andersonville-第120章

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must　not　suppose　that　this　was　the　same　class　of　weaklings　who　usually
pine　themselves　into　the　Hospital　within　three　months　after　their
regiment　enters　the　field。　　They　were　as　a　rule；　made　up　of　seasoned
soldiery；　who　had　become　inured　to　the　dangers　and　hardships　of　active
service；　and　were　not　likely　to　sink　down　under　any　ordinary　trials。

The　insane　of　Florence　were　of　a　different　class；　they　were　the　boys　who
had　laughed　at　such　a　yielding　to　adversity　in　Andersonville；　and　felt　a
lofty　pity　for　the　misfortunes　of　those　who　succumbed　so。　　But　now　the
long　strain　of　hardship；　privation　and　exposure　had　done　for　them　what
discouragement　had　done　for　those　of　less　fortitude　in　Andersonville。
The　faculties　shrank　under　disuse　and　misfortune；　until　they　forgot　their
regiments；　companies；　places　and　date　of　capture；　and　finally；　even　their
names。　　I　should　think　that　by　the　middle　of　January；　at　least　one　in
every　ten　had　sunk　to　this　imbecile　condition。　　It　was　not　insanity　so
much　as　mental　atrophynot　so　much　aberration　of　the　mind；　as　a
paralysis　of　mental　action。　　The　sufferers　became　apathetic　idiots；　with
no　desire　or　wish　to　do　or　be　anything。　　If　they　walked　around　at　all
they　had　to　be　watched　closely；　to　prevent　their　straying　over　the　Dead
Line；　and　giving　the　young　brats　of　guards　the　coveted　opportunity　of
killing　them。　　Very　many　of　such　were　killed；　and　one　of　my　Midwinter
memories　of　Florence　was　that　of　seeing　one　of　these　unfortunate
imbeciles　wandering　witlessly　up　to　the　Dead　Line　from　the　Swamp；　while
the　guarda　boy　of　seventeenstood　with　gun　in　hand；　in　the　attitude　of
a　man　expecting　a　covey　to　be　flushed；　waiting　for　the　poor　devil　to　come
so　near　the　Dead　Line　as　to　afford　an　excuse　for　killing　him。　　Two　sane
prisoners；　comprehending　the　situation；　rushed　up　to　the　lunatic；　at　the
risk　of　their　own　lives；　caught　him　by　the　arms；　and　drew　him　back　to
safety。

The　brutal　Barrett　seemed　to　delight　in　maltreating　these　demented
unfortunates。　　He　either　could　not　be　made　to　understand　their　condition；
or　willfully　disregarded　it；　for　it　was　one　of　the　commonest　sights　to
see　him　knock　down；　beat；　kick　or　otherwise　abuse　them　for　not　instantly
obeying　orders　which　their　dazed　senses　could　not　comprehend；　or　their
feeble　limbs　execute；　even　if　comprehended。

In　my　life　I　have　seen　many　wantonly　cruel　men。　　I　have　known　numbers　of
mates　of　Mississippi　river　steamersa　class　which　seems　carefully
selected　from　ruffians　most　proficient　in　profanity；　obscenity　and　swift…
handed　violence；　I　have　seen　negro…drivers　in　the　slave　marts　of
St。　Louis；　Memphis　and　New　Orleans；　and　overseers　on　the　plantations　of
Mississippi　and　Louisiana；　as　a　police　reporter　in　one　of　the　largest
cities　in　America；　I　have　come　in　contact　with　thousands　of　the
brutalized　scoundrelsthe　thugs　of　the　brothel；　bar…room　and　alleywho
form　the　dangerous　classes　of　a　metropolis。　　I　knew　Captain　Wirz。　　But　in
all　this　exceptionally　extensive　and　varied　experience；　I　never　met　a　man
who　seemed　to　love　cruelty　for　its　own　sake　as　well　as　Lieutenant
Barrett。　　He　took　such　pleasure　in　inflicting　pain　as　those　Indians　who
slice　off　their　prisoners'　eyelids；　ears；　noses　and　hands；　before　burning
them　at　the　stake。

That　a　thing　hurt　some　one　else　was　always　ample　reason　for　his　doing　it。
The　starving；　freezing　prisoners　used　to　collect　in　considerable　numbers
before　the　gate；　and　stand　there　for　hours　gazing　vacantly　at　it。　　There
was　no　special　object　in　doing　this；　only　that　it　was　a　central　point；
the　rations　came　in　there；　and　occasionally　an　officer　would　enter；　and
it　was　the　only　place　where　anything　was　likely　to　occur　to　vary　the
dreary　monotony　of　the　day；　and　the　boys　went　there　because　there　was
nothing　else　to　offer　any　occupation　to　their　minds。　　It　became　a
favorite　practical　joke　of　Barrett's　to　slip　up　to　the　gate　with　an
armful　of　clubs；　and　suddenly　opening　the　wicket；　fling　them　one　after
another；　into　the　crowd；　with　all　the　force　he　possessed。　　Many　were
knocked　down；　and　many　received　hurts　which　resulted　in　fatal　gangrene。
If　he　had　left　the　clubs　lying　where　thrown；　there　would　have　been　some
compensation　for　his　meanness；　but　he　always　came　in　and　carefully
gathered　up　such　as　he　could　get；　as　ammunition　for　another　time。

