The National tribune., 1897-09-16
ANDERSONVlLLE.
Continued from first pa.el

We could for a while forget the
stencil, the lice, the heat, the mag
COTS. the dead and dying around US,
the insulting malignance Of our jailers
but it was very hard work TO ban
ish thoughts and longings for food
from our minds. Hundreds became
actually insane from broodmg over IT.
Crazy men could be found IN all
parts of the camp. Numbers OF them
wandered around entirely naked.
Their babblincs and maunderings about
something TO eat were painful to hear.
/ have before mentioned the case OF the
Plvmouth Pilgrim near me, whose IN
sanity took the form of imagining that
he was sitting at the table with his
family, and WHO would 90 through the
show of helping them to imaginary
viands and delicacies The cravings for
green food Of those afflicted with the
scurvv were agonizing. Large numbers
of watermelons were brought to the
prison, and sold to those who had the
money to pay for them at from 81 to
50. greenbacks, apiece. A boy who had
means to buy a piece of these would be
followed about while eating 1t by
crowd of perhaps % or 80 livid-gummed
scorbutics, each imploring him for the
rind when he was through with it.
We thought of food all day, and were
visited with torturing dreams OF 1t at
night. One of the pleasant recollectlons
of my premilitary life was banquet at
the Planters House, st. Louis, at which
/ was boyish guest. 1t was, doubtless,
an ordinary affair, as banquets 60, but
to me then, with all the keen apprecla-
ton of youth and first experience, it
was feast worthy of Lucullus.
But now this delightful Renaissance
became a torment. Hundreds of times
/ dreamed | was again at the Planters.
/ saw the wide corridors, with their
mosaic pavement; | entered the grand
dining-room, keeping timidly near the
friend to whose kindness | owed this
wonderful favor; saw again the mirror
lined walls, the evergreen-decked cell
inqs. the festoons and m0ttos, the tables
cleaning with cut-glass and silver, the
Bullets with wines and fruits, the brigade
of sleek, black, white-aproned walters,
headed by one who had presence enough
for Major-General.
Again | reveled in all the dainties
and dishes on the bill-of-fare calling
for everything that dared to, just to
see what each was like, and to be able
to say afterwards that / had partaken of
it; all these bewildering delights of the
first realization Of what boy has read
and wondered much over, and longed for,
would dance their rout and reel through
my somnolent brain. Then | would
awake TO find myself a half-naked, half
starved, vermin-eaten wretch, crouching
In hole in the ground, waiting for my
keepers to fling me a chunk Of corn
bread.
Naturally the boys-and especially
the country boys and new prisoners
talked much Of victuals-what they
had had. and what they would have
again, when they got out. Take this as
q sample of the conversation which
might be heard in any group of boys,
sitting together on the sand, killing lice
and talking of exchange:
Tom" Well, Bill, when we get back
TO Gods country you and jim and John
must ali come to my house and take
dinner with me. / want to give you q
square meal. ] want to show you just
what good Twin is. You know my
mother is just the best cook in all that
section. When she lays herself out to
yet up meal all the other women in
the neighborhood just stand back and
admire -
Bill-"O, that's ali right; but I'll
bet she can't hold candle to my
mother. when it comes to good cooking"
Jin-"No, nor to mine"
John with patronizing contempt
20. shucks. None Of you fellows were
ever at our house, even when we had one
Of our common week day dinners
Tom (unheedful Of the counter
slaims)- -" hey been studyin' up the
dinner I'd like, and the bili-offare I'd
get out for you fellers when you come
over TO see me. First, OF course, we'll
lay the foundation like with nice, juicy
loin roast, and some mashed potatoes
Bill (inteIrupting) -" Now do you
like mashed potatoes with beef? The
way my mother does is TO pare the po-
.atoes, and lay chem in the pan along with
The beef Then, you know, they come
put jUst as nice, and crisp, and bro,rn;
hey have soaked up all the beef gravy,
and they crinkle between your teeth"
Jim" Now, | tell you, mashed Ne
.hannocks with butter on 'em is plenty
good enough for M"
john" If you'd ct some of the
new kind Of peachblows that we raised
Il the old pasture lot the year before
I enlisted, you'd never say another
word about your NeshannocY."
Tom Ctaking breath and starting in
resh -" Then we'll hev some fried
Spring chickens, of our Dominick breed
Them Dominicks of ours have The incest
cnderest meat, better'n quail, burned
lght. and the way my mother can fry
spring chickens" -