Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Diary of 1st Sergeant John L. Ransom: May 16, 1864

Two men got away during the night and were brought back before noon. (Was going to say before dinner) The men are torn by the dogs, and one of them full of buck shot. A funny way of escape has just been discovered by Wirtz. A man pretends to be dead and is carried out on a stretcher and left with the row of dead. As soon as it gets dark, Mr. Dead-man jumps up and runs. Wirtz suspecting the trick took to watching, and discovered a “dead man” running away. An examination now takes place by the surgeon before being permitted out from under guard. I hear a number of men have gotten away by this method, and it seems very probable, as dead men are so plenty that not much attention is paid to them.

SOURCE: John L. Ransom, Andersonville Diary, p. 58

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