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believed the one which was told us now。
Andrews and I hastily snatched our worldly possessionsour overcoat；
blanket； can； spoon； chessboard and men； yelled to some of our neighbors
that they could have our hitherto much…treasured house； and running down
to the gate； forced ourselves well up to the front of the crowd that was
being assembled to go out。
The usual scenes accompanying the departure of first squads were being
acted tumultuously。 Every one in the camp wanted to be one of the
supposed…to…be…favored few； and if not selected at first； tried to 〃flank
in〃that is； slip into the place of some one else who had had better
luck。 This one naturally resisted displacement； 'vi et armis；' and the
fights would become so general as to cause a resemblance to the famed
Fair of Donnybrook。 The cry would go up：
〃Look out for flankers！〃
The lines of the selected would dress up compactly； and outsiders trying
to force themselves in would get mercilessly pounded。
We finally got out of the pen； and into the cars； which soon rolled away
to the westward。 We were packed in too densely to be able to lie down。
We could hardly sit down。 Andrews and I took up our position in one
corner； piled our little treasures under us； and trying to lean against
each other in such a way as to afford mutual support and rest； dozed
fitfully through a long； weary night。
When morning came we found ourselves running northwest through a poor；
pine…barren country that strongly resembled that we had traversed in
coming to Savannah。 The more we looked at it the more familiar it
became； and soon there was no doubt we were going back to Andersonville。
By noon we had reached Milleneighty miles from Savannah； and fifty…
three from Augusta。 It was the junction of the road leading to Macon and
that running to Augusta。 We halted a little while at the 〃Y；〃 and to us
the minutes were full of anxiety。 If we turned off to the left we were
going back to Andersonville。 If we took the right hand road we were on
the way to Charleston or Richmond； with the chances in favor of exchange。
At length we started； and； to our joy； our engine took the right hand
track。 We stopped again； after a run of five miles； in the midst of one
of the open； scattering forests of long leaved pine that I have before
described。 We were ordered out of the cars； and marching a few rods；
came in sight of another of those hateful Stockades； which seemed to be
as natural products of the Sterile sand of that dreary land as its
desolate woods and its breed of boy murderers and gray…headed assassins。
Again our hearts sank； and death seemed more welcome than incarceration
in those gloomy wooden walls。 We marched despondently up to the gates of
the Prison； and halted while a party of Rebel clerks made a list of our
names； rank； companies； and regiments。 As they were Rebels it was slow
work。 Reading and writing never came by nature； as Dogberry would say；
to any man fighting for Secession。 As a rule； he took to them as
reluctantly as if； he thought them cunning inventions of the Northern
Abolitionist to perplex and demoralize him。 What a half…dozen boys taken
out of our own ranks would have done with ease in an hour or so； these
Rebels worried over all of the afternoon； and then their register of us
was so imperfect； badly written and misspelled； that the Yankee clerks
afterwards detailed for the purpose； never could succeed in reducing it
to intelligibility。
We learned that the place at which we had arrived was Camp Lawton； but we
almost always spoke of it as 〃Millen；〃 the same as Camp Sumter is
universally known as Andersonville。
Shortly after dark we were turned inside the Stockade。 Being the first
that had entered； there was quite a quantity of woodthe offal from the
timber used in constructing the Stockadelying on the ground。 The night
was chilly one we soon had a number of fires blazing。 Green pitch pine；
when burned； gives off a peculiar； pungent odor； which is never forgotten
by one who has once smelled it。 I first became acquainted with it on
entering Andersonville； and to this day it is the most powerful
remembrance I can have of the opening of that dreadful Iliad of woes。
On my journey to Washington of late years the locomotives are invariably
fed with pitch pine as we near the Capital； and as the well…remembered
smell reaches me； I grow sick at heart with the flood of saddening
recollections indissolubly associated with it。
As our fires blazed up the clinging； penetrating fumes diffused
