It is not yet
daylight in the morning, and are anxiously awaiting the hour to arrive when we
may go out to the road. Slept hardly any during the night. More or less
fighting all night, and could hear an army go by toward Savannah, also some
shouting directly opposite us. Between the hours of about twelve and three all
was quiet, and then again more travel. We conjecture that the rebel army has
retreated or been driven back, and that the Yankees are now passing along
following them up. Shall go out about nine o'clock. Later. — Are eating breakfast before starting out to liberty
and safety. Must be very careful now and make no mistake. If we run into a
rebel squad now, might get shot. We are nervous, and so anxious can hardly eat.
Will pick up what we really need and start. Perhaps good bye, little house on
the banks of the Ogechee, we shall always remember just how you look, and what
a happy time we have had on this little island. Dave says: “Pick up your
blanket and that skillet, and come along.” Night.—Safe
and sound among our own United States Army troops, after an imprisonment of
nearly fourteen months. Will not attempt to describe my feelings now. Could not
do it. Staying with the 80th Ohio Infantry, and are pretty well tired out from
our exertions of the day. At nine o'clock we started out toward the main road.
When near it Eli and I stopped, and Dave went ahead to see who was passing. We
waited probably fifteen minutes, and then heard Dave yell out: “Come on boys,
all right! Hurry up!” Eli and I had a stream to cross on a log. The stream was
some fifteen feet wide, and the log about two feet through. I tried to walk
that log and fell in my excitement. Verily believe if the water had been a foot
deeper I would have drowned. Was up to my arms, and I was so excited that I
liked never to have got out. Lost the axe, which Dave had handed to me, and the
old stand-by coverlid which had saved my life time and again floated off down
the stream, and I went off without securing it—the more shame to me for it. Dave
ran out of the woods swinging his arms and yelling like mad, and pretty soon
Eli and myself appeared, whooping and yelling. The 80th Ohio was just going by,
or a portion of it, however, and when they saw first one and then another and
then the third coming toward them in rebel dress, with clubs which they mistook
for guns, they wheeled into line, thinking, perhaps, that a whole regiment
would appear next. Dave finally explained by signs, and we approached and
satisfied them of our genuineness. Said we were hard looking soldiers, but when
we came to tell them where we had been and all the particulars, they did not
wonder. Went right along with them, and at noon had plenty to eat. Are the
guests of Co. I, 80th Ohio. At three the 80th had a skirmish, we staying back a
mile with some wagons, and this afternoon rode in a wagon. Only came about
three or four miles to-day, and are near Kimball's, whom we shall call and see
the first opportunity. The soldiers all look well and feel well, and say the
whole confederacy is about cleaned out. Rebels fall back without much fighting.
Said there was not enough to call it a fight at the bridge. Where we thought it
a battle, they thought it nothing worth speaking of. Believe ten or so were
killed, and some wounded. Hear that some Michigan cavalry is with Kilpatrick
off on another road, but they do not know whether it is the 9th Mich. Cav., or
not. Say they see the cavalry every day nearly, and I must keep watch for my
regiment. Soldiers forage on the plantations, and have the best of food;
chickens, ducks, sweet potatoes, etc. The supply wagons carry nothing but
hard-tack, coffee, sugar and such things. Tell you, coffee is a luxury, and
makes one feel almost drunk. Officers come to interview us every five minutes,
and we have talked ourselves most to death to-day. They say we probably will
not be called upon to do any fighting during this war, as the thing is about
settled. They have heard of Andersonville, and from the accounts of the place
did not suppose that any lived at all. New York papers had pictures in, of the
scenes there, and if such was the case it seems funny that measures were not
taken to get us away from there. Many rebels are captured now, and we look at
them from a different stand point than a short time since.
SOURCE: John L. Ransom, Andersonville Diary, p.
154-6
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