passages from an old volume of life-第9章

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agerstown；　and；　on　the　other　hand；　I　had　James　Grayden　and　his　wagon　to　carry　me　back　to　Frederick。　　It　was　not　likely　that　I　should　overtake　the　object　of　my　pursuit　with　nearly　thirty…six　hours　start；　even　if　I　could　procure　a　conveyance　that　day。　　In　the　mean　time　James　was　getting　impatient　to　be　on　his　return；　according　to　the　direction　of　his　employers。　　So　I　decided　to　go　back　with　him。

But　there　was　the　great　battle…field　only　about　three　miles　from　Keedysville；　and　it　was　impossible　to　go　without　seeing　that。　　James　Grayden's　directions　were　peremptory；　but　it　was　a　case　for　the　higher　law。　　I　must　make　a　good　offer　for　an　extra　couple　of　hours；　such　as　would　satisfy　the　owners　of　the　wagon；　and　enforce　it　by　a　personal　motive。　　I　did　this　handsomely；　and　succeeded　without　difficulty。　　To　add　brilliancy　to　my　enterprise；　I　invited　the　Chaplain　and　the　Philanthropist　to　take　a　free　passage　with　me。

We　followed　the　road　through　the　village　for　a　space；　then　turned　off　to　the　right；　and　wandered　somewhat　vaguely；　for　want　of　precise　directions；　over　the　hills。　　Inquiring　as　we　went；　we　forded　a　wide　creek　in　which　soldiers　were　washing　their　clothes；　the　name　of　which　we　did　not　then　know；　but　which　must　have　been　the　Antietam。　　At　one　point　we　met　a　party；　women　among　them；　bringing　off　various　trophies　they　had　picked　up　on　the　battlefield。　　Still　wandering　along；　we　were　at　last　pointed　to　a　hill　in　the　distance；　a　part　of　the　summit　of　which　was　covered　with　Indian　corn。　　There；　we　were　told；　some　of　the　fiercest　fighting　of　the　day　had　been　done。　　The　fences　were　taken　down　so　as　to　make　a　passage　across　the　fields；　and　the　tracks　worn　within　the　last　few　days　looked　like　old　roads。　　We　passed　a　fresh　grave　under　a　tree　near　the　road。　　A　board　was　nailed　to　the　tree；　bearing　the　name；　as　well　as　I　could　make　it　out；　of　Gardiner；　of　a　New　Hampshire　regiment。

On　coming　near　the　brow　of　the　hill；　we　met　a　party　carrying　picks　and　spades。　　〃How　many？　　〃Only　one。〃　The　dead　were　nearly　all　buried；　then；　in　this　region　of　the　field　of　strife。　　We　stopped　the　wagon；　and；　getting　out；　began　to　look　around　us。　　Hard　by　was　a　large　pile　of　muskets；　scores；　if　not　hundreds；　which　had　been　picked　up；　and　were　guarded　for　the　Government。　　A　long　ridge　of　fresh　gravel　rose　before　us。　　A　board　stuck　up　in　front　of　it　bore　this　inscription；　the　first　part　of　which　was；　I　believe；　not　correct：　〃The　Rebel　General　Anderson　and　80　Rebels　are　buried　in　this　hole。〃　Other　smaller　ridges　were　marked　with　the　number　of　dead　lying　under　them。　The　whole　ground　was　strewed　with　fragments　of　clothing；　haversacks；　canteens；　cap…boxes；　bullets；　cartridge…boxes；　cartridges；　scraps　of　paper；　portions　of　bread　and　meat。　　I　saw　two　soldiers'　caps　that　looked　as　though　their　owners　had　been　shot　through　the　head。　　In　several　places　I　noticed　dark　red　patches　where　a　pool　of　blood　had　curdled　and　caked；　as　some　poor　fellow　poured　his　life　out　on　the　sod。　　I　then　wandered　about　in　the　cornfield。　　It　surprised　me　to　notice；　that；　though　there　was　every　mark　of　hard　fighting　having　taken　place　here；　the　Indian　corn　was　not　generally　trodden　down。　One　of　our　cornfields　is　a　kind　of　forest；　and　even　when　fighting；　men　avoid　the　tall　stalks　as　if　they　were　trees。　　At　the　edge　of　this　cornfield　lay　a　gray　horse；　said　to　have　belonged　to　a　Rebel　colonel；　who　was　killed　near　the　same　place。　　Not　far　off　were　two　dead　artillery　horses　in　their　harness。　　Another　had　been　attended　to　by　a　burying…party；　who　had　thrown　some　earth　over　him　but　his　last　bed…　clothes　were　too　short；　and　his　legs　stuck　out　stark　and　stiff　from　beneath　the　gravel　coverlet。　　It　was　a　great　pity　that　we　had　no　intelligent　guide　to　explain　to　us　the　position　of　that　portion　of　the　two　armies　which　fought　over　this　ground。　　There　was　a　shallow　trench　before　we　came　to　the　cornfield；　too　narrow　for　a　road；　as　I　should　think；　too　elevated　for　a　water…course；　and　which　seemed　to　have　been　used　as　a　rifle…pit。　　At　any　rate；　there　had　been　hard　fighting　in　and　about　it。　　This　and　the　cornfield　may　serve　to　identify　the　part　of　the　ground　we　visited；　if　any　who　fought　there　should　ever　look　over　this　paper。　　The　opposing　tides　of　battle　must　have　blended　their　waves　at　this　point；　for　portions　of　gray　uniform　were　mingled　with　the　〃garments　rolled　in　blood〃　torn　from　our　own　dead　and　wounded　soldiers。　　I　picked　up　a　Rebel　canteen；　and　one　of　our　own；but　there　was　something　repulsive　about　the　trodden　and　stained　relics　of　the　stale　battle…field。　　It　was　like　the　table　of　some　hideous　orgy　left　uncleared；　and　one　turned　away　disgusted　from　its　broken　fragments　and　muddy　heeltaps。　　A　bullet　or　two；　a　button；　a　brass　plate　from　a　soldier's　belt；　served　well　enough　for　mementos　of　my　visit；　with　a　letter　which　I　picked　up；　directed　to　Richmond；　Virginia；　its　seal　unbroken。　　〃N。　C。　Cleveland　County。　　E。　Wright　to　J。　Wright。〃　　On　the　other　side；　〃A　few　lines　from　W。　L。　Vaughn。〃　　who　has　just　been　writing　for　the　wife　to　her　husband；　and　continues　on　his　own　account。　　The　postscript；　〃tell　John　that　nancy's　folks　are　all　well　and　has　a　verry　good　Little　Crop　of　corn　a　growing。〃　　I　wonder；　if；　by　one　of　those　strange　chances　of　which　I　have　seen　so　many；　this　number　or　leaf　of　the　〃Atlantic〃　will　not　sooner　or　later　find　its　way　to　Cleveland　County；　North　Carolina；　and　E。　Wright；　widow　of　James　Wright；　and　Nancy's　folks；　get　from　these　sentences　the　last　glimpse　of　husband　and　friend　as　he　threw　up　his　arms　and　fell　in　the　bloody　cornfield　of　Antietam？　　I　will　keep　this　stained　letter　for　them　until　peace　comes　back；　if　it　comes　in　my　time；　and　my　pleasant　North　Carolina　Rebel　of　the　Middletown　Hospital　will；　perhaps　look　these　poor　people　up；　and　tell　them　where　to　send　for　it。

