Journal of Sgt. John Clark Ely: Beautiful sight for departing 'skin and bones' POWs

Something big is about to happen to Sgt. John Clark Ely. He’s been languishing at Confederates prison camps, including Andersonville, for more than three months, praying for an exchange. Finally, like thousands of other prisoners held by both sides, he gets some important news. Here is this week’s installment of the journal of Ely of Company C, 115th Ohio Infantry, courtesy of Andersonville National Historic Site.

March 18, 1865 (Saturday)

Fine day, cool night, exchange rumors again numerous and men some excited over the news.  Hathaway tried hard to get out on parole by siding with the rebs all right p.m. a thousand men including those at the hospital and officers were taken for exchange twas sad.

March 19, 1865 (Sunday)
Beautiful day but cool night.  I feel quite poorly with diarrhea. The monotony of camp again broken by the Johnnys coming in for men to go out on parole. Carpenters, woodchoppers etc took out nearly or quite 100 men.

March 20, 1865 (Monday)
Fine day, felt very badly all day. Rumor in camp that 3000 are going tomorrow, may it prove true and may Co. C be of the number. Some excitement in regard to it.

Sgt. Ely

March 21, 1865 (Tuesday)
Rain heavy in night. Raining still this morning and continued through day, feeling better today, no prisoners away today.

March 22, 1865 (Wednesday)
Beautiful day again, late p.m. great excitement through camp occasioned by the reb sutler coming in and selling chances to leave in first squad, chances selling from 15 to 30 dollars confederate.

March 23, 1865 (Thursday)
Beautiful day, same excitement as yesterday.

March 24, 1865 (Friday).

Very fine morning, peach and cherry trees all in full bloom outside, for the Co bought our chance to go by the first train.  We gave eighty dollars greenback, 80 confed and my watch valued at 60  dollars, hope the chance will prove a good one.  Late p.m. a train came for us and we bid goodby to Andersonville.  Left at 8 p.m. and arrived at Columbus (Ga.) at daylight.

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Emaciated prisoners including Ely were bound for a train headed westward for prisoners exchanges. An eyewitness recalled the scene as the men left Andersonville:

Coming like cattle across an open field were scores of men who were nothing but skin and bones ; some hobbling along as best they could, and others being helped by stronger comrades. Every gaunt face with its staring eyes told the story of the suffering and privation they had gone through, and protruding bones showed through their scanty tattered garments. One might have thought that the grave and the sea had given up their dead.

Journal of POW Sgt. John C. Ely: Rumors of possible exchange are rampant

Thomas O'Dea drawing of rumor exchange (ANHS)

By mid-March 1865, rumors of exchange are rife for the 5,700 prisoners still held at Andersonville prison in central Georgia.

They’ve endured a lot of rain and privation. About nine of their comrades die each day. The prisoners, of course, don’t know that the war’s end is only weeks away.

But they do have hope. And the fact that 2,411 prisoners are sent in March to Vicksburg, Ms., for future exchange raises freedom expectations for remaining Federal soldiers held at the camp, including Sgt. John Clark Ely.

Camp Fisk near Vicksburg was an exchange site that resulted from the efforts of Confederate Lt. Col. Howard Henderson and Union Col. A.C. Fisk.

“Rumors are a difficult thing to interpret,” says Stephanie Steinhorst of Andersonville National Historic Site.

“At best we convey the sense of confusion and that nothing is certain until you see it and touch it. Certainty of existence is something that is taken from a prisoner of war -- it is one of the intangible things lost upon capture,” Steinhorst tells the Picket. “Rumors are part of every prisoner's existence because they are attempting to piece together tidbits of information based on what they see, what they hear and what they hope for.”

The park this weekend is having a living history weekend.

“When we have folks out portraying prisoners, we encourage them to disagree about what they think is happening "outside,’” says Steinhorst.

Here is this week’s installment of the journal of Ely of Company C, 115th Ohio Infantry. Entries are courtesy of Andersonville National Historic Site.

March 11, 1865 (Saturday)
Fine morning, little frost, a recruiting officer in again yesterday and today. Renewed rumors of leaving.

March 12, 1865 (Sunday)
Beautiful morning, frost again this morning, feeling pretty bad.  Big rumors of exchange..

March 13, 1865 (Monday)
Very fine day, feeling better than yesterday.  Hope many exchange rumors may prove some of them true.

March 14, 1865 (Tuesday)
Cloudy morning, looks like rain, exchange rumors seem to have played out.  Hathaway says first on Friday, then Sunday and all along show paper was sent in to take the name Co. () of the men.

March 15, 1865 (Wednesday)
Rain nearly all night, lowery the a.m., exchange rumors still plenty.

March 16, 1865 (Thursday)
Rain in night and p.m. yesterday cloudy and wind with rain this morning cleared off p.m. cool.

March 17, 1865 (Friday).

Fine day, frost this morning. Heard that David McGrath, Co. G was dead, am sorry.  Borrowed money of Garrison and paid the Co. what I owe them.