The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-02-26
THE ESCAPED UNION OFFICERS
account d tho Capture and Flight Of Colonel
Strsight from the Libby Prison. 49,
THE WIECBEsTER PRISONERS.
A>>oo~>rS>r.o,~~~o>~~-,~>~.-
INTERVIEW WITH GENERAL BUTLER.
s- - (. ~>>~1>~~~~~>~~>>oo>>~-~o> Fslna
aEHERAl MORGAN 81 RICHMOND.
ln7lREsrlna PRISON NARRATIVE.
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"A, Mr., L. A. Hsnariek's Dsspateh.
a.as FoayRns AoRRos, rob- a, 1864
sx more q IL officers lscenty escaping from Libby
IptispH arrived here today ON the steamer from York
town.. log, weary and perilous pilgrimage has been
thsrs Twelve days and nights q watching and anxiety
q cold end hunger, Of peril and harbreadsh escapes,
q threading hckets and arshes streams and
shslterlss sleeping the ground Of acsratsd feet and
fosbten hands. Of alternating hope and despair have
besa their varied and bitter experiences But Il was lib.
srty they sought, and ihey have gained u. Bravery and
energy and and the kindly and polar
star and negro guides brought them safe within ournes
and they merit al they have von-resdom friends and
the protecting folds Or the Stars and Htrpes and long
nay they enjoy them.
The following are she names Of the newly arrived
onicess:-
Colonel streiaht.
Colonel Charles W. Tildeu, sixteenth Maine.
MAJOR J. II. Hooper, Fifteenth Massachusetts,.
Captain b :. Fisher, Chief OF signal corps, Army Of
Captain II. B. Chamberlain, Ninety seventh New York
Lieutenant Randolph, Firth United States artillery
The above list makes ffty two the ono hundred and
nineoicers who escaped from Libby prison that have
thus far reported themselves Fortress Monroe I'M.
mcdiately on their arrival they were conducted
10 the headquarters OF Major General Butler.
A cordial welcome and pleasing Interview await
ed them here. Like their escaping comrades arriving
before them, but 10 whom fortune had been sml-
ing however, each bore testimony the efficiency Of
the advance cavalry sent TO aid their escaping and like
their comrades they also bore testimony universal
approval among the officers imprisoned in Richmond OF
Gen. Buffers appointment as Commissioner OF FIX
change, and tho unanimous hope that. our govern
ment would FEVER, by any acts or thrents
cries Of outlawry OF the rebel government, yield
the position II had taken in this matter; for, firm
this pont they trusted 10 General Buffers rmncss
accomplish the Colonel Streight was particularly
enthusiastic on this point and his language descriptive
his OF the Davis Re
and in de rccaon OF any who would suggest
entertain the emotest idea suggesting the yielding OF
single j0t OF title the rebel government, had tough
Of ringing reality that showed he meant be
understood and not careful the words used
az he journeys Northward and westward he
win find others who will understand him and
agree with him. lie has tasted the bitterness or
captivity and the dark and solitary cell and bread and
rations and tongue held In compulsory check no
tastes the Joys II liberty and the healthy
air and plenty TO eat and Ooundlcss freedom Of anathems
page Of the HERALD could be filed with the reci,as
q these newly arrived officers In writing Of what
their stores Of ysison suerDgs escapes
have become thrice told tale" ana. although M
political speeches, rsIctitoEs may do, they will not Do
in inc columns OF newspaper: With Colonel strsisht
sidcrably upon him. bns no! 90 much q prepared
10 expect. strong constitution has bern his blessing
vii saceumo 10 nothing, asros rsssiessssss q eye aud
nervous energy OF speech atessing resolution and
The premature announcement q his arrival At Williams.
