The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-02-27
larEsT FRoa THE aaaIa

tarEsT FR0a The aaaIaX
From the Exchange Bureau NJ have
ceived Northern dates Of the 10th, e.
which We compile the following summ
TINS KscArs CO ras 1sKsas sk0H ruR 1,
PRISON.
The Washington Sta,, Of the losh, cos,ala
long account OF the escspe OF the Yankee olBe1
from Libby prison, furnished BY some Of thseff
Acsn who have ssrivsd safely In Washingtoss
Yaskeeism charsetesiees this account from be1
ming tn ending, and the faisehools which sand1
tnas distinguiahing trstt In the Yankes chassr
are conspcnous In every line Of the s'eacitiae df
sativc." First we have an account Of the -
Preparations for Erape. A
Over two months ago the officers eonf3nsdsE
Libby prison conceived the idea Of effecting Ill
own exchange, and after the matter had heeh ~
ousiy discussed by some seven or eight Of thY
they undertook to dig for distance toward4
sewer runRing into the basin. This they propasl
to do by commenciug at point In the ceilar, ns%'
chimney This cellar WAS immediately UNI
the hospital, and was the receptacic Hf refu
straw, thrown from the beds when fhey wei
changed, and for other refuse matter Above "a
hospital was rooa, for officers, and above tn,
yet another room. The chimney ran through u
these rooms, and the prisoners who were in The
secret iuprovsed rope, and night Ate! nieht iri
working parties down, who successfully prose
cafed their excavauRg operations.
After hard work and digging with hnker main,
knives and chiseis, nuHsber OF feet, The workipe
party found themselves stopped by plies driver q,
che around. TheyU~EsTe at least foot In diane
ter. But they were not discouraged. Peakniyes,
or any other articles that would cut, were called
for, and after chipping, chipping, chipping for I
long time, the plies we're severed, and the tunnel
crs commenced again, and in b few moments
nhod riao Ruth an uu Cd oh.
stacie met their further progress. The stencil
from the sewers and the flow OF filthy water was
so great that one of the party tainted, and was
dragged out more dead than alive. and the prolsct
In that direction had to be abandoned
The project OF tnnneiing under Cary street was
then conceived, and then commenced to dig at the
other side Of the chimney. and aiier u few hands
full of dirt had been removed they found them
selves stopped by a stone wall, which pr we'd af-
ierwards to be three feet thick The party were
by no means undaunted, and with penknives and
pocket-knives they commenced operations upon
the stone and mortar. After nineteen days and
nights hard work they again struck tifs. earth be
yond the wall, and pushed their work forward.
On the 6th or TIN of February the working party
supposed they had gone a sufficient distance, and
commenced to dig upwards. When near the sur
face they heard the rebel guards talking aheve
them, and discovered they were some two or three
feet yet outside the fence.
The displacing OF stone made considerable
Noise, and one Of the sentinels ca led to his com
rade and asked him hat the nois. meant. The
guards, after listening few minutes, concluded
that nothing wrong and returned 10 their beats
This hole was stopped up by inserting into the
crevice a pair Of old pantal0ons flied with straw
and bOlstering the WhOe up with boards, which
they secured from the floors, &c. of the prison.
The tunnel was then continued only six or sever
feet more. and when the working party supposed
they we're about ready to emerge to daylight Others
In the prisons were informed that there was a way
now open for escape.
The Escape.
After these fatigueing preparations had had beer
completed, aud the matter canvassed among thu
prisoners, one hundred and nine of them determn
ed TO make the effort to escape. "VHtuous'' Nes
Dow declined to make the attempt, on the grount
that he did not wish to have his Government bact
down from its enunciated policy OF exchange
His brother officers appealed to him and reasoned
with him, but Neal would not leave. The account
says:
About Sx O'Clock on the evening Of the 9th the
prisoners started out, tci. Rose, OF New YORK
leading the van. Before starting, the prisoner.
had divided themselves into squads Of two, three
ana four and each squad was to take diff ref
route, and after they were out push for the
uniDn lines as fast as possible. II was the under
standing that the working party was 10 have al
hours start OF the other prisoners and consequent
Iy, the rope ladder IN the cellar was drawn out
Before the expiration of the hour, however, ti,e
other prisoners became impatient, and were lei
down through the chimney successfully into the
cellar.
