author

A. (Alonzo) Cooper

1830–1919

Best known for a vivid Civil War prison memoir, this Union officer wrote from firsthand experience with capture, confinement, and escape. His book still stands out for its direct, resilient voice.

1 Audiobook

In and Out of Rebel Prisons

In and Out of Rebel Prisons

by A. (Alonzo) Cooper

About the author

A. (Alonzo) Cooper was an American Civil War veteran and memoirist, identified by the Library of Congress as living from 1830 to 1919. He is best known for In and Out of Rebel Prisons, published in Oswego, New York, in 1888.

In that book, Cooper presents himself as Lieut. A. Cooper of the 12th New York Cavalry and explains that he kept a diary during his imprisonment. The memoir follows his experiences in Confederate prisons and his attempts to escape, giving readers a personal view of military captivity during the war.

What makes Cooper memorable is the tone of the writing: even while describing brutal conditions, he says he tried to tell the story plainly and with a hopeful spirit. For listeners interested in firsthand Civil War accounts, his work offers an immediate, human record of endurance.