Genre
Most Recent Book Title
Captured Freedom
Book Description
Captured Freedom is the epic true story of nine Union prisoners-of-war who escaped from a Confederate Prison known as Camp Sorghum in Columbia, South Carolina in November 1864. They scrambled north on foot in rags that had once been uniforms of blue. Traveling in brutal winter conditions more than 300 miles with search parties and bloodhounds hot on their trail. On the difficult journey they relied on the help of enslaved men and women, as well as Southerners who sympathized with the North, before finally reaching Union lines on New Years Day 1865.
After arriving in Knoxville, Tennessee, and checking in with Union authorities, one of the men had a wonderful idea. The nine officers and their three mountain guides found a local photographer, hoping to commemorate what they had accomplished by posing together for a photograph. The instant, frozen in time, showed twelve ragged men with determination strong on their faces. It was a Civil War selfie. A moment that Captured Freedom.
After arriving in Knoxville, Tennessee, and checking in with Union authorities, one of the men had a wonderful idea. The nine officers and their three mountain guides found a local photographer, hoping to commemorate what they had accomplished by posing together for a photograph. The instant, frozen in time, showed twelve ragged men with determination strong on their faces. It was a Civil War selfie. A moment that Captured Freedom.
Additional Book Titles
Rebel Correspondent; Gilded Breeze (releasing in 2026)
Website #1
Website #2
Amazon Page
Location (city/state/country)
Blue Ridge, GA
Author bio
Steve Procko is an Emmy Award–winning filmmaker, historical nonfiction author, and passionate storyteller dedicated to uncovering America’s overlooked histories.
For more than thirty years, Steve led his own production company, producing a wide range of commercial projects as well as nationally distributed programs like Talkin’ Money Minutes, a financial literacy series that aired on over 100 PBS stations and continues to reach audiences today. Around 2018, he shifted his focus toward documentary storytelling, particularly in the realm of American history.
His deep love of research, narrative, and uncovering forgotten stories naturally evolved into a second career as an author — one that allows him to dive even deeper into the rich details behind the events and individuals who shaped our world.
His latest book, Captured Freedom (2023), brings to light the daring Civil War escapes of Union officers from Confederate prison camps — a true story of courage and resilience that earned an Independent Press Award. His earlier work, Rebel Correspondent (2021), reveals the hidden story of a Confederate journalist whose writings captured a side of the war few have seen. It, too, received an Independent Press Award for excellence in historical nonfiction.
Steve also produces and writes historical documentaries and feature stories through his platform There's History Around Every Bend.
Whether in print or on screen, Steve is drawn to the Gilded Age, the Civil War era, and the individual voices who lived through extraordinary times. When he’s not researching in archives or visiting historic sites, he’s busy crafting new projects that bring history’s forgotten moments back to life.
For more than thirty years, Steve led his own production company, producing a wide range of commercial projects as well as nationally distributed programs like Talkin’ Money Minutes, a financial literacy series that aired on over 100 PBS stations and continues to reach audiences today. Around 2018, he shifted his focus toward documentary storytelling, particularly in the realm of American history.
His deep love of research, narrative, and uncovering forgotten stories naturally evolved into a second career as an author — one that allows him to dive even deeper into the rich details behind the events and individuals who shaped our world.
His latest book, Captured Freedom (2023), brings to light the daring Civil War escapes of Union officers from Confederate prison camps — a true story of courage and resilience that earned an Independent Press Award. His earlier work, Rebel Correspondent (2021), reveals the hidden story of a Confederate journalist whose writings captured a side of the war few have seen. It, too, received an Independent Press Award for excellence in historical nonfiction.
Steve also produces and writes historical documentaries and feature stories through his platform There's History Around Every Bend.
Whether in print or on screen, Steve is drawn to the Gilded Age, the Civil War era, and the individual voices who lived through extraordinary times. When he’s not researching in archives or visiting historic sites, he’s busy crafting new projects that bring history’s forgotten moments back to life.
