"It is not my intention in my prison diary to discuss the constitutional or legal question of arbitrary arrests and imprisonment of non-combatants, but to present to my readers a picture of the daily routine of prison life as I saw it, together with incidents related to me by fellow-prisoners..."

Originally published in 1911, James J. Williamson's Prison Life in the Old Capitol tracks his time served as a prisoner in the Old Capitol Prison in Washington D.C during the time of the American Civil War. Throughout this memoir, Williamson presents a true picture of the daily life and routine observed by those in the prison as William himself saw it. William’s diary of prison life is given added scope through his appended facts concerning the treatment of prisoners of war during the period, claiming that in giving a frank and honest account prejudice and hostile feeling may be overcome and a reunion may be achieved by ‘all those who have the peace and prosperity of the country at heart’. Were these the true intentions of the memoir? Or did Williamson pen the work as a propagandist celebration of the Confederate lives lost and a damnation of the North’s actions following their victory? Read on, and decide for yourself…

James J. Williamson was one of Mosby's Rangers in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War, who was arrested and imprisoned for a stint in Old Capitol prison. His other works include the often studied part-Confederate memoir, part-biography of the 43rd Battalion Virginia Cavalry, Mosby’s Rangers.

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