare　that　he　had
stopped　a　lot　belonging　to　a　neighbor　from　crawling　through　the　cracks　of
a　tight　board　fence　by　simply　tying　a　knot　in　their　tailsroam　the
woods；　and　supply　all　the　meat　used。

Andrews　used　to　insist　that　some　of　the　hogs　which　we　saw　were　so　thin
that　the　connection　between　their　fore　and　hindquarters　was　only　a　single
thickness　of　skin；　with　hair　on　both　sidesbut　then　Andrews　sometimes
seemed　to　me　to　have　a　tendency　to　exaggerate。

The　swine　certainly　did　have　proportions　that　strongly　resembled　those　of
the　animals　which　children　cut　out　of　cardboard。　　They　were　like　the
geometrical　definition　of　a　superficeall　length　and　breadth；　and　no
thickness。　　A　ham　from　them　would　look　like　a　palm…leaf　fan。

I　never　ceased　to　marvel　at　the　delicate　adjustment　of　the　development　of
animal　life　to　the　soil　in　these　lean　sections　of　Georgia。　　The　poor　land
would　not　maintain　anything　but　lank；　lazy　men；　with　few　wants；　and　none
but　lank；　lazy　men；　with　few　wants；　sought　a　maintenance　from　it。　　I　may
have　tangled　up　cause　and　effect；　in　this　proposition；　but　if　so；　the
reader　can　disentangle　them　at　his　leisure。

I　was　not　astonished　to　learn　that　it　took　five　hundred　square　miles　of
Pierce　County　land　to　maintain　two　thousand　〃crackers；〃　even　as　poorly　as
they　lived。　　I　should　want　fully　that　much　of　it　to　support　one　fair…
sized　Northern　family　as　it　should　be。

After　leaving　the　cars　we　were　marched　off　into　the　pine　woods；　by　the
side　of　a　considerable　stream；　and　told　that　this　was　to　be　our　camp。
A　heavy　guard　was　placed　around　us；　and　a　number　of　pieces　of　artillery
mounted　where　they　would　command　the　camp。

We　started　in　to　make　ourselves　comfortable；　as　at　Millen；　by