Four Months in Libby and the Campaign Against Atlanta

A Union captain recounts his gritty wartime journey with the plain honesty of a soldier who lived every moment on the front lines. After enlisting in the Sixth Kentucky Volunteer Infantry, he sees his first combat, is wounded, and then taken prisoner during the battle at Chickamauga. The narrative shifts to his bleak months confined in the notorious Libby prison, where harsh treatment and cramped conditions sharpen his resolve to escape.

The memoir details the painstaking tunnel‑digging plot that finally frees him and a handful of comrades, describing the tense night of flight, the guidance of the North Star, and the uneasy alliances forged along the way. Once beyond the prison walls, he re‑joins Union forces and finds himself swept into General Sherman’s push toward Atlanta, offering a vivid, ground‑level view of the marching army and the fierce fighting that defined that campaign. The account balances personal hardship with the broader sweep of the war, giving listeners a compelling glimpse into a soldier’s courage and the turbulent era he endured.