The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1864-02-24
NEWS OF THE WEEK
TIE ESCAPE FROM RICHMOND.

The escaped Union Officers reached here
lis morning and 20 TO Washington this after
DON. The account Of their escape is full Of
hrilling interest, but for prudential reasons
,Any particulars are withheld from publication
& present.
They were 81 days making = tunnel. Hav-
ng managed to find access 70 the cellar, they
commenced work, relieving one another as op-
offered. Their instruments we're case
Knives, pocket knives, chisels and hles. Twice
hey had to abandon their work and commence
new, on account of the distractions which they |
could not pass. They had hoped to avail
themselves of g culvert but found il impracti. |
cable.
After getting through the wall, they dispos-
ed of the eIcavated soil by drawing il cut
in spittoOn, which they attached to cord.
This would be filed BY the party at work in the
tunnel and pulled out into the cellar by their
who disposed Of it by spreading in
shallow LAYERS over the floor, concealing it be-
meath the straw.
The work was necessarily very slow. So close
was the atmosphere in the tunnel, that they
could remain in it bat few minutes st . time,
aud their candles would 60 out At one time
they got 80 near the bend Of the street that
small hole, about the size Of stove pipe, broke
through, but fortunately this was not discovered
By the guard, and was of great service, admitting
air and enabling them to prosecute their work
more rapidly. The tunnel, when completed,
was about sixty feet long, and opened into an
cid tobacco shed, beyond the line of guards.
As soon as they found their way clear they
emerged slowly, in single squads OF two or three,
and sauntered off until they got clear OF the
guards, making their way towards the Williams
burg road BY the shortest routes. The dark
ness favored them, and the fact that the
rebel soldiers whom they met were habted in
the army coats of Uncle Sam, which they had
stolen from the supplies sent to our prisoners by
our government, was of great help to them.
Although they were attired in our army over
coats, and many Of them had their haversacks,
they found the national uniform a better ds-
guse than if they had been provided with gen.
une rebel uniforms.
IL order to elude the pursuers whom they
knew would soon be on their track, they scat
tered as much as possible. Many were theiI
bardshiDs and suffsriDgs and frequent their mar
row escapes from the rebel cavalry, who tho
next morning were bushwhacking in every dircc
ton for them.
The JOY which they experienced when the,
FIRST caught sight of our troops, sent out to NEE
them and protect them from our pursuers, can
not be expressed. To the officers and men o
the 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry, whom they frs
met, they express the most profound grAtitud,
for their unbounded kindness, and also bear ties
timony to the gasntry with which these gAllan
fellows pursued the rebel cavalry, and rescued
many of the way worn fugtives who otherwis'
would have been recaptured.
There is reason to hope that many more vii
yet come in safe.
The undersigned escaped Offices held meet
ing here to-day, and passed a vote Of thanks &
Gen. Butler and other officers and men, Wit
had assisted them in completing their escape
from Libby Prison, and the lines of pickets, an'
for many acts of kindness, &c: Col. WIN. b
incorrectly, list OIicuIsan Ist~...y, L-s~-.- Osl
Geo. G. Davis, 4th Maine Volunteers; Lieut.
Col. I. g. West, oath Wisconsin Volunteers
Lieut.. Col. H. C. Hobert, 2lst Wisconsin Volun
teers; Capt. s. c. Hoz, 4th Wisconsin Cavalry
Capt T. C. Clark, 18th Illinois Infantry; Is
Lieut.. Albert Walker, 26th Wisconsin; Lieut.
Col. James NJ. Wells, sth Michigan Cavalry.
Advices from China via San Francisco, repor
that on the I'd of January the Alabama went 10
to dock at Annoy, China, where, at last account
two Federal gunbOats we're standing sentry ove
her. As John Chinaman is not known to be &c
riously afflicted with the views of neutrality
which obtain with John Bull, the probabiitie.
are that the Alabama will not escape from bel
present quarters.
The Albion petroleum has been analysed il
Detroit, and is pronounced superior to thai
brought from Pennsylvania
The city of Washington brings intelligence
that the SchlesEig Holstein difficulty has at las
eliminated 10 open hostilites An engagement
of six hours duration occurred on the ID il
which the German forces are reported as having
been finally repulsed.
An attack on the whole Danish line from
Missule to Asel is expected to take place TO-
day.
Dispatches from Chattanooga, Feb. le, say
that Nashville and Knoxville are connected by
railroad, with the exception of ZOO yards at
Loudon, and passenger trains are running. The
bridge at Loudon will be finished before a week.
Dispatches from Florida, say that our troops
under Gen. Seymour had penetrated beyond
jacksonville, and surprised and captured a bat
terry. The account says the enemy abandon
ed ard sunk the steamer st. Mays, and burned
27O bales of cotton few miles above Jackson
vile. We have taken, without the loss of q
man, about loo prisoners, pieces of artillery,
IN serviceable condition and well supplied with
ammunition, and other valuable property to
large AMOUNT.
Washington, Feb. Is.
There will be no change in the command of
the Army Of the Potomac. It is understood
that Meade will retain the position for the next
campaign.
FROM IDAHO TERRITORY.
Capt Fisk, of the Northern land expedition.
has arrived a. New York from Idaho, en- route
to Washington. The reports that this band
we're killed BY Indians is untrue, as all returned
safely. Captain Fiske reports $4,000, 900 in