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！
out of the ground。 When pulled up there was found the smallest bit of a
stocknot as much as a joint of one's little fingerthat was eatable。
It had no particular taste； and probably little nutriment； still it was
fresh and green； and we strained our weak muscles and enfeebled sinews at
every opportunity； endeavoring to pull up a 〃green fan。〃
At one place where we stopped there was a makeshift of a garden； one of
those sorry 〃truck patches；〃 which do poor duty about Southern cabins for
the kitchen gardens of the Northern； farmers； and produce a few coarse
cow peas； a scanty lot of collards （a coarse kind of cabbage； with a
stalk about a yard long） and some onions to vary the usual side…meat and
corn pone； diet of the Georgia 〃cracker。〃 Scanning the patch's ruins of
vine arid stalk； Andrews espied a handful of onions； which had； remained
ungathered。 They tempted him as the apple did Eve。 Without stopping to
communicate his intention to me； he sprang from the car； snatched the
onions from their bed； pulled up； half a dozen collard stalks and was on
his way back before the guard could make up his mind to fire upon him。
The swiftness of his motions saved his life； for had he been more
deliberate the guard would have concluded he was trying to； escape； and
shot him down。 As it was he was returning back before the guard could
get his gun up。 The onions he had； secured were to us more delicious
than wine upon the lees。 They seemed to find their way into every fiber
of our bodies； and invigorate every organ。 The collard stalks he had
snatched up； in the expectation of finding in them something resembling
the nutritious 〃heart〃 that we remembered as children； seeking and；
finding in the stalks of cabbage。 But we were disappointed。 The stalks
were as dry and rotten as the bones of Southern； society。 Even hunger
could find no meat in them。
After some days of this leisurely journeying toward the South； we halted
permanently about eighty…six miles from Savannah。 There was no reason
why we should stop there more than any place else where we had been or
were likely to go。 It seemed as if the Rebels had simply tired of
hauling us； and dumped us； off。 We had another lot of dead； accumulated
since we left Savannah； and the scenes at that place were repeated。
The train returned for another load of prisoners。
CHAPTER LXV。
BLACKSHEAR AND PIERCE COUNTRYWE TAKE UP NEW QUARTERS； BUT ARE CALLED
OUT FOR EXCHANGEEXCITEMENT OVER SIGNING THE PAROLEA HAPPY JOURNEY TO
SAVANNAHGRIEVOUS DISAPPOINTMENT
We were informed that the place we were at was Blackshear； and that it
was the Court House； i。 e。； the County seat of Pierce County。 Where they
kept the Court House； or County seat； is beyond conjecture to me； since I
could not see a half dozen houses in the whole clearing； and not one of
them was a respectable dwelling； taking even so low a standard for
respectable dwellings as that afforded by the majority of Georgia houses。
Pierce County； as I have since learned by the census report； is one of
the poorest Counties of a poor section of a very poor State。
A population of less than two thousand is thinly scattered over its five
hundred square miles of territory； and gain a meager subsistence by a
weak simulation of cultivating patches of its sandy dunes and plains in
〃nubbin〃 corn and dropsical sweet potatos。 A few 〃razor…back〃 hogs
a species so gaunt and thin that I heard a man once declare that he had
stopped a lot belonging to a neighbor from crawling through the cracks of
a tight board fence by simply tying a knot in their tailsroam the
woods； and supply all the meat used。
Andrews used to insist that some of the hogs which we saw were so thin
that the connection between their fore and hindquarters was only a single
thickness of skin； with hair on both sidesbut then Andrews sometimes
seemed to me to have a tendency to exaggerate。
The swine certainly did have proportions that strongly resembled those of
the animals which children cut out of cardboard。 They were like the
geometrical definition of a superficeall length and breadth； and no
thickness。 A ham from them would look like a palm…leaf fan。
I never ceased to marvel at the delicate adjustment of the development of
animal life to the soil in these lean sections of Georgia。 The poor land
would not maintain anything but lank； lazy men； with few wants； and none
but lank； lazy men； with few wants； sought a maintenance from it。 I may
have tangled up cause and effect； in this proposition； but if so； the
reader can disentangle them at his leisure。
I was not astonished to learn that it took five hundred square miles of
Pierce County land to maintain two thousand 〃crackers；〃 even as poorly as
they lived。 I should want fully that much of it to support one fair…
sized Northern family as it should be。
After leaving the cars we were marched off into the pine woods； by the
side of a considerable stream； and told that this was to be our camp。
A heavy guard was placed around us； and a number of pieces of artillery
mounted where they would command the camp。
We started in to make ourselves comfortable； as at Millen； by building
shanties。 The prisoners we left behind followed us； and we soon had our
old crowd of five or six thousand； who had been our companions at
Savannah and Millers； again with us。 The place looked very favorable for
escape。 We knew we were still near the sea coastreally not more than
forty miles awayand we felt that if we could once get there we should
be safe。 Andrews and I meditated plans of escape； and toiled away at our
cabin。
About a week after our arrival we were startled by an order for the one
thousand of us who had first arrived to get ready to move out。 In a few
minutes we were taken outside the guard line； massed close together； and
informed in a few words by a Rebel officer that we were about to be taken
back to Savannah for exchange。
The announcement took away our breath。 For an instant the rush of
emotion made us speechless； and when utterance returned； the first use we
made of it was to join in one simultaneous outburst of acclamation。
Those inside the guard line； understanding what our cheer meant； answered
us with a loud shout of congratulationthe first real； genuine； hearty
cheering that had been done since receiving the announcement of the
exchange at Andersonville； three months before。
As soon as the excitement had subsided somewhat； the Rebel proceeded to
explain that we would all be required to sign a parole。 This set us to
thinking。 After our scornful rejection of the proposition to enlist in
the Rebel army； the Rebels had felt around among us considerably as to
how we were disposed toward taking what was called the 〃Non…Combatant's
Oath；〃 that is； the swearing not to take up arms against the Southern
Confederacy again during the war。 To the most of us this seemed only a
little less dishonorable than joining the Rebel army。 We held that our
oaths to our own Government placed us at its disposal until it chose to
discharge us； and we could not make any engagements with its enemies that
might come in contravention of tha