The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1862-01-07
Frotn the New York Herald.
THE ESCAPE Or COL. CORCORAN.
Four Hundred Prisoners leap from the Second
Story Of the Prison.

Samuel d. HuId, Of the second Maine cavalry
regiment, with very interesting intelligence
from Charleston, Richmond, aud other por-
tions of the Sou b.
Lieut.. Hurd WAS 10 Charleston dur ng the
recent terrible conhagrstIou which destroyed
that hot bed Of secession, aud describes the
excit ment and CONSERVATION which existed
on hat occasion as of the most intense char
acter.
According TO bis statement there was four
hundred prisoners confiOed IN common Jail OF
Charleston at the time Of the fire. Colonel
Corcorau aud himself were ancng the prison.
ers thus incarcerated; and our informant adds
that tue gallant commander Of The Sixty. ninth
regiment had been prostrsted for some days
with fearful attack OF typhoid fevor Late
on the night OF the fire the flames reached
the Jail, situated in Broad street. aud the f. ont
Of the buildings WAS almost Immediately in
blaze. The prisoners, it may be imagined, {,
were greatly alarmed, and all being to Ictber
on the second story OF the Jail consultation
was had. when it was resolved to attempt an
escape at all hazards. Col. Corcoran was tue
first to venture, and mounting the window Of
the iail cxclai ed, 'Boys, here goes for
lespng from the window down upon tue stone
pavement.
This was the last that was heard or seen Of
Col. Corcoran np to the time OF the depar-
tire of Lieut.. Hurd The other prisoners iol-
lowed the example of C0rcoran, aud escape
iuto the streets, where some Of them crswIed
about for n few days, while Others fled towards
Beaufort. Many of them were recsptured
and confined in Castle Pinckney. Lieut.
Hurd states that the Treatment of the prison.
ers while 10 prison was OF the most cruel
KIND. Only Que quart 81 oatmeal aud tnrcc
pin,s of water per day were allowed the
prsouers and even these miserable rations
were not put through any process OF cook
ing.
A week previous to the fir, he sa s, Col
Corcoran an tie rest were chained down IN
solitary cells, and not allowed to hold CON-
munion with each other on any prelense
whatever Ouy few days before the es.
cape they were all placed in large room on
tue second story, for what purpos, our inform
ant did not learn. Alter jumping from the
window OF the prison, Lieut.. Hurd and his
eomoanions did not Fl I'd any sen ihes on
guard, tho fire having called away all the
mep, who were buslly engaged in efforts to
suppress il, with very little success. 1t WAS
ow ng TO this circumstance that tue prisoners
escaped SO readily. Lieutenant HurJ wan
dered about the city part of the next day, but
was finally ie-taken, with eleven Others, who,
as before stated, were confined in Castle
! Plnckuey.
From this place he, with his companions,
/ IN kaI H..
gage car, with only little barred window TO
allow the air to gam access. A company Of
rebel soldiers accompanied them 10 protect
them on the road. On arriving at Richmond,
Lieutenant Hurd, being in most feeble con-
dilion, was sent To Norfolk, from which place
he was sent TO Fortress Monroe. under flag
of truce, and surrendered TO the United States
authorities. He is young man, about twen-
ty Tour years old, very thin aud spare, and has
evidently suffered very severe hardships. At
Bull Run he WIS SHOT in three places in the
! hip, knee and understanding amputa
ton Of the leg near the hip necessary. Twen
ty minutes after they escaped from the prls
on the building was heap of uns. Lieut..
Hurd was in Washington on last Friday, and
had an interview with the President and Gen.
Mcclellan, when he procured his discha'ge
! from the service, and had his name entered
on the roll of the pensioners. He thinks it
probable that Col. Corcoran, il not overcome
by exhaustion, succeeded In making good bis
escape to Beaufort There appears to be lit.
tie hope Of this opinion proving true, howev
or, iu view Of the fact that Colonel Corcorau
was in most enG,ebled condition previous IL
bis escape, and it is improbable that man
suffering from typhoid lever, as he is said to
have been, could keep up hi. strength for SO
long a period as would Le necessary to jour
ney the distance Of some fifty miles between
Charleston and Beaufort.