Prison Life in the Old Capitol and Reminiscences of the Civil War

"Prison Life in the Old Capitol and Reminiscences of the Civil War" by James J. Williamson is a memoir chronicling the author's and other prisoners' experiences in the Old Capitol Prison during the Civil War. It opens by stating Williamson's aims to depict the realities of prison life, starting with his own arrest while working at a bookstore in Washington, D.C. The book then describes the harsh conditions within the prison, the varied backgrounds of the prisoners held there, and the everyday struggles they faced. Williamson's narrative aims to give an honest representation of the daily life of prisoners, their interactions, and the ways they coped with their confinement during that important period of American history with honesty and integrity.