andersonville-第93章

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would　probably　have　saved　thousands　of　lives　at　Andersonville　and
Florence。

A　large　tree　lay　on　the　ground　assigned　to　our　hundred。　　Andrews　and　I
took　possession　of　one　side　of　the　ten　feet　nearest　the　butt。　　Other　boys
occupied　the　rest　in　a　similar　manner。　　One　of　our　boys　had　succeeded　in
smuggling　an　ax　in　with　him；　and　we　kept　it　in　constant　use　day　and
night；　each　group　borrowing　it　for　an　hour　or　so　at　a　time。　　It　was　as
dull　as　a　hoe；　and　we　were　very　weak；　so　that　it　was　slow　work　〃niggering
off〃（as　the　boys　termed　it）　a　cut　of　the　log。　　It　seemed　as　if　beavers
could　have　gnawed　it　off　easier　and　more　quickly。　　We　only　cut　an　inch　or
so　at　a　time；　and　then　passed　the　ax　to　the　next　users。　　Making　little
wedges　with　a　dull　knife；　we　drove　them　into　the　log　with　clubs；　and
split　off　long；　thin　strips；　like　the　weatherboards　of　a　house；　and　by
the　time　we　had　split　off　our　share　of　the　log　in　this　slow　and　laborious
way；　we　had　a　fine　lot　of　these　strips。　　We　were　lucky　enough　to　find
four　forked　sticks；　of　which　we　made　the　corners　of　our　dwelling；　and
roofed　it　carefully　with　our　strips；　held　in　place　by　sods　torn　up　from
the　edge　of　the　creek　bank。　　The　sides　and　ends　were　enclosed；　we
gathered　enough　pine　tops　to　cover　the　ground　to　a　depth　of　several
inches；　we　banked　up　the　outside；　and　ditched　around　it；　and　then　had　the
most　comfortable　abode　we　had　during　our　prison　career。　　It　was　truly　a
house　builded　with　our　own　hands；　for　we　had　no　tools　whatever　save　the
occasional　use　of　the　aforementioned　dull　axe　and　equally　dull　knife。

The　rude　little　hut　represented　as　much　actual　hard；　manual　labor　as
would　be　required　to　build　a　comfortable　little　cottage　in　the　North；
but　we　gladly　performed　it；　as　we　would　have　done　any　other　work　to
better　our　condition。

For　a　while　wood　was　quite　plentiful；　and　we　had　the　luxury　daily　of　warm
fires；　which　the　increasing　coolness　of　the　weather　made　important
accessories　to　our　comfort。

Other　prisoners　kept　coming　in。　　Those　we　left　behind　at　Savannah
followed　us；　and　the　prison　there　was　broken　up。　　Quite　a　number　also
came　in　fromAndersonville；　so　that　in　a　little　while　we　had　between　six
and　seven　thousand　in　the　Stockade。　　The　last　comers　found　all　the
material　for　tents　and　all　the　fuel　used　up；　and　consequently　did　not
fare　so　well　as　the　earlier　arrivals。

The　commandant　of　the　prisonone　Captain　Boweswas　the　best　of　his
class　it　was　my　fortune　to　meet。　　Compared　with　the　senseless　brutality
of　Wirz；　the　reckless　deviltry　of　Davis；　or　the　stupid　malignance　of
Barrett；　at　Florence；　his　administration　was　mildness　and　wisdom　itself。

He　enforced　discipline　better　than　any　of　those　named；　but　has　what　they
all　lackedexecutive　abilityand　he　secured　results　that　they　could　not
possibly　attain；　and　without　anything；　like　the　friction　that　attended
their　efforts。　　I　do　not　remember　that　any　one　was　shot　during　our　six
weeks'　stay　at　Millena　circumstance　simply　remarkable；　since　I　do　not
recall　a　single　week　passed　anywhere　else　without　at　least　one　murder　by
the　guards。

One　instance　will　illustrate　the　difference　of　his　administration　from
that　of　other　prison　commandants。　　He　came　upon　the　grounds　of　our
division　one　morning；　accompanied　by　a　pleasant…faced；　intelligent…
appearing　lad　of　about　fifteen　or　sixteen。　　He　said　to　us：

〃Gentlemen：　（The　only　instance　during　our　imprisonment　when　we　received
so　polite　a　designation。）　This　is　my　son；　who　will　hereafter　call　your
roll。　　He　will　treat　you　as　gentlemen；　and　I　know　you　will　do　the　same　to
him。〃

This　understanding　was　observed　to　the　letter　on　both　sides。　　Young　Bowes
invariably　spoke　civilly　to　us；　and　we　obeyed　his　orders　with　a　prompt
cheerfulness　that　left　him　nothing　to　complain　of。

The　only　charge　I　have　to　make　against　Bowes　is　made　more　in　detail　in
another　chapter；　and　that　is；　that　he　took　money　from　well　prisoners　for
giving　them　the　first　chance　to　go　through　on　the　Sick　Exchange。
How　culpable　this　was　I　must　leave　each　reader　to　decide　for　himself。
I　thought　it　very　wrong　at　the　time；　but　possibly　my　views　might　have
been　colored　highly　by　my　not　having　any　money　wherewith　to　procure　my
own　inclusion　in　the　happy　lot　of　the　exchanged。

