andersonville-第30章

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the　number　already　in　the　hands　of　the　Rebels。

The　first　lot　of　new　ones　came　in　about　the　middle　of　March。　　There　were
about　seven　hundred　of　them；　who　had　been　captured　at　the　battle　of
Oolustee；　Fla。；　on　the　20th　of　February。　　About　five　hundred　of　them　were
white；　and　belonged　to　the　Seventh　Connecticut；　the　Seventh　New
Hampshire；　Forty　Seventh；　Forty…Eighth　and　One　Hundred　and　Fifteenth　New
York；　and　Sherman's　regular　battery。　　The　rest　were　colored；　and　belonged
to　the　Eighth　United　States；　and　Fifty…Fourth　Massachusetts。　　The　story
they　told　of　the　battle　was　one　which　had　many　shameful　reiterations
during　the　war。　　It　was　the　story　told　whenever　Banks；　Sturgis；　Butler；
or　one　of　a　host　of　similar　smaller　failures　were　trusted　with　commands。
It　was　a　senseless　waste　of　the　lives　of　private　soldiers；　and　the
property　of　the　United　States　by　pretentious　blunderers；　who；　in　some
inscrutable　manner；　had　attained　to　responsible　commands。　　In　this
instance；　a　bungling　Brigadier　named　Seymore　had　marched　his　forces
across　the　State　of　Florida；　to　do　he　hardly　knew　what；　and　in　the
neighborhood　of　an　enemy　of　whose　numbers；　disposition；　location；　and
intentions　he　was　profoundly　ignorant。　　The　Rebels；　under　General
Finnegan；　waited　till　he　had　strung　his　command　along　through　swamps
and　cane　brakes；　scores　of　miles　from　his　supports；　and　then　fell
unexpectedly　upon　his　advance。　　The　regiment　was　overpowered；　and　another
regiment　that　hurried　up　to　its　support；　suffered　the　same　fate。　　The
balance　of　the　regiments　were　sent　in　in　the　same　mannereach　arriving
on　the　field　just　after　its　predecessor　had　been　thoroughly　whipped　by
the　concentrated　force　of　the　Rebels。　　The　men　fought　gallantly；　but　the
stupidity　of　a　Commanding　General　is　a　thing　that　the　gods　themselves
strive　against　in　vain。　　We　suffered　a　humiliating　defeat；　with　a　loss　of
two　thousand　men　and　a　fine　rifled　battery；　which　was　brought　to
Andersonville　and　placed　in　position　to　command　the　prison。

The　majority　of　the　Seventh　New　Hampshire　were　an　unwelcome　addition　to
our　numbers。　　They　were　N'Yaarkersold　time　colleagues　of　those　already
in　with　usveteran　bounty　jumpers；　that　had　been　drawn　to　New　Hampshire
by　the　size　of　the　bounty　offered　there；　and　had　been　assigned　to　fill　up
the　wasted　ranks　of　the　veteran　Seventh　regiment。　　They　had　tried　to
desert　as　soon　as　they　received　their　bounty；　but　the　Government　clung　to
them　literally　with　hooks　of　steel；　sending　many　of　them　to　the　regiment
in　irons。　　Thus　foiled；　they　deserted　to　the　Rebels　during　the　retreat
from　the　battlefield。　　They　were　quite　an　accession　to　the　force　of　our
N'Yaarkers；　and　helped　much　to　establish　the　hoodlum　reign　which　was
shortly　inaugurated　over　the　whole　prison。

The　Forty…Eighth　New　Yorkers　who　came　in　were　a　set　of　chaps　so　odd　in
every　way　as　to　be　a　source　of　never…failing　interest。　　The　name　of　their
regiment　was　'L'Enfants　Perdu'　（the　Lost　Children）；　which　we　anglicized
into　〃The　Lost　Ducks。〃　　It　was　believed　that　every　nation　in　Europe　was
represented　in　their　ranks；　and　it　used　to　be　said　jocularly；　that　no　two
of　them　spoke　the　same　language。　　As　near　as　I　could　find　out　they　were
all　or　nearly　all　South　Europeans；　Italians；　Spaniards；　Portuguese；
Levantines；　with　a　predominance　of　the　French　element。　　They　wore　a
little　cap　with　an　upturned　brim；　and　a　strap　resting　on　the　chin；　a　coat
with　funny　little　tales　about　two　inches　long；　and　a　brass　chain　across
the　breast；　and　for　pantaloons　they　had　a　sort　of　a　petticoat　reaching　to
the　knees；　and　sewed　together　down　the　middle。　　They　were　just　as
singular　otherwise　as　in　their　looks；　speech　and　uniform。　　On　one
occasion　the　whole　mob　of　us　went　over　in　a　mass　to　their　squad　to　see
them　cook　and　eat　a　large　water　snake；　which　two　of　them　had　succeeded　in
capturing　in　the　swamps；　and　carried　off　to　their　mess；　jabbering　in　high
glee　over　their　treasure　trove。　　Any　of　us　were　ready　to　eat　a　piece　of
dog；　cat；　horse　or　mule；　if　we　could　get　it；　but；　it　was　generally
agreed；　as　Dawson；　of　my　company　expressed　it；　that　〃Nobody　but　one　of
them　darned　queer　Lost　Ducks　would　eat　a　varmint　like　a　water　snake。〃

