This is an I-Heart podcast.

And we continue with our American stories.

Our next story comes from our regular contributor, Christopher Klein. Mine is the

author of four books and is a frequent contributor to the History Channel. Here he is with the story of a forgotten

Civil War hero. As the autumn dust cloak Boston's island studded harbor, the beacon atop Boston light started to glow.

The beams radiating from the lighthouse sparkled in the eyes of the men huddled aboard the steamer state of Maine

as it crept toward the military prison at Fort Warren, an island garrison near the harbors outer edge.

Just as it had been the generations of tempest-toss mariners, the postcard perfect lighthouse was a welcome site to the nearly 800 tired and hungry Confederate

prisoners of war wedged together on the ship barely seaworthy to begin with the state of

Maine was lugging double its capacity on its journey from New York City on October 31st

1861 food was sparse.

The quarters were so tight that many prisoners have been forced to remain standing through the night.

The captives crowded the port side of the ship to catch their first glimpse of their new island home.

Although the granite fortress on Windswept, Georgia's Island exuded rugged New England's strength. It generated little

enthusiasm among the Confederate soldiers. A more desolate place could not be imagined anywhere

this side of the Arctic regions, one prisoner wrote.

Awaiting a steamship on the pier stood the grizzled figure of Colonel Justin Dimmock,

his white beers standing out amid the darkening skies. The Army veteran had been stationed at

Virginia's Fortress Monroe when the Civil War broke out, but the duties were too trying for

the 61-year-old. Fort Warren promised to be a less demanding

assignment, but the West Point graduate was about to face an unexpected challenge.

The War Department had instructed Demick, who had only taken command of Fort Warren days earlier,

...