First Offensive- The Marine Campaign for Guadalcanal
Sep 27, 2026 · 8 hr 37 min · 23 segments
"Andersonville Diary, Escape And List Of The Dead" by John L. Ransom provides a harrowing first-hand account of life in the infamous Confederate prison camp during the Civil War. Ransom's diary not…
Ransom This LibriVox recording is in the public domain Part One The Capture A rebel ruse to gobble up Union troops A complete surprise Careless officers Heroic defense Beginning of a long imprisonment Bell Island, Richmond, Virginia, November 22, 1863 I was captured near Rogersville, East Tennessee, on the 6th of this month, while acting as brigade quartermaster sergeant.
The brigade was divided, two regiments twenty miles away, while brigade headquarters with 7th Ohio and 1st Tennessee mounted infantry were at Rogersville.
The brigade quartermaster had a large quantity of clothing on hand, which we were about to issue to the brigade as soon as possible.
The rebel citizens got up a dance at one of the public houses in the village and invited all the Union officers.
This was the evening of November 5th.
Nearly all the officers attended and were away from the command nearly all night, and many were away all night.
We were encamped in a bend of the Halston River.
It was a dark, rainy night, and the river rose rapidly before morning.
The dance was a ruse to get our officers away from their command.
At break of day the pickets were drove in by rebel cavalry, and orders were immediately received from commanding officer to get wagon train out on the road in ten minutes.
The quartermaster had been to the dance and had not returned.
Consequently, it devolved upon me to see to wagon train, which I did, and in probably ten minutes the whole seventy-six mule army wagons were in line out on the main road, while the companies were forming into line and getting ready for a fight.
Rebels had us completely surrounded and soon began to fire volley after volley into our disorganized ranks.
Not one officer in five was present.
General commanding and staff, as soon as they realized our danger, started for the river, swam across, and got away.
We had a small company of artillery with us, commanded by a lieutenant.
The lieutenant, in the absence of other officers, assumed command of the two regiments, and right gallantly did he do service.
Kept forming his men for the better protection of his wagon train, while the rebels were shifting around from one point to another, and all the time sending volley after volley into our ranks.
Our men did well, and had there been plenty of officers and ammunition, we might have gained the day.
After ten hours' fighting, we were obliged to surrender, after having lost in killed over a hundred, and three or four times that number in wounded.
After surrendering, we were drawn up into line, counted off, and hurriedly marched away south.
By eight o'clock at night, had probably marched ten miles, and encamped until morning.
We expected that our troops would intercept and release us, but they did not.
An hour before daylight, we were up and on the march toward Bristol, Virginia, that being the nearest railroad station.
We were cavalrymen, and marching on foot made us very lame, and we could hardly hobble along.
Ransom This LibriVox recording is in the public domain Part One The Capture A rebel ruse to gobble up Union troops A complete surprise Careless officers Heroic defense Beginning of a long imprisonment Bell Island, Richmond, Virginia, November 22, 1863 I was captured near Rogersville, East Tennessee, on the 6th of this month, while acting as brigade quartermaster sergeant.
The brigade was divided, two regiments twenty miles away, while brigade headquarters with 7th Ohio and 1st Tennessee mounted infantry were at Rogersville.
The brigade quartermaster had a large quantity of clothing on hand, which we were about to issue to the brigade as soon as possible.
The rebel citizens got up a dance at one of the public houses in the village and invited all the Union officers.
This was the evening of November 5th.
Nearly all the officers attended and were away from the command nearly all night, and many were away all night.
We were encamped in a bend of the Halston River.
It was a dark, rainy night, and the river rose rapidly before morning.
The dance was a ruse to get our officers away from their command.
At break of day the pickets were drove in by rebel cavalry, and orders were immediately received from commanding officer to get wagon train out on the road in ten minutes.
The quartermaster had been to the dance and had not returned.
Consequently, it devolved upon me to see to wagon train, which I did, and in probably ten minutes the whole seventy-six mule army wagons were in line out on the main road, while the companies were forming into line and getting ready for a fight.
Rebels had us completely surrounded and soon began to fire volley after volley into our disorganized ranks.
Not one officer in five was present.
General commanding and staff, as soon as they realized our danger, started for the river, swam across, and got away.
We had a small company of artillery with us, commanded by a lieutenant.
The lieutenant, in the absence of other officers, assumed command of the two regiments, and right gallantly did he do service.
Kept forming his men for the better protection of his wagon train, while the rebels were shifting around from one point to another, and all the time sending volley after volley into our ranks.
Our men did well, and had there been plenty of officers and ammunition, we might have gained the day.
After ten hours' fighting, we were obliged to surrender, after having lost in killed over a hundred, and three or four times that number in wounded.
After surrendering, we were drawn up into line, counted off, and hurriedly marched away south.
By eight o'clock at night, had probably marched ten miles, and encamped until morning.
We expected that our troops would intercept and release us, but they did not.
An hour before daylight, we were up and on the march toward Bristol, Virginia, that being the nearest railroad station.
We were cavalrymen, and marching on foot made us very lame, and we could hardly hobble along.
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