andersonville-第88部分

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loathed　food；　a　burning　fever　was　consuming　them；　and　seething　their
brains　with　delirium。　　Hundreds　died　within　a　few　days；　and　hundreds　more
were　so　debilitated　by　the　terrible　strain　that　they　did　not　linger　long
afterward。

The　boys　who　had　offered　themselves　as　a　sacrifice　for　the　rest　were　put
into　a　guard　house；　and　kept　over　night　that　Barrett　might　make　a　day　of
the　amusement　of　torturing　them。　　After　he　had　laid　in　a　hearty
breakfast；　and　doubtless　fortified　himself　with　some　of　the　villainous
sorgum　whisky；　which　the　Rebels　were　now　reduced　to　drinking；　he　set
about　his　entertainment。

The　devoted　four　were　brought　outone　by　oneand　their　hands　tied
together　behind　their　backs。　　Then　a　noose　of　a　slender；　strong　hemp　rope
was　slipped　over　the　first　one's　thumbs　and　drawn　tight；　after　which　the
rope　was　thrown　over　a　log　projecting　from　the　roof　of　the　guard　house；
and　two　or　three　Rebels　hauled　upon　it　until　the　miserable　Yankee　was
lifted　from　the　ground；　and　hung　suspended　by　the　thumbs；　while　his
weight　seemed　tearing　his　limbs　from　his　shoulder　blades。　　The　other
three　were　treated　in　the　same　manner。

The　agony　was　simply　excruciating。　　The　boys　were　brave；　and　had　resolved
to　stand　their　punishment　without　a　groan；　but　this　was　too　much　for
human　endurance。　　Their　will　was　strong；　but　Nature　could　not　be　denied；
and　they　shrieked　aloud　so　pitifully　that　a　young　Reserve　standing　near
fainted。　　Each　one　screamed：

〃For　God's　sake；　kill　me！　kill　me！　Shoot　me　ifyou　want　to；　but　let　me
down　from　here！〃　　The　only　effect　of　this　upon　Barrett　was　to　light　up
his　brutal　face　with　a　leer　of　fiendish　satisfaction。　　He　said　to　the
guards　with　a　gleeful　wink：

〃By　God；　I'll　learn　these　Yanks　to　be　more　afeard　of　me　than　of　the　old
devil　himself。　　They'll　soon　understand　that　I'm　not　the　man　to　fool
with。　　I'm　old　pizen；　I　am；　when　I　git　started。　　Jest　hear　'em　squeal；
won't　yer？〃

Then　walking　from　one　prisoner　to　another；　he　said：

〃D…n　yer　skins；　ye'll　dig　tunnels；　will　ye？　　Ye'll　try　to　git　out；　and
run　through　the　country　stealin'　and　carryin'　off　niggers；　and　makin'
more　trouble　than　yer　dd　necks　are　worth。　　I'll　learn　ye　all　about
that。　　If　I　ketch　ye　at　this　sort　of　work　again；　dd　ef　I　don't　kill
ye　ez　soon　ez　I　ketch　ye。〃

And　so　on；　ad　infinitum。　　How　long　the　boys　were　kept　up　there　undergoing
this　torture　can　not　be　said。　　Perhaps　it　was　an　hour　or　more。　　To　the
locker…on　it　seemed　long　hours；　to　the　poor　fellows　themselves　it　was
ages。　　When　they　were　let　down　at　last；　all　fainted；　and　were　carried
away　to　the　hospital；　where　they　were　weeks　in　recovering　from　the
effects。　　Some　of　them　were　crippled　for　life。

When　we　came　into　the　prison　there　were　about　eleven　thousand　there。
More　uniformly　wretched　creatures　I　had　never　before　seen。　　Up　to　the
time　of　our　departure　from　Andersonville　the　constant　influx　of　new
prisoners　had　prevented　the　misery　and　wasting　away　of　life　from　becoming
fully　realized。　　Though　thousands　were　continually　dying；　thousands　more
of　healthy；　clean；　well…clothed　men　were　as　continually　coming　in　from
the　front；　so　that　a　large　portion　of　those　inside　looked　in　fairly　good
condition。　　Put　now　no　new　prisoners　had　come　in　for　months；　the　money
which　made　such　a　show　about　the　sutler　shops　of　Andersonville　had　been
spent；　and　there　was　in　every　face　the　same　look　of　ghastly　emaciation；
the　same　shrunken　muscles　and　feeble　limbs；　the　same　lack…luster　eyes　and
hopeless　countenances。

