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imprisonment in the Penitentiary； and any soldier so offending should
suffer death。
Notwithstanding all this； in Richmond； the head and heart of the
Confederacy； in January； 1864long before the Rebel cause began to look
at all desperateit took a dollar to buy such a loaf of bread as now
sells for ten cents； a newspaper was a half dollar； and everything else
in proportion。 And still worse： There was not a day during our stay in
Richmond but what one could go to the hole in the door before which the
guard was pacing and call out in a loud whisper：
〃Say； Guard： do you want to buy some greenbacks？〃
And be sure that the reply would be； after a furtive glance around to see
that no officer was watching：
〃Yes； how much do you want for them？〃
The reply was then： 〃Ten for one。〃
〃All right； how much have you got？〃
The Yankee would reply； the Rebel would walk to the farther end of his
beat； count out the necessary amount； and； returning； put up one hand
with it； while with the other he caught hold of one end of the Yankee's
greenback。 At the word； both would release their holds simultaneously；
the exchange was complete； and the Rebel would pace industriously up and
down his beat with the air of the school boy who 〃ain't been a…doin'
nothing。〃
There was never any risk in approaching any guard with a proposition of
this kind。 I never heard of one refusing to trade for greenbacks； and if
the men on guard could not be restrained by these stringent laws； what
hope could there be of restraining anybody else？
One day we were favored with a visit from the redoubtable General John H。
Morgan； next to J。 E。 B。 Stuart the greatest of Rebel cavalry leaders。
He had lately escaped from the Ohio Penitentiary。 He was invited to
Richmond to be made a Major General； and was given a grand ovation by the
citizens and civic Government。 He came into our building to visit a
number of the First Kentucky Cavalry （loyal）captured at New
Philadelphia； East Tennesseewhom he was anxious to have exchanged for
men of his own regimentthe First Kentucky Cavalry （Rebel）who were
captured at the same time he was。 I happened to get very close to him
while he was standing there talking to his old acquaintances； and I made
a mental photograph of him； which still retains all its original
distinctness。 He was a tall； heavy man； with a full； coarse； and
somewhat dull face； and lazy； sluggish gray eyes。 His long black hair
was carefully oiled； and turned under at the ends； as was the custom with
the rural beaux some years ago。 His face was clean shaved； except a
large； sandy goatee。 He wore a high silk hat； a black broadcloth coat；
Kentucky jeans pantaloons； neatly fitting boots； and no vest。 There was
nothing remotely suggestive of unusual ability or force of character； and
I thought as I studied him that the sting of George D。 Prentice's bon mot
about him was in its acrid truth。 Said Mr。 Prentice：
〃Why don't somebody put a pistol to Basil Duke's head； and blow John
Morgan's brains out！〃 ＇Basil Duke was John Morgan's right hand man。＇
CHAPTER XII。
REMARKS AS TO NOMENCLATUREVACC1NATION AND ITS EFFECTS〃N'YAARKER'S；〃
THEIR CHARACTERISTICS AND THEIR METHODS OF OPERATING。
Before going any further in this narrative it may be well to state that
the nomenclature employed is not used in any odious or disparaging sense。
It is simply the adoption of the usual terms employed by the soldiers of
both sides in speaking to or of each other。 We habitually spoke of them
and to them； as 〃Rebels；〃 and 〃Johnnies ；〃 they of and to us； as 〃Yanks；〃
and 〃Yankees。〃 To have said 〃Confederates；〃 〃Southerners；〃
〃Secessionists；〃 or 〃Federalists；〃 〃Unionists；〃 〃Northerners〃 or
〃Nationalists；〃 would have seemed useless euphemism。 The plainer terms
suited better； and it was a day when things were more important than
names。
For some inscrutable reason the Rebels decided to vaccinate us all。
Why they did this has been one of the unsolved problems of my life。
It is true that there was small pox in the City； and among the prisoners
at Danville； but that any consideration for our safety should have led
them to order general inoculation is not among the reasonable inferences。
But； be that as it may； vaccination was ordered； and performed。 By great
good luck I was absent from the building with the squad drawing rations；
when our room was inoculated； so I escaped what was an infliction to all；
and fatal to many。 The direst consequences followed the operation。
Foul ulcers appeared on various parts of the bodies of the vaccinated。
