passages from an old volume of life-第6章

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There　was　nothing　worthy　of　special　note　in　the　trip　to　Frederick；　except　our　passing　a　squad　of　Rebel　prisoners；　whom　I　missed　seeing；　as　they　flashed　by；　but　who　were　said　to　be　a　most　forlorn…looking　crowd　of　scarecrows。　　Arrived　at　the　Monocacy　River；　about　three　miles　this　side　of　Frederick；　we　came　to　a　halt；　for　the　railroad　bridge　had　been　blown　up　by　the　Rebels；　and　its　iron　pillars　and　arches　were　lying　in　the　bed　of　the　river。　　The　unfortunate　wretch　who　fired　the　train　was　killed　by　the　explosion；　and　lay　buried　hard　by；　his　hands　sticking　out　of　the　shallow　grave　into　which　he　had　been　huddled。　　This　was　the　story　they　told　us；　but　whether　true　or　not　I　must　leave　to　the　correspondents　of　〃Notes　and　Queries　〃　to　settle。

There　was　a　great　confusion　of　carriages　and　wagons　at　the　stopping…　place　of　the　train；　so　that　it　was　a　long　time　before　I　could　get　anything　that　would　carry　us。　　At　last　I　was　lucky　enough　to　light　on　a　sturdy　wagon；　drawn　by　a　pair　of　serviceable　bays；　and　driven　by　James　Grayden；　with　whom　I　was　destined　to　have　a　somewhat　continued　acquaintance。　　We　took　up　a　little　girl　who　had　been　in　Baltimore　during　the　late　Rebel　inroad。　　It　made　me　think　of　the　time　when　my　own　mother；　at　that　time　six　years　old；　was　hurried　off　from　Boston；　then　occupied　by　the　British　soldiers；　to　Newburyport；　and　heard　the　people　saying　that　〃the　redcoats　were　coming；　killing　and　murdering　everybody　as　they　went　along。〃　　Frederick　looked　cheerful　for　a　place　that　had　so　recently　been　in　an　enemy's　hands。　　Here　and　there　a　house　or　shop　was　shut　up；　but　the　national　colors　were　waving　in　all　directions；　and　the　general　aspect　was　peaceful　and　contented。　　I　saw　no　bullet…marks　or　other　sign　of　the　fighting　which　had　gone　on　in　the　streets。　　The　Colonel's　lady　was　taken　in　charge　by　a　daughter　of　that　hospitable　family　to　which　we　had　been　commended　by　its　head；　and　I　proceeded　to　inquire　for　wounded　officers　at　the　various　temporary　hospitals。

At　the　United　States　Hotel；　where　many　were　lying；　I　heard　mention　of　an　officer　in　an　upper　chamber；　and；　going　there；　found　Lieutenant　Abbott；　of　the　Twentieth　Massachusetts　Volunteers；　lying　ill　with　what　looked　like　typhoid　fever。　　While　there；　who　should　come　in　but　the　almost　ubiquitous　Lieutenant　Wilkins；　of　the　same　Twentieth；　whom　I　had　met　repeatedly　before　on　errands　of　kindness　or　duty；　and　who　was　just　from　the　battle…ground。　　He　was　going　to　Boston　in　charge　of　the　body　of　the　lamented　Dr。　Revere；　the　Assistant　Surgeon　of　the　regiment；　killed　on　the　field。　　From　his　lips　I　learned　something　of　the　mishaps　of　the　regiment。　　My　Captain's　wound　he　spoke　of　as　less　grave　than　at　first　thought；　but　he　mentioned　incidentally　having　heard　a　story　recently　that　he　was　killed；a　fiction；　doubtless；a　mistake；a　palpable　absurdity；not　to　be　remembered　or　made　any　account　of。　　Oh　no！　but　what　dull　ache　is　this　in　that　obscurely　sensitive　region；　somewhere　below　the　heart；　where　the　nervous　centre　called　the　semilunar　ganglion　lies　unconscious　of　itself　until　a　great　grief　or　a　mastering　anxiety　reaches　it　through　all　the　non…　conductors　which　isolate　it　from　ordinary　impressions？　　I　talked　awhile　with　Lieutenant　Abbott；　who　lay　prostrate；　feeble；　but　soldier…like　and　uncomplaining；　carefully　waited　upon　by　a　most　excellent　lady；　a　captain's　wife；　New　England　born；　loyal　as　the　Liberty　on　a　golden　ten…dollar　piece；　and　of　lofty　bearing　enough　to　have　sat　for　that　goddess's　portrait。　　She　had　stayed　in　Frederick　through　the　Rebel　inroad；　and　kept　the　star…spangled　banner　where　it　would　be　safe；　to　unroll　it　as　the　last　Rebel　hoofs　clattered　off　from　the　pavement　of　the　town。

