Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1864-01-19
ESCAPE OF CAPT. r. HENRY HINES
AN INTERESTING ACCOUNT.

cavalry, attached to Major General ohm I'll. Mo
gam command, and one of the six compauio
who followed him in his bold and adventure
escape from the Ohio penitentiary, but who W
cut off from the General, and sacrificed his fre
dom thereby to secure the escape of his gala
leader, reached Richmondson Tuesday, 18th inst
andigreeted his commander and staff at the Ba
lard House.
In conversation with Captain Hines, who
young gentleman CT eultuFe, modest manner
| and about twenty years Of age, we gathered frol
him the facts embodied in the following highl
| interesting narrative of his own personal exper
ence subsequent to his separation from Gener,
Morgan, his escape, and the re capture of hin
self. Tue event which changed their fortune
into widely diverging lines--.now happil
brought to the same pleasant centre occurred
on the south eide Of the Tennessee river, at Bra
dy ferry, about twenty miles from Athens, Geor
| gia After crossing the river, Captain III inc
was directed by General Morgan to procure
guide, if possible, the country before being un
| known to both of them. Captain Hines rode III
to small house, abeuy one hundred yards dis
! tant from where the General awaited his return
procured guide, and was on his way back wher
he heard heavy cavalry tramp coming in hi:
rear. !. ue tnrned his horse, and they cam up
From the irregularty Of their dress, fthey being
without the regulation uniform], Captain Hines
first nistook them for Confederate scouts
/
was too late to trust for safety to the speed of
his horse, he discovered his errOur. Though
genuine ssblue -tellied'' Federals, Captain Hines
saw that they too were in errour, and took him
for Federal. Seeing his own escape impossi-
BILE, Captain Hines thought only Of the General
and how best to proceed in order the better to
facilitate his escape from the pack fhyenss who
were SO close upon his trail He made pretty
familiar on SO short acquaintance, and riding
up to the officer, add ressed him /; told him the
ssREBELs' had just gone down the road, pointing
in an oppoaite way to tlat bis Gen. had taken
and requesting the officer of the command to
ssfollow him. dashed off, declaring they would
catch them. BY this RUsE he drew them off up
wards of q half a mile before his captorssdiscov-
cred, or rather suspected, that he was Oonfed-
crate. This delay In the pursuit gave General
Morgan time to ascend the mountain, at the foot
ofwhich he was standing when Capt. Hines was
pounced upon. The Federals, after ASCERTAIN
ing to their satisfaction that their. guide was a
Confederate, threatened him with death for haF-
ing drawn them of the trail of General Morgan,
as they had learned from Union citizens that
he was one of the party. He was dismoun-
ted, and placed under strong guard, and rob-
bed of all his private property = Watch, Money,
etc.-and sent, still under a needlessly strong
guard, back to the Tennessee river, to the Fed
eral camp, the main body of cavalry going on
like mad hounds in pursuit of the ssGreat Ban
dit' andss Weasel of the West.'' Captain Hines
was kept under guard at the camp until the next
evening lDecemoer l4th,) suffering great an xie
ty of mind on account Of the General, until the
pursuing party OF enEaged Federals retu rned and
reported that they s'be hanged if he hadn't esca-
ped, or slipped tito hols" Great was the
mental reiiet and satisfaction this information
brought Captain Hines; but he did not allow
words to hetray his feelings. He was brought
up, and underwent rigid examination before
Captain Taylor, the officer in command of the
NJ.
suspected that he was Confederate officer and
an escaped prisoner Awaiting himself Of their
own presumption, Captain Hines confessed that
he was private in the Second Kentucky cayal-
ry, and had been separated from his command
in Kentucky, on the raid into Ohio. The willy
Captain still farther deceived tt1em Dy assuming
the name Of 1T. Bullet, familiar Kentucky
name.
The examination seemed to satisfy Captain
Taylor and he invited Captain Hines to take
tea with him, at the house of q Union man, more
than quarter of mile distant from the camp
After supper, about o clock, when it was quite
dark, Captain Taylor proposed that they should
return to camp. After getting some twenty steps
from the residence, Captain Taylor remarked
that he had forgotten his shawl, and would step
back and get it. He started back, leaving Cap
tain Hines standing in the dark, awaiting his re-
turn. Captain Hines says he struggled for some
time with his better feelings to get their consent
to attempt an escape. Every circumstance ia
vored it. He was alone; had not yet been pla-
ced upon his parole of honor not to attempt his
his liberty. 1t was, perhaps, now or never with
him. A dungeon aud chains might be his lot
on tomorrow. But then, the Captain says, from
Captain Taylor'S kindness to him, he felt him
self somewhat in honor bound not to attempt the
escape, but to return to camp prisoner with
him, which he did.
Captain Hines was kept prisoner at the ene-
my's cam until the next morning, Dec. goth, ]
when he was sent, still under strict guard, tG
Kingston, thirty miles distant. The Journey
was made on horseback, and the guard consisted
OF a Lieutenant and ten men, armed with rcyol
Vers, carbines, and sabres.
AT Kingston, Captain Hines was confined in q
small Jail, without fire, and almost without food
His ration consisted Of one army cracker per day
with minute bit of very fat pork, and cold wa
ter. Here, however, he found companionshlp II
three others of the party who accompanied the
General through Kentucky priyates Robert ano
William Church (brothersI Iand - Smith, O.
the Third Kentucky cavalry. The prisoners, un
der the leadership of Captain Hines, had laid
their plans to Overpower, and, If necessary,
| kill the prison guard on the night of the 2Ott
| of December but on the morning of that day
| they were all sent forward under guard, nlnteeI
| miles, to Loudon, On the Tennessee river, walk
! ing all the distance. At Loudon they were plac
ed under guard in the centre of the camp of th'
Third Kentucky infantry, commanded by Col.
| Onei Dunlap. AROUND the camp, IN every vi
| rection, for three quarters Of mile, timber bat
| been felled, But one open path led from th
camp, and that was strongly guarded, with th
| object, Captain Hines supposed, of keeping th
| few renegade Kentackians in the regiment from
running away, and, at the same time, to preven
the escape Of prisoners. In the centre Of th
camp, in small house, twelve feet by fourteen
Captain Hines and his two companions wer
confined. Two men were constantly o
guard inside, and in front of the door, the only
way OF egress, ten others were posted at nigh
with loaded muskets.
| Having determined il his own mind to attemp
| his owncscape, Captain Hines disclosed his piar
| to his fellow-prisoners and they agreed to joi
and second him in anything he would suggest
| That night {December--)Was fixed upon to max
the attempt. All retired early, but none slept
| only slumbeped like cats, and with &C one eye q
pen." AT moon down, between and o'cloc
| in the morning, Captain Hines arose, dresse
timsef, and under the pretence of suffering fror
the cold, approached the fire. his companions fo
lowing the example of their leader, and all talk
ing freely with the guard.
We will relate the finale in Captain Hines ow
words, as related to us: ssGe.ting position nea
the door, LAID my hand unobserved, upon th
latch, and lifted it without creak, at the sam
time keeping up conversation with, and an ey
OF, the guard. All ready, l turned to my con
panions and remarked, in as cool manner
possible, knowing the bold course was the bes
sYou, gentlemen, have remained here safficien
ly long, All bowed to the guard, and bid the
sgood morning. and throwing wide the door,
Aod ipfO fha1 do J, 4