Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-12-15

From the sEndusky Register, of yester- |
day, we take the following account of the |
attempted escape of the prisoners from |
JohnsOn's Island, on Tuesday morning:
About one O'Clock yesterday morning, by |
q preconcerted arrangement, e rush was |
ma e by twenty four prisoners, upon the |
centre Of the guard line, on the northwest !
side Of the prison. The prisoners had i'm
proviscd eight scaling ladders By attach
ing 'cleets'' to boards and strips, very
light, essily carried and just the thing for
scaling the high prisen fence. The rush
upon the guard at once occasioned the
proper cry ''turn out the guard P' accompa-
ried by quite rafting fire from the
guard line, but the rush was SO impetuous,
and by SO many prisoners that in spite
of the guard, four men out of the twen-
ty-folr scaled the fence, passed the guard,
escaped from the Island, crossed the north
| channel Of the Bay, and went some dis
tance upon the Peninsula. OF the others,
who did not get through, one received &
shot cutting away his coat pretty severely
| - the waist, was b nocked down and cap
tured. Another, Lieutenant John B. Bowles,
son ofthe President of the Louisville Bank,
| Kentucky, wss shot twice through the body
about the ssme instant, and killed The
ether eighteen found the work too hot and
retreated to their barracks.
The rush on the guard was Immediately
followed by the "long roll and the proper
signal gun. By tho way, this is the first
long roll occasiJned by any demOnstra-
ton Of the prisoners since last March; and
The only other one was on the night of the
23d of September, when at least ons-third
Of the prison fence was swept away in an
instant By a tornado.
Under 8 standing order, all the troops
we're promptly in position, ready to give
proper attention to the rebels should any
further efforts be made within the enclosure
To make sure of any who light be lurking
on the Island, awaiting better opporLunI
ties to elude observation, three companies
of the 9th V. r. c., were ordered out t.
patrol the Island, and make a thorough
: search. At the same time several detach
ments Of the l28sh Regiment were ordered
of in pursuit of the escaIei prisoner
who had passed the picket on the north
. west side of the Island, receiving q fir
from them at long range. The heeinl
rebe's made the best time possible, bU
we're hotiy pursued; and with soldiers ol
their rear and both fauks, and the loya
citizens Of the Peninsula (who had bee
aroused by the discharge of the 20 poundt
Parrot n their front, their escape 500
terminated in Ito them) 8 very mortifyin
recapture.
The morning Toll-call and muster {
prisoners showed that but four of them ha
left the prison. They were all back, an
returned to their home in the Bull Pen
this morning. The unwilling denizens {
that locality are full OF their schemes an
threats, and seem disposed to make th
very most OF their opportunities, while th
ice is practicable ae an highway and
remains TO be seen whether the futur
with whatever aid they may receive, wi
be very productive Of gratifying results
themselves.
Three Of the fugitives were seen runnin
across the Peninsula BY Mr. g. Wrigh
gentleman who has vineyard there.
soon an he heard the firing, he got out vii
his gun, and seeing the three escaped pri
oners, ca led to them; Stop, or I'll put
hole through you as big as my hatP'
this>hey halted, and he marched the
back 10 quarters. Another was brought
by the guard about 10 o'clock yesterds
morning.
The firing ofcannon was By the Urdnan
officer, with view of freaking the leo,
as to prevent the prisoners from crossing.
Mr.. Wrjghps vigilance and bravery a
greatlyto be admired.