An Account of the Escape of Six Federal Soldiers from Prison at Danville, Va.
This book is the firsthand story told by one of the men who lived it, William Henry Newlin. It drops you right into the grim reality of a Confederate prison camp in 1864. The six soldiers—Newlin included—are worn down by hunger, disease, and the crushing boredom of captivity. But instead of giving up hope, they turn their prison into a puzzle to be solved.
The Story
The plot is straightforward but incredibly tense. The men notice a flaw in their prison's security: a guarded cellar door. They manage to get assigned to work details that give them access to this space. Night after night, using only a stolen pocketknife and their bare hands, they take turns secretly digging a tunnel from the cellar out under the prison walls. The risk is enormous. Discovery means certain punishment, possibly death. The book walks you through each heart-pounding step—the close calls with guards, the painstaking removal of dirt, the final, breathless crawl to freedom on a rainy night. Their journey doesn't end at the tunnel's exit; they then have to navigate over 300 miles of hostile Virginia countryside to reach Union lines, relying on cunning and the kindness of a few brave souls.
Why You Should Read It
What makes this book special is its raw authenticity. This isn't a novelist imagining drama; it's a man remembering exactly how it felt. You feel the desperation that fuels their courage and the simple, brilliant teamwork that makes their plan work. There are no superheroes here, just tired, hungry men using their wits. It’s a powerful reminder of the human spirit's refusal to be caged. The details are amazing—how they hid the dirt from their digging, how they forged passes, how they decided who would go first. It makes you think about what you would do in their shoes.
Final Verdict
Perfect for anyone who loves true adventure stories or wants a personal, ground-level view of the Civil War that isn't about generals and battlefields. It's for readers who enjoy narratives like Endurance or Unbroken, but set in our own backyards. At its heart, it's a short, swift, and surprisingly uplifting story about resilience and friendship under the worst possible pressure. You'll finish it in a sitting, and the story of these six men will stick with you for a long time.
