with lee in virginia-第39章

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＇ike　it；　I　sha'n't　draw　back　when　the　time　comes；　but　as　to　being

starved　till　you　are　nigh　a　skeleton；　and　going　about　barefooted　and

in　such　rags　as　a　tramp　wouldn't　look　at；　it　ain't　reasonable。〃　　And

yet；　had　he　known　it；　among　those　fifteen　prisoners　more　than　half

were　possessors　of　wide　estates；　and　had　been　brought　up　from

their　childhood　in　the　midst　of　luxuries　such　as　the　young　farmer

never　dreamed　of。



Among　many　of　the　soldiers　sympathy　took　a　more　active　form；

and　men　pressed　forward　and　gave　packets　of　tobacco；　cigars；　and

other　little　presents　to　them；　while　two　or　three　pressed　rolls　of

dollar　notes　into　their　hands；　with　words　of　rough　kindness。



〃There　ain't　no　ill　feeling　in　us；　Rebs。　　You　have　done　your　work

like　men　and　no　doubt　you　thinks　your　cause　is　right；　just　as　we

does；　but　it's　all　over　now；　and　maybe　our　turn　will　come　next　to

see　the　inside　of　one　of　your　prisons　down　south。　　So　we　are　just

soldiers　together；　and　can　feel　for　each　other。〃



Discipline　in　small　matters　was　never　strictly　enforced　in　the

American　armies；　and　the　sergeant　in　charge　offered　no　opposition

to　the　soldiers　mingling　with　the　prisoners　as　they　walked　along。



Two　days　later　they　were　sent　by　railway　to　the　great　prison　at

Elmira；　a　town　in　the　southwest　of　the　State　of　New　York。　　When

they　reached　the　jail　the　prisoners　were　separated；　Vincent；　who

was　the　only　officer；　being　assigned　quarters　with　some　twenty

others　of　the　same　rank。　　The　prisoners　crowded　round　him　as　he

entered；　eager　to　hear　the　last　news　from　the　front；　for　they　heard

from　their　guards　only　news　of　constant　victories　won　by　the

Northerners；　for　every　defeat　was　transformed　by　the　Northern

papers　into　a　brilliant　victory；　and　it　was　only　when　the　shattered

remains　of　the　various　armies　returned　to　Alexandria　to　be

re…formed　that　the　truth　gradually　leaked　out。　Thus　Antietam　had

been　claimed　as　a　great　Northern　victory；　for　although　McClellan's

troops　had　in　the　battle　been　hurled　back　shattered　and　broken

across　the　river；　two　days　afterward　Lee　had　retired。



One　of　the　prisoners；　who　was　also　dressed　in　cavalry　uniform；

hung　back　from　the　rest；　and　going　to　the　window　looked　out　while

Vincent　was　chatting　with　the　others。　Presently　he　turned　round；

and　Vincent　recognized　with　surprise　his　old　opponent　Jackson。　

After　a　moment's　hesitation　he　walked　across　the　room　to　him。



〃Jackson；〃　he　said；　〃we　have　not　been　friends　lately；　but　I　don't　see

why　we　should　keep　up　our　quarrel　any　longer；　we　got　on　all　right

at　school　together；　and　now　we　are　prisoners　together　here　it

would　be　foolish　to　continue　our　quarrel。　　Perhaps　we　were　both

somewhat　to　blame　in　that　affair。　　I　am　quite　willing　to　allow　I

was；　for　one；　but　I　think　we　might　well　put　it　all　aside　now。〃



Jackson　hesitated；　and　then　took　the　hand　Vincent　held　out　to　him。



〃That's　right；　young　fellows；〃　one　of　the　other　officers　said。　　〃Now

that　every　Southern　gentleman　is　fighting　and　giving　his　life；　if

need　be；　for　his　country；　no　one　has　a　right　to　have　private　quarrels

of　his　own。　　Life　is　short　enough　as　it　is；　certainly　too　short　to

indulge　in　private　animosities。　　A　few　weeks　ago　we　were　fighting

side　by　side；　and　facing　death　together；　to…day　we　are　prisoners；　a

week　hence　we　may　he　exchanged；　and　soon　take　our　places　in　the

ranks　again。　　It's　the　duty　of　all　Southerners　to　stand　shoulder　to

shoulder；　and　there　ought　to　be　no　such　thing　as　ill…feeling　among

ourselves。〃



Vincent　was　not　previously　aware　that　Jackson　had　obtained　a

commission。　　He　now　learned　that　he　had　been　chosen　by　his

comrades　to　fill　a　vacancy　caused　by　the　death　of　an　officer　in　a

skirmish　just　before　Pope　fell　back　from　the　Rappahannock；　and

that　he　had　been　made　prisoner　a　few　days　afterward　in　a　charge

against　a　greatly　superior　body　of　Federal　cava＇ry。



The　great　majority　of　the　officers　on　both　sides　were　at　the

