About the Book

"During the Civil War, drawing on contemporaneous prisoner diaries and Union Army documents (some newly discovered), the author presents a fresh and detailed study of supposed prisoner mistreatment at Fort Delaware--one of the largest Union prison camps--and draws some surprising conclusions, some of which have implications for the entire Union prison camp system"--

Book Synopsis

During the Civil War, each side accused the other of mistreating prisoners of war. Today, most historians believe that there was systemic and deliberate abuse of POWs by both sides yet many base their conclusions on anecdotal evidence, much of it from postwar writings.

Drawing on both contemporaneous prisoner diaries and Union Army documents (some newly discovered), the author presents a fresh and detailed study of supposed mistreatment of prisoners at Fort Delaware--one of the largest Union prison camps--and draws surprising conclusions, some of which have implications for the entire Union prison system.

Review Quotes

"While other books paint a more benign picture, what should now prove to be the most definitive book tackles the negatives with facts"-Delaware Online.

About the Author

The late Joel D. Citron was a career chemist and a long-time volunteer at Fort Delaware State Park, doing first person historical interpretation of Captain G. S. Clark, the Commissary of Subsistence officer during the Civil War. He lived in Wilmington, Delaware.