andersonville-第87部分

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Still　they　were　treated　well　in　Charlestonbetter　than　they　bad　been
anywhere　else。　　Intelligent　physicians　had　visited　the　sick；　prescribed
for　them；　furnished　them　with　proper　medicines；　and　admitted　the　worst
cases　to　the　hospital；　where　they　were　given　something　of　the　care　that
one　would　expect　in　such　an　institution。　　Wheat　bread；　molasses　and　rice
were　issued　to　them；　and　also　a　few　spoonfuls　of　vinegar；　daily；　which
were　very　grateful　to　them　in　their　scorbutic　condition。　　The　citizens
sent　in　clothing；　food　and　vegetables。　　The　Sisters　of　Charity　were
indefatigable　in　ministering　to　the　sick　and　dying。　　Altogether；　their
recollections　of　the　place　were　quite　pleasant。

Despite　the　disagreeable　prominence　which　the　City　had　in　the　Secession
movement；　there　was　a　very　strong　Union　element　there；　and　many　men　found
opportunity　to　do　favors　to　the　prisoners　and　reveal　to　them　how　much
they　abhorred　Secession。

After　they　had　been　in　Charleston　a　fortnight　or　more；　the　yellow　fever
broke　out　in　the　City；　and　soon　extended　its　ravages　to　the　prisoners；
quite　a　number　dying　from　it。

Early　in　October　they　had　been　sent　away　from　the　City　to　their　present
location；　which　was　then　a　piece　of　forest　land。　　There　was　no　stockade
or　other　enclosure　about　them；　and　one　night　they　forced　the　guard…line；
about　fifteen　hundred　escaping；　under　a　pretty　sharp　fire　from　the
guards。　　After　getting　out　they　scattered；　each　group　taking　a　different
route；　some　seeking　Beaufort；　and　other　places　along　the　seaboard；　and
the　rest　trying　to　gain　the　mountains。　　The　whole　State　was　thrown　into
the　greatest　perturbation　by　the　occurrence。　　The　papers　magnified　the
proportion　of　the　outbreak；　and　lauded　fulsomely　the　gallantry　of　the
guards　in　endeavoring　to　withstand　the　desperate　assaults　of　the　frenzied
Yankees。　　The　people　were　wrought　up　into　the　highest　alarm　as　to
outrages　and　excesses　that　these　flying　desperados　might　be　expected　to
commit。　　One　would　think　that　another　Grecian　horse；　introduced　into　the
heart　of　the　Confederate　Troy；　had　let　out　its　fatal　band　of　armed　men。
All　good　citizens　were　enjoined　to　turn　out　and　assist　in　arresting　the
runaways。　　The　vigilance　of　all　patrolling　was　redoubled；　and　such　was
the　effectiveness　of　the　measures　taken　that　before　a　month　nearly　every
one　of　the　fugitives　had　been　retaken　and　sent　back　to　Florence。　　Few　of
these　complained　of　any　special　ill…treatment　by　their　captors；　while
many　reported　frequent　acts　of　kindness；　especially　when　their　captors
belonged　to　the　middle　and　upper　classes。　　The　low…down　classthe　clay…
eaterson　the　other　hand；　almost　always　abused　their　prisoners；　and
sometimes；　it　is　pretty　certain；　murdered　them　in　cold　blood。

About　this　time　Winder　came　on　from　Andersonville；　and　then　everything
changed　immediately　to　the　complexion　of　that　place。　　He　began　the
erection　of　the　Stockade；　and　made　it　very　strong。　　The　Dead　Line　was
established；　but　instead　of　being　a　strip　of　plank　upon　the　top　of　low
posts；　as　at　Andersonville；　it　was　simply　a　shallow　trench；　which　was
sometimes　plainly　visible；　and　sometimes　not。　　The　guards　always　resolved
matters　of　doubt　against　the　prisoners；　and　fired　on　them　when　they
supposed　them　too　near　where　the　Dead　Line　ought　to　be。　　Fifteen　acres　of
ground　were　enclosed　by　the　palisades；　of　which　five　were　taken　up　by　the
creek　and　swamp；　and　three　or　four　more　by　the　Dead　Line；　main　streets；
etc。；　leaving　about　seven　or　eight　for　the　actual　use　of　the　prisoners；
whose　number　swelled　to　fifteen　thousand　by　the　arrivals　from
Andersonville。　　This　made　the　crowding　together　nearly　as　bad　as　at　the
latter　place；　and　for　awhile　the　same　fatal　results　followed。　　The
mortality；　and　the　sending　away　of　several　thousand　on　the　sick　exchange；
reduced　the　aggregate　number　at　the　time　of　our　arrival　to　about　eleven
thousand；　which　gave　more　room　to　all；　but　was　still　not　one…twentieth　of
the　space　which　that　number　of　men　should　have　had。

