PORTALS TO HELL, the Military Prisons of the Civil War, by Lonnie R. Speer, is the first conprehensive study of all Civil War military prisons ever presented. It is a complete reference, listing prisons and their dates of operation written in a chronological order of development. It has become a modern-day Civil War classic itself, spawning many individal prison studies since its publication in 1997.PORTALS TO HELL gives new insight into the logistical and political problems involved in holding prisoners of war, as humane ideals in the beginning often gave way to ever-burgeoning prison populations, local opinion, and vindictive commanders and guards. This ultimate work on Civil War prisons and prisoners covers all aspects of prison life for soldiers on both sides: the lack of adequate shelter; the prisoner exchange program; escapes and escape attempts; the women and black prisoners; political prisoners; and the developing problems of food, vermin, illness, and death within each institution.
The holding of prisoners of war has always been both a political and a military enterprise, yet the military prisons of the Civil War, which held more than four hundred thousand soldiers and caused the deaths of fifty-six thousand men, remained nearly forgotten in the years after the conflict. Recognizing this, Speer set out to bring back to life these least-known participants in this great struggle between the Union and the Confederacy, using their own words and observations as they endured a true “hell on earth.” Drawing on scores of previously unpublished firsthand accounts, PORTALS TO HELL presents the prisoners’ experiences in great detail and from an impartial perspective while seeking to analyze the many complexities in the relationships among prisoners, guards, commandants, and government leaders.
According to Civil War Times Illustrated, PORTALS TO HELL is "An excellent work; a full and excellent treatment of Civil War prisons. Based on prodigious research in governmental records and manuscript collections, the book offers a judicious and balanced study of a controversial subject. Speer's writing is thorough, detailed, and unblinking. He spares neither side, offering solid evidence to support his critical assessments."
(Stackpole Books, HB 1997, 410 pp., notes, bib., index, illus; PB, 2005, Bison Books, Nebraska University Press) HB: $35, PB:$25 postpaid.
