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Epic Tales of Civil War Survival: Captured Freedom

On a brutally cold winter morning 160 years ago today, this photograph was taken by Theodore M. Schleier in Knoxville, Tennessee. It was a photograph that Captured Freedom. Captured Freedom is a little told story about prisoners during the Civil War. Nine Union prisoners of war and their North Carolina mountain guides had arrived the day before after they made it to freedom over Union lines. The long slog, often through snow and freezing temperatures had taken some of them… Read More »Epic Tales of Civil War Survival: Captured Freedom

Captured Freedom - Book Details Epic Civil War POW Escape

Captured Freedom on History Unplugged

Scott Rank—is a history professor and host of the podcast History Unplugged. Scott interviews Captured Freedom’s author on History Unplugged. From History Unplugged: Steve Procko is today’s guest, and he’s here to tell the story. He’s also the author of “Captured Freedom: The Epic True Civil War Story of Union POW Officers Escaping From a South Prison.” At the height of the Civil War in November 1864, nine Union prisoners-of-war escaped from a Confederate Prison known as Camp Sorghum in… Read More »Captured Freedom on History Unplugged

Author Steve Procko's Interview with Kansas Public Radio - Dan Skinner, "Conversations"

Interview with Kansas Public Radio

Captured Freedom’s author Steve Procko is interviewed by Kansas Public Radio host Dan Skinner for his show “Conversations“. Conversations – Kansas Public Radio https://kansaspublicradio.org/podcast/conversations/2023-08-21/captured-freedom-an-epic-true-civil-war-pow-story From Kansas Public Radio: On this edition of Conversations, Steve Procko talks with host Dan Skinner about “Captured Freedom.” This book was inspired by a photo of Civil War soldiers misidentified as Confederate soldiers, but in fact were Union Soldier who had escaped from a Confederate prison. Procko uncovered the true identities of the men and… Read More »Interview with Kansas Public Radio

Bassett, Hoffman, Page and Marshall all participated in the siege of Vicksburg

Vicksburg – July 4, 1863

The end of the siege of Vicksburg. Lieutenant Mark M. Bassett, Company E, 53rd Illinois, wouldn’t consider the irony of his situation until over a year later. “The negotiations were going on slowly. During the 2d and 3d of July we would get up on the works three or four times a day when the white flags were up and visit,” scribbled Private Ranstead of Company D, 53rd Illinois in his diary.  The men in blue and the men and… Read More »Vicksburg – July 4, 1863

The flag or colors of the 53rd Illinois with the blood of Sergeant George Poundstone still visible in the bottom right. The restored Civil War flag hangs on display at the Streator Public Library, Streator, Illinois, where it is on permanent loan from the Illinois State Military Museum. – Photo courtesy of David Reed

Flag Day

The flag or colors of the 53rd Illinois with the blood of Sergeant George Poundstone still visible in the bottom right.The restored Civil War flag hangs on display at the Streator Public Library, Streator, Illinois, where it is on permanent loan from the Illinois State Military Museum. – Photo courtesy of David Reed At around 9AM on the morning of Sunday, July 12, 1863, the incessant heat radiated down from the Jackson, Mississippi sun onto the men of the 53rd… Read More »Flag Day

Henry Fowler; 15th New Jersey

Memorial Day

How our country observes Memorial Day has an interesting connection to the Union POWs who posed for “the photograph’ in Knoxville in 1865. Lieutenant Henry Fowler of the 15th New Jersey was just 17-years-old when he was seriously wounded in the knee and captured at the Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse on May 12, 1864. An overzealous Confederate surgeon wanted to amputate his leg. Fowler pleaded with the man as a chloroform rag was placed across his mouth and nose. When… Read More »Memorial Day