No　shelter；　nor　material　for　constructing　any；　was　furnished。　　The　ground
was　rather　thickly　wooded；　and　covered　with　undergrowth；　when　the
Stockade　was　built；　and　certainly　no　bit　of　soil　was　ever　so　thoroughly
cleared　as　this　was。　　The　trees　and　brush　were　cut　down　and　worked　up
into　hut　building　materials　by　the　same　slow　and　laborious　process　that　I
have　described　as　employed　in　building　our　huts　at　Millen。

Then　the　stumps　were　attacked　for　fuel；　and　with　such　persistent
thoroughness　that　after　some　weeks　there　was　certainly　not　enough　woody
material　left　in　that　whole　fifteen　acres　of　ground　to　kindle　a　small
kitchen　fire。　　The　men　would　begin　work　on　the　stump　of　a　good　sized
tree；　and　chip　and　split　it　off　painfully　and　slowly　until　they　had
followed　it　to　the　extremity　of　the　tap　root　ten　or　fifteen　feet　below
the　surface。　　The　lateral　roots　would　be　followed　with　equal
determination；　and　trenches　thirty　feet　long；　and　two　or　three　feet　deep
were　dug　with　case…knives　and　half…canteens；　to　get　a　root　as　thick　as
one's　wrist。　　The　roots　of　shrubs　and　vines　were　followed　up　and　gathered
with　similar　industry。　　The　cold　weather　and　the　scanty　issues　of　wood
forced　men　to　do　this。

The　huts　constructed　were　as　various　as　the　materials　and　the　tastes　of
the　builders。　　Those　who　were　fortunate　enough　to　get　plenty　of　timber
built　such　cabins　as　I　have　described　at　Millen。　　Those　who　had　less　eked
out　their　materials　in　various　ways。　　Most　frequently　all　that　a　squad　of
three　or　four　could　get　would　be　a　few　slender　poles　and　some　brush。
They　would　dig　a　hole　in　the　ground　two　feet　deep　and　large　enough　for
them　all　to　lie　in。　　Then　putting　up　a　stick　at　each　end　and　laying　a
ridge　pole　across；　they；　would　adjust　the　rest　of　their　material　so　as　to
form　sloping　sides　capable　of　supporting　earth　enough　to　make　a　water…
tight　roof。　　The　great　majority　were　not　so　well　off　as　these；　and　had
absolutely；　nothing　of　which　to　build。　　They　had　recourse　to　the　clay　of
the　swamp；　from　which　they　fashioned　rude　sun…dried　bricks；　and　made
adobe　houses；　shaped　like　a　bee　hive；　which　lasted　very　well　until　a　hard
rain　came；　when　they　dissolved　into　red　mire　about　the　bodies　of　their
miserable　inmates。

Remember　that　all　these　makeshifts　were　practiced　within　a　half…a…mile　of
an　almost　boundless　forest；　from　which　in　a　day's　time　the　camp　could
have　been　supplied　with　material　enough　to　give　every　man　a　comfortable
hut。




CHAPTER　LXIX。

BARRETT'S　INSANE　CRUELTYHOW　HE　PUNISHED　THOSE　ALLEGED　TO　BE　ENGAGED　IN
TUNNELINGTHE　MISERY　IN　THE　STOCKADEMEN'S　LIMBS　ROTTING　OFF　WITH　DRY
GANGRENE。

