Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-03-07
col. srreight,s Escape.

Colonel STREIGHT, of the 5lst Indiana, who
made his way out of Libby Prison by the famous
under ground passage. arrived at Fort Monroe
the Oath of February, in company with the fol-
lowing officers:
Col. CHAs w. THEN, 10th Maine
Major H HOOPER, 18th Massachusetts,.
Capt B F. FISHER, Chief of Signal Corps,
Army of the Potomac
Capt H. B. CHAMBERLAIN, 97th New York.
Lieut. RANDOLPH 9Th q. s. Artillery.
Colonel STREIGHr reached Yorktown twelve
days after leaving Richmond. The New York
Herald's Fortress Monroe correspondent gives
the following account of Col. s. and Capt CHAM
BERLAIN:
1t was about 9 p NJ when they left the prison.
Passing up Canal street two squares, they turned
to the left and went into Second street, thence
going to the right and keeping the east side of
the town At this early hour of the evening it
was impossible not To meet and pass good many
persons, but they did so without exciting suspi-
cion Going by the Notifications, they saw no
one. Taking a north-easterly course. they con-
tinued their journey. proceeding slowly and eau
tiously, Of course until A. NJ when they
halted in "A dense wood close by the Chickahomi-
ny swampS, and remained the next day. Several
times during the day squads OF rebels, sent in
search of the missing prisoners, passed close by
them. but happily without discovering their place
of cOncealment.
At dark, they started again on their journey
crossing the Chickahominy fallen tree, and,
as good luck would have it. encoGntering no
pckels Trey got into terrible thicket, and
this nig ht accomplished only five miles They
Law in this thicket all the second day, and the
frequent firing of guns about them materially
dissipatei whatever of poetica enjoyment they
might otherwise have derived from their wilder
ness lodge Thus far they had slept but little in
the day; but. nevertheless, the third night
they made another start, now striking for the
Pamunkey River. The detpurs they had to
make to keep themselves under cover Of the
woods and swamps TO ira verse made the journey
slow, and daylight only found them midway be-
tween Chickahomny and Pamunkey Next day,
they passed in swamp. Rebel scouts were still
providing about: but they lay low and quiet. and
were not discovered They suffered greatly
from cold Next night they reached the Pa
munky. neH Piper's Ferry. and some ten miles
above the White House. How to get the
river-wbich here. although not very wide is
deep and dangerous, and the weather, mnantime,
had reached n degree of GOODNESS making swim
ming it an impossibility-was the question,
and it was a difficult one 10 solve. Thus far
they had ebstained from coming in contact with
any one, white or black They were compelled
to call in cnntraband assistance, and in accom-
plishing this were four days
At length they get a negro, and the negro got
boat. and in this way they got across the river.
And now good fortune smiled them. This
negro turned them tn another negro. who
piloted them fifteen miles down the opposite
bank Of the river. As good many of the rebel
soldiers, and particularly the cavalry, living in
this vicinity and Gloucester county, were home
ON furloughs they still had to move with ex-
ceeding caution. But the kindness of the ne
groes saved them from capture. They were
brought down to York river. AMI set across by
skiff at Bigelow's Lsnding. From here they
went down the river. passing West Point in day
light. Here, seeing one save negro soldiers
on picket. was the first positive assurance of
reaching our lines