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When the war broke out； Hopkins enlisted in Battery H； First Ohio
Artillery； and was sent to the Army of the Potomac； where he was
captured； in the Fall of 1863； while scouting； in the neighborhood of
Richmond。 Reynolds entered the Sixty…Eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry；
and was taken in the neighborhood of Jackson； Miss。；two thousand miles
from the place of Hopkins's capture。 At Andersonville Hopkins became one
of the officers in charge of the Hospital。 One day a Rebel Sergeant； who
called the roll in the Stockade； after studying Hopkins's pin a minute；
said：
〃I seed a Yank in the Stockade to…day a…wearing a pin egzackly like that
ere。〃
This aroused Hopkins's interest； and he went inside in search of the
other 〃feller。〃 Having his squad and detachment there was little
difficulty in finding him。 He recognized the pin； spoke to its wearer；
gave him the 〃grand hailing sign〃 of the 〃Royal Reubens；〃 and it was duly
responded to。 The upshot of the matter was that he took Reynolds out
with him as clerk； and saved his life； as the latter was going down hill
very rapidly。 Reynolds； in turn； secured the detail of a comrade of the
Sixty…Eighth who was failing fast； and succeeded in saving his lifeall
of which happy results were directly attributable to that insignificant
boyish society； and its equally unimportant badge of membership。
Along in the last of August the Rebels learned that there were between
two and three hundred Captains and Lieutenants in the Stockade； passing
themselves off as enlisted men。 The motive of these officers was two…
fold： first； a chivalrous wish to share the fortunes and fate of their
boys； and second； disinclination to gratify the Rebels by the knowledge
of the rank of their captives。 The secret was so well kept that none of
us suspected it until the fact was announced by the Rebels themselves。
They were taken out immediately； and sent to Macon； where the
commissioned officers' prison was。 It would not do to trust such
possible leaders with us another day。
CHAPTER L
FOODTHE MEAGERNESS； INFERIOR QUALITY； AND TERRIBLE SAMENESS
REBEL TESTIMONY ON THE SUBJECTFUTILITY OF SUCCESSFUL EXPLANATION。
I have in other places dwelt upon the insufficiency and the nauseousness
of the food。 No words that I can use； no insistence upon this theme； can
give the reader any idea of its mortal importance to us。
Let the reader consider for a moment the quantity； quality； and variety
of food that he now holds to be necessary for the maintenance of life and
health。 I trust that every one who peruses this bookthat every one in
fact over whom the Stars and Stripes wavehas his cup of coffee； his
biscuits and his beefsteak for breakfasta substantial dinner of roast
or boiledand a lighter； but still sufficient meal in the evening。
In all； certainly not less than fifty different articles are set before
him during the day； for his choice as elements of nourishment。 Let him
scan this extended bill…of…fare； which long custom has made so common…
place as to be uninterestingperhaps even wearisome to think about
and see what he could omit from it； if necessity compelled him。 After a
reluctant farewell to fish； butter； eggs； milk； sugar； green and
preserved fruits； etc。； he thinks that perhaps under extraordinary
circumstances he might be able to merely sustain life for a limited
period on a diet of bread and meat three times a day； washed down with
creamless； unsweetened coffee； and varied occasionally with additions of
potatos； onions； beans； etc。 It would astonish the Innocent to have one
of our veterans inform him that this was not even the first stage of
destitution； that a soldier who had these was expected to be on the
summit level of contentment。 Any of the boys who followed Grant to
Appomattox Court House； Sherman to the Sea； or 〃Pap〃 Thomas till his
glorious career culminated with the annihilation of Hood； will tell him
of many weeks when a slice of fat pork on a piece of 〃hard tack〃 had to
do duty for the breakfast of beefsteak and biscuits； when another slice
of fat pork and another cracker served for the dinner of roast beef and
vegetables； and a third cracker and slice of pork was a substitute for
the supper of toast and chops。
I say to these veterans in turn that they did not arrive at the first
stages of destitution compared with the depths to which we were dragged。
The restriction for a few weeks to a diet of crackers and fat pork was
certainly a hardship； but the crackers alone； chemists tell us； contain
all the elements necessary to support life； and in our Army they were
always well made and very palatable。 I believe I risk nothing in saying
that one of the ordinary square crackers of our Commissary Department
contained much more real nutriment than the whole of our average ration。
I have before compared the size； shape and appearance of the daily half
loaf of corn bread issued to us to a half…brick； and I do not yet know of
a more fitting comparison。 At first we got a small piece of rusty bacon
along with this； but the size of this diminished steadily until at last
it faded away entirely； and during the last six months of our
imprisonment I do not believe that we received rations of meat above a
half…dozen times。
To this smallness was added ineffable badness。 The meal was ground very
coarsely； by dull； weakly propelled stones； that imperfectly crushed the
grains； and left the tough； hard coating of the kernels in large； sharp；
mica…like scales； which cut and inflamed the stomach and intestines；
like handfuls of pounded glass。 The alimentary canals of all compelled
to eat it were kept in a continual state of irritation that usually
terminated in incurable dysentery。
That I have not over…stated this evil can be seen by reference to the
testimony of so competent a scientific observer as Professor Jones； and I
add to that unimpeachable testimony the following extract from the
statement made in an attempted defense of Andersonville by Doctor R。
Randolph Stevenson； who styles himself； formerly Surgeon in the Army of
the Confederate States of America； Chief Surgeon of the Confederate
States Military Prison Hospitals； Andersonville； Ga。〃：
V。 From the sameness of the food； and from the action of the poisonous
gases in the densely crowded and filthy Stockade and Hospital； the blood
was altered in its constitution； even； before the manifestation of actual
disease。
In both the well and the sick； the red corpuscles were diminished； and in
all diseases uncomplicated with inflammation； the fibrinous element was
deficient。 In cases of ulceration of the mucous membrane of the
intestinal canal； the fibrinous element of the blood appeared to be
increased； while in simple diarrhea； uncomplicated with ulceration； and
dependent upon the character of the food and the existence of scurvy；
it was either diminished or remained stationary。 Heart…clots were very
common； if not universally present； in the cases of ulceration of the
intestinal mucous membrane； while in the uncomplicated cases of diarrhea
and scurvy； the blood was fluid and did not coagulate readily； and the
heart…clots and fibrinous c