A rather cold rain wets all who have not shelter. Many
ladies come to see us; don't come through the gate, but look at us through that
loophole. Any one with money can buy extras in the way of food, but, alas, we
have no money. Am now quite a trader — that is, I make up a very thin dish of
soup and sell it for ten cents, or trade it for something. Am ravenously hungry
now and can't get enough to eat. The disease has left my system, the body
demands food, and I have to exert my speculative genius to get it. am quite a
hand at such things and well calculated to take care of myself. A man belonging
to the Masonic order need not stay here an hour. It seems as if every rebel
officer was of that craft, and a prisoner has but to make himself known to be
taken care of. Pretty strong secret association that will stand the fortunes of
war. That is another thing I must do when I get home — join the Masons. No end
of things for me to do: visit all the foreign countries that prisoners told me
about, and not forgetting to take in Boston by the way, wear silk
underclothing, join the masons, and above all educate myself to keep out of
rebel prisons. A person has plenty of time to think here, more so than in Andersonville;
there it was business to keep alive. Small alligator killed at lower part of
the stream.
SOURCE: John L. Ransom, Andersonville Diary, p.
112-3
No comments:
Post a Comment