Rebels at Rock Island

The Story of a Civil War Prison

Benton McAdams

Narrator to be announced

Book published by Northern Illinois University Press

Ashley Wilkes of Gone with the Wind helped to seal Rock Island's reputation as the "Andersonville of the North." McAdams separates truth from fiction about the Rock Island Barracks, the prison that held tens of thousands of Confederate soldiers. Revealing that Rock Island was not without its problems—ignominious punishments, inadequate facilities, malnutrition, and lack of basic supplies—McAdams shows how Union officers sought to maintain humane conditions in the face of a war that raged on longer than anyone anticipated.

Benton McAdams is an independent scholar who has written and lectured widely on various aspects of the Civil War. He grew up in the shadow of the Rock Island Barracks.

REVIEWS:

“The best treatment of any Northern camp.... Sweeps away many of the myths and exaggerations regarding Rock Island.”

—Gary W. Gallagher, University of Virginia

“A meticulously researched and extraordinarily detailed account of the prison.... A tale of drama, suspense, and turmoil.”

—Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society

“Captivating.... The author has dug deeply into every aspect of life at Rock Island.”

—Civil War Book Review