Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-02-03


Here was an unexpected interpostion in their favor.
Hitherto they had Seen obliged to conceal their rub
bish in their bed ticks each day burning proper
ti0nate quantity of straw; now they had room
enough for all they could dig. They at once COM
menced to tunnel at right angles with this air cham
Der, to get through the foundation and day after
day they bored day after day the blocks Of granite
were removed and still the work before them seem.
ed lntermnable.
and getting through granite wall of six feet in
thickness, they reached the soil They tunnelled
up for some distance, and light began to shine
How glorious was that light! 1t announced the
fulfllment of their abo.s and if Providsnee would
only continue its favor, they would soon be Free
This vas the morning of the Goth day of November,
1858. The next night, at 10 o'clock, was deter
mined on as the hour at which. they would attempt
their liberty. Each moment that interviewed was
filled with dreadful anxiety and suspense, and each
time the guard entered increased their apprehen-
sions. The General says he had prayed for rain,
but the morning of the 27th' dawned bright and
beautiful The evening came, and clouds began to
gather. How they prayed for them to increase p
1t rain should only begin, their chance of detection
would be greatly lssseiied. While these thoughts
were passing through their minds, the Keeper On.
tered with letter for Gen. Morgan. He opened it,
and what was his surprise, and may say wonder.
ance in ke11oky commencing, My dear Ginral,
are going to try to git out Of
p sake don't You try it my dear
q only be taken prisoner again. and
IND DE than you DO now" The letter
; then 70 speak Of his kindness to the poor
when he lived at Lexington, and concluded by again
exhorting him to trust in God and wait bis time. !"
What. could this mean2 No human being on the
outside had been informed of his intention to escape
and yet, just as all things were ready for him to
make the attempt here comes q letter from Win.
chester, Kentucky, advising him not to try it
This letter had passed through the examining office
of General Mason, and then through the hands Of
the lower officials What if it should excite their
suspicion and causes them to exercise an increased
vigilance! Their situation, however, was desperate.
Their fate could not be much worse, and they re-
solved to 60. Nothing remained now to be done
but for the General and Colonel Dick Morgan 10
change cells The hour approached for them to be
locked up. They changed costs, aud each stood ct
the others cell door with his back exposed, and
pretended to be engaged in making up their beds.
AS the turnkey entered they "turned p" and pulled
their doors, shut. Six, eight ten o'clock came
How each pulse throbbed as they quietly awaited
the approach of twelve! 1t caine-the sentinel
passed his rounds-all well. After waiting few
moments, to see if he intended to slip back the
signal vas gwen, all quietly slipped down into the
air chamber, first stuffng their flannel shirts and
placingthem in bed as they were accustomed to lie
As they moved quietly along through the dark
recess to the terminus where they were to emerge
from the earth, the General prepared to light a
match. As the lurid glare fell upon their counter.
ances, scene was presented which can never be
forgotten. There were crouched seven brave man
who had resolved to be free. They were armed
with bowie knives made out of case-knives. Life.
IN their condition, was scarcely to be desired and
the moment for the desperate chance had arrived
suppose IS they emerged from the ground, that the
dogs should give the alarm-they could but die :
But lew moments were spent in this kind Of a.
prehension. The hour had arrived, and yet they
came. fortunateay-yes, provideatially -the night
nae suddenly grown dark and rainy; the dogs had
refuge under shelter. The inner WALL by the aid of
the rope ladder, was soon scaled and now the outer
one had to be attempted, Capt Taylor, (who, by
the way, is "a nephew to old lack being q very &C.
tive 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 rope extending Ill around which the Gene
raj Immediately cut, as he suspected that it might
lead into the warden room. This turned out to b.
correct they then entered the sentry box on thu
wan and changed their clothes, and let themselves
Gown the wall In sliding down, the General skin
ned his hand very badly, and all were more or les
bruised S1 Once down, they separated Taylor ant
shelton going one way, Hokersmitb, Bennett an,
MeGee another, and Gen. Morgan and Capt Hine
proceeding Immediately towards the depot. Tn
s1enerA bad by paying fifteen dollars in gold sue
eeeosa IN obtaining paper, which informed him o
the schedule time Of the different roads The clocl
struck one and be knew BY hurrying he could reacl
ei,e down train for CINCINNATI. He got there jus
as TIE train was moving off He at once looked o.
~ see It there were any soldiers On beard and espy
IN Federal 0fficer ha koIflv walkeff nm and too