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from　Charleston；　and　the　same　distance　from　Wilmington。　　As　our　train　ran
through　a　cut　near　the　junction　a　darky　stood　by　the　track　gazing　at　us
curiously。　　When　the　train　had　nearly　passed　him　he　started　to　run　up　the
bank。　　In　the　imperfect　light　the　guards　mistook　him　for　one　of　us　who
had　jumped　from　the　train。　　They　all　fired；　and　the　unlucky　negro　fell；
pierced　by　a　score　of　bullets。

That　night　we　camped　in　the　open　field。　　When　morning　came　we　saw；　a　few
hundred　yards　from　us；　a　Stockade　of　rough　logs；　with　guards　stationed
around　it。　　It　was　another　prison　pen。　　They　were　just　bringing　the　dead
out；　and　two　men　were　tossing　the　bodies　up　into　the　four…horse　wagon
which　hauled　them　away　for　burial。　　The　men　were　going　about　their
business　as　coolly　as　if　loading　slaughtered　hogs。　　'One　of　them　would
catch　the　body　by　the　feet；　and　the　other　by　the　arms。　　They　would　give
it　a　swing〃One；　two；　three；〃　and　up　it　would　go　into　the　wagon。　　This
filled　heaping　full　with　corpses；　a　negro　mounted　the　wheel　horse；
grasped　the　lines；　and　shouted　to　his　animals：

〃Now；　walk　off　on　your　tails；　boys。〃

The　horses　strained；　the　wagon　moved；　and　its　load　of　what　were　once
gallant；　devoted　soldiers；　was　carted　off　to　nameless　graves。　　This　was　a
part　of　the　daily　morning　routine。

As　we　stood　looking　at　the　sickeningly　familiar　architecture　of　the
prison　pen；　a　Seventh　Indianian　near　me　said；　in　tones　of　wearisome
disgust：

Well；　this　Southern　Confederacy　is　the　d…dest　country　to　stand　logs　on
end　on　God　Almighty's　footstool。〃





CHAPTER　LXVIII。

FIRST　DAYS　AT　FLORENCEINTRODUCTION　TO　LIEUTENANT　BARRETT；　THE　RED…
HEADED　KEEPERA　BRIEF　DESCRIPTION　OF　OUR　NEW　QUARTERSWINDERS　MALIGN
INFLUENCE　MANIFEST。

It　did　not　require　a　very　acute　comprehension　to　understand　that　the
Stockade　at　which　we　were　gazing　was　likely　to　be　our　abiding　place　for
some　indefinite　period　in　the　future。

As　usual；　this　discovery　was　the　death…warrant　of　many　whose　lives　had
only　been　prolonged　by　the　hoping　against　hope　that　the　movement　would
terminate　inside　our　lines。　　When　the　portentous　palisades　showed　to　a
fatal　certainty　that　the　word　of　promise　had　been　broken　to　their　hearts；
they　gave　up　the　struggle　wearily；　lay　back　on　the　frozen　ground；　and
died。

Andrews　and　I　were　not　in　the　humor　for　dying　just　then。　　The　long
imprisonment；　the　privations　of　hunger；　the　scourging　by　the　elements；
the　death　of　four　out　of　every　five　of　our　number　had　indeed　dulled　and
stupefied　usbred　an　indifference　to　our　own　suffering　and　a　seeming
callosity　to　that　of　others；　but　there　still　burned　in　our　hearts；　and　in
the　hearts　of　every　one　about　us；　a　dull；　sullen；　smoldering　fire　of　hate
and　defiance　toward　everything　Rebel；　and　a　lust　for　revenge　upon　those
who　had　showered　woes　upon　our　heads。　　There　was　little　fear　of　death；
even　the　King　of　Terrors　loses　most　of　his　awful　character　upon　tolerably
close　acquaintance；　and　we　had　been　on　very　intimate　terms　with　him　for　a
year　now。　　He　was　a　constant　visitor；　who　dropped　in　upon　us　at　all　hours
of　the　day　and　night；　and　would　not　be　denied　to　any　one。

