Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-02-22
How Our 0fncers Escaped from the
Libby Prison.

The special Washington dispatches TO the Gin
cinnsti Gazette contain The following particulars
of the escape of our officers from the Libby
Prison in Richmond:
Captain William Wallack, of the 5lst Indiana,
Originally from Peru. lndiana.) who escaped
from Libby Prison through the tunnel, arrived
to day. and was on the door of the House He
came nearly due North from Richmond till he
reached our lines. He says they began digging
the tunnel ON New Years Eve, and only finished
il the night before making their escape The
work was carefully concealed. even from the
bulk of their brother officers, for the reason that
rebel spies are believed TO be among them, CLOTH
ell i'm our uniform, and protesting TO be prisoners
from some of our regiments. The working party
were all sworn to the most solemn secrecy. They
began back of the stone in a room on the ground
floor where pile of ashes enabled them TO con
ceal their work From this they dug into the
chimney, and so down into the cellar. This cel-
lar was filled with old rubbish, and also contains
pile of straw. They begun their tunnel from
this cellar, digging through the whole night, re-
lieving one another by turns, and piling the dirt
taken from the tunnel in a corner Of the cellar,
from which they bad removed the rubbish. Ev-
ery night before closing their work they would
stamp this dirt down, TO make it occupy as small
a space possible, and then cover il over with
straw They would then black their boots and
remove every particle of clay from their clothes,
and after morning roll cali spend the day in sleep
ing, for the double purpose of gaining rest and
avoiding conversation with Others -. La. "a
Col. Rose Of Ohio acted as chief engineer in
managing the direction Of the tunnel. They con-
tiDued this way night after night, tll the evening
before making their escape, some negroe1Hbo
were in the prison waiting on prisoners, discov-
cred what they we're doing, but loyalty kept the
secret
:; ,h;. ,,,s :. ,,,,l.r n =, ad;aro,f sfroof
and finally came to the surface OF vacant lot,
so yards distant. At the point where they were
under the street tLey were only four feet below
the surface and nothing but the tenacity of the
soil prevented the tunnel from crnmbling. To-
ward the close they became alarmed at the pile
or dirt excavated, and in order TO make il occupy
as little space as possible. they only made the
tunnel large enough for a medium sized man to
crawl through ON his belly. When they came 10
attempt the passage several of the men stuck
fast, and it was with the utmost difficulty that
some of them managed TO work their wey
through. a4 $50 10 ts ss.
1t was owing to this delay that comparatively
so small number escaped. As il was. as many
got out as possibly could ill daylight came 10
check their operations. Many. however. started
without any provision, and being compelled 70
stop at houses for food, were discovered To
this and TO their weakness and long continued
prisations. the recapture Of so many Is attriou-
ted.
Colonel Streight is expected here tonight. end
Captain Walack leaves for his home IN Indiana, !
fz- That Gen. Mcclellan has bold npon the
,aonle which no amount OF contnmely and de-
srac,;op bv the Administration and its partsans
can disturb, is shown in the fact that, night be-
fore Ia a. In one of the most crowded and fash
iopsble places of amusement in this city, a com
plimentars allusion to the hero of Autietam
brought down the house with long continued
applause, aud produced for the actor Who uttered
il call before the curtain. Only a single hiss
vas heard hut the man who uttered IL speedily
snhs,ded under the ominous and universal thun-
ders Of aturn him outl"-T -Tohicago Times.