Escape from the Confederacy

In the waning months of the Civil War, a Union cavalryman finds himself confined within the cramped, sand‑filled stockade of Belle Island. The narrative opens with a stark picture of life behind barbed logs: prisoners numbered by hundreds, rationed bread divided with cold efficiency, and the constant drudge of guard patrols. Through his clear, unembellished voice, the author conveys the daily grind of confinement and the lingering hope that keeps the men moving forward.

When a daring raid on Richmond signals a shift in the war’s tide, the captive’s comrades plot a desperate escape. A midnight leap from a moving train launches them into tangled swamps and dense forest, pursued by relentless blood hounds. The account captures the tension of that night, the physical challenges of navigating unfamiliar terrain, and the camaraderie that fuels their resolve. Listeners will be drawn into a vivid, first‑hand chronicle of courage and survival amid one of America’s most turbulent eras.