Thirteen Months in Dixie, or, the Adventures of a Federal Prisoner in Texas

“Mark Twain, writing through his character Tom Sawyer, insisted that the difference between mere escape and evasion was the art of the effort. W. F. Oscar Federhen’s postwar narrative shows that prisoners also thought a great deal about the style of outsmarting their enemies and evading recapture even if that meant—for a time—becoming one of them. Thirteen Months in Dixie offers a rare, and much needed, example of how prisoners remembered and imagined captivity and escape west of the Mississippi River.” ~Evan Kutzler, Associate Professor of History and Political Science, Georgia Southwestern State University and author of Living by Inches

“Oscar Federhen experienced most of his service in the Union army on the run as an escaped POW making his way from a Texas prison camp to Union lines in Louisiana. His adventures before finally reaching Union lines make for one of the most gripping stories of a prisoner escape that I have ever read.” ~James M. McPherson, author of Battle Cry of Freedom

“A remarkable prisoner-of-war account that offers a vivid picture of Louisiana and Texas during the war’s final year. And a captivating story as well!” ~Aaron Sheehan-Dean, Fred C. Frey Professor of History, Louisiana State University and author of The Calculus of Violence

“The vivid reminiscences of Union soldier W. F. Oscar Federhen are an excellent addition to understanding the north Texas home front during the Civil War. These Trans-Mississippi adventures of an escaped prisoner of war are both informative and entertaining. Federhen’s notable exploits are worthy of close inspection.” ~Henry O. Robertson, Associate Professor of History, Louisiana Christian University and author of The Red River Campaign and Its Toll

“Oscar Federhen served just over a year in the Union army, but spent much of it, according to him, imprisoned, trying to escape, or joining Confederate guerillas marauding through Texas and Louisiana. His narrative of these experiences, though of questionable veracity, is gripping and at times, brutally unsettling. Editors Jeaninne S. Honstein and Steven A. Knowlton bolster Federhen’s stories with helpful annotations, an extensive bibliography, and informative introductory material. There are also useful maps and Federhen’s own drawings. It’s a fascinating, if at times very troubling, account of the final days of civil war.” ~Lesley J. Gordon, Professor and Charles G. Summersell Chair of Southern History, University of Alabama and co-author of This Terrible War

“Thirteen Months in Dixie offers readers quite an exciting account, and they must marvel that Federhen was able to survive so many incredible hardships and still live to the age of eighty-eight. Those who enjoy reading first-hand accounts written by Civil War prisoners of war will find much to enjoy in this book.” ~The Journal of America’s Military Past

“…this is a very special and unique American Civil War memoir.” ~Midwest Book Review