UT Press Announces Publication of ‘Imprisoned at Camp Douglas’

The University of Tennessee Press is proud to announce the forthcoming publication of “Imprisoned at Camp Douglas: The Diary and Art of Knoxville Confederate Samuel Bell Palmer” edited by Michael M. Van Ness, available in paperback and ebook formats on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2026.

 Van Ness’s book is the latest title in UT Press’s Voices of the Civil War series, edited by Series Editor Michael P. Gray. The popular Voices of the Civil War series makes available a variety of primary source materials that illuminate issues on the battlefield, the home front, and the western front, as well as other aspects of this historic era. The series contextualizes the personal accounts within the framework of the latest scholarship and expands established knowledge by offering new perspectives, new materials, and new voices.

In “Imprisoned at Camp Douglas,” Samuel Bell Palmer’s diary offers a rare and intimate window into the early years of the Civil War and the divided loyalties of East Tennessee. A native of Knoxville, Palmer served as a Confederate soldier during the opening phase of the war, experiencing firsthand the uncertainty and tension that defined a region being pulled in opposing political and military directions. This duality would shape Palmer’s fate: while home on furlough—and while Knoxville was under Federal control—he was captured and subsequently sent north to Camp Douglas in Chicago, one of the largest Civil War prison camps where thousands of Confederate prisoners remained until the end of the war. Palmer’s diary chronicles daily life in captivity, reflecting on illness, boredom, despair, and resilience among the imprisoned soldiers.

Most striking are Palmer’s beautiful and detailed sketches and drawings, created during his service and imprisonment, which vividly portray camp life, fellow prisoners, military scenes, and East Tennessee landscapes. Drawn from materials held in the Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection at Knox County Public Library, “Imprisoned at Camp Douglas” combines historical documents and visual records to unsettle and enrich our memory of the American Civil War.

Previously released titles in the Voices of the Civil War series include “Haunted by Memory: Ghost Stories of the American Civil War” edited by John R. Neff and Amy Laurel Fluker, “The Lynches of South Carolina: From Reconstruction to Redemption” edited by Robert Emmett Curran, and “New Fields of Adventure: The Writings of Lyman G. Bennett, Civil War Soldier and Topographical Engineer, 1861–1865” edited by M. Jane Johansson.

“Imprisoned at Camp Douglas: The Diary and Art of Knoxville Confederate Samuel Bell Palmer” is available for preorder now at utpress.org and wherever books are sold.

About the Editor

Michael M. Van Ness was born into a military family in DC, educated at Yale and Virginia University’s School of Medicine, and served in the Navy at Bethesda Naval Hospital. Now retired from his gastroenterology practice in Canton, Ohio, he is the author of “General in Command: The Life of Major General John B. Anderson” and “To the Front: Grandfathers’ Stories in the Cause of Freedom.”

About The University of Tennessee Press: 

The University of Tennessee Press is the Volunteer State’s book publisher, committed to preserving and promoting the rich cultural and intellectual heritage of Tennessee and the region. Through its focused publishing program, UT Press strives to deepen appreciation for the communities, ecosystems, and histories that make the state unique. Its mission is to enlighten readers, foster cultural dialogue, and improve the quality of life for the people of Tennessee and around the world. UT Press is a division of the University of Tennessee Libraries.