Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1863-12-16
How the Rebel Prisoners Escaped from Camp
nNNrIas.
From the Chicago Tribupe.l

From the Chicago Tribupel
From the very hour of the arrival at Camp
/ Douglas Of the rebel prisoners, there has been
+ a constant effort to secure their release, not
/ only by the several thousand of the prisoners
+ themselves, who are well fed and comfortably
+ cared for III every respect and have nothing
+ else TO occupy their minds but TO make and
/ execute plans tor their escape but we have
/ IN this city numerous - fire in the rear " ad-
+ vocates OF the rebellion, who are plotting to
/ release them In several of the attempts
( 10 escape heretofore, outsiders were impli-
Gated, who had loitered about the camp for
| days and weeks, watching the movements of
/ the sentinels, studying the rules, the hours
when the parole woui. be changed, the par
ticular time OF night when certain guards
they suspected could be Dribed, would be on
duty again, &c, &c. score of these out
slders have from time TO time been detected,
I and paid dearly for their disovalty and inter
/ ference As general thing they find the
guards above the bribery, and have been ar
| rested for attempting to bride them. Our
readers will remember that some time ago a
number OF prisoners were got out by this
plan, and that the guards deserted. and some
Of them have left the country, and
F-Iite back as they leave for foreign Chimes
that they, for few dollars, have made them
selves cxilcs from their homes and friends
forever.
The recently adopted strict regulations,
prohibiting the admission TO Camp Douglas,
OF the prisoners relatives and friends (pub-
li5aed in tine Trib1u,e some time since) has
had tendency TO thin out the daily visitation
of kcntucki5n. who for weeks swarmed about
the entrance gate; but still there are hun
drelS per week that come, look about the
camp and 90 away again-the results of their
ylsItatious are only known 10 themselves and
their cOpperhead cOutidants in the cItv But
that the prisoners have friends outside, that
do not forget them, i evident from the fact
sreeubacks IN liberal quantities are received
daily Tor them by mail and express, which
are carefully placed on deposit to the credit
OF each individual by Mr.. Busheu who has
the matter in charge. He has now about
$4,000 belonging to rebel prisoners-princ-
paHy in greeubacks, from Kentucky, with
now and then a remittance from friends in
the civ
As fore stated in these columns, the
prisoners receive rations of the same articles,
from the same cOmmissary stores that are dis
trIbuted to cur own Union soldiers and those
vino behave themselves are treated kindly in
every respect and are made as comfortable
as possible under the circumstances. Though
they universally, in their correspondence, ex-
press themselves satisfied with their treat
ment in camp, yetthey are constantly making
attempts 70 escape, 90 discover ami prevent
which taxes the ingenuity and penetratIYe
sagacItr of the commanding officer and all
his aids and soldiers
Among the latter attempts TO bring about
d Wholesale release of prisoners. was the
dccp-laid plot that was planned by the same
parties who were engaged IN the LAKE enter
prise, few days since, by which the rebel
prisoners on Johnzon's Island and at Coum-
bus were to be released, several lake cities
90 be sacked aud burned, Ac. The whole
plan for the release of the prisoners at Camp
Douglas has been known 10 the proper Off
GERS, and IT, correspondence between men
high I'm position in Kentucky and Illinois has
been intercepted, and il was owing to the ut
ter refusal Of some of our citizens to act in
the matter that no attempt was made TO car
r. the plot into execution.
Some weeks ago We chronicIed the escape
Of "a few prisoners who made their exit
through the floor of the white oak " prison
and thence by tunneling under ground to the
street More recently another tunnel nearly
completed, Was discovered in another part Of
the camp. \ deep ditch was at once dug in
side Of the came, which kept filed with water
would botrav the existence of any under
ground outlet But the recent cold weather
has frozen the water so that this ditch no
longer serves the purpose for which it was in
tended, and, taking advantage Of this, anoth-
tunnel has been dug, through which seventy
eight prisoners escaped on Wednesday night.
HOW TIE TUNNEL WAS MADE.
The barracks run lengthwise of the fence
and the i0ists, or HoOr-timbers crosswise of
the barracks First the prisoners removed
portion of the floor beneath their hunks
then dug ditch lengthwise Of the barracks,
passing the dirt back beneath the floor be-
tween the iosts. This ditch beneath the bar
racks must be large enough 10 contain all the
dirt removed from the tunnel. This compile
ted the shaft or underground outlet Is begun.
the dirt being carried into this newly formed
ditch. In this manner day after day, the
prisoners dig away, using pieces of boards TO
cxcavatc with. carrying the dirt back in bags
or articles OF clothing From the statement
made hy some of the Sc contractors we learn
they were engaged upon il for three or four
weeks The top Of this tunnel is fully four
feet below the surface, being through a por-
non of the camp grounds, where the ground
| Is high, dry aud sandy-about due north from
the University building. The hole vas so
large that man. could easily and speedily
crawl through II upon his hands and knees
/ the iugrcSs hole was beneath a bunk in one
| OF the small rooms, and was kept covered
/ with flooring and slept upon at night The
/ outer opening was Just outside the fence on
/ the south side OF the camp.
now THE TUNNEL WAS USED.
/ Our informant states that the tunnel was
complete. and ready for use sometime
/ Wednesday afternoon or evening. but that
i the frozen crust at the exit hole was not bro
+ ken through till about eight o'clock at night.
/ Then the tunnel was filed by prisoners who
/ were willing 70 run the risk'-a line iifty
/ feet long OF buttcruuJs on their hands and
! knees, completely tlling'the tunnel from end
/ 10 end-what profile a cross section would
i have presented The foremost man, like a
I Srouni-squirrel or gopher, popped his head in
and out the hole As prudence dictated till the
+ sentinel had passed by, his back being to-
wards them. then the men rushed out at the
! rate of several per minute, until the sentinel
| could be seen returning, when they waited
/ his absence again. In the cover Of the dark
| ness at that hour, seventv-eight thus escaped
/ before they were detected.
WHERE DID THE PRISONERS COS
The alarm was first given by 4 young man
+ named Hamn,iIi, 4 private IN company A
/ Michigan Sharp Shooters OF course, the
leak stopped at once, and strong patrol
| dispatched 10 the city, by whom, with the ad.
dltion Of the police, (who rendered timely
and valuable service,) the several hotels and
dePots, and other suspicious localities were
~ rHfr ali mic