Review
Allison's book, Hell on Belle Isle, grimly records the capture, imprisonment and slow descent into hell that Coburn and thousands of other captured Union soldiers endured at the Belle Isle prison camp...Allison's narrative takes the reader from Coburn's rather ordinary start in life through his battles in the Civil War to his final fate at Belle Isle. In between, the soul of a brave and courageous man who only wanted to serve his country and return home to his fiancee is forever illuminated. -- Defiance, Ohio, Crescent-News Darlene Prince October 2, 1997
Based on the journal of Sergeant Jacob Osborn Coburn, a member of the 6th Michigan Cavalry who was captured at Charles Town, Virginia, Oct. 18, 1863, this firsthand account of the horrors of prison life was sent to his parents by a Union hospital steward after Coburn's death in a prison hospital in Richmond on March 8, 1864; a rare and valuable source for those interested in prison life. -- North & South, The Magazine of Civil War Conflict Lawrence Lee Hewitt November 1998
About the Author
In the summer of 1862 Osborn enlisted in the 6th Michigan Cavalry. While serving with Company I of the 6th Michigan he was captured at Charles Town, W.Va., and was imprisoned in Richmond, Va. Osborn, who kept a diary outlining his experiences as a POW, died in 1864, at age 32, as a prisoner in Richmond. His diary, and letters he wrote prior to his capture, are the basis of "Hell on Belle Isle: Diary of a Civil War POW."
In editing and narrating Hell on Belle Isle, Donald L. Allison drew on his experience as a journalist and knowledge gained from a lifetime of researching and reading about the Civil War. Ancestors of Don fought on both sides during the conflict. As a child he was fascinated by touring Civil War battlefields in the South while visiting family in Alabama, and interest has stayed with him ever since.
Don is a lifelong resident of Williams County, Ohio, where Jacob Osborn Coburn, whose diaries and letters are the subject of the book, lived before moving to Michigan. As a high school student in the early 1970s Don got his start in journalism, covering and photographing sports events for the Stryker and West Unity, Ohio, Advance-Reporter newspaper.
In 1980 Don received a bachelor of arts degree in journalism from the University of Toledo. After college he covered news events for the Advance-Reporter and worked in advertising for the Sherwood News, then joined the daily Bryan Times newspaper as county editor in 1981. He is currently editor of the Bryan Times.
During his tenure at the Times Don has received writing awards from United Press International and the Associated Press. He has written numerous articles on the Civil War which have appeared in the Times and the Williams County Historical Society's award-winning newsletter, Northwest Historian.
Don's research into the war includes living history. He is a member of the 100th Ohio Volunteer Infantry reenactment unit, and is affiliated with the 116th Pennsylvania reenactors. Also, he appeared in the motion picture Gettysburg and the TNT television mini-series Andersonville.
Don and his wife, Diane, reside in Bryan, Ohio, with their youngest son, Joe. Their oldest son, Stuart, is a graphic artist and designed the cover of this book.
