The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1864-02-27

distance, and concluded that the street wa
about fifty feet wide.
! On the 9th or 9TH of February the work
ing party supposed they had gone = sutiicien
distance, and commenced to dig upward. -
When near the surface they heard the kebe
guards talking above them, and discovered
they were some Two or three feet yet outside
the fence.
The displaclng of a stone made consider
able noise, and one of the sentnels called
to his comrade and asked him what it meant
The guards, after listening few minutes
concluded that nothing was wrong, and re
turned to their beats. This hole was stop
ped up by inserting into the crews pair OF
old pantaloons filled with straw, and by
bolstering the whole up with boards, which
they scared from the floors &C., Of the
prison.
The tunel was then continued some six o,
seven feet more, and when the working par.
ty supposed they were about to emerge to
daylight, others in the prison were informed
that there was a way now open for escape.
One hundred and nine OF the prisoners de.
cided to make the attempt to get away
Others refused fearing the consequences il
they were recaptured; and others yet "a
mong whom were General Neal Dow de.
cliued to make the attempt because as they
said) they did not desire to have their Gov
eminent back down from its enumerated pol
icy of exchange. Col. Rose, Of New York,
Col. kendrick, of Tenn, Capt. Jones. 1t.
Bradford, and others, informed Gen. Dow
that they. could not see how making their
escape would affect the policy Of exchange.
Their principle was that it was their person
al right to escape il they could, and their
duty to ttr Government 10 make the at
tempt.
About s. o'clock on the evening of the
9TH, the prisoners started out, Col. Rose o,
New York leading the van. Before start.
ing, the prisoners mad divided themselves
into squads of two, three, and four, and
each squad was to take a different route,
and after they were out were to push for the
Union lines as fast as possible. 1t was the
understanding that the working party was
to have an hours start of The other prison.
oners, and, consequently the rope ladder in
the cellar was drawn out. Before the expi
ration Of the hour, however, the other pris
oncrs became impatient, aud were let down
successfully into the cellar.
Col. ". p. Kendmck of West Tennessee
Capt. d. j. Jones of the LIST Kentucky Cav,
airy, and Lieut.. X. y. Bradford of the ID
West Tennessee, were detailed as rcut
guard, or rather to go out last; and from t
window Col, X. and his companions could
see the tUgitivcs walk out OF a gate at the
other end Of the enclosure of the carriage
house, and icallcssly move off. The aper'
ture was 50 narrow tlIat-but one man could
get through at d time, and each squad car.
rud With them provisions in Il haversack. -
At midnight u false alarm was created, and
the prisoners made considerable noise in
getting to their respective quarters. lrovi,
dcutialIy, however, the guard suspected
nothing wrong, and in few moments the
exodus was again commenced. Col Ken.
! drcA and his companions looked with some
trcpidaIion upon the movements of TIT
| fugitiyes, rs some of them exercising but
! little discretion, moved boldly out on the
incl0sure mo The glare OF The gas liz lat. -,
/ Many OF them were, however, in citizcua
dress, aud as all the Rebel guards wear tho
United States uniform, but little suspicion
could be excited, even if the tugitiycs haJ
been accosted by guard.
Between and : o. clock the lamps wert
ext.nsvohcd in the streets, and then til,
exit Was more safely accomplished. Their,
were many officers who desired TO leave
who were so weak ami feeble that they wer,
dragged through the tunre by main fore,
and carried 10 places of safety, until suci
time as they would be able to nave on thei
journey. Al = o'clock, Capt Jones, Col
kendrick, and Lieut.. Bradford passed GU
in the order in which they are named, an,
as Col. X. emerged from the hole he hear(
the guard within few feet of him slug out
" Post No. Z, naIt past two III tn. morning
and ullis WE'LL Col. K. says he coulc
hardly resist the temptation Of saying -
" Not SO well as you thnk, except for tn,
1anks." Lieut.. Bradford was inrustee
with the provisions for this squad, and il
getting through he was Obliged to leave li.
haver sack behind him, as he could not &c
through with it upon him.
Concluded next week.