Major　Albert　Bogle；　of　the　Eighth　United　States；　（colored）　had　fallen
into　the　hands　of　the　rebels　by　reason　of　a　severe　wound　in　the　leg；
which　left　him　helpless　upon　the　field　at　Oolustee。　　The　Rebels　treated
him　with　studied　indignity。　　They　utterly　refused　to　recognize　him　as　an
officer；　or　even　as　a　man。　　Instead　of　being　sent　to　Macon　or　Columbia；
where　the　other　officers　were；　he　was　sent　to　Andersonville；　the　same　as
an　enlisted　man。　　No　care　was　given　his　wound；　no　surgeon　would　examine
it　or　dress　it。　　He　was　thrown　into　a　stock　car；　without　a　bed　or
blanket；　and　hauled　over　the　rough；　jolting　road　to　Andersonville。
Once　a　Rebel　officer　rode　up　and　fired　several　shots　at　him；　as　he　lay
helpless　on　the　car　floor。　　Fortunately　the　Rebel's　marksmanship　was　as
bad　as　his　intentions；　and　none　of　the　shots　took　effect。　　He　was　placed
in　a　squad　near　me；　and　compelled　to　get　up　and　hobble　into　line　when　the
rest　were　mustered　for　roll…call。　　No　opportunity　to　insult；　〃the　nigger
officer；〃　was　neglected；　and　the　N'Yaarkers　vied　with　the　Rebels　in
heaping　abuse　upon　him。　　He　was　a　fine；　intelligent　young　man；　and　bore
it　all　with　dignified　self…possession；　until　after　a　lapse　of　some　weeks
the　Rebels　changed　their　policy　and　took　him　from　the　prison　to　send　to
where　the　other　officers　were。

The　negro　soldiers　were　also　treated　as　badly　as　possible。　　The　wounded
were　turned　into　the　Stockade　without　having　their　hurts　attended　to。
One　stalwart；　soldierly　Sergeant　had　received　a　bullet　which　had　forced
its　way　under　the　scalp　for　some　distance；　and　partially　imbedded　itself
in　the　skull；　where　it　still　remained。　　He　suffered　intense　agony；　and
would　pass　the　whole　night　walking　up　and　down　the　street　in　front　of　our
tent；　moaning　distressingly。　　The；　bullet　could　be　felt　plainly　with　the
fingers；　and　we　were　sure　that　it　would　not　be　a　minute's　work；　with　a
sharp　knife；　to　remove　it　and　give　the　man　relief。　　But　we　could　not
prevail　upon　the　Rebel　Surgeons　even　to　see　the　man。　　Finally
inflammation　set　in　and　he　died。

The　negros　were　made　into　a　squad　by　themselves；　and　taken　out　every　day
to　work　around　the　prison。　　A　white　Sergeant　was　placed　over　them；　who
was　the　object　of　the　contumely　of　the　guards　and　other　Rebels。　　One　day
as　he　was　standing　near　the　gate；　waiting　his　orders　to　come　out；　the
gate　guard；　without　any　provocation　whatever；　dropped　his　gun　until　the
muzzle　rested　against　the　Sergeant's　stomach；　and　fired；　killing　him
instantly。

The　Sergeantcy　was　then　offered　to　me；　but　as　I　had　no　accident　policy；　I
was　constrained　to　decline　the　honor。




CHAPTER　XXIV。

APRILLONGING　TO　GET　OUTTHE　DEATH　RATETHE　PLAGUE　OF　LICE
THE　SO…CALLED　HOSPITAL。

April　brought　sunny　skies　and　balmy　weather。　　　Existence　became　much　more
tolerable。　　With　freedom　it　would　have　been　enjoyable；　even　had　we　been
no　better　fed；　clothed　and　sheltered。　　But　imprisonment　had　never　seemed
so　hard　to　beareven　in　the　first　few　weeksas　now。　　It　was　easier　to
submit　to　confinement　to　a　limited　area；　when　cold　and　rain　were　aiding
hunger　to　benumb　the　faculties　and　chill　the　energies　than　it　was　now；
when　Nature　was　rousing　her　slumbering　forces　to　activity；　and　earth；
and　air　and　sky　were　filled　with　stimulus　to　man　to　imitate　her　example。
The　yearning　to　be　up　and　doing　something…to　turn　these　golden　hours　to
good　account　for　self　and　countrypressed　into　heart　and　brain　as　the
vivifying　sap　pressed　into　tree…duct　and　plant　cell；　awaking　all
vegetation　to　energetic　life。

To　be　compelled；　at　such　a　time；　to　lie　around　in　vacuous　idleness
to　spend　days　that　should　be　crowded　full　of　action　in　a　monotonous；
objectless　routine　of　hunting　lice；　gathering　at　roll…call；　and　drawing
and　cooking　our　scanty　rations；　was　torturing。

But　to　many　of　our　number　the　aspirations　for　freedom　were　not；　as　with
us；　the　desire　for　a　wider；　manlier　field　of　action；　so　much　as　an
intense　longing　to　get　where　care　and　comforts　would　arrest　thei