Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-02-20
Escape OF Union Umcers- from Rloh-
mOnd--FuiIer Particulars
WAsulNGroN, Feb. ls. 1864.

WASHINGTON, Feb. lS, 1864.
Twenty y-seven Of the officers who re-
Gently escaped from Libby prison, have
arrived here. Iu addition to what has al
ready been forwarded about their escape,
the following particulars are condensed
from their statement: r-.F .ft
Seven or eight of them undertook TO dig
| towards the sewer emptying into the ba.
| Sin. They arranged a rope SO as to climb
up and down the chimney from any of the
| stories in which they were confined to the
cellar, from which they began their tun.
mel. When the working party had got a
considerable distance under ground it was
found difficult to haul the dirt back by
hand, spittoon which had been furnished
the officers in one of the rooms, was made
to serve the purpose of u cart; they had a
string attached to it, and it was run in the
tunnel aud drawn oHt, and the dirt demos.
tied under straw. But after bard work
and digging with their iuger nails, knives
! add chisels a number of feet, the working
l party found thcnsf!lEes Stopped by .piie8
| driven in the ground AZ least u fooLrin tli.
atneter. After chipping long time, the
| piles were severed, aud the tunnelers COM
menced again, and reached the sewer
Here unexpected tasks met them. The
stencil from the sewer and the flow of
| filthy water were SO great that one of the
party tainted and was dragged out and the
project in that direction had to be aban-
doned. Tho failure was communicated to
a few others, and then the party OF seven
teen men concluded TO tunnel under Uarty
street. On the opposite side of this street,
from the prison, was a sort of carriage
house or outhouse, aud the project was TO
dig under the street uud emerge under or
near the house. There was high fence
around it, aud guard was outside of this
fence, The prisoners then commenced to
dig 1.-THE other side of the chimney, and
after few haHdfnlls of dirt had been re.
moved, they found themselves stopped by
a stone wall, which proved afterward 10
be three feet thick. With pen. knives they
commenced operation upon the stone and
mortar. After nineteen nights hard work,
they again struck the earth beyond the
wall, and pushed their work forward On
the 7th of Feb. the working parry sup
posed they had gone a sufficient distance
aud commenced to dig upwards. When
| near the surface, they heard rebel guards
talking above them and discovered they
were some two or three feet yet outside
the fence. The tunnel was then continued
| some six OF seven feet more, and when the
working party supposed they were about
ready to emerge to daylight, others in
prison were informed. One hundred and
nine prisoners decided to make an attempt
to get away, others refused, fearing COO
sequences if they were re captured, and
Others yet, amOng whom were Gen Neal
Dow. declined to make the attempt, be-
cause they said they did not desire to have
their government back down from it's
enunctated policy Of exchange. About
hall past eight o'clock on the evening OF
| the 9th inst, prisoners started out, Col.
Rose of New York leading the vac; before
starting they divided themselves in squads
of two, three and four, each squad was to
take different routes, aud after they were
out were to push for the Union Ilnes as
fast as possible. 1t was the understanding
that the working party was to have an hour
start OF tine other prisoners, aud couse-
quently the rope ladder in the cellar was
drawn out. Before the expiration of the
hour, however, the other prisoners became
impatient, and were let down through the
chimney successfully into the cellar. Col.
| w. +. kendrick. of West Tennessee Cant
D. J. Jones, OF the lst Kentucky cavalry.
and Lieut.. R.,Y. Bradford, of the 2l West
Tennessee, were detailed to go out last.
and from the window Col. Kendrick could
see the fugitives walk off out of the gate
at the other end Of the enclosure of the
carriage house and feariessIy move Off
The aperture was SO narrow that but one
mau could get through at time, and each
squad carried with them provisions in
haVersaCk. At midnight false ALARM was
created and the prisoners made Is consid.
erable noise 10 getting to their respective
quarters. Providenlinily, however, the
guard inspected nothing wrong, ard in
few moments exodus again commeucei.-
Colonel Kendriok and his companions look.
wi fNa
OF the fugitiYes, as some of them exercis-
ing but little discretion, moved boldly out
OF theenGlosure into the glareiof the gasIight
Many of them were, however, in citizens
dress, and as all the rebel guards wear thc
United States uniforms but little susDi.
cion could be excited even if the fugitives
had been accOsted by the guard. Between
one and two o'clock the lumps were cx-
'tinguisbed in the streets, aud their exit
was more safely Accomplished. There
were many officers who desired to leave.
who we're SO weak ands feeble that they
were dragged through the tunnel by main
force, and carried to place of safety, until
such time as they would be able 10 move
on their journey. Ones out they all moved
off in different directions, each squad look.
iug out for itself and choosing what il
thought the safest and speediest Way to
some point in the national hues.i
The officers have signed the following
tribute 70 Butler and others. The names
attached are all of western men now here;
3 The undersigned officers of the United
States army, and recently prisoners Of
war, desire TO express heir deep gratitude
to Major, General Butlerl Brig Gen. wis.
tar, Col. West, of the lst Pennsylvania ar
tillery, and the galIapL officers aud men Of
the 1lth Pennsylvania cavalry, and lst
New York mounted rifles, for their tFcctive
assistancs,in completing our escape from
therebel Libby aprison; AT sRichnond and
the lines of pickets and blood bounds Of
the rebel army, and also for mauy acts of
k ndnesa SO gracefully rendered in our pres.
ent time ofneed. We desire also, common