Captured! A Boy Trapped in the Civil War

Captured!
A Boy Trapped in the Civil War
Mary Blair Immel
Published By
Indiana Historical Society Press
One morning in early 1862, fourteen-year-old Johnny Ables left his farm in southern Kentucky to gather a wagonload of wood. His peaceful day changed abruptly when a desperate group of Confederate soldiers spied Johnny and his invaluable horses and wagon. Johnny was forced to ride along with them men as they marched nearly nonstop to Fort Donelson
As Johnny considered several avenues of escape, he became somewhat fond of the men, who included him in their sparse meals, told him intriguing stories, and started calling him "Sprout" because of his youth and small size.
This comradery, however, did nothing to lessen the wretchedness of war. Johnny was thrown into battle without training, weapons, or an idea of what he should expect. The battle of Fort Donelson shook him badly and left him stranded with the wounded and dying men, lost from the group who had kidnapped him, and separated forever from his team of horses.
Dazed and alone, Johnny was rounded up with the Confederate soldiers and taken as a prisoner of war. Fortunately , his original captors found him before he was taken to prison. Johnny and the Fourth Mississippi Regiment, part of which had captured him, were brought to Camp Morton Prison in Indianapolis, Indiana.
168 pp © 2005 b&w illustrations ISBN: 0-87195-184-3 cloth 0-87195-188-6 paper
Also available in cloth. $15.95 ISBN: 0-87195-184-3