Death on the River by John Wilson

Author:John Wilson
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781554691111
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Published: 2009-10-01T04:00:00+00:00

FOURTEEN

“I haff ze good news.” Wirz is sitting on his horse at roll call the morning after our excursion outside the gates. I’m feeling better than I have in weeks. We made a cabbage and bean soup last night, and no king ever enjoyed a banquet as much as we enjoyed that soup. The sweet potatoes we buried under the floor of the lean-to for later. Our neighbors watch us enviously but fear of Billy’s blade keeps them at bay.

“Zere iz to be a parole.” A buzz of excited conversation runs through the assembled prisoners. Parole home on a prisoner exchange is our dream, but the story is that General Grant has forbidden it because the Rebels refuse to include black soldiers in any exchange. Maybe he’s changed his mind.

“You vill assemble here zis afternoon at vun of ze clock. Ze first batch vill go to Savannah to get ze boats home.” Wirz turns his horse and rides out the gate. The buzz of conversation turns into a chorus of ragged cheers. Everyone disperses back to their shelters to prepare.

“We’re going home,” I say excitedly to Billy as we trek up the hill.

Billy just grunts. I’m annoyed that he doesn’t seem to share the general excitement.

“It’s great news. If we can get on the first batch, we’ll be in Savannah in a few days and home in two weeks. God dammit, Billy, be happy. We’ve survived.”

“I ain’t so sure. How do we know Wirz ain’t lyin’?”

“Why would he lie?”

“Look at this place, Jake. There’s thirty thousand dyin’ men packed in here as tight as those bodies in the grave behind the hospital. It’s Hell fer sure. Maybe Sherman’s on his way here already. Would you want to be caught as the commandant of Hell?”

“No.” I wonder where Billy’s going with this.

“So, if Wirz ships out ten or twenty thousand of us, those left would look much better.”

“Are you suggesting that we stay? That we don’t take the parole?” I ask in horror.

“Fer the time bein’, yes.”

“You’re crazy!” I yell. Anger sweeps over me. I can’t believe what Billy’s saying. “Staying here is committing suicide as surely as stepping over the dead line. Even if Wirz is lying, wherever they take us can’t be worse than this.”

Billy shrugs. “You make your decision, Jake. I’ve made mine.” He turns away. I grab his arm.

“Why, Billy?”

“Because this place will get better after a few thousand leave. Better the devil you know…”

“That’s no reason,” I rage. “You choose to stay, hoping that things will get better here, and maybe they will, but there’ll still be poisonous water, no food, cruel guards and a pile of bodies at the gate every morning.”

“And what if Sherman is on his way here?” Billy interrupts. “You walk out that gate, get on a train and in two weeks time your sittin’ in a camp just as bad as this outside Savannah awaitin’ ships that ain’t never gonna come ’cause Wirz was lyin’. Meanwhile, I’m sleepin’ ’tween fresh sheets in Atlanta with a couple of pretty nurses tendin’ to my every need.

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