“I have seen many men and women of fashion die, and I never saw one of them die well. The trappings off, there they lay on the tumbled pillow, and there were just two things that bothered them, a wasted life and a coming eternity.”
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John Hill Aughey was a minister imprisoned and condemned to execution by the arrogant officials of the South for his outspoken anti-Secession and pro-Union beliefs.
Because of the "crime" of loyalty to the Union, he was subjected to an almost fatal imprisonment; he was put in irons, abused and insulted, and destined for execution on the gallows. He twice made his escape, and the second time, through almost incredible exposures and perils, succeeded in reaching the lines of the Union army. He makes a miraculous flight to freedom, to report the details of his ordeal in what was to become a highly praised and popular autobiography.
Although he has harsh words for his captors, he portrays many other Southerners with sympathy. He was especially eager to protect the reputation of his fellow ministers, saying that many indeed protested slavery and secession, and that at the right time they will again be heard, when constitutional law is restored.