This collection consists of a typed transcript of the autobiography of William W. Hensley, sergeant in Company C, 21st Illinois Infantry during the American Civil War. Comprised of 61 pages, the autobiography focuses almost entirely on Hensley's experiences during the Civil War. Hensley recalls the terrain and battle actions but also relates in detail his personal experiences, including conversations with civilians, anecdotes (some humorous), and descriptions of comrades. More than half of the autobiography is devoted to Hensley's experiences as a prisoner-of-war, a small portion of which relates to prisoner activities (including escapes) and conditions at prisons in Richmond and Danville, Virginia. In much greater detail, Hensley describes activities and conditions in Andersonville, including the uprise against the "Andersonville Raiders," his small business venture, and interactions with Henry Wirtz, the prison commandant. He writes of the character and physical condition of individual fellow prisoners, interaction with the guards, diet, and "Providence Spring." Hensley also writes of the role he played in organizing Florence Stockade into a clean, orderly camp and describes Col. Iverson, the prison commandant. Hensley chronicles his brief escape with a group of fellow prisoners and the assistance they received from Southern civilians, both black and white. The memoir concludes with Hensley's convalescence in Annapolis, Maryland and his return home in the summer of 1865.