commencement　of　the　war　chosen　by　their　comrades；　the　elections

at　first　taking　place　once　a　year。　　This；　how…ever；　was　found　to　act

very　badly。　　In　some　cases　the　best　men　in　the　regiment　were

chosen；　but　too　often　men　who　had　the　command　of　money；　and

could　afford　to　stand　treat　and　get　in　supplies　of　food　and　spirits；

were　elected。　The　evils　of　the　system　were　found　so　great；　indeed；

that　it　was　gradually　abandoned；　but　in　cases　of　vacancies

occurring　in　the　field；　and　there　being　a　necessity　for　at　once

filling　them　up；　the　colonels　of　the　regiments　had　power　to　make

appointments；　and　if　the　choice　of　the　men　was　considered　to　be

satisfactory　their　nominee　would　be　generally　chosen。



In　the　case　of　Jackson；　the　colonel　had　hesitated　in　confirming　the

choice　of　the　men。　　He　did　not　for　a　moment　suspect　him　to　be

wanting　in　courage；　but　he　regarded　him　as　one　who　shirked　his

work；　and　who　won　the　votes　of　the　men　rather　by　a　fluent　tongue

and　by　the　violence　of　his　expressions　of　hatred　against　the　North

than　by　any　soldierly　qualities。



Some　of　the　officers　had　been　months　in　prison；　and　they　were

highly　indignant　at　the　delays　that　had　occurred　in　effecting　their

exchange。　　The　South；　indeed；　would　have　been　only　too　glad　to

get　rid　of　some　of　their　numerous　prisoners；　who　were　simply　an

expense　and　trouble　to　them；　and　to　get　their　own　men　back　into

their　ranks。　They　could　ill　spare　the　soldiers　required　to　guard　so

large　a　number　of　prisoners；　and　a　supply　of　food　was　in　itself　a

serious　matter。



Thus　it　was　that　at　Harper's　Ferry　and　upon　a　good　many　other

occasions　they　released　vast　numbers　of　prisoners　on　their　simple

paroles　not　to　serve　again。　　The　North；　however；　were　in　no　hurry

to　make　exchange；　and　moreover；　their　hands　were　so　full　with

their　enormous　preparations　that　they　put　aside　all　matters　which

had　not　the　claim　of　urgency。



CHAPTER　X。　THE　ESCAPE。



THE　DISCIPLINE　in　the　prison　at　Elmira　was　not　rigorous。　　The

prisoners　had　to　clean　up　the　cells；　halls；　and　yard；　but　the　rest　of

their　time　they　could　spend　as　they　liked。　　Some　of　those　whose

friends　had　money　were　able　to　live　in　comparative　luxury；　and　to

assist　those　who　had　no　such　resources；　for　throughout　the　war

there　was　never　any　great　difficulty　in　passing　letters　to　and　from

the　South。　　The　line　of　frontier　was　enormous；　and　it　was　only　at

certain　points　that　hostilities；　were　actively　carried　on；

consequently　letters　and　newspapers　were　freely　passed；　and

money　could　be　sent　in　the　same　way　from　one　part　of　the　country

to　another。



At　certain　hours　of　the　day　hawkers　and　vendors　of　such　articles　as

were　in　most　demand　by　the　prisoners　were　allowed　to　enter　the

yard　and　to　sell　their　wares　to　the　Confederates。　　Spirits　were　not

allowed　to　be　carried　in；　but　tobacco　and　all　kinds　of　food　were

permitted　to　pass。　Vincent　had　at　Alexandria　written　a　letter　to　his

mother；　and　had　given　it　to　a　man　who　represented　that　he　made　it

his　business　to　forward　letters　to　an　agent　at　Richmond；　being　paid

for　each　letter　the　sum　of　a　dollar　on　its　delivery。　Vincent　therefore

felt　confident　that　the　anxiety　that　would　be　felt　at　home　when

they　learned　that　he　was　among　the　missing　at　the　battle　of

Antietam　would　be　relieved。



He　was　fairly　supplied　with　money。　　He　had；　indeed；　had　several

hundred　dollars　with　him　at　the　time　he　was　captured；　but　these

were　entirely　in　Confederate　notes；　for　which　he　got　but　half　their

value　in　Northern　paper　at　Alexandria。　　He　himself　found　the

rations　supplied　in　the　prison　ample；　and　was　able　to　aid　any　of　his

fellow…prisoners　in　purchasing　clothes　to　replace　the　rags　they

wore　when　captured。



One　day　Vincent　strolled　down　as　usual　toward　the　gate；　where；

under　the　eye　of　the　guard；　a　row　of　men　and　women；　principally

negroes　and　negresses；　were　sitting　on　the　ground　with　their

baskets　in　front　of　them　containing　tobacco；　pipes；　fruit；　cakes；

needles　and　thread；　buttons；　and　a　variety