Who is john ransom

Ransom had believed that many who were dying would have lived if they had adopted the regulations established by his mess. John L. Without truly understanding the importance of his diary beyond protecting his own sanity, Ransom created a critical historical piece. Published in Person.

Ransom Published 21 October by Amber Strutz. A view of the Andersonville Prison by John L. Primary Sources Marvel, William. Civil War History , vol. Accessed 7 Dec. Pasadena Museum of History.

Kansas City Public Library. Spartacus Educational Publishers Ltd. Survival Common Sense. Further Reading Futch, Ovid L. History of Andersonville Prison. University Press of Florida, Catton, Bruce. Prison Camps of the Civil War. American Heritage Publishing Company, Incorporated, In an interesting example of political pressure brought to bear, the prisoners band together to demand the right to police their own area, and are given clubs and sticks to do the job.

And this keeps the problem of the marauders under control. Ransom twice escapes from prison, both times when being transferred to another camp. He escapes when being transferred to a prison south of Andersonville to escape Sherman in his march through Georgia , only to be recaptured after 6 days of freedom.

During that time, he finds help from the slaves he encounteres, but mistakes a dark-skinned white woman for a free black, who reports him to the authorities. While at Andersonville, and later, Ransom comments on the political and war situation at large. Declaring himself a dyed-in-the-wool War Democrat, he participates in a mock election at Andersonville in November of Politically, he leans toward McClellan, the Democrat, but also he feels abandoned by the Union government, which had ceased its policy of prisoner exchanges prior to late , it was quite common for prisoners to be exchanged, but the Union leadership ceased the policy figuring that the exchanges were helping the Confederacy.

In discussing the election, he notes that the POWs would likely vote for McClellan, as would the older men in the army, while the younger guys would vote for Lincoln. That advance also makes it possible for Ransom and the Buck boys, his two companions, to reach Union lines and freedom. In discussing the situation at Andersonville, and at the other camps, Ransom is quite balanced in his discussion of his fellows and of the Confederates he encounters.

Justifiably angered at Wirz, and the inhuman treatment of prisoners at Andersonville, he notes that Wirz did not happen in a vacuum, and that there were others beyond him who also had some responsibilities in the horror of that camp.

And for air to breathe, it is what arises from this foul place. On al four sides of us are high walls and tall tress, and there is apparently no wind or breeze to blow away the stench, and we are obliged to breathe and live in it.

Dead bodies lay around all day in the broiling sun, by the dozen and even hundreds, and we must suffer and live in this atmosphere. Probably one-forth or one-third of these die inside the stockade, the balance in the hospital outside. All day and up to 4 o'clock p.

As the bodies are stripped of their clothing, in most cases as soon as the breath leaves and in some cases before, the row of dead presents a sickening appearance. At 4 o'clock, a four or six mule wagon comes up to the gate, and twenty or thirty bodies are loaded onto the wagon and they are carried off to be put in trenches, one hundred in each trench, in the cemetery.

It is the orders to attach the name, company, and regiment to each body, but it is not always done. My digging days are over. It is with difficulty now that I can walk, and only with the help of two canes. This morning, lumber was brought into the prison by the Rebels, and near the gate a gallows erected for the purpose of executing the six condemned Yankees.

At about 10 o'clock they were brought inside by Captain Wirtz and some guards. Wirtz then said a few words about their having been tried by our own men and for us to do as we choose with them. Munn, U. Navy and W. Rickson of the U. All were given a chance to talk. Munn, a good-looking fellow in Marine dress, said he came into the prison four months before, perfectly honest and as innocent of crime as any fellow in it. Starvation, with evil companions, had made him what he was.

He spoke of his mother and sisters in New York, that he cared nothing as far as he himself was concerned, but the news that would be carried home to his people made him want to curse God he had ever been born. Delaney said he would rather be hung than live here as the most of them lived on the allowance of rations. If allowed to steal could get enough to eat, but as that was stopped had rather hang.

He said his name was not Delaney and that no one knew who he really was, therefore his friends would never know his fate, his Andersonville history dying with him.