Col. w. P. Kendrick, Of West Tennessee; Can't.
D. J. Jones, OF the lst Kentucky cavalry and Lit
X. Y. Bradford, of the I'd West Tennessee were
detailed as rear guard, or rather TO 60 ont last;
and from window Col. kendrick and his com.
pani0ns could see the fugitives walk out CT gats
at the other end OF the enclosure of the carriage
house, anu fearlessly move of The aperture Was
narrow that but one man could get through at a
time and each squad carried with them provisions
in a haversack. At midnight false alarm was
created, and the prisoners made consid bic
noise in getting 10 their respective quarters -
Providehtially. however, the guard suspected moth
ing wrong, and in a few moments the exodus was
again CONNIE need. Col. kendTick and his CON
paniOps looked with some trepidation upon the
movements of the fIgitives, as some of them, *
ercising but little discretion moved boldly out ot
the eneo ure into the glare of the gas tight Many
OF them were, however, In citizens dress, and al
all the rebel guards wear the United States uni
form. but little suspicion could be excited, even II
the fugilives had been accosted by guard.
Between one and two O'Clock the lamps were
eytingutshed In the streets, and then the exit was
more safely accomplished. There were many Off
GERS who desired to leave who were so weak aud
feeble that they were dragged through the t.,nnel
by main torce and carried 10 places OF safety until
sUch time as they would be able to move on theif
journey. At half past two O'Clock Csptain Jones
C0, Kendrek, and Lieut.. Bradford passed out in
the ordef In which they are nanieds and as Col
kendrick emerged from the hQie he heard the
guard within few feet of him sing out, Fost No
I, half past two In the morning, and aii's WILL"
Col. Kendrick says be could hardly resist the
temptation of saying, "Not so well as you think
except for the Yanks." Lieut.. Bradford WAS in
trusted with the provisions for this squad, and In
getting through he was Obliged to leave his taver-
sack behind him, as he could moi get ihrough with
II upon him
Once OUT. they proceeded up the street, keeping
in the shade OF the buildings, aud passed eastward
iy through the city,
1t,bulaiions Of Kasdrics and His Party.
A long narrative here follows OF the sore trial.
and hair. BREATH escapes OF the .'gaiiant" Ken
drick and his party: the va.uaiie assistance rem
dered by the friendly negroes; Of their meeting
with negro woman working In n field, who teit
them that the rebel pickets had been about ther,
looking for the fugittvss from the Libby; Of the In
deserbabie fee ,ings of Col. Asndrck, when, Wi h
In ten miles of Williamsburg, he saw the ssolt
hag," supported by a detachment Of Col Spear'
cavalry; and Of their nal entrance into Williams
burg
The Union Feeling in Richmond.
No uncomfortable portion Of this 'ssxcidag mar
raiive'' 10 devoted to q description Of the Uniol
feeling In Richmond, much more prevalent, an'
decidedly more intense, according to this account
than we had supposed. AZ an illustration Of thi
Unionisp, the following ridiculous statements ar
given:
From these officers we learn that there is wide
spread Union feeling in Richmond. JEFF Davis 1
held In detestation; but all who do not hearth
endorse the rebel Government are spotted an
,wstched There are at this time eighteen person
confined In Castle Thunder 0B charge Of attempt
10 assassinate the rebel President these prisoner
also confirm the report that an attempt was MAD
to burn Jrff's mansion and that one morning hi
servants fouad coffin upon his porch.
In their escape the officers were aided by eli
sens Of RIchmond--nOt foreigneTs OF the poo
classes only, but by natives and persons OF wealth
They know their friends there, but very psopsTi