The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1864-04-01
MIllINa OF LIBBY PRISON.

A long and interesting speech was made
by Gen. Neal Dow, at Portland, Maine, on
Friday last, at the public reception given
him by the citizens, and in the course OF his
remarks, he confirmed the report that the
rebels IN Richmond mined the Libby Prison
at the approach Of Kilpatrick's forces, The
Gen. gave the following account Of the bar
barous act
"They told US of Kilpatricks raid On the
frat Of March arrangements had been made
to receive him. And what do you suppose
the arrangements were7 To defend Rich.
mond? Was that itl No. They mined
Libby Prison, with the intention Of blow
ing it and us; to use their own phrase 'to
blow us to hell2' Voice is there proof of
that?) That is capable OF proof. cannot
tell you bow the fact was intimated US the
next day without betraying those from whom
the information came On the morning of
Wednesday, March I'd, after we had been
informed of the gunpowder plot, Dick Tur
ner, the Inspector of Military Prisons, was
asked By many officers at different times if
we were correctly Informed and he assured
us it was true; that large quantity Of pow,
der had been placed under the prison to
blow US up, if Fitzpatrick had come in, and
that it would be done yet if attempts were
made to rescue US.
Rev. DR.. Smith, President of Randolph
Macon College, well known down South
and known in the North too as an able and
influential man, came iuto the prison to
visit Lieutenant Col Nichols of the 18th
Connecticut regiment with whom he was
acquainted He said that powder had been
placed in the basement for the purpose of
blowing US into atoms Colonel Nichols
did not believe it, DR.. Smith assured him
it.was so He then come from tho office of
judge Ould, Commissioner OF Exchanges
who told him it was so, Rev, DR.. McCabe
said the same thing to Colonel Cesnola, OF
the Fou, tn New York cavalry, and others.
Some officers were in the back kitchen ut
the window, directly over the door leading
into the celler Major Turner, the cpmman
dant of the prison-Dick Turner-and iour
or five rebel officers went into the cellar,
and on coming out they remained few
minutes at the door, and one of the officers
said, BY G., If you touch that off it will
| Up)W Sut III W SutC va sNS
morning we came away, Major Turner ss'
sured Capt. Sawyer andl Capt, Flynn, who
were exchanged in connection with myself,
that powder was there, and he said, ''rather
than have you rescued would have blown
you to h, even if We had gone their our
Selves At first we could net believe it,
We did not suppose them to be fools enough
10 be guilty of an act like that. The des'
truction of nine hundred Federal officers in
that way would not have been fatal blow
| to the Union cause. but it would have drawn
! down upon them the execrations ofail man
/ Kind. il would have united the Nor therr
peonIe as one man, and would have tillec
the Northern heart with an intense indigDa
ton: and WREN Richmond should be cap.
tured. it wa lbave been utterly destroyed
, and btotted out forever from the earth At
FIRST we could not believe that such an act
could have, been contemplated, but we nov
! reeyrd iit as established by satisfactor!
4 proof Such is the temper OF th
leaders Of the rebellion. Such their char
seter.