Numbering All the Bones

Following her departure from the plantation, Eulinda begins to work with Dorence. Unlike other soldiers, Dorence is willing to describe what happened to him at Andersonville, where he was assigned the job of recording the deaths of Union prisoners. He explains that he doubted an official record would be retained, so he made a double record that he clandestinely kept. After his release, the federal government claimed the list but would not release it. Finally, with the help of Clara, Dorence took back the list, made it public, and traveled with Clara to Andersonville to identify the bodies of the prisoners. Eulinda learns for the first time that 13,000 men were buried at the camp. At the end of the chapter, Dorence asks Eulinda if she is ready to find her brother’s grave.

Before they search for Neddy’s burial site, Eulinda tells Dorence that Neddy’s body may have the stolen ruby ring on it. She says, “I don’t want you to make yourself part of anything unsavory, Mr. Atwater” (133). He laughs at this thought and asks, “Can anything be more unsavory than all of this?” (133). With Dorence’s map, they locate Neddy’s grave. Dorence tells Eulinda to step back so she cannot see what he is doing as he unearths the body.