News Release

Prison Break 1864! The Great Escape of the American Civil War

Date: January 25, 2022
Contact: Kim Coons, 706-866-9241, ext. 139

Fort Oglethorpe, GA: On Saturday February 5, at 2 pm, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park will present a special 1 hour and 45-minute ranger-led car caravan tour that will explore the story of the 1864 Libby Prison break and its connection to Chickamauga Battlefield. This program will begin at the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center and will caravan to the program locations. Please dress accordingly for weather conditions.

In February 1864, 109 United States officers held as prisoners of war at the infamous Libby Prison in Richmond, Virginia, escaped into the night from what one prisoner styled as, “the Inferno of the…Confederacy.” With tracking dogs and troops on their trail, the escaped prisoners fled through the frozen countryside in search of friendly lines in the largest and most famous prison break of the Civil War. Among the leadership and escapees were several officers captured during the Battle of Chickamauga. This tour will look at the men’s battle experiences and how they ended up as prisoners of war, as well as the role they played in the breakout. After the tour please visit the Visitor Center and check out the temporary exhibit about Libby Prison.

For more information about programs at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, contact the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center at 706-866-9241, the Lookout Mountain Battlefield Visitor Center at 423-821-7786, or visit the park website at www.nps.gov/chch.