Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1864-02-24
The way the Union Ofheers Dug
Out of Libby Prison.

Captain William Wallack, of 5lst Indi.
ana, originally from Peru, Indiana, es-
capped from Libby Prison through the
Tunnel, arrived at Washington city, on
February 18th. He came nearly due
north from Richmond till be reached our
lines. He says he began digging the tun-
mel on New Years Eve, and only finished
it the night before making their escape.
The work was carefully concealed, even
! from the larger part of their brother Off
GERS, for season, that the rebel spies, who
are believed TO be among them, should not
become cognizant of their working. The
laboring party were all sworn to the most
solemn secrecy. They began back of the
stove in the room on the ground floor.
where q pile of ashes enabled them to
conceal their work From this they dug
into the chimney and thence into the cell
lar. This cellar was filed with rubbish
and straw. They began their tunnel from
this cellar, digging through the whole
piling the dirt taken from the tunnel in
corner of the cellar, from which had been
removed the rubbish. Every night, before
closing their work, they would stamp the
dirt down, to make it occupy as small
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with straw. They would then carefully
black their boots and remove every parti-
Gle of clay from their clothing, and after
morning roll call spend the day in sleep
ing, for the double purpose of gaining
needed rest and avoiding conversation |
with others.
Col. Rose, of Ohio, acted as chief En-
gineer in managing the direction of the
tunnel. They continued in this way night |
after night till the evening before making
their escape. Some negroes who were in |
prison waiting upon the prisoners discov-
cred what they were doing but Loyalty |
kept the secret. They dug in this way
under an adjacent street and finally came
10 the surface in an adjacent lot, so yards
distant from the point where they went !
under the street. They were only about
four feel below the surface and nothing
but the tenacity of the soil prevented the
tunnel from crumbling.
Towards the close they became alarmed
about the pile OF dirt they had evacuated
and in order to make it occupy as little
space as possible they only made the tun-
mel large enough for medium sized man
TO crawl through on his belly. When
they came to attempt the passage several
0f the men stuck fast and it was with the
almost difficulty that some of them man.
aged to work their way through. Owing
% this delay comparatively small num-
Der escaped, for daylight soon came to
check their operations.
Many started without any provisions
md being compelled to stop at houses
.long the road, for food, were discovered.
70 this and their weakness from long con. ]
inued priVations, recapture of 50 M any
5 attributed.
Colonel Straight is expected here TO-
hight. Captain Wallsck leaves for his {
lone in Indiana. c
Escaped prisoners confirm previous {
tatements as to scarcity of provisions in
richmond. They say that during the
ime the rebels distributed the contents 8
# the boxes from the North, their yery !
yards wonld beg provisions of them, and :
hat of late half starved boys from the
treets of Richmond, used to gather about E
heir windows to scramble for the crumbs
rom their corn bread they thrust out of !
hem.