Winder　had　found　in　Barrett　even　a　better　tool　for　his　cruel　purposes
than　Wirz。　　The　two　resembled　each　other　in　many　respects。　　Both　were
absolutely　destitute　of　any　talent　for　commanding　men；　and　could　no　more
handle　even　one　thousand　men　properly　than　a　cabin　boy　could　navigate　a
great　ocean　steamer。　　Both　were　given　to　the　same　senseless　fits　of
insane　rage；　coming　and　going　without　apparent　cause；　during　which　they
fired　revolvers　and　guns　or　threw　clubs　into　crowds　of　prisoners；　or
knocked　down　such　as　were　within　reach　of　their　fists。　　These　exhibitions
were　such　as　an　overgrown　child　might　be　expected　to　make。　　They　did　not
secure　any　result　except　to　increase　the　prisoners'　wonder　that　such　ill…
tempered　fools　could　be　given　any　position　of　responsibility。

A　short　time　previous　to　our　entry　Barrett　thought　he　had　reason　to
suspect　a　tunnel。　　He　immediately　announced　that　no　more　rations　should
be　issued　until　its　whereabouts　was　revealed　and　the；　ringleaders　in　the
attempt　to　escape　delivered　up　to　him。　　The　rations　at　that　time　were
very　scanty；　so　that　the　first　day　they　were　cut　off　the　sufferings　were
fearful。　　The　boys　thought　he　would　surely　relent　the　next　day；　but　they
did　not　know　their　man。　　He　was　not　suffering　any；　why　should　he　relax
his　severity？　　He　strolled　leisurely　out　from　his　dinner　table；　picking
his　teeth　with　his　penknife　in　the　comfortable；　self…satisfied　way　of　a
coarse　man　who　has　just　filled　his　stomach　to　his　entire　contentan
attitude　and　an　air　that　was　simply　maddening　to　the　famishing　wretches；
of　whom　he　inquired　tantalizingly：

〃Air　ye're　hungry　enough　to　give　up　them　G…d　d　d　ss　of　bs　yet？〃

That　night　thirteen　thousand　men；　crazy；　fainting　with　hunger；　walked
hither　and　thither；　until　exhaustion　forced　them　to　become　quiet；　sat　on
the　ground　and　pressed　their　bowels　in　by　leaning　against　sticks　of　wood
laid　across　their　thighs；　trooped　to　the　Creek　and　drank　water　until
their　gorges　rose　and　they　could　swallow　no　moredid　everything　in　fact
that　imagination　could　suggestto　assuage　the　pangs　of　the　deadly
gnawing　that　was　consuming　their　vitals。　　All　the　cruelties　of　the
terrible　Spanish　Inquisition；　if　heaped　together；　would　not　sum　up　a
greater　aggregate　of　anguish　than　was　endured　by　them。　　The　third　day
came；　and　still　no　signs　of　yielding　by　Barrett。　　The　Sergeants　counseled
together。　　Something　must　be　done。　　The　fellow　would　starve　the　whole
camp　to　death　with　as　little　compunction　as　one　drowns　blind　puppies。
It　was　necessary　to　get　up　a　tunnel　to　show　Barrett；　and　to　get　boys　who
would　confess　to　being　leaders　in　the　work。　　A　number　of　gallant　fellows
volunteered　to　brave　his　wrath；　and　save　the　rest　of　their　comrades。
It　required　high　courage　to　do　this；　as　there　was　no　question　but　that
the　punishment　meted　out　would　be　as　fearful　as　the　cruel　mind　of　the
fellow　could　conceive。　　The　Sergeants　decided　that　four　would　be
sufficient　to　answer　the　purpose；　they　selected　these　by　lot；　marched
them　to　the　gate　and　delivered　them　over　to　Barrett；　who　thereupon
ordered　the　rations　to　be　sent　in。　　He　was　considerate　enough；　too；　to
feed　the　men　he　was　going　to　torture。

The　starving　men　in　the　Stockade　could　not　wait　after　the　rations　were
issued　to　cook　them；　but　in　many　instances　mixed　the　meal　up　with　water；
and　swallowed　it　raw。　　Frequently　their　stomachs；　irritated　by　the　long
fast；　rejected　the　mess；　any　very　many　had　reached　the　stage　where　they
loathed　food；　a　burning　fever　was　consuming　them；　and　seething　their
brains　with　delirium。　　Hundreds　di