andersonville-第51章

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away。　　The　skin　gave　way　under　my　hand；　and　slipped　with　it　down　to　the
wrist；　like　a　torn　sleeve。　　It　was　sickening；　but　I　clung　to　my　prize；
and　secured　a　very　good　chunk　of　wood　while　outside　with　it。　　The　wood
was　very　much　needed　by　my　mess；　as　our　squad　had　then　had　none　for　more
than　a　week。




CHAPTER　XL。

THE　BATTLE　OF　THE　22D　OF　JULYTHE　ARMS　OF　THE　TENNESSEE　ASSAULTED　FRONT
AND　REARDEATH　OF　GENERAL　MCPHERSONASSUMPTION　OF　COMMAND　BY　GENERAL
LOGANRESULT　OF　THE　BATTLE。

Naturally；　we　had　a　consuming　hunger　for　news　of　what　was　being
accomplished　by　our　armies　toward　crushing　the　Rebellion。　　Now；　more　than
ever；　had　we　reason　to　ardently　wish　for　the　destruction　of　the　Rebel
power。　　Before　capture　we　had　love　of　country　and　a　natural　desire　for
the　triumph　of　her　flag　to　animate　us。　　Now　we　had　a　hatred　of　the　Rebels
that　passed　expression；　and　a　fierce　longing　to　see　those　who　daily
tortured　and　insulted　us　trampled　down　in　the　dust　of　humiliation。

The　daily　arrival　of　prisoners　kept　us　tolerably　well　informed　as　to　the
general　progress　of　the　campaign；　and　we　added　to　the　information　thus
obtained　by　gettingalmost　dailyin　some　manner　or　anothera　copy　of　a
Rebel　paper。　　Most　frequently　these　were　Atlanta　papers；　or　an　issue　of
the　〃Memphis…Corinth…Jackson…Grenada…Chattanooga…Resacca…Marietta…Atlanta
Appeal；〃　as　they　used　to　facetiously　term　a　Memphis　paper　that　left　that
City　when　it　was　taken　in　1862；　and　for　two　years　fell　back　from　place　to
place；　as　Sherman's　Army　advanced；　until　at　last　it　gave　up　the　struggle
in　September；　1864；　in　a　little　Town　south　of　Atlanta；　after　about　two
thousand　miles　of　weary　retreat　from　an　indefatigable　pursuer。　　The
papers　were　brought　in　by　〃fresh　fish；〃　purchased　from　the　guards　at　from
fifty　cents　to　one　dollar　apiece；　or　occasionally　thrown　in　to　us　when
they　had　some　specially　disagreeable　intelligence；　like　the　defeat　of
Banks；　or　Sturgis；　or　Bunter；　to　exult　over。　　I　was　particularly
fortunate　in　getting　hold　of　these。　　Becoming　installed　as　general　reader
for　a　neighborhood　of　several　thousand　men；　everything　of　this　kind　was
immediately　brought　to　me；　to　be　read　aloud　for　the　benefit　of　everybody。
All　the　older　prisoners　knew　me　by　the　nick…name　of　〃Illinoy〃
a　designation　arising　from　my　wearing　on　my　cap；　when　I　entered　prison；
a　neat　little　white　metal　badge　of　〃ILLS。〃　　When　any　reading　matter　was
brought　into　our　neighborhood；　there　would　be　a　general　cry　of：

〃Take　it　up　to　'Illinoy；'〃　and　then　hundreds　would　mass　around　my
quarters　to　bear　the　news　read。

The　Rebel　papers　usually　had　very　meager　reports　of　the　operations　of　the
armies；　and　these　were　greatly　distorted；　but　they　were　still　very
interesting；　and　as　we　always　started　in　to　read　with　the　expectation
that　the　whole　statement　was　a　mass　of　perversions　and　lies；　where　truth
was　an　infrequent　accident；　we　were　not　likely　to　be　much　impressed　with
it。

There　was　a　marled　difference　in　the　tone　of　the　reports　brought　in　from
the　different　armies。　　Sherman's　men　were　always　sanguine。　　They　had　no
doubt　that　they　were　pushing　the　enemy　straight　to　the　wall；　and　that
every　day　brought　the　Southern　Confederacy　much　nearer　its　downfall。
Those　from　the　Army　of　the　Potomac　were　never　so　hopeful。　　They　would
admit　that　Grant　was　pounding　Lee　terribly；　but　the　shadow　of　the
frequent　defeats　of　the　Army　of　the　Potomac　seemed　to　hang　depressingly
over　them。

There　came　a　day；　however；　when　our　sanguine　hopes　as　to　Sherman　were
checked　by　a　possibility　that　he　had　failed；　that　his　long　campaign
towards　Atlanta　had　culminated　in　such　a　reverse　under　the　very　walls　of
the　City　as　would　compel　an　abandonment　of　the　enterprise；　and　possibly　a
humiliating　retreat。　　We　knew　that　Jeff。　Davis　and　his　Government　were
strongly　dissatisfied　with　the　Fabian　policy　of　Joe　Johnston。　　The　papers
had　told　us　of　the　Rebel　President's　visit　to　Atlanta；　of　his　bitter
comments　on　Johnston's　tactics；　of　his　going　so　far　as　to　sneer　about　the
necessity　of　providing　pontoons　at　Key　West；　so　that　Johnston　might
continue　his　retreat　even　to　Cuba。　　Then　came　the　news　of　Johnston's
Supersession　by　Hood；　and　the　papers　were　full　of　the　exulting
predictions　of　what　would　now　be　accomplished　〃when　that　gallant　young
soldier　is　once　fairly　in　the　saddle。〃