One　of　the　commonest　of　sights　was　to　see　men　whose　hands　and　feet　were
simply　rotting　off。　　The　nights　were　frequently　so　cold　that　ice　a
quarter　of　an　inch　thick　formed　on　the　water。　　The　naked　frames　of
starving　men　were　poorly　calculated　to　withstand　this　frosty　rigor；　and
thousands　had　their　extremities　so　badly　frozen　as　to　destroy　the　life　in
those　parts；　and　induce　a　rotting　of　the　tissues　by　a　dry　gangrene。
The　rotted　flesh　frequently　remained　in　its　place　for　a　long　time
a　loathsome　but　painless　mass；　that　gradually　sloughed　off；　leaving　the
sinews　that　passed　through　it　to　stand　out　like　shining；　white　cords。

While　this　was　in　some　respects　less　terrible　than　the　hospital　gangrene
at　Andersonville；　it　was　more　generally　diffused；　and　dreadful　to　the
last　degree。　　The　Rebel　Surgeons　at　Florence　did　not　follow　the　habit　of
those　at　Andersonville；　and　try　to　check　the　disease　by　wholesale
amputation；　but　simply　let　it　run　its　course；　and　thousands　finally
carried　their　putrefied　limbs　through　our　lines；　when　the　Confederacy
broke　up　in　the　Spring；　to　be　treated　by　our　Surgeons。

I　had　been　in　prison　but　a　little　while　when　a　voice　called　out　from　a
hole　in　the　ground；　as　I　was　passing：

〃S…a…y；　Sergeant！　　Won't　you　please　take　these　shears　and　cut　my　toes
off？〃

〃What？〃　said　I；　in　amazement；　stopping　in　front　of　the　dugout。

〃Just　take　these　shears；　won't　you；　and　cut　my　toes　off？〃　answered　the
inmate；　an　Indiana　infantrymanholding　up　a　pair　of　dull　shears　in　his
hand；　and　elevating　a　foot　for　me　to　look　at。

I　examined　the　latter　carefully。　　All　the　flesh　of　the　toes；　except
little　pads　at　the　ends；　had　rotted　off；　leaving　the　bones　as　clean　as　if
scraped。　　The　little　tendons　still　remained；　and　held　the　bones　to　their
places；　but　this　seemed　to　hurt　the　rest　of　the　feet　and　annoy　the　man。

〃You'd　better　let　one　of　the　Rebel　doctors　see　this；〃　I　said；　after
finishing　my　survey；　〃before　you　conclude　to　have　them　off。　　May　be　they
can　be　saved。〃

〃No；　dd　if　I'm　going　to　have　any　of　them　Rebel　butchers　fooling
around　me。　　I'd　die　first；　and　then　I　wouldn't；〃　was　the　reply。　　〃You　can
do　it　better　than　they　can。　　It's　just　a　little　snip。　　Just　try　it。〃

〃I　don't　like　to；〃　I　replied。　　〃I　might　lame　you　for　life；　and　make　you
lots　of　trouble。〃

〃O；　bother！　what　business　is　that　of　yours？　　They're　my　toes；　and　I　want
'em　off。　　They　hurt　me　so　I　can't　sleep。　　Come；　now；　take　the　shears　and
cut　'em　off。〃

I　yielded；　and　taking　the　shears；　snipped　one　tendon　after　another；　close
to　the　feet；　and　in　a　few　seconds　had　the　whole　ten　toes　lying　in　a　heap
at　the　bottom　of　the　dug…out。　　I　picked　them　up　and　handed　them　to　their
owner；　who　gazed　at　them；　complacently；　and　remarked：

〃Well；　I'm　darned　glad　they're　off。　　I　won't　be　bothered　with　corns　any
more；　I　flatter　myself。〃




CHAPTER　LXX

HOUSE　AND　CLOTHESEFFORTS　TO　ERECT　A　SUITABLE　RESIDENCEDIFFICULTIES
ATTENDING　THISVARIETIES　OF　FLORENTINE　ARCHITECTUREWAITING　FOR　DEAD
MEN'S　CLOTHESCRAVING　FOR　TOBACCO。

