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A daring prison break during the American Civil War
About This Program
During the American Civil War, a daring prison break freed hundreds of captured Union soldiers. Colonel Thomas Rose was a schoolteacher before the Civil War and when he was captured and sent to Libby Prison in Richmond Virginia, he engineered a mass escape
More information
Tonight History's Greatest Escapes with Morgan Freeman turns to the Civil War for a daring breakout from Richmond’s Libby Prison. Colonel Thomas Rose, a schoolteacher before the war, is the focus. After being captured, Rose studies the prison’s layout, recruits a handful of men, and spends months digging a tunnel under the yard. The programme follows his planning, the cramped conditions, and the night the tunnel opens, letting more than 200 Union soldiers slip into freedom. Morgan’s narration is backed by period letters, expert historians and vivid reenactments that show the cramped cell blocks and the frantic scramble through the tunnel. Archival sketches illustrate the tunnel’s route. The episode also visits the site today, where a plaque marks the escape route. It’s a clear, detailed look at one of the war’s most audacious prison breaks.
Great Escapes with Morgan Freeman broadcasts on Blaze at 9:00pm, Sunday, 21 December 2025.