All　this　meant　one　supreme　effort　to　arrest　the　onward　course　of　Sherman。
It　indicated　a　resolve　to　stake　the　fate　of　Atlanta；　and　the　fortunes　of
the　Confederacy　in　the　West；　upon　the　hazard　of　one　desperate　fight。
We　watched　the　summoning　up　of　every　Rebel　energy　for　the　blow　with
apprehension。　　We　dreaded　another　Chickamauga。

The　blow　fell　on　the　22d　of　July。　　It　was　well　planned。　　The　Army　of　the
Tennessee；　the　left　of　Sherman's　forces；　was　the　part　struck。　　On　the
night　of　the　21st　Hood　marched　a　heavy　force　around　its　left　flank　and
gained　its　rear。　　On　the　22d　this　force　fell　on　the　rear　with　the
impetuous　violence　of　a　cyclone；　while　the　Rebels　in　the　works
immediately　around　Atlanta　attacked　furiously　in　front。

It　was　an　ordeal　that　no　other　army　ever　passed　through　successfully。
The　steadiest　troops　in　Europe　would　think　it　foolhardiness　to　attempt　to
withstand　an　assault　in　force　in　front　and　rear　at　the　same　time。
The　finest　legions　that　follow　any　flag　to…day　must　almost　inevitably
succumb　to　such　a　mode　of　attack。　　But　the　seasoned　veterans　of　the　Army
of　the　Tennessee　encountered　the　shock　with　an　obstinacy　which　showed
that　the　finest　material　for　soldiery　this　planet　holds　was　that　in　which
undaunted　hearts　beat　beneath　blue　blouses。　　Springing　over　the　front　of
their　breastworks；　they　drove　back　with　a　withering　fire　the　force
assailing　them　in　the　rear。　　This　beaten　off；　they　jumped　back　to　their
proper　places；　and　repulsed　the　assault　in　front。　　This　was　the　way　the
battle　was　waged　until　night　compelled　a　cessation　of　operations。　　Our
boys　were　alternately　behind　the　breastworks　firing　at　Rebels　advancing
upon　the　front；　and　in　front　of　the　works　firing　upon　those　coming　up　in
the　rear。　　Sometimes　part　of　our　line　would　be　on　one　side　of　the　works；
and　part　on　the　other。

In　the　prison　we　were　greatly　excited　over　the　result　of　the　engagement；
of　which　we　were　uncertain　for　many　days。　　A　host　of　new　prisoners
perhaps　two　thousandwas　brought　in　from　there；　but　as　they　were
captured　during　the　progress　of　the　fight；　they　could　not　speak
definitely　as　to　its　issue。　　The　Rebel　papers　exulted　without　stint　over
what　they　termed　〃a　glorious　victory。〃　　They　were　particularly　jubilant
over　the　death　of　McPherson；　who；　they　claimed；　was　the　brain　and　guiding
hand　of　Sherman's　army。　　One　paper　likened　him　to　the　pilot…fish；　which
guides　the　shark　to　his　prey。　　Now　that　he　was　gone；　said　the　paper；
Sherman's　army　becomes　a　great　lumbering　hulk；　with　no　one　in　it　capable
of　directing　it；　and　it　must　soon　fall　to　utter　ruin　under　the　skilfully
delivered　strokes　of　the　gallant　Hood。

We　also　knew　that　great　numbers　of　wounded　had　been　brought　to　the　prison
hospital；　and　this　seemed　to　confirm　the　Rebel　claim　of　a　victory；　as　it
showed　they　retained　possession　of　the　battle　field。

About　the　1st　of　August　a　large　squad　of　Sherman's　men；　captured　in　one
of　the　engagements　subsequent　to　the　22d；　came　in。　　We　gathered　around
them　eagerly。　　Among　them　I　noticed　a　bright；　curly…haired；　blue…eyed
infantrymanor　boy；　rather；　as　he　was　yet　beardless。　　His　cap　was　marked
〃68th　O。　Y。　Y。　L；〃　his　sleeves　were　garnished　with　re…enlistment　stripes；
and　on　the　breast　of　his　blouse　was　a　silver　arrow。　　To　the　eye　of　the
soldier　this　said　that　he　was　a　veteran　member　of　the　Sixty…Eighth
Regiment　of　Ohio　Infantry　（that　is；　having　already　served　three　years；　he
had　re…enlisted　for　the　war）；　and　that　he　belonged　to　the　Third　Division
of　the　Seventeenth　Army　Corps。　　He　was　so　young　and　fresh　looking　that
one　could　hardly　believe　him　to　be　a　veteran；　but　if　his　stripes　had　not
said　this；　the　soldierly　arrangement　of　clothing　and　accouterments；　and
the　graceful；　self…possessed　pose　of　limbs　and　body　would　have　told　the
observer　that　he　was　one　of　those　〃Old　Reliables〃　with　whom　Sherman　and