The National tribune., 1900-01-04
On the Train for Andersonyille.

On the Train for Andersonville.
Fall in, all You Yanks. an git aboar
that train thar" shouted the rebel Proves
Sergeant. as the boys We're swallowin.
their balls of scorched corn dough am
pieces of meat
In obedience to the command, the mel
farther off TO the right began moving dowl
toward the train about which was mllsteret
a regiment of Georgia Militia" or RE
serves" TO guard them back TO Atlanta anC
Andersonville.
The appearance of these was the mos
astonishing TO ST of anything that ne hac
vet seen in the rebel army. Dirty, ragged
and tattered as scarecrows as the regula'
rebel soldiers seemed. there was yet some
| thing very soldierly about them, especially
when seen in line and i'll masses. Ihey
We're well-drilled. they handled their guns
as if familiar with them, and they moved
about with alartness and precision. II
| there was Il difference, the Reserves were
much better dressed. They had but re-
Gently come out, and their djngy. uncouth,
homemade garments We're in much better
repair. They were of all ages and sizes,
from the tail. bent form. with whitening
hairand scanned. wrinkled face of the grand
father, TO the slouching, ill-knit, gangling
grandson. with his vacant face and star
ing. google eyes. The gray-hairad men
were plentiful but far more numerous were
the boys of 16 and under. who leaned
on their guns and stared with eyes and
mouths wide Omen on the prisoners, who
were the first they had seen. There was
both wonder and fear in their looks These
We're "the Yankees" of whom they had been
hearing ever since they could remember
the Wild, fcrociouS. cunning. cowardlv
merciIeSS, tricky, savage monsters, with
all sorts of vile tastes and propnnsities,
stories Of whom had filled their minds TO the
exclusion of tales of Indians, catamounts.
bears. painters" hoopsnakes, and rattle
snakes, upon which their fathers and grand
fathers had been reared.
Two or three of the bolder of them had
left their company, and timorolisly ven
tured down to where they could devolIr 81
and his squad with their eyes, at close
range.
"Say, bub. got any terbacker that you'll
them in Il friendly way; but he was inter
rupted by wild yell of fear from the boys,
who scudded back TO where they had left
their guns, snatched them up. and leveled
them Extensively and defensively.
Rebel soldiers standing near laughed
uprOariouSly.
"Sav. BOYS" shouted one "Don't be
skeered outen n years growth. Them
Yanks is tame. Thev'uns won't hurt
yo''uns: Hits only wild ones. like them
out in front, as is dangersOme. They haint
no horns. Go UP and talk 10 'em. They uns
won't bite YOU. See here"
He walked up to Shorty and said:
"Say, Yank that's altogether too good a
hat Ter Yank. Reckon III trade with
YOU: fer | sho'ly need a better one than I've
got"
When they had started Shorty had with
provident forcthought picked up the sugar
trough. thinking that he might have future
use for it. He was 50 cumbered with this
that the rebel succeeded in getting away
Ii.
and strike him. The rebel disappeared in
the laughing crowd, who thought it good
joke. Shorty swore blue streak, but his
hat was gone. This was a signal for the
other rebel soldiers, hanging around, and
soon every hat in the squad was gone.
One of the more honeStly-dispoSed had
aSav. Yank. you're a-gwine ter lose yer
hat anyhow. Yer never kin git ter keep
hit long. nohow. Y'd better swap with me
now. III done gin this hyah one o mine,
an haIf-plue o terbacker ter boot"
He produced the tobacco and held out
his hat, while 81 kept firm hold Of his own.
ST looked curiously and somewhat disdain-
fully at that Of the rebel. 1t was a heavy,
excessively clumsy affair. made by sewing
together tufts of the long-leaved pine.
Looks like a cross between "a dOor-mat
and q havcock, and foaled in mudhole, "
said Si: "but | expect I'd better trade, as |
want the terbacker. Here, take it."
The sun was pouring down burning
Iays. and seeing ST set the example, Harry
Joslyn picked up another pine leaf hat
which had been thrown at his feet and
after beating it on the ground TO dislodge
any occupants, put it on. Gid Mackall and
Monty Scruggs did the same.
Blamed if Pm goin' to put on any o
their dirty rags" said Shorty, turning the
sugar-trOugh over. and putting it on his
that I'd more'n tetch with the pint o my
bayonet. I'm goin' to make this do until
git something better"
AS they drew nearer the train 81 looked
over the reserves more carefully. He
found a number of middle-aged men among
them, who had so far escaped conscription.
Some had but one eye, some were mani
festly very hard Of hearing, some wheezed
with the asthma, some halted badly in
their steps.
whats this we've struck" Shorty in
duired from beneath his sugar-trough.
is this the emptyings of the rebel asylum
for orphans and idiots. the home for incur
ablcs and the old mems wards of the poor
holISeS?"
at certainly looks like it," answered ST.
"And them officers look like Township
Trustees. come out on parade with the
lame ard halt paupers. And see them
guns. They're Young cannon, mounted
on handspikes for stocks"
The ancient guns with which the Georgia
Reserves were armed were old Queen Anne
that had been furnished the
Colony in the French and Indian wars, and
since preserved in the Georgia armorv,
where, after being altered to percussion
locks they were issued in 1854 to the Goo
her Militia" They had an enormous bore,
were verv rough and clumsy in construc-
ton. and the boys and weaker men bent
under their weight.
The believing report Of one of the guns
a little farther up the line attracted all at
tention. One of the Reserves, n loose
iointed, gawky boy, with an evil, lowering
look, had been inspired by the example Of
the rebel veterans, to run down to the line
and snatch "A fine hat from the head of an
Ohio soldier who fan shouting after him.
irving to recover it, The bov sprang to his
gun. snatchGd ltlip, whfrlcd and fired with
incredible swiftness. The heavy charge
tore through the 0hio'S hoy breast and he
their guns and it looked for an instant IS II
they would open an indscriminate flisillade
upon the prisoners. The Colonel of the
Reserves, Il large. pompouS man, with a
bnll-lke voice, shouted:
Hold on, thar; men. Don't shoot no
more unless they make rush, or YOU git
ordehs. That thar man got Jest what he
but don't shoot no more onlcss
hits needed. Let that he lesson to 'em,
stand right swllar you air. Don't you
move a step TIL gin the ordeh, or I'll NAL
LARGO You often the face o. the airth"
In the impotence of his rage Shorty |
sworc himself hoarse, and made all manner
Of imprecations and threats against the |
Colonel and the numbering boy.
"rm goin' to wipe every other name off