The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-02-19
TIE LATEST NEWS
BY LAsT rIaHTls MArI..


BIZ LAST NIGHTS MAIL.
BALrIMoRE, Feb. IL. - The escspsd
Union prisoners reached here this morn.
ing, and go to Washington this evening
Tee account of their escape is full OF
thrilling interest, but, for prudential rea-
sons. many particulars arc withheld from
publication st present. They were fifty
one days making a tunnel. Hsving man
aged to find access to the cellar, they
commenced work, relieving one another
as opportunity offered. Their instru-
ments were csse.knives, pocket knives,
chisels and files. Twice they had to
abandon their work and commence anew.
on account of the distractions which
thsy could not pass. They had hoped
to avoid culvert, but found it imprac-
ticable. After getting through the wall,
they disposed Of the exeavsted soil By
drawing it out in spittOons, which they
attached to q cord. This would be filed
by the party at work in the tunnel, and
pulled out into the cellar By their CON-
plni0ns, who disposed Of il by spreading
tit IN shallow layers over the floor and
and concealing it beneath the straw.
The work was necessarily very slow.
So close was the atmosphere in the tunnel
that they could remain in it but few
minutes at . time, and their candles
would go out. At one time thew got so
near the bend of q street that a small
hole, about the size of a stoyepipe broke
through, bat fortunately this was not
discovered by the guard, and was Of great
service, admitting air and enabling them
to prosecute their work more rapidly.
The tunnel was about sixty feet long
and opened into an old tobacco shed be-
yond the line of guards. As soon SO
they found the way clear they emerged
lowIy in single squads Of two or three
and sauntered off until they get clear of
the guards, making their way toward the
Williamsburg road BIZ the shortest route
The darkness favored them, and the fact
that rebel soldier whom they met was
habited in one of Uncle Sans army coats.
which he had stolen from the supplies sent
to our soldiers by our Government was of
great help to them. Although they were
attired in our army overcoats, and many of
them had their, haversacks, they found the |
national uniform q better disguise than |
the genuine rebel uniform. In order to |
elude their pursuers, who they knew |
would be on their track, they scattered |
as much as possible, aud many were |
their hardships and sufferings, and fire.
quent their narrow escapes from the rebel
cavalry, who, the next morning, were
bushwhackiDg in every direction for
them. The joy which they experienced
when they first caught sight of our
troops, sent out to keep them from their
pursuers, cannot be expressed. To the
officers and men of the 11th PennsyIVa-
MIA Cavalry, who they first met, they ex-
press most profound gratitude for their
unbounded kindness and also bear tes-
timony to the gallantry with which
these excellent fellows pursued the rebel
cavalry, and rescued many of these
warwOrn fugitiVes, who would have
been recaptured. There is good reason
to hope that many more will yet come in
safe.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 17.-This evenings
Star has the following The King Phil
ip's acting master Frank arrived at the
navy yard yesterday afternoon from the
Lower Potomac.
A few days ago, sOms officers who
were at the camp of the rebel prisoners
at Point Lookout, discovered that some
of the prisoners were making arrange
ments to escape. By some means some
of the prisoners had procured some lum-
Der, with which they had built two
boats, in which it was supposed they
were to embark for the Virginia shore.
Fortunately they were detected before
they had caulked the boats They had
s0me seventy old muskets and
a lot of stores, which must have been
brought some distance. Il is thought,
however, that but few of The prisoners
were TO attempt to escape, unless, in
deed, more boats were to be built, as
those built could not carry more than
fifty.
CAIRO, Feb. 1.-THE steamer Impe-
rial from st. Louis has arrived. She re-
ports passing the steamer O.ient sunk to
her burricsnce deck in Dog Tooth Bend,
twenty miles above here. She struck a
snag st half-pAst seven this morning,
and went down in ten minutes. Some
twenty five or thirty lives are supposed
lost, including Capt. Horizons wife, the
and steward. The boat
was loaded with Government stores, in
GLIDING eighty horses. The Imperial
brought down the surviving passengers.
LEAvENwoRTH, Feb 17.-Advices from
Col. PnillipS's expedition in the Indian
Territory state that he has penetrated to
a greater distance into the rebel territory
than ever before reached, aud is march
ing on to Texas with Kansas troops and
loyal Indians. The rebel General Coop
sr's headquarters are at Fort Wsshita.
Colonies Standwsite and Adair are st
Preston, Texas. Q1antrill is ct Ben
hams Creek. There are two rebel regi-
nents at Doggy Depot.