American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1864-01-27
NUMBER Z.
The Escape of Morgan.

The Richmond Dispatch, of the 18th,
announces the arrival of Gen. Morgan in
that city, and gives the report ofa speech
made by him, in which he detailed at
length the manner of his and his COM
rade's escape from the Ohio Penitentiary:
Everything was now ready to begin
the work so about the latter part Of Oc-
tober they began to bore. All were busy
-one making rope ladderby tearingand
twisting upstrips of bedtick, another max
ing bowie knives, and another twisting up
towels. They labored perseyeringly for
several days, and after boring through nine
thieknesses of brick placed edgewise, they
began to wonder when they should reach
the soft earth. Suddenly brick fell in.
What could this mean? What internal
chamber had they reachedY 1t was i'm
mediately entered, and to their great as
tonishment and joy, it proved to be an air
chamber extending the whole length ofthe
row of cells.
After twenty.three days of unremitting
labor, and getting through granite wall
of six feet in thickness, they reached the
soil. They tunneled up forsome distance,
and light began to shine This was the
morning of the 26th day Of November
1868. The next night, at II o'clock. was
determined on as the hour at which they
would attempt THEN liberty. heevening
came, and the clouds began to gather
How they prayed for them to increase. -
If rain should only begin, their chances
of detection would be greatly lesscned.-
While these thoughts were passing thro'
their minds the keeper entered with a let
ter for Gen. Morgan. He opened it, and
what was his surprise, and, l may say
wonder, to find it from poor Irish wo.
man of his acquaintance in Kentucky,
commencing, My dear Ginral, | feel Ger.
tain you are going to try to git out of pris-
on, but for your sake, don't you try it, my
dear Ginrol You will only be taken pris-
oner agn, and made to suffer more than
you do now
Six, eight, ten o'clock came. How each
pulse throbbed as they quietly awaited the
approach of twelve 1t camo--the senli-
mel passed his round-all we'll. After
waiting a few momentsto to see if heintcnd.
ed to slip back, the signal was given-aH
quietly slipped down into the air cham
Der, first stufhng their flannel shirts and
placing them in bed as they were accus.
toned tolie. As they moved quietly along
through the dark recess to the terminus
where they were toemerge from the earth,
the General prepared to light match
As the lurid glare fell upon the ecountenan-
cos a scene was presented which cannever
be forgotten. There were crouched.seyen
brave men, who had resolved to be free.
They were armed with bowie-knives made
out of case-knives. Life in their condi.
tion, was scarcely TO be desired, and the
moment for the desperate chance had ar
rived. Suppose, they emerged from the
ground, that the dogshould give the alarm
they could but die
But few moments were spent in this
kind of apprehension. The hour had ar
rived, and yet they came. Fortunately
yes, providentially-the night had sud
denly grown dark and rainy; the dogs had
retired to their kennels, and the sentineIs
had taken refuge under shelter. The in
ner wall by the aid of therope ladder, was
soon sealed, and now the outer one had to
be attempted. Capt. Taylor fwho, by the
by, is a nephew Of old Zack) being
very active man, by the assistance of his
comrades reached the top of the gate, and
was enabled to get the rope over the wall.
When the top was gained, they found a
rope extend all around, WHICH the Gener-
al Immediately cut, as he suspected that it
might lead into the warden's room. This
turned out to be correct. They had en-
tered the sentry box on the walland chang
ed their clothes, and let themselves down
the wall In sliding down, the General
skinned his hand very badly, and all were
more or less bruised. Once down, they
then separated, Taylor and Shelton going
one way, Hegersmith, Bennettand NIeGeo
another, and General Morgan and Capt.
Hines proceeded Immediately toward the
depot.
The General had, by paying SIS in gold,
succeeded in obtaining paper which in
formed him Of the schedule time Of the
different roads The clock struck one,
and he knew by hurrying. he could reach
the down train for Cincinnati. He got
there Just as the train was moving Of lie
at once looked on TO see if there were asiy
soldiers on board, and, espied Uuion Off
Ger he boldly walked UP and took a seat