Rebels at Rock Island: The Story of a Civil War Prison

Rating:
Summary: Prison Experience Finally Studied
Review: After years of focusing solely on soldier experiences of battle, historians have finally begun to examine other important aspects of the war. Of these, the prison experience has been ignored--or generalized--for far too long. Books like *Rebels at Rock Island* are important to a fuller understanding of the war and the less romanticized suffering of POWs. This and *Unlikely Allies: Fort Delaware's Prison Community in the Civil War* are excellent studies of single Northern prisons.

For an enthralling and personalized examination of one regiment's experiences in Southern prisons, look at *A Perfect Picture of Hell: Eyewitness Accounts by Civil War Prisoners from the 12th Iowa.* As a guidebook to prisons on both sides, Lonnie Speer's *Portals to Hell* is another valuable tool. McAdams joins a growing body of important Civil War prison literature. I recommend all of these books highly.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent insights to the Civil War Prison system
Review: Benton McAdams does an excellent job of portraying the Civil War prison system, especially the North, in a very objective manner. His research is in-depth and is assembled in way to make the reading informative and interesting in a Shelby Foote sort of way. Mr. McAdams follows the birth, life and death of the Federal Prison at Rock Island, Illinois along the banks of the Mississippi River. This book is a must for any Civil War historian, both professional and amateur, as it hits upon topics not covered anywhere else to this level. The research includes letters, diaries, newspaper articles and Federal documents which are put together to allow the reader the feel for the day-to-day existance in the prison and surrounding area. A superior read that I liked and highly recommend.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent insights to the Civil War Prison system
Review: Benton McAdams does an excellent job of portraying the Civil War prison system, especially the North, in a very objective manner. His research is in-depth and is assembled in way to make the reading informative and interesting in a Shelby Foote sort of way. Mr. McAdams follows the birth, life and death of the Federal Prison at Rock Island, Illinois along the banks of the Mississippi River. This book is a must for any Civil War historian, both professional and amateur, as it hits upon topics not covered anywhere else to this level. The research includes letters, diaries, newspaper articles and Federal documents which are put together to allow the reader the feel for the day-to-day existance in the prison and surrounding area. A superior read that I liked and highly recommend.

Rating:
Summary: Prison Experience Finally Studied
Review: REBELS AT ROCK ISLAND is a lesson in history that has not been told in depth until Benton McAdams put into words the events that took place 136 years earlier. I live near and work in Rock Island and visit the Rock Island Arsenal often. Until I read Rebels at Rock Island, I was not aware of the details of this Civil War chapter in history that seemed to be so remote and now so close. The Confederate Cemetary maintained by the Department of Veterans Affairs on the Rock Island Arsenal has always been of interest to the locals in and around the City of Rock Island. We have not had a resource to know the details of this historical landmark where 1800 Rebels are buried until Mr. McAdams pulled the documents from various sources together in a factual, yet easy-to-read book. Today this Confederate Cemetary is treated with a high level of reverence and respect to the men who took up the cause of the Confederate Flag. Prior to this book, which has given us the chilling and depressing details of the prisoner's ordeal and the extreme difficulties associated with managing a prison camp on the island, no one could artilculate the past with the present day Rock Island Arsenal. Mr. McAdams has relied on documents from various sources; one being the Rock Island Argus newspaper. The editor of the paper during the existance of the prison camp was very critical of the management of the prison. I have been able to retrieve copies of the Argus newspaper from the City of Rock Island Library which maintains much historical material available to those who may wish to read from this newspaper published during that period of time. This is a book which has interest for all who desire to learn more about the in-depth, factual events associated with a northern prison camp of the Civil War. I highly recommend the book, REBELS AT ROCK ISLAND: THE STORY OF A CIVIL WAR PRISON.

Rating:
Summary: Rebels at Rock Island: The Story of a Civil War Prison
Review: REBELS AT ROCK ISLAND is a lesson in history that has not been told in depth until Benton McAdams put into words the events that took place 136 years earlier. I live near and work in Rock Island and visit the Rock Island Arsenal often. Until I read Rebels at Rock Island, I was not aware of the details of this Civil War chapter in history that seemed to be so remote and now so close. The Confederate Cemetary maintained by the Department of Veterans Affairs on the Rock Island Arsenal has always been of interest to the locals in and around the City of Rock Island. We have not had a resource to know the details of this historical landmark where 1800 Rebels are buried until Mr. McAdams pulled the documents from various sources together in a factual, yet easy-to-read book. Today this Confederate Cemetary is treated with a high level of reverence and respect to the men who took up the cause of the Confederate Flag. Prior to this book, which has given us the chilling and depressing details of the prisoner's ordeal and the extreme difficulties associated with managing a prison camp on the island, no one could artilculate the past with the present day Rock Island Arsenal. Mr. McAdams has relied on documents from various sources; one being the Rock Island Argus newspaper. The editor of the paper during the existance of the prison camp was very critical of the management of the prison. I have been able to retrieve copies of the Argus newspaper from the City of Rock Island Library which maintains much historical material available to those who may wish to read from this newspaper published during that period of time. This is a book which has interest for all who desire to learn more about the in-depth, factual events associated with a northern prison camp of the Civil War. I highly recommend the book, REBELS AT ROCK ISLAND: THE STORY OF A CIVIL WAR PRISON.