Of　one　thing　I　am　certain：　that　his　acceptance　of　money　to　bias　his
official　action　was　not　singular　on　his　part。　　I　am　convinced　that　every
commandant　we　had　over　usexcept　Wirzwas　habitually　in　the　receipt　of
bribes　from　prisoners。　　I　never　heard　that　any　one　succeeded　in　bribing
Wirz；　and　this　is　the　sole　good　thing　I　can　say　of　that　fellow。　　Against
this　it　may　be　said；　however；　that　he　plundered　the　boys　so　effectually
on　entering　the　prison　as　to　leave　them　little　of　the　wherewithal　to
bribe　anybody。

Davis　was　probably　the　most　unscrupulous　bribe…taker　of　the　lot。
He　actually　received　money　for　permitting　prisoners　to　escape　to　our
lines；　and　got　down　to　as　low　a　figure　as　one　hundred　dollars　for　this
sort　of　service。　　I　never　heard　that　any　of　the　other　commandants　went
this　far。

The　rations　issued　to　us　were　somewhat　better　than　those　of
Andersonville；　as　the　meal　was　finer　and　better；　though　it　was　absurdedly
insufficient　in　quantity；　and　we　received　no　salt。　　On　several　occasions
fresh　beef　was　dealt　out　to　us；　and　each　time　the　excitement　created
among　those　who　had　not　tasted　fresh　meat　for　weeks　and　months　was
wonderful。　　On　the　first　occasion　the　meat　was　simply　the　heads　of　the
cattle　killed　for　the　use　of　the　guards。　　Several　wagon　loads　of　these
were　brought　in　and　distributed。　　We　broke　them　up　so　that　every　man　got
a　piece　of　the　bone；　which　was　boiled　and　reboiled；　as　long　as　a　single
bubble　of　grease　would　rise　to　the　surface　of　the　water；　every　vestige　of
meat　was　gnawed　and　scraped　from　the　surface　and　then　the　bone　was
charred　until　it　crumbled；　when　it　was　eaten。　　No　one　who　has　not
experienced　it　can　imagine　the　inordinate　hunger　for　animal　food　of　those
who　had　eaten　little　else　than　corn　bread　for　so　long。　　Our　exhausted
bodies　were　perishing　for　lack　of　proper　sustenance。　　Nature　indicated
fresh　beef　as　the　best　medium　to　repair　the　great　damage　already　done；
and　our　longing　for　it　became　beyond　description。




CHAPTER　LX

THE　RAIDERS　REAPPEAR　ON　THE　SCENETHE　ATTEMPT　TO　ASSASSINATE　THOSE　WHO
WERE　CONCERNED　IN　THE　EXECUTIONA　COUPLE　OF　LIVELY　FIGHTS；　IN　WHICH　THE
RAIDERS　ARE　DEFEATEDHOLDING　AN　ELECTION。

Our　old　antagoniststhe　Raiderswere　present　in　strong　force　in　Millen。
Like　ourselves；　they　had　imagined　the　departure　from　Andersonville　was
for　exchange；　and　their　relations　to　the　Rebels　were　such　that　they　were
all　given　a　chance　to　go　with　the　first　squads。　　A　number　had　been
allowed　to　go　with　the　sailors　on　the　Special　Naval　Exchange　from
Savannah；　in　the　place　of　sailors　and　marines　who　had　died。　　On　the　way
to　Charleston　a　fight　had　taken　place　between　them　and　the　real　sailors；
during　which　one　of　their　numbera　curly…headed　Irishman　named　Dailey；
who　was　in　such　high　favor　with　the　Rebels　that　he　was　given　the　place　of
driving　the　ration　wagon　that　came　in　the　North　Side　at　Andersonville
was　killed；　and　thrown　under　the　wheels　of　the　moving　train；　which　passed
over　him。

After　things　began　to　settle　into　shape　at　Millen；　they　seemed　to　believe
that　they　were　in　such　ascendancy　as　to　numbers　and　organization　that
they　could　put　into　execution　their　schemes　of　vengeance　against　those　of
us　who　had　been　active　participants　in　the　execution　of　their
confederates　at　Andersonville。

After　some　little　preliminaries　they　settled　upon　Corporal　〃Wat〃　Payne；
of　my　company；　as　their　first　victim。　　The　reader　will　remember　Payne　as
one　of　the　two　Corporals　who　pulled　the　trigger　to　the　scaffold　at　the
time　of　the　execution。

Payne　was　a　very　good　man　physically；　and　was　yet　in　fair　condition。
The　Raiders　came　up　one　day　with　their　best　manPete　Donnellyand
provoked　a　fight；　intending；　in　the　course　of　it；　to　kill　Payne。　　We；
who　knew　Payee；　felt　reasonably　confident　of　his　ability　to　handle　even
so　redoubtable　a　pugilist　as　Donnelly；　and　we　gathered　together　a　little
squad　of　our　friends　to　see　fair　play。

The　fi