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citizens。 They thought we had mounted some new guns of increased range；
and now the whole city must go。 But the next shell fell inside the
established limits； and those following were equally well behaved； so
that the panic abated。 I have never heard any explanation of the matter。
It may have been some freak of the gun…squad； trying the effect of an
extra charge of powder。 Had our people known of its signal effect； they
could have depopulated the place in a few hours。
The whole matter impressed me queerly。 The only artillery I had ever
seen in action were field pieces。 They made an earsplitting crash when
they were discharged； and there was likely to be oceans of trouble for
everybody in that neighborhood about that time。 I reasoned from this
that bigger guns made a proportionally greater amount of noise； and bred
an infinitely larger quantity of trouble。 Now I was hearing the giants
of the world's ordnance； and they were not so impressive as a lively
battery of three…inch rifles。 Their reports did not threaten to shatter
everything； but had a dull resonance； something like that produced by
striking an empty barrel with a wooden maul。 Their shells did not come
at one in that wildly； ferocious way； with which a missile from a six…
pounder convinces every fellow in a long line of battle that he is the
identical one it is meant for； but they meandered over in a lazy；
leisurely manner； as if time was no object and no person would feel put
out at having to wait for them。 Then； the idea of firing every quarter
of an hour for a yearfixing up a job for a lifetime； as Andrews
expressed it；and of being fired back at for an hour at 9 o'clock every
morning and evening； of fifty thousand people going on buying and
selling； eating； drinking and sleeping； having dances； drives and balls；
marrying and giving in marriage； all within a few hundred yards of where
the shells were falling…struck me as a most singular method of conducting
warfare。
We received no rations until the day after our arrival； and then they
were scanty； though fair in quality。 We were by this time so hungry and
faint that we could hardly move。 We did nothing for hours but lie around
on the ground and try to forget how famished we were。 At the
announcement of rations； many acted as if crazy； and it was all that the
Sergeants could do to restrain the impatient mob from tearing the food
away and devouring it； when they were trying to divide it out。 Very
manyperhaps thirtydied during the night and morning。 No blame for
this is attached to the Charlestonians。 They distinguished themselves
from the citizens of every other place in the Southern Confederacy where
we had been； by making efforts to relieve our condition。 They sent quite
a quantity of food to us； and the Sisters of Charity came among us；
seeking and ministering to the sick。 I believe our experience was the
usual one。 The prisoners who passed through Charleston before us all
spoke very highly of the kindness shown them by the citizens there。
We remained in Charleston but a few days。 One night we were marched down
to a rickety depot； and put aboard a still more rickety train。 When
morning came we found ourselves running northward through a pine barren
country that resembled somewhat that in Georgia； except that the pine was
short…leaved； there was more oak and other hard woods； and the vegetation
generally assumed a more Northern look。 We had been put into close box
cars； with guards at the doors and on top。 During the night quite a
number of the boys； who had fabricated little saws out of case knives and
fragments of hoop iron； cut holes through the bottoms of the cars；
through which they dropped to the ground and escaped； but were mostly
recaptured after several days。 There was no hole cut in our car； and so
Andrews and I staid in。
Just at dusk we came to the insignificant village of Florence； the
junction of the road leading from Charleston to Cheraw with that running
from Wilmington to Kingsville。 It was about one hundred and twenty miles
from Charleston； and the same distance from Wilmington。 As our train ran
through a cut near the junction a darky stood by the track gazing at us
curiously。 When the train had nearly passed him he started to run up the
bank。 In the imperfect light the guards mistook him for one of us who
had jumped from the train。 They all fired； and the unlucky negro fell；
pierced by a score of bullets。
That night we camped in the open field。 When morning came we saw； a few
hundred yards from us； a Stockade of rough logs； with guards stationed
