andersonville-第88章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
instantly told us were Western boys。
There was never any difficulty in telling； as far as he could be seen；
whether a boy belonged to the East or the west。 First； no one from the
Army of the Potomac was ever without his corps badge worn conspicuously；
it was rare to see such a thing on one of Sherman's men。 Then there was
a dressy air about the Army of the Potomac that was wholly wanting in the
soldiers serving west of the Alleghanies。
The Army； of the Potomac was always near to its base of supplies； always
had its stores accessible； and the care of the clothing and equipments of
the men was an essential part of its discipline。 A ragged or shabbily
dressed man was a rarity。 Dress coats； paper collars； fresh woolen
shirts； neat…fitting pantaloons； good comfortable shoes； and trim caps or
hats； with all the blazing brass of company letters an inch long；
regimental number； bugle and eagle； according to the Regulations； were as
common to Eastern boys as they were rare among the Westerners。
The latter usually wore blouses； instead of dress coats； and as a rule
their clothing had not been renewed since the opening； of the campaign…
and it showed this。 Those who wore good boots or shoes generally had to
submit to forcible exchanges by their； captors； and the same was true of
head gear。 The Rebels were badly off in regard to hats。 They did not
have skill and ingenuity enough to make these out of felt or straw； and
the make…shifts they contrived of quilted calico and long…leaved pine；
were ugly enough to frighten horned cattle。
I never blamed them much for wanting to get rid of these； even if they
did have to commit a sort of highway robbery upon defenseless prisoners
to do so。 To be a traitor in arms was bad certainly； but one never
appreciated the entire magnitude of the crime until he saw a Rebel
wearing a calico or a pine…leaf hat。 Then one felt as if it would be a
great mistake to ever show such a man mercy。
The Army of Northern Virginia seemed to have supplied themselves with
head…gear of Yankee manufacture of previous years； and they then quit
taking the hats of their prisoners。 Johnston's Army did not have such
good luck； and had to keep plundering to the end of the war。
Another thing about the Army of the Potomac was the variety of the
uniforms。 There were members of Zouave regiments； wearing baggy breeches
of various hues； gaiters； crimson fezes； and profusely braided jackets。
I have before mentioned the queer garb of the 〃Lost Ducks。〃 （Les Enfants
Perdu； Forty…eighth New York。）
One of the most striking uniforms was that of the 〃Fourteenth Brooklyn。〃
They wore scarlet pantaloons； a blue jacket handsomely braided； and a red
fez； with a white cloth wrapped around the head； turban…fashion。
As a large number of them were captured； they formed quite a picturesque
feature of every crowd。 They were generally good fellows and gallant
soldiers。
Another uniform that attracted much； though not so favorable； attention
was that of the Third New Jersey Cavalry； or First New Jersey Hussars；
as they preferred to call themselves。 The designer of the uniform must
have had an interest in a curcuma plantation； or else he was a fanatical
Orangeman。 Each uniform would furnish occasion enough for a dozen New
York riots on the 12th of July。 Never was such an eruption of the
yellows seen outside of the jaundiced livery of some Eastern potentate。
Down each leg of the pantaloons ran a stripe of yellow braid one and one…
half inches wide。 The jacket had enormous gilt buttons； and was
embellished with yellow braid until it was difficult to tell whether it
was blue cloth trimmed with yellow； or yellow adorned with blue。 From
the shoulders swung a little； false hussar jacket； lined with the same
flaring yellow。 The vizor…less cap was similarly warmed up with the hue
of the perfected sunflower。 Their saffron magnificence was like the
gorgeous gold of the lilies of the field； and Solomon in all his glory
could not have beau arrayed like one of them。 I hope he was not。 I want
to retain my respect for him。 We dubbed these daffodil cavaliers
〃Butterflies；〃 and the name stuck to them like a poor relation。
Still another distinction that was always noticeable between the two
armies was in the bodily bearing of the men。 The Army of the Potomac was
drilled more rigidly than the Western men； and had comparatively few long
marches。 Its members had something of the stiffness and precision of
English and German soldiery； while the Western boys had the long；
〃reachy〃 stride； and easy swing that made forty miles a day a rather
commonplace march for an infantry regiment。
This was why we knew the new prisoners to be Sherman's boys as soon as
they came inside； and we started for them to hear the news。 Inviting
them over to our lean…to； we told them our anxiety for the story of the
decisive blow that gave us the Central Gate of the Confederacy； and asked
them to give it to us。
CHAPTER； LVI。
WHAT CAUSED THE FALL OF ATLANTAA DISSERTATION UPON AN IMPORTANT
PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMTHE BATTLE OF JONESBOROWHY IT WAS FOUGHT
HOW SHERMAN DECEIVED HOODA DESPERATE BAYONET CHARGE； AND THE ONLY
SUCCESSFUL ONE IN THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGNA GALLANT COLONEL AND HOW HE
DIEDTHE HEROISM OF SOME ENLISTED MENGOING CALMLY INTO CERTAIN DEATH。
An intelligent； quick…eyed； sunburned boy； without an ounce of surplus
flesh on face or limbs； which had been reduced to gray…hound condition by
the labors and anxieties of the months of battling between Chattanooga
and Atlanta； seemed to be the accepted talker of the crowd； since all the
rest looked at him； as if expecting him to answer for them。 He did so：
〃You want to know about how we got Atlanta at last； do you？ Well； if you
don't know； I should think you would want to。 If I didn't； I'd want
somebody to tell me all about it just as soon as he could get to me； for
it was one of the neatest little bits of work that 'old Billy' and his
boys ever did； and it got away with Hood so bad that he hardly knew what
hurt him。
〃Well； first； I'll tell you that we belong to the old Fourteenth Ohio
Volunteers； which； if you know anything about the Army of the Cumberland；
you'll remember has just about as good a record as any that trains around
old Pap Thomasand he don't 'low no slouches of any kind near him；
eitheryou can bet 500 to a cent on that； and offer to give back the
cent if you win。 Ours is Jim Steedman's old regimentyou've all heard
of old Chickamauga Jim； who slashed his division of 7；000 fresh men into
the Rebel flank on the second day at Chickamauga； in a way that made
Longstreet wish he'd staid on the Rappahannock； and never tried to get up
any little sociable with the Westerners。 If I do say it myself； I
believe we've got as good a crowd of square； stand…up； trust'em…every…
minute…in…your…life boys； as ever thawed hard…tack and sowbelly。 We got
all the grunters and weak sisters fanned out the first year； and since
then we've been on a business basis； all the time。 We're in a mighty
good brigade； too。 Most of the regiments have been with us since we
formed the first brigade Pap Thomas ever commanded； and waded with him
through the mud of Kentucky； from Wild Cat to Mill Springs； where he gave
Zollicoffer just a little the awfulest thrashing that a Rebel General
ever got。 That； you know； was in January； 1862； and was the first
victory gained by the Western Army； and our people felt so rejoiced over
it that〃
〃Yes； yes； we've read all about that；〃 we broke in； 〃and we'd like to
hear it again； some other time； but tell us now about Atlanta。〃
〃All right。 Let's see： where was I？ O； yes； talking about our brigade。
It is the Third Brigade； of the Third Division； of the Fourteenth Corps；
and is made up of the Fourteenth Ohio； Thirty…eighth Ohio； Tenth
Kentucky； and Seventy…fourth Indiana。 Our old ColonelGeorge P。 Este
commands it。 We never liked him very well in camp； but I tell you he's a
whole team in a fight； and he'd do so well there that all would take to
him again； and he'd be real popular for a while。〃
〃Now； isn't that strange；〃 broke in Andrews； who was given to fits of
spec