I　have　heard　men　speak　of　receiving　justiceeven　favors　from　Wirz。
I　never　heard　any　one　saying　that　much　of　Barrett。　　Like　Winder；　if　he
had　a　redeeming　quality　it　was　carefully　obscured　from　the　view　of　all
that　I　ever　met　who　knew　him。

Where　the　fellow　came　from；　what　State　was　entitled　to　the　discredit　of
producing　and　raising　him；　what　he　was　before　the　War；　what　became　of　him
after　he　left　us；　are　matters　of　which　I　never　heard　even　a　rumor；　except
a　very　vague　one　that　he　had　been　killed　by　our　cavalry；　some　returned
prisoner　having　recognized　and　shot　him。

Colonel　Iverson；　of　the　Fifth　Georgia；　was　the　Post　Commander。　　He　was　a
man　of　some　education；　but　had　a　violent；　ungovernable　temper；　during
fits　of　which　he　did　very　brutal　things。　　At　other　times　he　would　show　a
disposition　towards　fairness　and　justice。　　The　worst　point　in　my
indictment　against　him　is　that　he　suffered　Barrett　to　do　as　he　did。

Let　the　reader　understand　that　I　have　no　personal　reasons　for　my　opinion
of　these　men。　　They　never　did　anything　to　me；　save　what　they　did　to　all
of　my　companions。　　I　held　myself　aloof　from　them；　and　shunned　intercourse
so　effectually　that　during　my　whole　imprisonment　I　did　not　speak　as　many
words　to　Rebel　officers　as　are　in　this　and　the　above　paragraphs；　and　most
of　those　were　spoken　to　the　Surgeon　who　visited　my　hundred。　　I　do　not
usually　seek　conversation　with　people　I　do　not　like；　and　certainly　did
not　with　persons　for　whom　I　had　so　little　love　as　I　had　for　Turner；　Ross；
Winder；　Wirz；　Davis；　Iverson；　Barrett；　et　al。　　Possibly　they　felt　badly
over　my　distance　and　reserve；　but　I　must　confess　that　they　never　showed
it　very　palpably。

As　January　dragged　slowly　away　into　February；　rumors　of　the　astonishing
success　of　Sherman　began　to　be　so　definite　and　well　authenticated　as　to
induce　belief。　　We　knew　that　the　Western　Chieftain　had　marched　almost
unresisted　through　Georgia；　and　captured　Savannah　with　comparatively
little　difficulty。　　We　did　not　understand　it；　nor　did　the　Rebels　around
us；　for　neither　of　us　comprehended　the　Confederacy's　near　approach　to
dissolution；　and　we　could　not　explain　why　a　desperate　attempt　was　not
made　somewhere　to　arrest　the　onward　sweep　of　the　conquering　armies　of　the
West。　　It　seemed　that　if　there　was　any　vitality　left　in　Rebeldom　it　would
deal　a　blow　that　would　at　least　cause　the　presumptuous　invader　to　pause。
As　we　knew　nothing　of　the　battles　of　Franklin　and　Nashville；　we　were
ignorant　of　the　destruction　of　Hood's　army；　and　were　at　a　loss　to　account
for　its　failure　to　contest　Sherman's　progress。　　The　last　we　had　heard　of
Hood；　he　had　been　flanked　out　of　Atlanta；　but　we　did　not　understand　that
the　strength　or　morale　of　his　force　had　been　seriously　reduced　in
consequence。

Soon　it　drifted　in　to　us　that　Sherman　had　cut　loose　from　Savannah；　as
from　Atlanta；　and　entered　South　Carolina；　to　repeat　there　the　march
through　her　sister　State。　　Our　sources　of　information　now　were　confined
to　the　gossip　which　our　menworking　outside　on　parole；could　overhear
from　the　Rebels；　and　communicate　to　us　as　occasion　served。　　These
occasions　were　not　frequent；　as　the　men　outside　were　not　allowed　to　come
in　except　rarely；　or　stay　long　then。　　Still　we　managed　to　know
reasonably；　soon　that　Sherman　was　sweeping　resistlessly　across　the　State；
with　Hardee；　Dick　Taylor；　Beauregard；　and　others；　vainly　trying　to　make
head　against　him。　　It　seemed　impossible　to　us　that　they　should　not　stop
him　soon；　for　if　each　of　all　these　leaders　had　any　command　worthy　the
name　the　aggregate　must　make　an　army　that；　standing　on　the　defensive；
would　give　Sherman　a　great　deal　of　trouble。　　That　he　would　be　able　to
penetrate　into　the　State　as　far　as　we　were　never　entered　into　our　minds。

By　and　by　we　were　astonished　at　the　number　of　the　trains　that　we　could
hear　passing　north　on　the　Charleston　&　Cheraw　Railroad