themselves everywhere。 The night was as cool as the one when we arrived
at Andersonville； the earth； meagerly sodded with sparse； hard； wiry
grass； was the same； the same piney breezes blew in from the surrounding
trees； the same dismal owls hooted at us； the same mournful whip…poor…
will lamented； God knows what； in the gathering twilight。 What we both
felt in the gloomy recesses of downcast hearts Andrews expressed as he
turned to me with：
〃My God； Mc； this looks like Andersonville all over again。〃
A cupful of corn meal was issued to each of us。 I hunted up some water。
Andrews made a stiff dough； and spread it about half an inch thick on the
back of our chessboard。 He propped this up before the fire； and when the
surface was neatly browned over； slipped it off the board and turned it
over to brown the other side similarly。 This done； we divided it
carefully between us； swallowed it in silence； spread our old overcoat on
the ground； tucked chess…board； can； and spoon under far enough to be out
of the reach of thieves； adjusted the thin blanket so as to get the most
possible warmth out of it； crawled in close together； and went to sleep。
This； thank Heaven； we could do； we could still sleep； and Nature had
some opportunity to repair the waste of the day。 We slept； and forgot
where we were。
CHAPTER LIX。
OUR NEW QUARTERS AT CAMP LAWTONBUILDING A HUTAN EXCEPTIONAL
COMMANDANTHE IS a GOOD MAN； BUT WILL TAKE BRIBESRATIONS。
In the morning we took a survey of our new quarters； and found that we
were in a Stockade resembling very much in construction and dimensions
that at Andersonville。 The principal difference was that the upright
logs were in their rough state； whereas they were hewed at Andersonville；
and the brook running through the camp was not bordered by a swamp； but
had clean； firm banks。
Our next move was to make the best of the situation。 We were divided
into hundreds； each commanded by a Sergeant。 Ten hundreds constituted a
division； the head of which was also a Sergeant。 I was elected by my
comrades to the Sergeantcy of the Second Hundred of the First Division。
As soon as we were assigned to our ground； we began constructing shelter。
For the first and only time in my prison experience； we found a full
supply of material for this purpose； and the use we made of it showed how
infinitely better we would have fared if in each prison the Rebels had
done even so slight a thing as to bring in a few logs from the
surrounding woods and distribute them to us。 A hundred or so of these
would probably have saved thousands of lives at Andersonville and
Florence。
A large tree lay on the ground assigned to our hundred。 Andrews and I
took possession of one side of the ten feet nearest the butt。 Other boys
occupied the rest in a similar manner。 One of our boys had succeeded in
smuggling an ax in with him； and we kept it in constant use day and
night； each group borrowing it for an hour or so at a time。 It was as
dull as a hoe； and we were very weak； so that it was slow work 〃niggering
off〃（as the boys termed it） a cut of the log。 It seemed as if beavers
could have gnawed it off easier and more quickly。 We only cut an inch or
so at a time； and then passed the ax to the next users。 Making little
wedges with a dull knife； we drove them into the log with clubs； and
split off long； thin strips； like the weatherboards of a house； and by
the time we had split off our share of the log in this slow and laborious
way； we had a fine lot of these strips。 We were lucky enough to find
four forked sticks； of which we made the corners of our dwelling； and
roofed it carefully with our strips； held in place by sods torn up from
the edge of the creek bank。 The sides and ends were enclosed； we
gathered enough pine tops to cover the ground to a depth of several
inches； we banked up the outside； and ditched around it； and then had the
most comfortable abode we had during our prison career。 It was truly a
house builded with our own hands； for we had no tools whatever save the
occasional use of the aforementioned dull axe and equally dull knife。
The rude little hut represented as much actual hard； manual labor as
would be required to build a comfortable little cottage in the North；
but we gladly performed it； as we would have done any other work to
better our condition。
For a while wood was quite plentiful； and we had the luxury daily of warm
fires； which the increasing coolness of the weather made important
accessories to our comfort。
Other prisoners kept coming in。 Those we left behind at Savannah
followed us； and the prison there was broken