Libby Prison Breakout The Daring Escape from the Notorious Civil War Prison

Libby Prison Breakout tells the largely unknown story of the most important escape of the Civil War from a Confederate prison. Known as the ôThe Bastille of the South,ö Richmond's Libby Prison was home to over a thousand semi-starving Union officers by late 1863. On February 9, 1864, 109 of those officers wriggled through a fifty-five-foot tunnel to freedom. This riveting narrative documents their incredible escape and the all-out Rebel manhunt that ensued-and shows how the testimony of those who survived ultimately spurred a new cycle of retaliation against Rebel captives. Book jacket.

Joseph Wheelan is the author of several previous books, including the highly-acclaimed Terrible Swift Sword and Midnight in the Pacific. Before turning to writing books full time, Wheelan was a reporter and editor for the Associated Press for twenty-four years. He lives in Cary, North Carolina.