Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-12-27
4ou Col. COrcoran Ksenpsd--An Interest
if0l- tnG Statemonts


No0 Col, COrcoran EsenPed--An Interest
Hn9r ins statemont. YEA
Fsom The narrative of S. D. Hurd, Of
Hains, who arrived in New York on Mon
.rday nom ChsrlesiOn jail, we extract the fOl-
lowing regarding that jail and the escape Of
Col oorsoTan st the time Of the great FIRE;
The jail was a large brick building on
Brosd street, and nearly al the prisoners
aEsrs IN q large upper room, the windows Of
which were barred and closed with iron
shutters, except one small one overlooking
zI6very narrow street in the rear of the build
ing. Mr. Hurd states that the FIRE broke out
Is nearly as he could judge, in a gas house
next door to a sash and blind factory, ana
that Il spread with great rapidity. Great
efforts were made to extinguish Il, but with
out the slightest effect. The engines, work
ed bE neQroes and whites, seemed utterly
poRerless, and the flames spread finally to
the -jail the roof Of which was on fire.
No moVealsnt tgas made 10 let the prisoners
OF The guards usually stationed around
n he building were away, and no soldiers
were visible. Er. Hurd states that Colonel
CoFcoran was the first ons to leap
through the window, excIsiming as be went
oat, aHere goes for Beaufort or the North"
Hurd was the next, and as be struck upon
the pavement, he ssys half dozen Others
came upon him, and the whole room was
speedily emptisd Of its inmates. Taey spent
the night IN the vicinity Of the flames, keep
ing together IS well as they could-many
Of them being severely wounded. They
. bad nothing. to eet and nothing to drink, ex-
,Ecspt some liquor which 3 portion Of their
number got from. the cellars Of houses from
which the occupants had been driven BY the
FIRE.
At shout 10 O'Clock guards were sent to
= take them in charge. They treated them
with great brutality, striking with their guns
those Of them who did not move quickly
enough. One Of the soldiers told the Ser
geant Of the guard that Col. Corcoran Wss
missing. His reply was, that perhaps he
= was burned -if not be must be hunted up.
Men we're sent to look after him. At two
O'Clock the whole squad Of prisoners were
driven to Castle Pinckney again, where they
were left in the open court. yard through the
Wholeof that day and the following night
without shelter Of any kind and with no
ether clothing than that in which they made
their escape. Col. Corcoran was not In Cas-
tie Finckney With the rest Of the prisoners,
nor bad Er. HuEd been able to obtain any in
telligence eoEcerning him. he thinks It
lp1obabls that be made sn effort to escape 70
Bsauf0rt a.a
H'a % Thursday, Hurd and half a dozen
Otkefs OF the wounded prisoners were tod.
that they would be sent North. Six otkers
named Frank Tunes, Of Newfoundland; Mich
olson, of Vermont and Nc3rien. O'Bnen.
Wns5a and Miilott were slso released on
tslring an oath rot 70 serve again against the
South nor Fefeal anything they might have
learned there, They were all pRt into rai'-
road train and taken 70 Richmond, and
fhsnes 70 Norfolk--haying nothing to eat or
drink on the way. From Norfolk they were
sent under flag Of truce to Fort Mouros
.and thence to Washington
IT. Hurd says4hat the treatment of the
prisoners has been brutal and Infamous.
Their allowance Of fsod was quart Of ost.
neat with three pints Of water day and
they were constantly exposed 10 the scofs.
iseu and insults Of the mob. At Richmond
they were required to do picket duty part al
the tine, -andfto shoot any prisoners whom
they saw looking out At q window. Hnrd
kiE vas IN this way wounded IA the
nsck, and flloW prisoner from Maine nam
e Daggst was killed.
srl.l