Book Description

It is the worst Civil War POW camp you've probably never heard of. A larger percentage of those who left Cahaba died once back in Union lines than of those who left Andersonville. it was five times more crowded than Andersonville. Jesse Hawes was an 18-year-old enlistee in the 9th Illinois Cavalry who was captured and imprisoned at Cahaba. In one of the most articulate, unique, and moving accounts of prison life in the south, the Colorado physician looks back more than thirty years to the desperate days filled with starvation, death, and disease. Not only did he rely on his memory but he researched the Union and Confederate records to bring incredible detail to this comprehensive work. After the war, Hawes became a respected Colorado surgeon. He attended many reunions of the 9th Illinois and never forgot the friendships born of unspeakable hardships. Every memoir of the American Civil War provides us with another view of the catastrophe that changed the country forever. For the first time, this long out-of-print volume is available as an affordable, well-formatted book for e-readers and smartphones. Be sure to LOOK INSIDE by clicking the cover above or download a sample.