In many instances the arms literally rotted off； and death followed from
a corruption of the blood。 Frequently the faces； and other parts of
those who recovered； were disfigured by the ghastly cicatrices of healed
ulcers。 A special friend of mine； Sergeant Frank Beverstockthen a
member of the Third Virginia Cavalry； （loyal）； and after the war a banker
in Bowling Green； O。；bore upon his temple to his dying day； （which
occurred a year ago）； a fearful scar； where the flesh had sloughed off
from the effects of the virus that had tainted his blood。
This I do not pretend to account for。 We thought at the time that the
Rebels had deliberately poisoned the vaccine matter with syphilitic
virus； and it was so charged upon them。 I do not now believe that this
was so； I can hardly think that members of the humane profession of
medicine would be guilty of such subtle diabolismworse even than
poisoning the wells from which an enemy must drink。 The explanation with
which I have satisfied myself is that some careless or stupid
practitioner took the vaccinating lymph from diseased human bodies；
and thus infected all with the blood venom； without any conception of
what he was doing。 The low standard of medical education in the South
makes this theory quite plausible。
We now formed the acquaintance of a species of human vermin that united
with the Rebels； cold； hunger； lice and the oppression of distraint； to
leave nothing undone that could add to the miseries of our prison life。
These were the fledglings of the slums and dives of New Yorkgraduates
of that metropolitan sink of iniquity where the rogues and criminals of
the whole world meet for mutual instruction in vice。
They were men who； as a rule； had never known； a day of honesty and
cleanliness in their misspent lives； whose fathers； brothers and constant
companions were roughs； malefactors and； felons； whose mothers； wives and
sisters were prostitutes； procuresses and thieves； men who had from
infancy lived in an atmosphere of sin； until it saturated every fiber of
their being as a dweller in a jungle imbibes malaria by every one of his；
millions of pores； until his very marrow is surcharged with it。
They included representatives from all nationalities； and their
descendants； but the English and Irish elements predominated。 They had
an argot peculiar to themselves。 It was partly made up of the 〃flash〃
language of the London thieves； amplified and enriched by the cant
vocabulary and the jargon of crime of every European tongue。 They spoke
it with a peculiar accent and intonation that made them instantly
recognizable from the roughs of all other Cities。 They called themselves
〃N'Yaarkers；〃 we came to know them as 〃Raiders。〃
If everything in the animal world has its counterpart among men； then
these were the wolves； jackals and hyenas of the race at once cowardly
and fierceaudaciously bold when the power of numbers was on their side；
and cowardly when confronted with resolution by anything like an equality
of strength。
Like all other roughs and rascals of whatever degree； they were utterly
worthless as soldiers。 There may have been in the Army some habitual
corner loafer； some fistic champion of the bar…room and brothel； some
Terror of Plug Uglyville； who was worth the salt in the hard tack he
consumed； but if there were； I did not form his acquaintance； and I never
heard of any one else who did。 It was the rule that the man who was the
readiest in the use of fist and slungshot at home had the greatest
diffidence about forming a close acquaintance with cold lead in the
neighborhood of the front。 Thousands of the so…called 〃dangerous
classes〃 were recruited； from whom the Government did not receive so much
service as would pay for the buttons on their uniforms。 People expected
that they would make themselves as troublesome to the Rebels as they were
to good citizens and the Police； but they were only pugnacious to the
provost guard； and terrible to the people in the rear of the Army who had
anything that could be stolen。
The highest type of soldier which the world has yet produced is the
intelligent； self…respecting American boy； with home； and father and
mother and friends behind him； and duty in front beckoning him on。
In the sixty centuries that war has been a profession no man has entered
its ranks so calmly resolute in confronting danger； so shrewd and
energetic in his aggressiveness； so tenacious of the defense and the
assault； so certain to rise swiftly to the level of every emergency； as
the boy who； in the good old phrase； had been 〃well…raised〃 in a
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