The National tribune., 1900-01-11

1OOSI LIZ Il YOU AM / EstEI T.
them. Beyond this rose a high stockade
Of squared pine logs, deeply planted in the
! ground At intervals around the top were
| little perchcS in which stood men with
guns, guarding the walls overlooking the
| interior Of the prison.
rs that the awful place we've heard so
much about?" ST asked Shorty. at can't
| be so very terrible. if it's nothin' worse than
| layin' outdoors in sich weather as this.
| They'll certainly give us enough to eat,
| and we're used to layin' outdoors"
80, they can't keep us there long" Shorty
| answered confidently. There's some way
o beatin' these scarecrow guards, who
| haint as much sense as nine-dayS old
! puppies. Even if we don't, Old Billyll
| take Atlanty before the moon changes. and
come down through this country like a
Iers out o the mountains he'll run the
| StGflin' out o them through these pine
| openin'S. II can't be near so bad in there
as represented. At worst. it's only layin'
outdoors, which hain't KILN in this kind
o weather"
'Tdon'tknow about that" said ST. as they
marched along. Great Godi look there,
| will you?"
A four-mule team came NUMBERING slowly
along, drawing a wagon niled TO its utmost
with stiffened corpses l all their long
| experience with every conceivable phase OF
thing so ghastly. The naked, skinny
arms and legs which protruded from the
| mass were grimed with dirt, and wasted
| away to mere skeletons. All were nearly
! naked, which made their condition look far
more horrible Most of them had their
great toes tied together with bits of string,
and their hands folded on their breasts, on
| which were little bits of paper. containing
their names, companies, and regiments.
Many had noteven this much preparation for
the grave, but were thrown into the wagon
gsith their limbs horribly contorted in the
! last agonies of death. Two or three lay
on their sides and glared with wide-open,
stony eyes directly at ST and Shorty.
That's the way they're tohn' 'em out all
the time" wheezed Eph Watkins. "I done
Of 'em so flr, and that ere wagons KEEP
runnin' all the time. Hit hauls grub up TO
them that air yit livin', and hauls away
| them as is dead"
Great Col! they don't bury 'em that
| way, do they?" gasped ST.
| 30. yes they do" wheezed Eph. "They
done tote 'em up on ter the hill thar an dig
| long bitches an lay 'em in iist as you see
| 'em, in long rows, longe:'n corn rows.
| They've done got right smart sized farm
kivvered with 'em already, an hits grow
| in bigger every day. right smart
heap air dyin' ali the time"
"And you rebels call yourselves Chris
| tianS," said ST bitterly.
Il reckon we'uns haint got nothin' ter
do with hit" snuified Eph. NO more'n
we'uns had ter do with bringin' on the
war. The war jist come of hitself. The
rich folks done brung hit on, if anybody.
XII KIM 3 ''''-' ~ ' ''''''' 'i'' 40 ''' ''i''
"Why don't you make your rich folks
stop the war; 81 asked angriiy. "You
kin, do it if YOU want to- They started it,
and they kin stop ii whenever they
! make up their minds to quit fightin', and
| obey the laws. same as the rest of u.s."
| Il tell yo, we po' folks haint got n0thin'
| ter do with nit, in no shape nor manner"
| piped Eph. when rich folks makes up
| their minds ter anything the best thing
fer po' folks is Ter stand around, and mind
| what they tells 'em. Them as minds best
| has least trouble"
Il wouldn't live in a country where.
nIst because a mans got some money, or
land or uiggers. .he kindo just as he pleases."
said 81. 'Hain't YOU free and independent,
and got just rs many rights as they have?"
"I'hey done tell us something like that
| on Fourth o July" wheezed Eph, but Pm
agwine on 90 year old, an Eve never seed
no rights that po' man had but ter be
| horned, grown up marry, have paSSel o
young ones, die, and have six feet o clay
shoyeled on 'em don't 'spose po folks'd
be allowed graves if rich folks wanted 'em
| fer Somethin' else"
"Whats this comm here?" asked Shorty,
| rs lilGN aDpEOtCilttl tiit great iOII Oh hle
south side, in which was Capt WirZ's
| headquarters
With painfully halting steps, for they
| were chained together at neck and feet,
came gang of about % men, all ragged,
| thin to cmaciation, and many of them
nearly dropping from weakness and ia
tigue. On either side Of the gang marched
rebel guard, with musket and fixed
! bayonet and who urged them along with
| abuse and curses.
"Them's felers as tried ter run away, an
got cotched,' Eph explained. The ole
Dutch Captain mostly kills 'em when he
| cotches 'cm runnin' away, but some he
saves alive an puts on the chain-gang as a
warnin' ter the others"
Isl Klegg! Shorty" walled thin,
weak voice, from the middle OF the gang;
! They looked, startled, in that direction, but
could see no one they could remember to
| have ever seen before.
Here | am" continued the voice. "It's
me, Zeke Pritchard. Don't you know me,
boys?" he continued ptifully.
gasped ST in astonshment, as the memory
came back of the stalwart youth of their
company, and one of its best soldiers, whom
| they had last seen as they started on the
fateful rush for the rebel colors at Chicka-
| mauga. This was only sad wreck of
that splendid piece of manhood.
yes, it's what's left Of me, boys" called
| out Zeke as the squad hobbied on. Look
out for yourselves, boys. It's hell inside
| there"
'If it hain't hell outside there. with him."
said Shorty, looking after him, with shock
ed eyes, 81 don't know what theword means.
Poor Zeke. Never better soldier breathed
| than him"
By this time the prisoners had reached
| the vicinity of the fort on the south side,
where Wirz had his headquarters. They
| were halted there, and Col. Tate was to
| turn them over to the commandant of the
prison.
An undersiZed man, dressed in white
duck, and wearing gray military cap,