The holding of prisoners of war has always been both a political and a military enterprise; yet the military prisons of the Civil War; which held more than four hundred thousand soldiers and caused the deaths of fifty-six thousand men; have been nearly forgotten. Now Lonnie R. Speer has brought to life the least-known men in the great struggle between the Union and the Confederacy; using their own words and observations as they endured a true “hell on earth.†Drawing on scores of previously unpublished firsthand accounts; Portals to Hell presents the prisoners’ experiences in great detail and from an impartial perspective. The first comprehensive study of all major prisons of both the North and the South; this chronicle analyzes the many complexities of the relationships among prisoners; guards; commandants; and government leaders.
#2593321 in Books Bison Books 2002-09-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.98 x 1.51 x 6.24l; 1.83 #File Name: 0803280092612 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A Lewis and Clark GemBy duodecimo tuonoPrimary sources are the gold standard for accuracy of detail in research. This reprinting in modern format is a valuable addition to my library.