andersonville-第43章

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All　the　material　for　this　had　been　wrested　away　from　others。　　While
hundreds　were　dying　of　scurvy　and　diarrhea；　from　the　miserable；
insufficient　food；　and　lack　of　vegetables；　these　fellows　had　flour；　fresh
meat；　onions；　potatoes；　green　beans；　and　other　things；　the　very　looks　of
which　were　a　torture　to　hungry；　scorbutic；　dysenteric　men。　　They　were　on
the　best　possible　terms　with　the　Rebels；　whom　they　fawned　upon　and
groveled　before；　and　were　in　return　allowed　many　favors；　in　the　way　of
trading；　going　out　upon　detail；　and　making　purchases。

Among　their　special　objects　of　attack　were　the　small　traders　in　the
prison。　　We　had　quite　a　number　of　these　whose　genius　for　barter　was　so
strong　that　it　took　root　and　flourished　even　in　that　unpropitious　soil；
and　during　the　time　when　new　prisoners　were　constantly　coming　in　with
money；　they　managed　to　accumulate　small　sumsfrom　ten　dollars　upward；　by
trading　between　the　guards　and　the　prisoners。　　In　the　period　immediately
following　a　prisoner's　entrance　he　was　likely　to　spend　all　his　money　and
trade　off　all　his　possessions　for　food；　trusting　to　fortune　to　get　him
out　of　there　when　these　were　gone。　　Then　was　when　he　was　profitable　to
these　go…betweens；　who　managed　to　make　him　pay　handsomely　for　what　he
got。　　The　Raiders　kept　watch　of　these　traders；　and　plundered　them
whenever　occasion　served。　　It　reminded　one　of　the　habits　of　the　fishing
eagle；　which　hovers　around　until　some　other　bird　catches　a　fish；　and　then
takes　it　away。




CHAPTER　XXXV

A　COMMUNITY　WITHOUT　GOVERNMENTFORMATION　OF　THE　REGULATORSRAIDERS
ATTACK　KEY　BUT　ARE　BLUFFED　OFFASSAULT　OF　THE　REGULATORS　ON　THE　RAIDERS
DESPERATE　BATTLEOVERTHROW　OF　THE　RAIDERS。

To　fully　appreciate　the　condition　of　affairs　let　it　be　remembered　that　we
were　a　community　of　twenty…five　thousand　boys　and　young　mennone　too
regardful　of　control　at　bestand　now　wholly　destitute　of　government。
The　Rebels　never　made　the　slightest　attempt　to　maintain　order　in　the
prison。　　Their　whole　energies　were　concentrated　in　preventing　our　escape。
So　long　as　we　staid　inside　the　Stockade；　they　cared　as　little　what　we　did
there　as　for　the　performances　of　savages　in　the　interior　of　Africa。
I　doubt　if　they　would　have　interfered　had　one…half　of　us　killed　and　eaten
the　other　half。　　They　rather　took　a　delight　in　such　atrocities　as　came　to
their　notice。　　It　was　an　ocular　demonstration　of　the　total　depravity　of
the　Yankees。

Among　ourselves　there　was　no　one　in　position　to　lay　down　law　and　enforce
it。　　Being　all　enlisted　men　we　were　on　a　dead　level　as　far　as　rank　was
concernedthe　highest　being　only　Sergeants；　whose　stripes　carried　no
weight　of　authority。　　The　time　of　our　stay　wasit　was　hopedtoo
transient　to　make　it　worth　while　bothering　about　organizing　any　form　of
government。　　The　great　bulk　of　the　boys　were　recent　comers；　who　hoped
that　in　another　week　or　so　they　would　be　out　again。　　There　were　no　fat
salaries　to　tempt　any　one　to　take　upon　himself　the　duty　of　ruling　the
masses；　and　all　were　left　to　their　own　devices；　to　do　good　or　evil；
according　to　their　several　bents；　and　as　fear　of　consequences　swayed
them。　　Each　little　squad　of　men　was　a　law　unto　themselves；　and　made　and
enforced　their　own　regulations　on　their　own　territory。　The　administration
of　justice　was　reduced　to　its　simplest　terms。　　If　a　fellow　did　wrong　he
was　poundedif　there　was　anybody　capable　of　doing　it。　　If　not　he　went
free。

