The Soldiers' journal. (Rendezvous of Distribution, Va.) 1864-1865, 1864-02-24
The Escaped Union Prisoners.

Tn0 ESCAPED union ErlSOn0r6.
The following particulars of the escape of the
one hundred and nine Union officers from Libby
Prison, Richmond we clip from the New York
Tribune of the 18th inst Twenty-Five of them
have reached Washington up to this time, and
are the lions of the day. They have more than
settled the accounts which John Morgan and his
co-rebels opened in their Columbus exploit, and
feel AMPLY compensated for all the hardships and
danger to which their hazardous adventure has
subjected them by the hearty welcome they have
everywhere received since their arrival within
our-lnes. We hope by next week, to be able to
publish full account of their escape and adven-
lures
They were fifty-on days making tunnel
Having managed to find access to the cellar they
commenced work, relieving one another as OPP
portunity offered.
Their instruments were case knives, pocket
knives, chisels and files. Twice they fad to
account of the distractions which they could not
pass. They had hoped to have awaited them-
selves of a cullvert, but found it impracticable.
After getting through the wall they disposed
of the excavated soil by drawing it out in spit
toon which they attached to a cord.
This would be filled by the party at work in
the tunnel and pulled out into the cellar by their
companions who disposed of it by spreading it
in shallow layer over the floor, concealng it
beneath the straw. The work was necessarily
slow So close was the atmosphere in the tunnel
that they could remain in it but few minutes
at a time, and their candles would go out. At
one time they got near the head of the street
that a small hole about the size of q stOye-pipe
broke through but fortunately that not dis
covered by the guard and was great service,
admitting air, and enabling them to prosecute
their work more rapidly The tunnel, when
completed, was about sixty feet long, and open
ed into an old tobacco shed beyond the line of
guards AS soon they found the way clear,
they emerged slowly in small squads of two or
three and sauntered off until they got clear of
the guards making their way toward the VIII
liamsburg road by the shortest routes.
The darkness favored them, and the fact that
all the Rebel soldiers whom they met were habi-
ted in the army coats of " Uncle SAM" which
they had stolen from the supplies sent to our
prisoners by our government was of great help
to them.
Although they were attired in our army over
coats, and many of them had their haversacks,
they found the national uniform better disguise
than if they had been provided with the genuine
Rebel uniforms.
In order to. elude the pursuers, whom they
knew would soon be on their track, they scatter
ed SIS much possible. Many were their hard
| ships and sutferings, and frequent their
| narrow escapes from the Rebel cavalry, who the
next morning were bushwhacking in every di-
| rectiOn for them.
1t is believed that more than half of those who
got out of the prison will reach our lines. The
officers who in here from five to
/ eight days in getting from Richmond to Will
| liamsburg, and think that many more will fol-
low successfully down the Peninsula, that some
will escape via the Army of the Potomac, and
that others will eventually be heard from in
North Carolina.
| DnU TI,a Of r1n ovl