Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1863-12-05
An INTERESTING NARRATIVE

An INTERESTING NARRATIVE
"emorandum Of the Escape of Eight Pri.
soners OF ar from Castle Thunder.
Richmond, Va. as written bv Patrict
Mckenney, Autler's Clerk, Of New York
City.
1853. Nov. 7th.-rhis day projected and
planned our escape from Castle Thunder bv
digging hole from the building to the stree..
Went to work at 1t at about 10 a. m
Nov eth.-Hsve just broke the Wall, sosnetwo
feet thick,
Noy. 9Th to ,ssh.-Mgging day and night.
The greatest difficulty experienced by "a was
In getting candles, as we feared that something
might be suspected by our sending for 90 many
We had to send by one OF the negroes 10 tho
street for them, costing rs 81 each. Fortunately
the negro was not seen, Or, If so The purpose for
which he was buying 30 many candles was not
suspected. At 3 p. N. the working party re-
ported hole 70 be finished In length. the only
barrier between ussnd freedom being about six
feet OF eSrth, which was TO be removed by dig.
be left over until night, fearing that If we
" orked by day time a. 1t 1t might cave it there
BY, OF course, betraying our operations Ac-
co[cinsly those VINO were IN tho secret, some 80
odd, 1--WE feared to letali know as we learned bv
e1pelien that there were some in the room
who were not to be trustee } were posted on the
"snua'son," that they might be in readiness to
take their departure from " Hotel de Thundsr''
via the "underground railway" At dark.
began digging, and at 10 p. N. had the sa.isfac
ton OF st-elhg the stals-stars that had looked
upon us five weary, long weeks as prisoners in
!he southern castle. There was no time to be
lost; so at loa5 p. m. we commenced to crawl
through, and, as soon Is four Or Ave got togeth.
er, they started northward Eight OF us GOT
together, enc Of the party having a pocket
compass. We directed our oour.e northeast.
and by daylight we were, to the hest Of onr
kIowiedge, i've or six miles from the city, and
making for thick underbush we Law shers
uniiI DARK We feared for the safety Of some
OF our men who got out with rs, As in crossiur
heid Just outside Of Richnlo nd we heard sew.
eral mutket or pistol shots, and think thav rar
on gnard or picAs t, but trust our fears ara
efoupoless. by the distance we have come
we must be outside OF the pickets, and did moi
meetany or them. This is almost mtraouious
as We " ere entirely ignorant OF the location Of
kns " was that we were travelling northeast
The only item worth mentioning coming tue
oistance, w6s, that we met three rebsl cavalry
radirg aiCng at break-neck galiop, who opasS6d
ourselves HAT on the ground We also passed
n, ar two forts, with nobody IN them ihis was
strange, as they seemed to ns TO % rather for.
midable works. "a citing out OF oar hiding
place at duck resumed our journey, and had
q ne about three miles when 1t commeneed
1aipine in torrents. We went TO q wood. and
stota under q tree about lx heurs: by
that time each Of MS drenched TO the skin, and
chilled through, We resoiyed.on lighting frr,
and after much speculation as to the prOnrletv
Of Sc dcil &, and considering our position, fnck
knowing but that the rebs were ali around us.
'npsti morning. wringing and trying 70 dry onr
soaking garments. sSs
:. ,.suaday, Nov. I6.-Started as Ave a. m. MAN.
afouf four mttes. and held oouucil OF war n
Ye eference to fhs state Of our ssonachs ana 80
nad reason, Tor We Had not eaton anythtns