The Greatest Escape

The Greatest Escape: A True American Civil War Adventure tells the story of the largest prison breakout in U.S. history. It took place during the Civil War, when more than 1200 Yankee officers were jammed into Libby, a special prison considered escape-proof, in the Confederate capitol of Richmond, Virginia.

A small group of men, obsessed with escape, mapped out an elaborate plan and one

cold and clear night, 109 men dug their way to freedom. Freezing, starving, clad in

rags, they had to still travel 40 miles to Yankee lines and safety. They were pursued

by all the white people in the area, but every Black person they encountered was their

friend. In every instance, slaves risked their lives to help these Yankees, and their

journey was aided by a female-led Union spy network.

Since all the escapees were officers, they all could read and write well. Over 50 of

them would publish riveting accounts of their adventures. This is the first book to

weave together these contemporary accounts into a true-to-life narrative. Much like a

Ken Burns documentary, this book uses the actual words the prisoners recorded more

than 150 years ago, as found in their many diaries and journals.