Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1864-01-28
MORGAN'S NARRATIVE OF
EEES ESCAPE.
THRILLING INCIDENTS.

Gen. John II. Morgan was honolcd with
/ an ovation on the 7th, on his arrival at the
Rebel Capital. The following highly inter-
esting account Of bis escape from the Ohio
Penitentiary, and subsequent adyetures, is
published in the Richmond Enquirer. It
will repay perusal:
| "Their bcdsteads were small iron stools,
! fastened to the wall with hinges They
could be hooked up or allowed 70 stand on
the floor, and to prevent any suspicion, for
several days before any work was attempted
they made it habit to let them down and
sit at their doors and read. Capt Hines
superintended the work, while Gen. Nor
gan kept watch to divert the attention Of
the sentinel, whose duty it was to come
around during the day. and observe n any
thing was going on.
One day this fellow in while Hockersmith
was down under the floor boring away, and
missing him, said:
Where is Hockersmith p
Gle is in my room sick, replied the
General.
He then pulled document out of his
pocket and said TO him:
| Here is a memorial | have drawn up to
, forward to the government at Washington:
= What do you think Of it?'
= The fellow, who perhaps could not read,
l beinghighly hattered at the General 5 conde-
scension, took it and very gravely looked at
fI it for several moments before he vouchsafed
any reply. Then handing it back, he ex-
pressed himself highly pleased with it. In
, the meantime Hohersmith had been signal
ed and came up, protesting to feel very
unwell.
This sentinel was the most difficult and
f dangerous obstacle in their progress, be-
cause there was no telling at what time he
l would enter during the day, and at night
l he came regularly every two hours to each
cell and inserted lghth through the bars
Of their door, to see that they were quietly
sleeping, and frequently after he had com
: pleted his rounds he would slip back in the
dark with pair of India rubber shoes on,
to listen at'their cells if anything was going
2 on. The General says that he would al
s most invariably know Of his presence by a
: certain magnetic shudder which it would
| produce; for fear that this acute sensibility
: might sometimes fail him, he broke uT
= small particles of coal every morning and
= sprinkled them before the cell door which
V was an unfailing monitor Of his coming.
: Everything was now ready to begin th'
NOTh, 81 dDOub Viz ldtiCi pdib VI CAtobC
! they began to bore. All were busy-on
d making rope ladder by tearing and twist
: ing up strips of bed-tick, another maxim
Is bowie-knives, and another twisting towels
If They labored perseveringly for several days
is and after boring through nine inches Of &C
,e ment and nine thicknesses Of brick place
NJ edgewise, they began TO wonder when the
to should reach the soft earth. Suddenly
,o brick fell through. What could this mean
ii What internal chamber had they reached
Of Ii was Immediately entered. and to thei
,e great astonishment and joy, Improved to b
70 an air chamber extending the whole lengtl
m of the row of cells. Here was an unozpcC
20 ted nterposition in their favor. Hlthert
IL they had been obliged to conceal their rut
J. bish in their bedticks, each day burning
,e proportionate quantity Of straw; now. the
u had room enough for all they could dig
They at once commenced to tunnel at rgh
J. angles with this chamber, to get through
. the foundation; and day after day they Dor
}. ed, and and day after day the blocks 0
y granite were removed, and still the worl
q before them seemed interminable
e After % days Of unremitting labor am
n getting through granite wall six feet II
i thickness, they reached the soil. The
d tunneled up for some distance, and ligh
n began to Shine How glorious was tina
e light 1t announced the fulillment Of thei
# labOrs, and if Providence would only cor
# tinue its favor, they would soon be free
a This was the morning of the Goth of Nov,
!. 1868. The next night at II o clock was de
n termined on as the hour at which the
sr would attempt their liberty. Each mo
n ment that intervened was filed with dread
,e full anxiety and suspense, and each time tn
a. guard entered increased their apprehension
>. The General says he prayed for rain, bu
a. the morning of the 9th dawned bright an
" beautiful. The evening came, and cloud
5 began to gather, How they prayed to
If them to increase. If rain should only bc
: gin, their chances of detection would b
/ greatly lessened.
e. While these thoughts were passing thrc
1r their minds, the keeper entered with LEI
2. ter for General Morgan, He opened it an
10 what was his surprise, and | may say VOL
y der, TO find it from poor Irish woman {
81 his acquaintance in Kentucky, commencin
I'd thus:
~ a. 'My dear Gincral, l feel certain you ar
al going to try to git out of prison, but to
70 your own sake don't you try it, my dea
al General. You will only be taken prisone
- agin, and made to suffer a great deal NOR
L. than you do now.
II The letter then went on to speak of h
,s- kindness to the poor when he lived IN LeN
no ington. and concluded by again exhortn
~ !, him to trust in God and wait his time
oe What could this mean? No human beln
az on the outside had been informed OF his II
~ tention to escape, and yet, just as all thing
er were ready for him to make the attempt