The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1864-02-24
rmE L.srArnn rl,isnYLna-

We last Ncok gayo the report thot some
one bundled and ninc Union oaiccrs had
escaped from Libby Prison, Richmond, and
we are now glad to be able TO announce
that The report was correct. Twcn,ysuycn
of them arrived at Washington on tic ] 7.h
inst A dispatch says:
Seven or eight at first undertook 10 dig
toward q sewer cmptyiuy into basin.
They arranged rope 80 az to climb up and
down thc chimney from any OF the stories
in which tnoy were confined 80 the collar
from whcl, thcy nr,an thoir mrc Whom
the working party had rot considerable
distance under ground, it was found dlcuit
to hauI din. back Nv hand. 4 spi,toon
which had been furnished officers in one Of
Hio rooms was made to servo the purpose
Of "A cart A striug was attached 10 it ami
it was run in tie tunnel, and drawn ont and
tho dirt dopoRtcl under straw ; but after
hard work and digging with lingcr mails,
lMivea and Chapls number OF feet, the
working party found themselves stopped
by plies driven in tho ground at least aIoOt
IN diameter. Alier chipping for a long
time tho pilUs wero severed and thO tuu-
mel commenced again, and reached tho SOW
or. Here an unexpected obstacle met tIcm.
The stcucl from the sewer and tHe How Ol
iItEy water were 80 great That ono ot tio
party tainted aud was dragged out and the
project in that direction had TO Ie abtu-
loncd. The failure was communicated to u
few others, and thcu a party of Buvcutunu
concluded to tunnel under Carly strcct. On
the opposite side OF the rtrrrt from the
prison was sort Of carriage house Or out
house, aud the project WAS to dig uudor tur
street and emerge under or near the house.
Fhcro was high fence around it., and the
guard wo5 GV.gise this iouCc.
The prisoners tiou commenced to dig at
the othor side Of the chimney, aud alIor %
lew handluls oi dirt had been removed
found themselves stopped 10y stone wall
which proved, aitcrward, to bo three feet
thick. With peu-kuiVCs they commenced
operations upon the stone and mortar,
and after ninctoou nights hard work
they again struck tho earth beyond
the wall and pushed their work forward.
On tho 9TH or 9th of February the working
patty supposed they had Lonc sufficient
distance, aud commenced TO dig upward.
When uear tnc surface they hoard thorobol
guards talking above thcm, uul discovered
they were some two or throo ioct yet oui-
side the fence. The tunnel was then contlu-
ucd somc six or seven feet more, and when
tho working party thought they were about
ready TO cmorEc to daylight, others in the
prison were informed. Ouo hundred and
ninc prisoners decided to make the attempt
to get away. Others refused, fearing the
consequences ii they were captured; aul
others yet, among whom were Gen, Neal
Dow, declined to make the attempt because
as they said, they did not desire TO have
their Government back down from ils ouuu
ciatcd policy o! exchange.
About hal.past o'clock on the 9th the
prisoners started out, Colonel Rose of New
York leading th" van. Before starting
they had divided themselves into squads OF
=, 2, and /, aud each squad was to take a
different route and after they were ont to
pu5h for the Union lncsas tastaS possible.
1t was the understanding that the working
party was To have an hours start OF the 9th
cr prisoners and consequently tho rope lad
der III the collar was drawn out.
Before the expiration of the hour. how
over, other prisoners became inpatient, and
were let down through the chimney success.
fully into the collar Col W. L. kculrick.
3d Tennessee, CAM. y. JlJoncs lst Kentucky
Cavalry. and Lieutenant Il. y. Bradford. 81
Wcst Tennessee, were elected t. go out last.
aud from the window Col, X. could see the
fugjtivcs walk out OF tho gate at tho other
end OF the enclosure of the carriage house,
and leulcssly muvo Oh The Aperture
was 50 narrow but one man could get
through at a tmc, Each squad carried
with them provisions ia havorsayk At
midnight iaso alarm was created, and the
prisoners made considerable noise in get
ting to their quarters. provliCnUally how
ever the guard suspected nothing wrou-,
and in a few minutes the exodus again com
mcnced, Col. kcudrtck and his companions
looked with somo trepiddtion ON the move
mcnts of the tugluvcs, as Souc of thcm, CN-
crclsiny but little discretion, moved boldly
out ON the enclosure into the glare ol gas
light Many of them wcrr, however. i'm
citizens dress. and AZ all rcbol guards wore
| :. uniforms, but httlo suspicion could be
excited oven it the tuEtlycs had been ac-
Costed hv the guard. Between one and two
O'Clock the lamps were cNunguishcd in the
streets, and then the exit was moro safely
ACCOMPLISHED. Iherc were many officers
who dcsWcd to leave who wrro So wcal,
and feeble that they wcro dlR"wyl thruuyh
the tuuHcl Ivy main force. and ctTiud to
places ot safety, until such time as they
would hu able tO mnVc ou their journey.
Oace ont, all moved on In different dlrrc-
tiMns, each squad looking cat tor itsclI.
and choosing what It Thought the safest and
sNCciIost way 10 somo point ui the nation
at lines. Many wrro their tuNerugs ana
hardShlps, and frequent thor narrow cS-
capes from tnerchcl cavalry. who. the next
morning. were hushWhucNtuv m every dj-
rectjou for them, The Joy which they cN-
pcr,cnccd when they FIRST caught sight Of
or troops, sent ont to keep and protect