Ohio POW Diary, ANDERSONVILLE CAPTIVITY DEATH & BURIAL, Prison, CSA, Civil War
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:122943 | Modified Item: No |
TRANSCRIPTION of Rare Original ANDERSONVILLE PRISON Civil War DIARY Written by Ohio Soldier......Captured at The Wilderness & Imprisoned in ANDERSONVILLEDIED WHILE A PRISONER THERE, BURIED IN PRISON GRAVEYARDDESCRIPTION: Typed transcriptionof a rare original hand written diary kept by a Ohio soldier during his stay at the notorious ANDERSONVILLE PRISON during theCivil War. It starts with his involvement in the battle of the Wilderness, his capture ther...e on May 18, 1864, his transport to and imprisonmentas a POW in the infamous ANDERSONVILLE PRISON, and HIS DEATH THERE FROM DISEASE on Sept. 4, 1864, just 3 1/2 months after his capture. The original diary is in my personal collection, and is pictured. Kept by Cpl. Matthew Brown of Co. F, 110th OHIO INFANTRY. He appears to have born in New Burlington, Clinton County, Ohio. He was captured May 18, 1864 during the battle of the Wilderness, Va. and taken to Maj. General Robert E. Lee's headquarters for 2 days. Then on to Lynchburg and Danville, then on through the Carolinas to the "Rebel Military Prison at Andersonville"......"the worst place they could find in the entire Southern Confederacy". AND LIKE SO MANY OF THE POWS, BROWN DID NOT SURVIVE, DYING THERE ON SEPT. 4, 1864 FROM DIAHRREA. HE IS BURIED IN THE ANDERSONVILLE GRAVEYARD IN GRAVE #7993. This is the complete, actual typed content from my original, leather diary with daily entries carried by Brown during his stay at Andersonville. A daily diary is obviously much more revealing than a letter, as it was not subject to censorship, and it also contains stark details that he might not haveconveyed to the folks back home in a letter. So, this is a FIRST HAND DAILY ACCOUNT, in remarkable detail, of living conditions, and daily life at this terrible place. Great detail covering a wide varietyof everyday activity, occurences, and anecdotes....as they happened. Every page is loaded with amazingdescription and detail written by a soldier as it happened and without knowing what the next day might bring. . As a very brief indication, significant detail about the conditions of the train transport, e.g. interaction with the Rebel guards, trading, poor treatment, etc....details about very limited rations during transport, a train car running over a soldier, a soldier on a car with 50 BULLET HOLES SHOT THROUGH HIM, finding 8 men from his company and 20 from his regiment, which gave him great comfort, lots of fighting, talk of parole, gambling, forty deaths every day, the soldiers killing men ("Raiders") for stealing, men shot for crossing the infamous "dead line", rain discomfort and ruining rations, 800 Union prisoners brought into camp today (lots come in every day), man died Friday who had $5000 dollars with him (he sold his chance of getting out because he was making more money inside than he could outside), discussion of his bowel problems, Raiders sentenced to death (wearing ball and chain), they hung 6 raiders all at one time.......one had to drop twice as the rope broke the first time, man told Rebs that a tunnel was being dug ....head shaved and mark of traitor put on his head....., making pants with his friends, food details, etc., etc.....The actual diary stops abruptly on August 29. ON THE NEXT PAGE, IN DIFFERENT HANDWRITING IT SAYS: "CORPL. MATTHEW BROWN DIED IN CAMP SUMTER, GEORGIA SEPT. 4th 1864 AT 5:00 PM. HIS DISEASE WAS DIARRHEA AND INFLAMMATION....TOOK PLACE AND HE DIED INSTANTLY. HE MADE NO REMARKS ABOUT ANYTHING WHATEVER PREVIOUSLY TO HIS DEATH, SGT. J.E. MILLER, CO. F 110th OVS, 7993". Miller was a one of Brown's friends and was mentioned earlier in the diary. Brown may have had a premonition of death as he writes at the beginning to his wife that if he never sees her again on earth that he hopes to see her in heaven, where there is no suffering or sickness, and that he hopes she brings up their children with God. Records indicate that Matthew Brown was mustered into Company F of the 110th Ohio on August 18, 1862 and confirms all the dates of capture and death. ALSO CONFIRMS THAT "HE IS BURIED IN THE ANDERSONVILLE NATIONAL CEMETERY IN ANDERSONVILLE, GEORGIA, IN GRAVE #7993".An Andersonville day-to-day diary that was kept and carried by the soldier while there, and one of the unfortunate souls who not only suffered but paid the ultimate price and is still buried there in the prison graveyard. Especially moving with the note at the end by his friend.....he obviously was aware that Brown was keeping the diary. He must have taken it and brought it home to Brown's family. You get the idea. The above content is just a sample. This guywas THERE. He was very accurate in his observations and recorded it all. If you want to knowwhat it was like first hand and how these guys suffered, here it is. A very interesting, detailed description of life in a ConfederatePOW camp during this period. The typed transcription being offered here is 8 pages long, single spaced, loaded with firsthand information and details by someone who was THERE. Again, please note that you are getting a typedtranscription of the original diary that is a treasured part of my collection, not the original diary itself (both pictured). It has not been published and the content has not been offered forsale before. I am offering a limited number of copies as a means of sharing the content with others. You will not see something like this again, especially where you get to know him from the daily entries, and especially knowing that he didn't make it out of there.You will not bedisappointed with the content of this and the story behind the soldier who wrote it.Please see my auction list for other interesting items!! SHIPPING TERMS:Buyer pays 2.50 shipping in the US.
