Aug. 18.—Exchange rumors.
Aug. 19.—Am still hoping for relief. Water is bracing some up, myself with others. Does not hurt us.
Aug. 20.—Some say three hundred now die each day. No more new men coming. Reported that Wirtz is dead.
Aug. 21.—Sleep nearly all the time except when too hot to do so.
Aug. 22—Exchange rumors.
Aug. 23.—Terribly hot.
Aug. 24.—Had some soup. Not particularly worse, but Rowe is, and Sanders also.
Aug. 25.—In my exuberance of joy must write a few lines. Received a letter from my brother, George W. Ransom, from Hilton Head.[A] Contained only a few words.
[A] My brother supposed me dead, as I had been so reported; still, thinking it might not be so, every week or so he would write a letter and direct to me as a prisoner of war. This letter, very strangely, reached its destination.
Aug. 26.—Still am writing. The letter from my brother has done good and cheered me up. Eye sight very poor and writing tires me. Battese sticks by; such disinterested friendship is rare. Prison at its worst.