,urg il seems from the mistake or Of
giving the Information reported him OF the 0f
hose reaching lines In alluding 70 the subject
Butler and asking why the error had not been
corrected the General he says, told him he knew that
having got ~ prison. he safe. and by not making
he correction he would save the trouble Of a counter
correction which proved 10 be the fact As is he
pliments the General for his Judgment but wishes the
original story been correct thereby he could
saved himself the labor and pangs OF hunger and
delay additional 70 those coming In nrst lie has suffered
,ho In tia frat 10 nd
bis protracted wakinga species Of exercise
which he has never been accustomed, particularly in
such large doses. He 10 now wearing pair Of cloth
CATERS furnished him by officer in tho fortress,
promises DO bis legs again and ready TO take
tue ned against his rebel captos In getting through
tho tunnel the Colonel had to back out after getting
bali way through. lie then took on his coat and vest,
and, tying them to hts logs, be managed 10 get through
The OF tho capture Of Colonel stegn
his command IA May last, near Rome, Ca, through his
compulsory surrender, after being surrounded by
turned over 70 the State, AUTHORITIES on charge
Of melting scrviic nsurrec,on, and his confinement
two weeks in q Georgia prison. and danger o. hcmrcn
strangpaton onshs charge tho hna refusal of Georgia
10 accept him State prisoner his transfer 70 The
robe! military authorities and subsequent incarceration
Libby prison. are facts too well known 10 the public
require more then RAISING notice here. lie and the
officers OF his Communications hundred altogether
put in what Is called he upper west room OF the
prison. Then tho prison not running over
with its present. number OF inmates. our
officers captured At Chancelorsvnle were the
only other prisoners. to which were shortly
added tnoso of General lroys command taken at Win.
chester. Plenty or room was afforded them. They
cupicd the whole or the upper west room az secniug
room aud cooked and ate in tle room underneath AZ
the prisoners poured In from Gettysburg aud the battle
fields the west they were restricted roonl aud
the numbers 10 the rooms augmented I'LL crowded to
their present inhuman and wholesome excess A. tho
Outset they had good white bread almost regularly and
SAVIOR AZ the summer months grew IN and
tho plethora OF prisoners increased, tho ratuns
dc ;orioa.ed N ~, Quantity and quality tlli finally
pound meat comprised daily ration ncensed AZ ths
Inauguration Of nhumaniy he wrote letter ~ the rebel
secretary Of War complauing OF the falling Oh In raons,
the issue Of vegetables aud confinement
10 rooms, with no outdoor Nothing came
Of this, however, cxeeptas he designated tia nc Of
row" among some Of the officers against others,
mics OF his, who had signed ccrtilc tie drawn up BY
the prison commssary, that their ratoos abundant
and nearly as varied as bill Of fare at FIRST class bocl
The row became general exciting that these officers
subsequently werc glad 70 way with tn certificate
beIoI II reached second time the commissarys no, des
The raiiens no says, never have been hall those gwen
their soldiers and thus, with short ratons aud
nncmen under roof heated by the rays Of scorchng
sun, they passed tho summer months. 10 was not til
september that boxes received from the North In
this connection Colonel streight mentioned Mr. huxley
OF the Nsw York HERAp, and Messrs. Richardson and
Brown, OF mo New York rrib,,e who were then con.
fined in the same room with him, and Who he says pus
up with Tho hsrdshils aud privat'ons imposed upon
hundred and ten feet long by orsy two WIDE and ous
hundred and nfy tho average number Of inmates Alto
rebel authorities, viewed In the light OF their
treatment Of prisoners, which no charactrzes gross
ly nhumnn, unwarko and unchristian. Ncn, he SAYS,
have died or starvation, and hundreds mvre be sa,d
would have died had not been for boxes received
the North. But he showed much lower opinion OF Tho
rebels possible, 10 king Of the attempted escape
IN December last Of Captain Reed and himself from
prison the fac,s o. which been published
The toss ono hundred dollars in areenbacks aud two
watcbcs no makes Of account compared with Tue base
rcacbery and plan 70 rob them rho result Of tins co
secure mis- freedom cost him twenty days solitary
hnenens 10 CELL nssecn Of wbchhe lived bread and
water. Touching Gen Morgans visit 70 the pslson aud
the conversation between them cont esses 10 NOS having
been very greatly impressed with the distinguished yis
tor the tune and spoke hs opinions pretty frcsly 70
him lilo gt es up to tho rebcl general now however on
the SUBJECT OF bibng ability; for he ia certain IL was
only by brbng tue hitter made safo his exodus from mo
pepne.tary. t"therc was this duierence,D he said,
abe sen General Morgan aud myself 10 had whiso
souled YMsss 70 deal with, and had black hearted
robela