Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1864-02-26
The Escaped Libby Prisoners.

Twenty of the officers recently escaped
from Libby prison, have arrived in Washington.
In addition to what has already been furnish
ed about their escape, the following particulars
are condensed from their statement. Seven or
eight first undertook to dig towards the sewer
employing the basin. They arranged rope SO
as to climb up and down chimneys from any of
the stories in which they they were confined to
the cellar from which began their tunnel. The
working party had got considerable distance
under ground when it was found difficult to
haul the dirt back by hand. A spitoon which
had been furnished one of the rooms was made
to serve this purpose, had string attached to
it and was run in the tunnel and drawn out and
deposited under the straw, but after hard work
and digging with finger nails knives and chs
els a number of feet, the working party found
themselves stopped by piles driven in the
ground at least foot in diameter. After chop
ping for long time the piles were severed and
tunnel commenced again and they reached the
sewer. Here unexpected obstacles met them;
stencil from sewers and flow of filthy water was
SO great that one of the party tainted and was
dragged out and the project in that direction
had to be abandoned The failure was cOmmu-
nicated to few others. Then the party of sew
enteen concluded to tunnel under Castry street;
on the opposite side of this street from the pris-
on was sort ofearriage house clubhouse, and
the project was to dig under the street and
emerge under or near the house. There was a
high fence around it and the guard was outside
this fence. The prisoners then commenced to
dig at the other side of the chimney, and after a
few handfuils of dirt had been removed they
found themselves stopped by stone wall which
proved afterwards to be three feet thick. With
pen knives they commenced operations upon
the stone and mortar. After nineteen nights of
hard work they again struck earth beyond the
wall and finished their work forward on the 9th
or 7th of February. The working party sup
posed they had gone sufficient distance and
commenced TO dig upwards; when near the sur
face they heard the rebel guard talking above
them and discovered that they were some two
or three feet yet from the outside of the fence
The tunnel was then continued some six or
en- feet more, and when the working party sup
posed they were about ready TO emerge to day
light, others in the prison were informed. One
hundred and nine prisoners decided to make the
attempt to get away. Others refused, fearing
the consequences if they captured; and
others yet among whom was Gen Neal Dow,
declined to make the attempt because, as they
said, they did not desire to have their Govern
ment back down from its. enunciated policy of
exchange. About half past 8 o'clock on the
evening of the 9th, the prisoners started, Col.
Ross, of New York. leading the van. Before
startingtbey had divided themselves into squads
of twenty-three and twenty-four;,, each squad
was to take different route, and after they were
out were to push for Union lines quick as
possible. 1t was the understanding that the
working party was to have an hours start the
other prisoners, and consequently the rope lad
der in the cellar was drawn out. Before the ex-
piration of an hour however, the other prisoners
became impatient and were let down through
the chimney successfully into the cellar. Col.
W. p. kendrick, of West Tennessee, Capt. d. j.
i
Bradford, ID West Tennessee, were detailed to
go out last, and from the windows Col. K could
the fugitives walk out ofthe gate at the other
end of the enclosure of the carriage house and
fearlessly move off. The aperture was so mar
row that but one man could get through at
time and each squad carried with them provis-
ions in their haversacks.
AT midnight false alarm was created and the
prisoners made considerable noise in getting
back to their respective quarters. PrOviden-
TALLY, however, the guard suspected nothing
wrong, and in few moments the exodus again
commenced. Colonel Kendrick and his COM
panions looked with some trepidatiOn on the
movements of the fugtives, as some of them, ex-
ercising but little discretion, moved boldly out
ofthe enclosure into the glare of the gas light.
Many of them were however, IN citizen s dress |
and as all the rebel guard wear United States
uniforms but little suspicion could be excited |
even if the fugitiyes had been accosted by the |
guard. Between one and two o'clock the lamps |
were extinguished in the streets, and their exit |
was now safely aceomIl::=1eJ. '+'+1
There were r:s u officers who desired to |
leave, who Were SO weak and feeble that they |
were dragged through the tunnel by main force |
and carried to places of safety until such time |
as they would be able to move on their journey |
Once out, all marched off in different directions,
each squad looking out for itself and choosing |
what it thought the safest and speediest way to |
some point in the national lines.