On　the　battle…field　I　parted　with　my　two　companions；　the　Chaplain　and　the　Philanthropist。　　They　were　going　to　the　front；　the　one　to　find　his　regiment；　the　other　to　look　for　those　who　needed　his　assistance。　We　exchanged　cards　and　farewells；　I　mounted　the　wagon；　the　horses'　heads　were　turned　homewards；　my　two　companions　went　their　way；　and　I　saw　them　no　more。　　On　my　way　back；　I　fell　into　talk　with　James　Grayden。　　Born　in　England；　Lancashire；　in　this　country　since　be　was　four　years　old。　　Had　nothing　to　care　for　but　an　old　mother；　didn't　know　what　he　should　do　if　he　lost　her。　　Though　so　long　in　this　country；　he　had　all　the　simplicity　and　childlike　lightheartedness　which　belong　to　the　Old　World's　people。　　He　laughed　at　the　smallest　pleasantry；　and　showed　his　great　white　English　teeth；　he　took　a　joke　without　retorting　by　an　impertinence；　he　had　a　very　limited　curiosity　about　all　that　was　going　on；　he　had　small　store　of　information；　he　lived　chiefly　in　his　horses；　it　seemed　to　me。　　His　quiet　animal　nature　acted　as　a　pleasing　anodyne　to　my　recurring　fits　of　anxiety；　and　I　liked　his　frequent　〃'Deed　I　don't　know；　sir。〃　　better　than　I　have　sometimes　relished　the　large　discourse　of　professors　and　other　very　wise　men。

I　have　not　much　to　say　of　the　road　which　we　were　travelling　for　the　second　time。　　Reaching　Middletown；　my　first　call　was　on　the　wounded　Colonel　and　his　lady。　　She　gave　me　a　most　touching　account　of　all　the　suffering　he　had　gone　through　with　his　shattered　limb　before　he　succeeded　in　finding　a　shelter；　showing　the　terrible　want　of　proper　means　of　transportation　of　the　wounded　after　the　battle。　　It　occurred　to　me；　while　at　this　house；　that　I　was　more　or　less　famished；　and　for　the　first　time　in　my　life　I　begged　for　a　meal；　which　the　kind　family　with　whom　the　Colonel　was　staying　most　graciously　furnished　me。

After　tea；　there　came　in　a　stout　army　surgeon；　a　Highlander　by　birth；　educated　in　Edinburgh；　with　whom　I　had　pleasant；　not　unstimulating　talk。　　He　had　been　brought　very　close　to　that　immane　and　nefandous　Burke…and…Hare　business　which　made　the　blood　of　civilization　run　cold　in　the　year　1828；　and　told　me；　in　a　very　calm　way；　with　an　occasional　pinch　from　the　mull；　to　refresh　his　memory；　some　of　the　details　of　those　frightful　murders；　never　rivalled　in　horror　until　the　wretch　Dumollard；　who　kept　a　private　cemetery　for　his　victims；　was　dragged　into　the　light　of　day。　　He　had　a　good　deal　to　say；　too；　about　the　Royal　College　of