Since　my　entry　into　prison　fully　fifteen　thousand　boys　had　died　around
me；　and　in　no　one　of　them　had　I　seen　the　least；　dread　or　reluctance　to
go。　　I　believe　this　is　generally　true　of　death　by　disease；　everywhere。
Our　ever　kindly　mother；　Nature；　only　makes　us　dread　death　when　she
desires　us　to　preserve　life。　　When　she　summons　us　hence　she　tenderly
provides　that　we　shall　willingly　obey　the　call。

More　than　for　anything　else；　we　wanted　to　live　now　to　triumph　over　the
Rebels。　　To　simply　die　would　be　of　little　importance；　but　to　die
unrevenged　would　be　fearful。　　If　we；　the　despised；　the　contemned；　the
insulted；　the　starved　and　maltreated；　could　live　to　come　back　to　our
oppressors　as　the　armed　ministers　of　retribution；　terrible　in　the
remembrance　of　the　wrongs　of　ourselves　and　comrade's；　irresistible　as　the
agents　of　heavenly　justice；　and　mete　out　to　them　that　Biblical　return　of
seven…fold　of　what　they　had　measured　out　to　us；　then　we　would　be　content
to　go　to　death　afterwards。　　Had　the　thrice…accursed　Confederacy　and　our
malignant　gaolers　millions　of　lives；　our　great　revenge　would　have　stomach
for　them　all。

The　December　morning　was　gray　and　leaden；　dull；　somber；　snow…laden　clouds
swept　across　the　sky　before　the　soughing　wind。

The　ground；　frozen　hard　and　stiff；　cut　and　hurt　our　bare　feet　at　every
step；　an　icy　breeze　drove　in　through　the　holes　in　our　rags；　and　smote　our
bodies　like　blows　from　sticks。　　The　trees　and　shrubbery　around　were　as
naked　and　forlorn　as　in　the　North　in　the　days　of　early　Winter　before　the
snow　comes。

Over　and　around　us　hung　like　a　cold　miasma　the　sickening　odor　peculiar　to
Southern　forests　in　Winter　time。

Out　of　the　naked；　repelling；　unlovely　earth　rose　the　Stockade；　in　hideous
ugliness。　　At　the　gate　the　two　men　continued　at　their　monotonous　labor　of
tossing　the　dead　of　the　previous　day　into　the　wagon…heaving　into　that
rude　hearse　the　inanimate　remains　that　had　once　tempted　gallant；　manly
hearts；　glowing　with　patriotism　and　devotion　to　countrypiling　up
listlessly　and　wearily；　in　a　mass　of　nameless；　emaciated　corpses；
fluttering　with　rags；　and　swarming　with　vermin；　the　pride；　the　joy　of　a
hundred　fair　Northern　homes；　whose　light　had　now　gone　out　forever。

Around　the　prison　walls　shambled　the　guards；　blanketed　like　Indians；
and　with　faces　and　hearts　of　wolves。　　Other　Rebelsalso　clad　in　dingy
butternutslouched　around　lazily；　crouched　over　diminutive　fires；
and　talked　idle　gossip　in　the　broadest　of　〃nigger〃　dialect。　　Officers
swelled　and　strutted　hither　and　thither；　and　negro　servants　loitered
around；　striving　to　spread　the　least　amount　of　work　over　the　greatest
amount　of　time。

While　I　stood　gazing　in　gloomy　silence　at　the　depressing　surroundings
Andrews；　less　speculative　and　more　practical；　saw　a　good…sized　pine　stump
near　by；　which　had　so　much　of　the　earth　washed　away　from　it　that　it
looked　as　if　it　could　be　readily　pulled　up。　　We　had　had　bitter　experience
in　other　prisons　as　to　the　value　of　wood；　and　Andrews　reasoned　that　as　we
would　be　likely　to　have　a　repetition　of　this　in　the　Stockade　we　were
about　to　enter；　we　should　make　an　effort　to　secure　the　stump。　　We　both
attacked　it；　and　after　a　great　deal　of　hard　work；　succeeded　in　uprooting
it。　　It　was　very　lucky　that　we　did；　since　it　was　the　greatest　help　in
preserving　our　lives　through　the　three　long　months　that　we　remained　at
Florence。

