The National tribune., 1903-10-22

men, and sank down upon the benches
under the trees, to find what relief tears
could bring. The bright Spring air was
filled with the sobs and cries of women.
81 made his way through the throng into
| the Office. where the clerks. quiet-nian-
nered, low-voiced. patient and respectful,
were dealing out happiness and misery in
unequal portions, but with brief, business
like words. 10 the inGuirers.
Y Have you any men here Of the 200th
lnjiany. named Holcomb. Brannigan, Me
Quade, Hunt and Grout?' he inquired Of
a Sergeant. who was standing outside the
railing. directing the work.
One name Mt time. please" said the
Sergeant quietly and pleasantly. What
| was your first name?'
| 'Holcomb,' answered 81.
! That's the III line over there" answered
the Sergeant. pointing 70 queue OF
eight or 10 approaching a clerk by turn.
| Take your place in rear of it."
81 did so. and listened to the prompt
answers given those ahead of him. as the
clerk hastily turned the leaves OF his rec
ord.
Harrison. Levi G., Oath Ind, Ward Fl.
Scurvy."
The girl-wife gave an exclamation OF
Joy, and turned TO the Sergeant. who
directed an orderly to conduct her to
Ward H.
Henry. John H., 95th n. Y, Ward
The old mother tottered and sank to
the floor in a swoon, while the old father,
with streaming eyes. FASTENED to her side.
Hale, Robert B., 10th Pa. Ward A.
This way. SIR" said the Sergeant.
Orderly. show the gentleman to Ward
: \: Be very quiet when you go inside, sir.
Many very sick men there"
"Heidlinger, 37th Ohio. Shot by the
guards at Andersonville," A scream from
broad-faced German woman Of middle
age. MY poy! My only poy! would
not pelieve it pefore.'
Come this way, madam. Come out
side and take seat" said the Sergeant,
tenderly, as he offered her his arm
War is an awful thing"
Hooper. Aaron s., 41st H." continued
the clerk. in his low monotone. "Died
at Wilmington, after release"
| A white-faced woman hurried out of the
line. without uttering a sound.
"Holcomb and Hunt" responded the
clerk to ST. "2OOth Ind. No record OF
any OF them yet. Boat just came in.
though. May be on her. You might go
down to the dock and see"
Shortest way is right down through
the hall, there, Sergeant" said the Ser
geant. Turn to the right at the last
door. and avoid taking your ladies past
the bath room"
The long hall down which they walked
was scrubbed to such spotless wilderness
as to excite the admiring comment of even
such scrnpulouS hOusekeepers as Maria
and Annabel. The little rooms into which
they glanced as they passed were equally
immaculate. In each were two iron bed
steads. with sheets, pillow-cases and
blankets of impeccable whiteness, In the
midst of which appeared the closely
cropped head, big. staring eyes, and vast
ed features of boy who had lately been
translated from the chill ground Of q
prison-pen to those health-restoring quar-
tiers.
"I's afraid the shock of the change will
be too great for some Of them" murmured
Shorty. looking at the black, bloodless,
parched lips of the poor sufferers. "Its
like bringing freezing man into a warm,
comfortable fire. Mebbe it'd bettervs
been done by degrees"
Hello. look there" said 81, as they
came out of the door, and looked down
toward the bay, to see n single rank Of
men, most Of them lame and hating
through scurvy and rheumatism, file up
from the ship to the iron steps at the rear
of the building. Girls. you 90 over to
that seat behind that shrubbery and wait
for us. Wen be there in few minutes.
Shorty. let's walk down the line, and
see if there's anybody we know"
, They walked over to the iron steps, and
watched with deep interest the swift. eff
!, fective. systematic way the new arrivals
. were handled.
d As each of the weak. lame, emaciated
! men hobbled up the steps to the platform.
L an active attendant, with a few deft
clutches stripped him of the filthy, YER
= min-swarming rags in which he had come
I, out of prison. and flung them over the
II railing. where they were pitchforked into
y, Il wagon. to be hauled away and burned.
u At gesture from the attendant the man
u stepped inside. and took a seat on stool,
,I,1.-
I with sharp shears, in a minute or so re-
! moved all the hair from his head and face
that the shears would cut, and passed him
to next room, where others spOnged him
q with hot soapsuds from the thick coating
, Of CRIME and sand accumulated by weeks
= or months of lying on the ground, and hoy
y ering over little pitch-pine fires which de-
!, posted a layer all over his skin of var
u !, nish-lke resin. This was enough to have
u killed him. if nothing else had, and he had
I no soap with which to free himself from
its pore-choking adhesreness.
= Passing TO the next room. he was given
y u new. fresh garments. and his chance for
&c life increased hundred per cent.
well. if they amt getting things down
Z fine. in this war. | don't know anything
about it, murmured 81 in admiration.
y THAT comes about as near what. the
:, preachers talk about mans being born
&c again as | ever expect to see," answered
HIS 1HOSe fellows are Delnr,
y made new men at about the rate of one 4
= minute. as near as l can calculate without
q WATCH
!! They walked down the long line and at
! tcntively studied ench of the thin, wasted
faces. under its mask of SCOT and CRIME,
=, . under its shock of long. matted hair, I'M
:, der its distortions of the foul scurvy, to
q see if it bore any resemblance to counten-
!. = ances once familiar. They found none in
, the line. and the array was so heart-break-
= ing that they were about turning away in
the sadness Of disappointment. when a
! feeble voice called out from stretcher fol-
;. lowing the men able to march:
=, !. "Say. boys, don't You belong to the 200th
Injianny?"
, Indeed We do" answered ST. turning
g quickly, and scanning a living skeleton.
% with a high. sharp nose, and big, prefer
:, naturally bright eyes. Nearly all the flesh
- on the figure seemed to be on the naked
N scurvy-swolen feet and legs. who are
% your"
~ Il aint anybody in particular, just now"
. feebly answered the skeleton. "But here's
- about three cents worth. not more, of what
. was once Wills IIolcomb. of Co. A. 200th
. Injianny Volunteer Infantry. The REM
- nants of Larry Branniean. and some more
@ of the boys are just behind il they weren't
n thrown overheard as we came up the bay"
n Go be cOntinued)