We　were　put　into　the　old　squads　to　fill　the　places　of　those　who　had
recently　died；　being　assigned　to　these　vacancies　according　to　the
initials　of　our　surnames；　the　same　rolls　being　used　that　we　had　signed　as
paroles。　　This　separated　Andrews　and　me；　for　the　〃A's〃　were　taken　to　fill
up　the　first　hundreds　of　the　First　Thousand；　while　the　〃M's；〃　to　which　I
belonged；　went　into　the　next　Thousand。

I　was　put　into　the　Second　Hundred　of　the　Second　Thousand；　and　its
Sergeant　dying　shortly　after；　I　was　given　his　place；　and　commanded　the
hundred；　drew　its　rations；　made　out　its　rolls；　and　looked　out　for　its
sick　during　the　rest　of　our　stay　there。

Andrews　and　I　got　together　again；　and　began　fixing　up　what　little　we
could　to　protect　ourselves　against　the　weather。　　Cold　as　this　was　we
decided　that　it　was　safer　to　endure　it　and　risk　frost…biting　every　night
than　to　build　one　of　the　mud…walled　and　mud…covered　holes　that　so　many；
lived　in。　　These　were　much　warmer　than　lying　out　on　the　frozen　ground；
but　we　believed　that　they　were　very　unhealthy；　and　that　no　one　lived　long
who　inhabited　them。

So　we　set　about　repairing　our　faithful　old　blanketnow　full　of　great
holes。　　We　watched　the　dead　men　to　get　pieces　of　cloth　from　their
garments　to　make　patches；　which　we　sewed　on　with　yarn　raveled　from　other
fragments　of　woolen　cloth。　　Some　of　our　company；　whom　we　found　in　the
prison；　donated　us　the　three　sticks　necessary　to　make　tent…poles
wonderful　generosity　when　the　preciousness　of　firewood　is　remembered。
We　hoisted　our　blanket　upon　these；　built　a　wall　of　mud　bricks　at　one　end；
and　in　it　a　little　fireplace　to　economize　our　scanty　fuel　to　the　last
degree；　and　were　once　more　at　home；　and　much　better　off　than　most　of　our
neighbors。

One　of　these；　the　proprietor　of　a　hole　in　the　ground　covered　with　an　arch
of　adobe　bricks；　had　absolutely　no　bed…clothes　except　a　couple　of　short
pieces　of　boardand　very　little　other　clothing。　　He　dug　a　trench　in　the
bottom　of　what　was　by　courtesy　called　his　tent；　sufficiently　large　to
contain　his　body　below　his　neck。　　At　nightfall　he　would　crawl　into　this；
put　his　two　bits　of　board　so　that　they　joined　over　his　breast；　and　then
say：　〃Now；　boys；　cover　me　over；〃　whereupon　his　friends　would　cover　him　up
with　dry　sand　from　the　sides　of　his　domicile；　in　which　he　would　slumber
quietly　till　morning；　when　he　would　rise；　shake　the　sand　from　his
garments；　and　declare　that　he　felt　as　well　refreshed　as　if　he　had　slept
on　a　spring　mattress。

There　has　been　much　talk　of　earth　baths　of　late　years　in　scientific　and
medical　circles。　　I　have　been　sorry　that　our　Florence　comrade　if　he　still
livesdid　not　contribute　the　results　of　his　experience。

The　pinching　cold　cured　me　of　my　repugnance　to　wearing　dead　men's
clothes；　or　rather　it　made　my　nakedness　so　painful　that　I　was　glad　to
cover　it　as　best　I　could；　and　I　began　foraging　among　the　corpses　for
garments。　　For　awhile　my　efforts　to　set　myself　up　in　the　mortuary　second…
hand　clothing　business　were　not　all　successful。　　I　found　that　dying　men
with　good　clothes　were　as　carefully　watched　over　by　sets　of　fellows　who
constituted　themselves　their　residuary　legatees　as　if　they　were　men　of
fortune　dying　in　the　midst　of　a　circle　of　expectant　nephews　and　nieces。
Before　one　was　fairly　cold　his　clothes　would　be　appropriated　and　divided；
and　I　have　seen　many　sharp　fights　between　contesting　claimants。

I　soon　perceived　that　my　best　chance　was　to　get　up　very　early　in　the
morning；　and　do　my　hunting。　　The　nights　were　so　cold　that　many　could　not
sleep；　and　they　would　walk　up　and　down　the　streets；　trying　to　keep　warm
by　exercise。　　Towards　morning；　becoming　exhausted；　they　would