The　almost　unvarying　success　of　the　Raiders　intheir　forays　gave　the
general　impression　that　they　were　invinciblethat　is；　that　not　enough
men　could　be　concentrated　against　them　to　whip　them。　　Our　ill…success　in
the　attack　we　made　on　them　in　April　helped　us　to　the　same　belief。　　If　we
could　not　beat　them　then；　we　could　not　now；　after　we　had　been　enfeebled
by　months　of　starvation　and　disease。　　It　seemed　to　us　that　the　Plymouth
Pilgrims；　whose　organization　was　yet　very　strong；　should　undertake　the
task；　but；　as　is　usually　the　case　in　this　world；　where　we　think　somebody
else　ought　to　undertake　the　performance　of　a　disagreeable　public　duty；
they　did　not　see　it　in　the　light　that　we　wished　them　to。　　They
established　guards　around　their　squads；　and　helped　beat　off　the　Raiders
when　their　own　territory　was　invaded；　but　this　was　all　they　would　do。
The　rest　of　us　formed　similar　guards。　　In　the　southwest　corner　of　the
Stockadewhere　I　waswe　formed　ourselves　into　a　company　of　fifty　active
boysmostly　belonging　to　my　own　battalion　and　to　other　Illinois
regimentsof　which　I　was　elected　Captain。　　My　First　Lieutenant　was　a
tall；　taciturn；　long…armed　member　of　the　One　Hundred　and　Eleventh
Illinois；　whom　we　called　〃Egypt；〃　as　he　came　from　that　section　of　the
State。　　He　was　wonderfully　handy　with　his　fists。　　I　think　he　could　knock
a　fellow　down　so　that　he　would　fall…harder；　and　lie　longer　than　any
person　I　ever　saw。　　We　made　a　tacit　division　of　duties：　I　did　the
talking；　and　〃Egypt〃　went　through　the　manual　labor　of　knocking　our
opponents　down。　　In　the　numerous　little　encounters　in　which　our　company
was　engaged；　〃Egypt〃　would　stand　by　my　side；　silent；　grim　and　patient；
while　I　pursued　the　dialogue　with　the　leader　of　the　other　crowd。　　As　soon
as　he　thought　the　conversation　had　reached　the　proper　point；　his　long
left　arm　stretched　out　like　a　flash；　and　the　other　fellow　dropped　as　if
he　had　suddenly　come　in　range　of　a　mule　that　was　feeling　well。　　That
unexpected　left…hander　never　failed。　　It　would　have　made　Charles　Reade's
heart　leap　for　joy　to　see　it。

In　spite　of　our　company　and　our　watchfulness；　the　Raiders　beat　us　badly
on　one　occasion。　　Marion　Friend；　of　Company　I　of　our　battalion；　was　one
of　the　small　traders；　and　had　accumulated　forty　dollars　by　his　bartering。
One　evening　at　dusk　Delaney's　Raiders；　about　twenty…five　strong；　took
advantage　of　the　absence　of　most　of　us　drawing　rations；　to　make　a　rush
for　Marion。　　They　knocked　him　down；　cut　him　across　the　wrist　and　neck
with　a　razor；　and　robbed　him　of　his　forty　dollars。　　By　the　time　we　could
rally　Delaney　and　his　attendant　scoundrels　were　safe　from　pursuit　in　the
midst　of　their　friends。

This　state　of　things　had　become　unendurable。　　Sergeant　Leroy　L。　Key；
of　Company　M；　our　battalion；　resolved　to　make　an　effort　to　crush　the
Raiders。　　He　was　a　printer；　from　Bloomington；　Illinois；　tall；　dark；
intelligent　and　strong…willed；　and　one　of　the　bravest　men　I　ever　knew。
He　was　ably　seconded　by　〃Limber　Jim；〃　of　the　Sixty…Seventh　Illinois；
whose　lithe；　sinewy　form；　and　striking　features　reminded　one　of　a　young
Sioux　brave。　　He　had　all　of　Key's　desperate　courage；　but　not　his　brains
or　his　talent　for　leadership。　　Though　fearfully　reduced　in　numbers；　our
battalion　had　still　about　one　hundred　well　men　in　it；　and　these　formed
the　nucleus　for　Key's　band　of　〃Regulators；〃　as　they　were　styled。　　Among
them　were　several　who　had　no　equals　in　physical　strength　and　courage　in
any　of　the　Raider　chiefs。　　Our　best　man　was　Ned　Carrigan；　Corporal　of
Company　I；　from　Chicagowho　was　so　confessedly　the　best　man　in　the　whole
prison　that　he　was　never　called　upon　to　demonstrate　it。　　He　was　a　big…
hearted；　genial　Irish　boy；　who　was　never　known　to　get　into　trouble　on　his
own　account；　but　only　used　his　fists　when　some　of　his　comrades　were
imposed　upon。　　He　had　fought　in　the　ring；　and　on　one　occasion　had　killed
a　man　with　a　single　blow　of　his　fist；　in　a　prize　fight　near　St。　Louis。
We　were　all　very　proud　of　him；　and　it　was　as　good　as　an　entertainment　to
us　to　see　the　noisiest　roughs　subside　into　deferential　silence　as　Ned
would　come　among　them；　like　some　grand　mastiff　in　the　midst　of　a　pack　of
yelping　curs。　　Ned　entered　into　the　regulating　scheme　heartily。　　Other
stalwart　specimens　of　physical　manhood　in　our　battalion　were　Sergeant
Goody；　Ned　Johnson；　Tom　Larkin；　and　others；　who；　while　not　approaching
Carrigan's　perfect　manhood；　were　still　more　than　a　match　for　the　best　of
the　Raiders。

Key　proceeded　with　the　greatest　secrecy　in　the　organization　of　his
forces。　　He　accepted　none　but　Western　men；　and　preferred　Illinoisans；
Iowans；　Kansans；　Indianians　and　Ohioans。　　The　boys　from　those　States
seemed　to　naturally　go　together；　and　be　moved　by　the　same　motives。
He　informed　Wirz　what　he　proposed　doin