The Mysterious Island

During the American Civil War, five Northern prisoners of war escape during the Siege of Richmond, Virginia, by hijacking a hydrogen-filled observation balloon. The escapees are Cyrus Smith, a railroad engineer in the Union army (named Cyrus Harding in Kingston's version); his ex-slave and loyal follower; Bonadventure Pencroff, a sailor; his protégé and adopted son Harbert Brown; and the journalist Gedéon Spilett (Gideon Spilett in English versions). The company is completed by Cyrus' dog "...