The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1864-02-18
NEWS FROM NvAsHINGrON.
WASHINGTON, Feb. l6,
low OUR OFFICES ESCAPED FROM THE

Oopt0h W hAtdtu . w uttshSA, vi tuO
5lst Indiana, Originally from Peru, In
DIANA who escaped from Libby Peis-
on through the tunnel, arrived to-day
and was Unthuffoor orufthe House. he
came nearly due north from Richmond
till he reached our lines He says
they begsn-diggirg gthetunnel un-New
Years Eve, and only finished it the
night before making their escape, The
work was carefully concealed, even
from the bulk Of their brother officers,
for the reason that rebel spies are be-
licvcd to be among them, clothed in
our uniform, and protesting to be pris-
oncrs from some of our rcgiments.-
The working party were adj sworn to
the most solemn secrecy. They began
back of tic stone in a room on the
ground floor, whore a pile Of ashes en-
ablcd them to conceal their work.
From this they dug into the chimney,
and so down into the cellar. This Gel
lar was filled with old rubbish, and al
30 contains a pile Of straw. They be-
gan their tunnel from this cellar, dig
ging through the whole night. releiv-
ing Que another by turns, and pilling
the dirt taken from the tunnel in d
corner of the cellar, from which they
had removed the rubbish. Every
night before closing their work they
would stamp this dirt down, to make
it occupy as small space as possible,
aud then over it over with straw
They would then carefully black their
boots and remove every particle of
clay from their clothes, and after
morning roll call spend the day in
sleeping, for the double purpose OF
gaining rest and to avoid conversation
with others.
Col. Rose Of Ohio, acted as chief en-
gineer in managing the direction
of tho tunnel. They continued this
way night after uisht, till the even.
ing before making their escape, some
negroes who were in the prison wait
ing on prisoners, discovered what
they were doing, but Loyalty kept the
secret.
They dug in this way under an ad-
jacent street, and finally came to the
surface in vacant lot, 80 yards dis
tant At tho point where they were
under the street, they were only four
feet below the surface. and nothing but
the tcnacity Of the soil prevented tho
tunnel from, crumbling, Toward the
close they became alarmed about the
pile Of dirt excavated, and in order to
make it occupy as little space as posi-
BILE, they only made the tunnel large
enough for medium sized man to
crawl through on his belly. When
they came to attempt the passage, sew
cral Of the men stuck fast, and it was
with the utmost difficulty that some of
them managed TO work their way
through. ..
twas owing to this delay, that com
parativcly, so small number escaped.
As it was, as many got out rs possibly
could till daylight came to check their
operations. Many, however, started
without any provisions, and bong com.
pelled to stop at houses for food, were
discovered. To this, and to their
weakness from long continued priva'
ton, the recapturo Of 50 many is at
tributcd ....
Colonel Straight is expected here
to-night, and Capt Walack leaves for
his homo in Indiana. t..
THE STARVATION IN RICHMOND.
Escaped prisoners confirm previous
statements as to the general scarcity
of provisions in Richmond They say
that during the time the rebels distrib'
uted the contents of tho boxes from the
North, their very guards would beg
provisions Of them, and that of late
half naked boys from the streets o.
Richmond used to gather about the
windows to scramble for the crumbs
from their corn bread, which they
would throw out to thom.
n..,.a nn.lea Al, n. 49, nre