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Mark M. Bassett - Circa 1900-1910; Courtesy of the Peoria Public Library

Peoria Find

It didn’t take long until I found another copy of “the photograph”. A lead suggested that I search for records and photographs at the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) post in Peoria, Illinois. The GAR was the fraternal organization made up of Union Army veterans from the Civil War. Mark Bassett had been a member. The post was known as “Col. John Bryner Post, No.67“, with its historic Greenhut GAR Memorial building constructed in 1909, a year before Bassett’s death.… Read More »Peoria Find

Civil War POW Photo

Within a couple of months of starting research for the book, I found a third version of the Civil War POW photo at the National Archives. By now, I was calling it “The Photograph“. One thing became apparent, all of the photos were “copy photos”. Two of the photos were copied from the same original photograph. This led to a lot of questions. Where was that original photograph today – Did the fragile albumen print still survive more than 150… Read More »Civil War POW Photo

National Archives Discovery

Next in digging into this American Civil War POW escape story, I made a National Archives discovery as the story of the photograph itself began to become more intriguing. “Photograph of a Group of Confederate Prisoners” was the description at the National Archives website. What does that mean? Reaching out to the National Archives With this in mind, I sent an inquiry to the National Archives and received the following email: “The series of records, 111-B: Mathew Brady Photographs of… Read More »National Archives Discovery

Chicago Confusion Mystery

The Library of Congress (LOC) offered an interesting clue. There was a Chicago confusion mystery. The Chicago History Museum (CHM) had identified the photograph as member’s of Morgan’s Raiders at Camp Douglas. How did this happen? Copy of the image held by the Chicago History Museum. Mounted on a backing cardboard. There is a hole at the top that appears to have come from a thumbtack Photo by Ray Johnson I found the photograph with the “Morgan’s Raiders at Camp… Read More »Chicago Confusion Mystery

Captured Freedom - Book Details Epic Civil War POW Escape

Identifying the soldiers

Identifying the soldiers was the first step to revealing the epic Civil War escape story. It wasn’t clear cut, and would require some sleuthing.So who were the 12 men in the photograph? Front of Library of Congress copy of “The Photograph” (Click to enlarge) When my North Georgia mountain neighbor shared the photograph with me. He told me the name of his cousin, the man in the far left middle row. David Ledford. Additionally, he told me that the back… Read More »Identifying the soldiers

Identities Were Confused

Identities were confused almost immediately. T. M. Schleier took the photograph in the event that Captured Freedom on Tuesday, January 2, 1865. The former escapees and their mountain guides left Knoxville the next day. They all heading home, some to never see each other ever again. Photograph of nine Union officers and three mountain guidestaken in Knoxville, Tennessee on January 2, 1865. Escapees identities first confused shortly after the end of the Civil War In Spring 1866 noted historian Benson… Read More »Identities Were Confused