around it。 It was another prison pen。 They were just bringing the dead
out； and two men were tossing the bodies up into the four…horse wagon
which hauled them away for burial。 The men were going about their
business as coolly as if loading slaughtered hogs。 'One of them would
catch the body by the feet； and the other by the arms。 They would give
it a swing〃One； two； three；〃 and up it would go into the wagon。 This
filled heaping full with corpses； a negro mounted the wheel horse；
grasped the lines； and shouted to his animals：
〃Now； walk off on your tails； boys。〃
The horses strained； the wagon moved； and its load of what were once
gallant； devoted soldiers； was carted off to nameless graves。 This was a
part of the daily morning routine。
As we stood looking at the sickeningly familiar architecture of the
prison pen； a Seventh Indianian near me said； in tones of wearisome
disgust：
Well； this Southern Confederacy is the d…dest country to stand logs on
end on God Almighty's footstool。〃
CHAPTER LXVIII。
FIRST DAYS AT FLORENCEINTRODUCTION TO LIEUTENANT BARRETT； THE RED…
HEADED KEEPERA BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF OUR NEW QUARTERSWINDERS MALIGN
INFLUENCE MANIFEST。
It did not require a very acute comprehension to understand that the
Stockade at which we were gazing was likely to be our abiding place for
some indefinite period in the future。
As usual； this discovery was the death…warrant of many whose lives had
only been prolonged by the hoping against hope that the movement would
terminate inside our lines。 When the portentous palisades showed to a
fatal certainty that the word of promise had been broken to their hearts；
they gave up the struggle wearily； lay back on the frozen ground； and
died。
Andrews and I were not in the humor for dying just then。 The long
imprisonment； the privations of hunger； the scourging by the elements；
the death of four out of every five of our number had indeed dulled and
stupefied usbred an indifference to our own suffering and a seeming
callosity to that of others； but there still burned in our hearts； and in
the hearts of every one about us； a dull； sullen； smoldering fire of hate
and defiance toward everything Rebel； and a lust for revenge upon those
who had showered woes upon our heads。 There was little fear of death；
even the King of Terrors loses most of his awful character upon tolerably
close acquaintance； and we had been on very intimate terms with him for a
year now。 He was a constant visitor； who dropped in upon us at all hours
of the day and night； and would not be denied to any one。
Since my entry into prison fully fifteen thousand boys had died around
me； and in no one of them had I seen the least； dread or reluctance to
go。 I believe this is generally true of death by disease； everywhere。
Our ever kindly mother； Nature； only makes us dread death when she
desires us to preserve life。 When she summons us hence she tenderly
provides that we shall willingly obey the call。
More than for anything else； we wanted to live now to triumph over the
Rebels。 To simply die would be of little importance； but to die
unrevenged would be fearful。 If we； the despised； the contemned； the
insulted； the starved and maltreated； could live to come back to our
oppressors as the armed ministers of retribution； terrible in the
remembrance of the wrongs of ourselves and comrade's； irresistible as the
agents of heavenly justice； and mete out to them that Biblical return of
seven…fold of what they had measured out to us； then we would be content
to go to death afterwards。 Had the thrice…accursed Confederacy and our
malignant gaolers millions of lives； our great revenge would have stomach
for them all。
The December morning was gray and leaden； dull； somber； snow…laden clouds
swept across the sky before the soughing wind。
The ground； frozen hard and stiff； cut and hurt our bare feet at every
step； an icy breeze drove in through the holes in our rags； and smote our
bodies like blows from sticks。 The trees and shrubbery around were as
naked and forlorn as in the North in the days of early Winter before the
snow comes。
Over and around us hung like a cold miasma the sickening odor peculiar to
Southern forests in Winter time。
Out of the naked； repelling； unlovely earth rose the Stockade； in hideous
ugliness。 At the gate the two men continued at their monotonous labor of
tossing the dead of the previous day into the wagon…heaving into that
rude hearse the inanimate remains that had once tempted gallant； manly
hearts； glowing with patriotism and devot