Hell on Belle Isle: Diary of a Civil War Pow

Rating:
Summary: A Living Hell
Review: This book was of special interest to me because an ancestor of mine was captured at Limestone Station with the 100th OVI and imprisoned at Belle Isle during the time period in which Coburn wrote his diary.

J. Osborn Coburn's diary is especially well-written, and gives detailed accounts of activities at the prison camp, as well as describing the suffering that occurred in that place. By comparing my ancestor's record with Coburn's account of an exchange of 600 prisoners, I learned that my ancestor was almost certainly one of the fortunate 600.

Unfortunately, Coburn found release from his suffering only in death, but his journal somehow survived. Now it is available to us through Don Allison's book, which skillfully combines bits of narration and illustrations,with the thoughts of Coburn. There is also a good index.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Civil War prisons.