This diary would seem to treat of two things principally,
that of food and exchange. Try to write of something else, but my thoughts
invariably turn to these two subjects. Prisoners of war will know how to excuse
me for thus writing. A dead line has also been fixed up in Camp Lawton, but
thus far no one has been shot. Rebel doctors inside examining men who may be
troubled with disease prison life might aggravate. Those selected are taken
outside and either put in hospitals or sent to our lines. Yankee ingenuity is
brought into play to magnify diseases, and very often a thoroughly well man
will make believe that he is going to die in less than a week unless taken
away. Have laughed for an hour at the way a fellow by the name of Sawyer fooled
them. The modus operandi will hardly bear writing in these pages, but
will do to tell. Have made a raise of another pair of pants with both legs of
the same length, and I discard the old ones to a “poor” prisoner. An advantage
in the new pair is that there is plenty of room, too, from being three or four
sizes too large, and the legs as long as the others were short. My one
suspender has a partner now, and all runs smoothly. Although Bullock is
fleshing up and getting better in health, he is a wreck and always will be. Seems
to be a complete change in both body and mind. He was a favorite in our
regiment, well known and well liked. Rowe is the same stiff, stern [patrician]
as of old, calmly awaiting the next turn in the wheel of fortune.
SOURCE: John L. Ransom, Andersonville Diary, p.
113-4
No comments:
Post a Comment