Had a funny dream last night. Thought the rebels were so
hard up for mules that they hitched up a couple of grayback lice to draw in the
bread. Wirtz is watching out for Yankee tricks. Some one told him the other day
that the Yankees were making a large balloon inside and some day would all rise
up in the air and escape. He flew around as if mad, but could find no signs of
a balloon. Says there is no telling what “te tam Yankee will do.” Some
prisoners came to-day who were captured at Dalton, and report the place in our
possession, and the rebels driven six miles this side. Kilpatrick and Stoneman
are both with Sherman and there are expectations of starting out on some
mission soon, supposed to be for this place. Nineteen thousand confined here
now and dying at the rate of ninety per day, Philo Lewis, of the 5th Michigan
Cav., can live but a day or two. Talks continually of his wife and family in
Ypsilanti, Mich. Has pictures of the whole family, which he has given me to
take home to them, also a long letter addressed to his wife and children. Mr.
Lewis used to be a teacher of singing in Ypsilanti. He is a fine looking man
naturally, and a smart man, but he must go the way of thousands of others, and
perhaps myself One of his pupils is here confined. Philo Lewis must not be
confounded with F. L. Lewis, the member of our mess. The latter, however,
cannot live but a short time unless relief comes. Fine weather but very warm.
The sandy soil fairly alive with vermin. If this place is so bad at this time
of the year, what must it be in July, August and September? Every man will die,
in my estimation, but perhaps we may be relieved before then. We'll try and
think so anyway. New prisoners die off the fastest.
SOURCE: John L. Ransom, Andersonville Diary, p.
58-9
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