Union soldier Gillis J. McBane is captured and taken prisoner during the brutally fought battle at Stones River in Tennessee. We will take you to the battlefield and follow his ordeal as he is moved to the notorious Castle Thunder confederate prison in Richmond, Virginia. Forced marches, sleepless nights, starvation, rail car trips in livestock cars, cold weather with little clothing, and all of which occurs before reaching the hell hole of Castle Thunder. Gillis maintained a diary and wrote it all down and showed remarkable resilience throughout his captivity. We would like to thank William Griffing and Dan Masters for their historical knowledge and help with this episode. A special thank you to Scott R Mckinley for his wonderful narration as the voice of Gillis McBane.
Gillis in his later years in Moscow, Idaho
To read the entire diary click the following link for William Griffings “Spared and Shared” website.
https://sparedshared23.com/2024/01/16/the-gillis-j-mcbane-diary-73rd-indiana-volunteers/
Click the two links below to find Dan Master’s Blog “Civil War Chronicles” and also a Battle of Stones River Podcast.
https://dan-masters-civil-war.blogspot.com/
https://rss.com/podcasts/thecivilwarcenter/728257/
To hear this episode:
Diary Discoveries 