Captured Freedom - by Steve Procko (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

"A thoroughly engaging account of trauma and resilience during the Civil War." - Kirkus Reviews

2025 Independent Press Award Winner.

Captured Freedom is the epic true story of nine Union prisoners-of-war who escaped from a Confederate Prison known as Camp Sorghum in Columbia, South Carolina in November 1864. They scrambled north on foot in rags that had once been uniforms of blue. Traveling in brutal winter conditions more than 300 miles with search parties and bloodhounds hot on their trail. On the difficult journey they relied on the help of enslaved men and women, as well as Southerners who sympathized with the North, before finally reaching Union lines on New Years Day 1865.

After arriving in Knoxville, Tennessee, and checking in with Union authorities, one of the men had a wonderful idea. The nine officers and their three mountain guides found a local photographer, hoping to commemorate what they had accomplished by posing together for a photograph. The instant, frozen in time, showed twelve ragged men with determination strong on their faces. It was a Civil War selfie. A moment that Captured Freedom.

Author Steve Procko, an Emmy-award winning documentarian, received a copy of the more than 150-year-old photograph from a descendant of one of the mountain guides. Upon identifying and researching the men in the photograph, he realized their remarkable story had never been told.

They say every picture tells a story. This one tells many.

Review Quotes

A Civil War-era photograph reveals a sprawling true story of suffering and survival in

Procko's nonfiction work...Although the author refers to the book as a work of narrative

nonfiction in the introduction, imaginative descriptions are sparingly used, and they

effectively enhance a small number of pivotal moments.

Kirkus Reviews

https: //www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/steve-procko/captured-freedom/

The Civil War is chock full of remarkable true stories, and Captured Freedom tells one

that beats them all. Procko's detective work uncovers the lives of an amazing group of

escaped prisoners, and tells their adventures with a narrative flair. Everyone will learn

something they didn't know about the Civil War in the pages of this book.

Dr. Lorien Foote

Patricia & Bookman Peters Professor in History

Texas A&M University

Narrative nonfiction aficionados will greatly enjoy Captured Freedom, which Civil War

buffs will find a special treat. Exhaustively researched, richly anecdotal, and well-written.

Joseph Wheelan

Author of Libby Prison Breakout, The Daring Escape from the Notorious Confederate

Prison; and 10 other books of historical nonfiction

A well-researched book, Captured Freedom delves into the personal biographies of

literally dozens of individuals, but also brings insight to the Confederate prison system.

Another interesting addition is a glimpse at two obscure Union regiments, the 2nd and 3rd

North Carolina Mounted Rifles. This book is a welcome addition to any Civil war library,

particularly those collections on prisons and escapes.

Tom Parson

Park Ranger

Shiloh National Military Park

As the Senior Vice President of the Chicago History Museum, I encountered the image

that graces the cover and animates this well-researched book by Steve Procko many,

many times. The photograph is in the museum's amazing collection of Civil War

materials. But I had no idea that the museum had gotten the story of this image so

profoundly wrong and was sharing a wildly inaccurate narrative about these impressive

Union soldiers and their guides. In Captured Freedom, Procko corrects the record, telling

the true story and honoring the men who posed for this photograph over 160 years ago.

John Russick

Interim President & CEO

Levine Museum of the New South

A great book about an early and long forgotten version of the great escape. It would make a great film.

Joseph Bilby Author and assistant curator of the New Jersey National Guard and Militia Museum