Near　by　Lieutenant　Abbott　was　an　unhappy　gentleman；　occupying　a　small　chamber；　and　filling　it　with　his　troubles。　　When　he　gets　well　and　plump；　I　know　he　will　forgive　me　if　I　confess　that　I　could　not　help　smiling　in　the　midst　of　my　sympathy　for　him。　　He　had　been　a　well…　favored　man；　he　said；　sweeping　his　hand　in　a　semicircle；　which　implied　that　his　acute…angled　countenance　had　once　filled　the　goodly　curve　he　described。　　He　was　now　a　perfect　Don　Quixote　to　look　upon。　Weakness　had　made　him　querulous；　as　it　does　all　of　us；　and　he　piped　his　grievances　to　me　in　a　thin　voice；　with　that　finish　of　detail　which　chronic　invalidism　alone　can　command。　　He　was　starving；he　could　not　get　what　he　wanted　to　eat。　　He　was　in　need　of　stimulants；　and　he　held　up　a　pitiful　two…ounce　phial　containing　three　thimblefulsof　brandy；his　whole　stock　of　that　encouraging　article。　Him　I　consoled　to　the　best　of　my　ability；　and　afterwards；　in　some　slight　measure；　supplied　his　wants。　　Feed　this　poor　gentleman　up；　as　these　good　people　soon　will；　and　I　should　not　know　him；　nor　he　himself。　　We　are　all　egotists　in　sickness　and　debility。　　An　animal　has　been　defined　as　〃a　stomach　ministered　to　by　organs；〃　and　the　greatest　man　comes　very　near　this　simple　formula　after　a　month　or　two　of　fever　and　starvation。

James　Grayden　and　his　team　pleased　me　well　enough；　and　so　I　made　a　bargain　with　him　to　take　us；　the　lady　and　myself；　on　our　further　journey　as　far　as　Middletown。　　As　we　were　about　starting　from　the　front　of　the　United　States　Hotel；　two　gentlemen　presented　themselves　and　expressed　a　wish　to　be　allowed　to　share　our　conveyance。　　I　looked　at　them　and　convinced　myself　that　they　were　neither　Rebels　in　disguise；　nor　deserters；　nor　camp…followers；　nor　miscreants；　but　plain；　honest　men　on　a　proper　errand。　　The　first　of　them　I　will　pass　over　briefly。　　He　was　a　young　man　of　mild　and　modest　demeanor；　chaplain　to　a　Pennsylvania　regiment；　which　he　was　going　to　rejoin。　He　belonged　to　the　Moravian　Church；　of　which　I　had　the　misfortune　to　know　little　more　than　what　I　had　learned　from　Southey's　〃Life　of　Wesley。〃　　and　from　the　exquisite　hymns　we　have　borrowed　from　its　rhapsodists。　　The　other　stranger　was　a　New　Englander　of　respectable　appearance；　with　a　grave；　hard；　honest；　hay…bearded　face；　who　had　come　to　serve　the　sick　and　wounded　on　the　battle…field　and　in　its　immediate　neighborhood。　　There　is　no　reason　why　I　should　not　mention　his　name；　but　I　shall　content　myself　with　calling　him　the　Philanthropist。

So　we　set　forth；　the　sturdy　wagon；　the　serviceable　bays；　with　James　Grayden　their　driver；　the　gentle　lady；　whose　serene　patience　bore　up　through　all　delays　and　discomforts；　the　Chaplain；　the　Philanthropist；　and　myself；　the　teller　of　this　story。

And　now；　as　we　emerged　from　Frederick；　we　struck　at　once　upon　the　trail　from　the　great　battle…field。　　The　road　was　filled　with　straggling　and　wounded　soldiers。　　All　who　could　travel　on　foot；　multitudes　with　slight　wounds　of　the　upper　limbs；　the　head；　or　face；　were　told　to　take　up　their　beds；alight　burden　or　none　at　all；　and　walk。　　Just　as　the　battle…field　sucks　everything　into　its　red　vortex　for　the　conflict；　so　does　it　drive　everything　off　in　long；　diverging　rays　after　the　fierce　centripetal　forces　have　met　and　neutralized　each　other。　　For　more　than　a　week　there　had　been　sharp　fighting　all　along　this　road。　　Through　the　streets　of　Frederick；　through　Crampton's　Gap；　over　South　Mountain；　sweeping　at　last　the　hills　and　the　woods　that　skirt　the　windings　of　the　Antietam；　the　long　battle　had　travelled；　like　one　of　those　tornadoes　which　tear　their　path　through　our　fields　and　villages。　　The　slain　of　higher　condition；　〃embalmed〃　and　iron…cased；　were　sliding　off　on　the　railways　to　their　far　homes；　the　dead　of　the　rank　and　file　were　being　gathered　up　and　committed　hastily　to　the　earth；　the　gravely　wounded　were　cared　for　hard　by　the　scene　of　conflict；　or　pushed　a　little　way　along　to　the　neighboring　villages；　while　those　who　could　walk　were　meeting　us；　as　I　have　said；　at　every　step　in　the　road。　　It　was　a　pitiable　sight；　truly　pitiable；　yet　so　vast；　so　far　beyond　the　possibility　of　relief；　that　many　single　sorrows　of　small　dimensions　have　wrought　upon　my　feelings　more　than　the　sight　of　this　great　caravan　of　maimed　pilgrims。　　The　companionship　of　so　many　seemed　to　make　a　joint…stock　of　their　suffering；　it　was　next　to　impossible　to　individualize　it；　and　so　bring　it　home；　as　one　can　do　with　a　single　broken　limb　or　aching　wound。　　Then　they　were　all　of　the　male　sex；　and　in　the　freshness　or　the　prime　of　their　strength。　　Though　they　tramp