While these are not necessarily diary letters, they provide the thoughts of Confederate soldiers held in the Camp Chase, Ohio prison. If it weren't for Capt Stuart's letters, I wouldn't have learned the fate of my uncle, John Young Derrick, who died at Camp Douglas, Illinois.
http://www.datasync.com/~jtaylor/27CCL.htm
EXAMPLE:
The Letters of John B. Stuart:
Camp Chase Ohio. April 21st 1862 Mess 58 Prison 3.
Dear Sarah
I understand that there is a lady Mrs C. M. Clark who will probably have an opportunity to send a letter through. I make it a part of my business to get letters to you as business is not berry pressing here. I am quite lame yet from an attack of Rheumatism. The Federal Surgeon examined me yesterday for what purpose I do not know. However I believe it is to parole me on account of my health. If so I will have to support myself. I think if I could get out of this prison and a bed to sleep on in place of a hard plank I will improve fast. Our prison is verry damp and the house we are in leaks verry bad. It rains all night and the floor is wet all over there is nothing but a plank rood on it. There is no news here that I can write. I am satisfied that I will improve as soon as Spring opens here. The climate is verry changeable here a great deal more so than in North Ala. I received your letter mailed at Nashville Tenn. On 12th which gave me great satisfaction. The day before I received it Capt Bible & Brindlee came in from Island No 10 and told me you had received a letter from me. Bible is from Limestone Cty and all his company are at Chicago & the officers here. Father wrote to know about Ratliff. I left him at St Louis in hospital. I cannot hear from the company. I wrote several letters but get no answer yet. I have a list of all that are dead that I know of. Viz: John Derrick Jno. O. Rutledge J. A. Sample Uriah Canles of my company.Hoping this will go direct to you I will transcend the limit of one page hoping they will pass it. You must take good care of your self & send the children to school.
You intimated in yours of the 5th that you thought I would be home soon. I see no prospect of getting home at present for some considerable time unless some of my friends will take an active part to have an exchange. If they could send a federal Captain on parole to exchange for me it could probably be effected through the war department but I am not informed on the subject of exchange & the mode to give much information. I am satisfied if a captain was offered to the war department it would succeed.
We are verry well cared for here in the way of provisions but in our mess wer are likely to suffer in the way of clothes. Some men in the prison have drawn plenty of clothes but we have not as yet. Some of the mess will be able to buy but part of them are not. We have bin unlucky to some extent but live in hope. My mess is all verry cleaver to me in my sickness. As kind as brothers and the ties made here cannot be loosed until death.
I would give the name of my mess but have intruded now on the patience of the reader of letters & c. Tell all my friends to write me as this life is verry monotonous. My respects to all inquiring friends. Kiss the children for me & accept one your self.
Good by
John B. Stuart