Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-02-19
Etc., Etc.. Etc.
FROM WASHINGTON,
Especial to the Cleveland LEADFR.l
WAsHNeToE, February l8,
EHE EsoAPEp L1BnT Pe1soxERs.

IhE EsOAPED LIBBY PRISONERS.
Twenty-seveu of the officers recently
escaped from Libby prison, have arrived
here.
In addition TO what has already been
furnished about thoir escape, the follow
iug particulars are condensed from their
statement. Seven or eight first under
took to dig towards the sewer employing
the basin. They arranged rope so as to
climb up and down chimneys from any Of
the stories in which they were confined TO
the cellar from which begad their tunnel.
Their working party had got considerable
distance under ground when it was
found difficult to haul the dirt back by
hand. spitoons which had been furnished
one of the rooms was made to serve this
purpose, had a string attached to it and
was run in the tunnel and drawn out
and deposited under the straw, but
after hard work and digging with finger
nails, knives and chisels number OF feet,
the working party found themselves stop
ped by piles driven in the ground at least
a foot in diameter. After ohoppiDg for 8
long time the piles were severed and a
tunnel commenced again and they reached
the sewer. Here unexpected obstacles met
them; stencil from sewers and foW of fl
thy water was so great that one Of the
party faintedand wss dragged out and the
project in that direction had to be aban-
doned. The failure was communicated to
few others. Then the party of seventeen
concluded to tunnel under Csstry street I;
on the opposite side Of this street from the
prison was a sort of carriage house or
outhouse, and the project was to dig under
the street and emerge under or near the
house. There was high fence around 1t
and the guard was outside this fence. The
prisoners then commenced to dig at the
other side Of the chimney, aRd after few
handfulls Of dirt had been removed they
found themselves stopped by a stone wall,
which proved afterwards to be three feet
thick. With pen knives they commenced
operations upon the stone and mortar
After nineteen nights of hard work they
again struck earth beyond the wall and
finished their work forward on the 9Th OF
7th of February. The working party sup.
posed they had gone sufficient distance
and commenced to dig upwards; when
near the surface they heard the rebel guard
talking above them and discovered thai
they were some two or three feet yet from
the outside Of the fence. The tunnel was
then continued some six or seven feet
more, and when the working party sup.
posed they were about ready to emerge tC
daylight, others in the prison were inform
ed. One hundred and nine prisoners deci-
ded to make the attempt TO get away
Others refused, fearing the consequences
if they were captured; and others yet
among whom was Gen. Neal Dow, declined
to make the attempt because, as they said
they did not desire to have their Govern
ment back down from its enuneisted poll.
cy of exchange. About half past o'clock
on the evening of the 9th, the prisoners
started, Col. Ross of New York, leading the
van. Before starting, they had divided
themselves into squads of twenty-three
and twenty-four; each squad was to take
a different route, and after they were out
were to push for Union lines as quick as
possible. 1t was the understanding that
the working party was to have an hours
start Of the other prisoners, and conse.
quently the rope ladder in the cellar was
drawn out. Before the expiration of an hour
however, the other prisoners became i'm
patient and were let down through the
chimney successfully into the cellar. Col.
W. P. Kendrick, of West Tennessee, Capt
D. J. Jones, 1st Kentucky Cavalry, and
Lieut.. R. Y. Bradford, I'd West Tennessee,
were detailed to go out last, and from the
windows Col. K. could see the fugitives
walk out Of the gate st the other end Of
the enclosure Of the carriage house and
fesrlessly move of. The aperture was SO
marrow that but one man could get through