While　we　were　arranging　our　stump　so　as　to　carry　it　to　the　best
advantage；　a　vulgar…faced　man；　with　fiery　red　hair；　and　wearing　on　his
collar　the　yellow　bars　of　a　Lieutenant；　approached。　　This　was　Lieutenant
Barrett；　commandant　of　the　interior　of　the　prison；　and　a　more　inhuman
wretch　even　than　Captain　Wirz；　because　he　had　a　little　more　brains　than
the　commandant　at　Andersonville；　and　this　extra　intellect　was　wholly
devoted　to　cruelty。　　As　he　came　near　he　commanded；　in　loud；　brutal　tones：

〃Attention；　Prisoners！〃

We　all　stood　up　and　fell　in　in　two　ranks。　　Said　he：

〃By　companies；　right　wheel；　march！〃

This　was　simply　preposterous。　　As　every　soldier　knows；　wheeling　by
companies　is　one　of　the　most　difficult　of　manuvers；　and　requires　some
preparation　of　a　battalion　before　attempting　to　execute　it。　　Our　thousand
was　made　up　of　infantry；　cavalry　and　artillery；　representing；　perhaps；
one　hundred　different　regiments。　　We　had　not　been　divided　off　into
companies；　and　were　encumbered　with　blankets；　tents；　cooking　utensils；
wood；　etc。；　which　prevented　our　moving　with　such　freedom　as　to　make　a
company　wheel；　even　had　we　been　divided　up　into　companies　and　drilled　for
the　maneuver。　　The　attempt　to　obey　the　command　was；　of　course；　a
ludicrous　failure。　　The　Rebel　officers　standing　near　Barrett　laughed
openly　at　his　stupidity　in　giving　such　an　order；　but　he　was　furious。　　He
hurled　at　us　a　torrent　of　the　vilest　abuse　the　corrupt　imagination　of　man
can　conceive；　and　swore　until　he　was　fairly　black　in　the　face。　　He　fired
his　revolver　off　over　our　heads；　and　shrieked　and　shouted　until　he　had　to
stop　from　sheer　exhaustion。　　Another　officer　took　command　then；　and
marched　us　into　prison。

We　found　this　a　small　copy　of　Andersonville。　　There　was　a　stream　running
north　and　south；　on　either　side　of　which　was　a　swamp。　　A　Stockade　of
rough　logs；　with　the　bark　still　on；　inclosed　several　acres。　　The　front　of
the　prison　was　toward　the　West。　　A　piece　of　artillery　stood　before　the
gate；　and　a　platform　at　each　corner　bore　a　gun；　elevated　high　enough　to
rake　the　whole　inside　of　the　prison。　　A　man　stood　behind　each　of　these
guns　continually；　so　as　to　open　with　them　at　any　moment。　　The　earth　was
thrown　up　against　the　outside　of　the　palisades　in　a　high　embankment；
along　the　top　of　which　the　guards　on　duty　walked；　it　being　high　enough　to
elevate　their　head；　shoulders　and　breasts　above　the　tops　of　the　logs。
Inside　the　inevitable　dead…line　was　traced　by　running　a　furrow　around　the
prison…twenty　feet　from　the　Stockadewith　a　plow。　　In　one　respect　it　was
an　improvement　on　Andersonville：　regular　streets　were　laid　off；　so　that
motion　about　the　camp　was　possible；　and　cleanliness　was　promoted。　　Also；
the　crowd　inside　was　not　so　dense　as　at　Camp　Sumter。

The　prisoners　were　divided　into　hundreds　and　thousands；　with　Sergeants　at
the　heads　of　the　divisions。　　A　very　good　police　force…organized　and
officered　by　the　prisonersmaintained　order　and　prevented　crime。　　Thefts
and　other　offenses　were　punished；　as　at　Andersonville；　by　the　Chief　of
Police　sentencing　the　offenders　to　be　spanked　or　tied　up。

We　found　very　many　of　our　Andersonville　acquaintances　inside；　and　for
several　days　comparisons　of　experience　were　in　order。　　They　had　left
Andersonville　a　few　days　after　us；　but　were　taken　to　Charleston　instead
of　Savannah。　　The　same　story　of　exchange　was　dinned　into　their　ears　until
they　arrived　at　Charleston；　when　the　truth　was　told　them；　that　no
exchange　was　contemplated；　and　that　they　had　been　deceived　for　the
purpose　of　getting　them　safely　out　of　reach　of　Sherman。

Still　they　were　treated　well　in　Charlestonbetter　than　they　bad　been
anywhere　else。　　Intelligent　ph