the book, the author dedicates the work to her grandfather, setting a tone of reverence for the sacrifices made by Revolutionary War prisoners. The preface outlines her motivation to gather scattered information about these individuals and their experiences, emphasizing the scarcity of firsthand accounts and the importance of retelling their stories. She highlights the dreadful conditions faced by prisoners, including starvation and disease, as well as the authoritaritative cruelty inflicted by figures like Provost Marshal William Cunningham. The opening chapters offer glimpses into the harsh reality of imprisonment, introducing readers to specific cases of prisoners and their struggles, including descriptions of the inhumane treatment they endured and the desperate circumstances that led to their suffering. (This is an automatically generated summary.)