Prison Life in the Old Capitol and Reminiscences of the Civil War

A vivid, first‑person record transports listeners back to the cramped, echoing halls of the old state capitol turned detention house during the war’s final months. The narrator sketches everyday routines—meals of thin broth, the clatter of iron doors, and the uneasy camaraderie forged among soldiers, civilians, and even children confined together. Interwoven anecdotes about fellow prisoners, the peculiar bureaucracy of parole papers, and the occasional glimpse of forced entertainment bring a human texture to an often‑glorified conflict.

Beyond the walls, the memoir expands into a broader recollection of wartime travel, encounters with well‑known figures, and the stark contrast between civilian life and battlefield fever. With modest illustrations drawn by the author’s son, the account balances stark observations of hardship—overcrowding, disease, and the occasional act of cruelty—with moments of quiet resilience and unexpected kindness. Listeners will gain a personal lens on a tumultuous era, hearing the ordinary voices that history sometimes forgets.