The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1864-02-24
THE ESCAPE FROM the LIBBY,
An Interesting Narrative. +,

4
The Washington Star, of the 18th inst,
contains lengthy and quite readable mar
ative, signed by number Of Federal Off
GERS who recently escaped from Libby
Prison, at Richmond, detailing the manner
in which they dug Gut, made their escape, &c.
"Over two months ago, the officers Con
fined in Libby Prison conceived the idea OF
effecting their own exchange, and after the
matter had been seriously discussed by some
seven or eight of them, they undertook to
dig tor distance toward sewer running
into the basin This they proposed doing
by commencing at a point in the cellar,
uear chimney. This cellar was immedi-
ately under the hospital, and was the re-
ceptacle for refused straw, thrown from the
beds when they We're changed, and for
other refused matter. Above the hospital
was room for officers, and above that, yet
another room The chimney ran through
all these rooms and the prisoners who were
in the secret, improvised rope, aud uight
after night let working parties down, who
successfully prosecuted their excavating
operations. - ...-.
The dirt was hid under the straw and
other refuse matter in the cellar, and it
was trampled down SO as not to present
too great bulk. When the working party
had got to considerable distance under
ground, it was found difficult to haul the
dirt back by hand, and q spittoon which
had been furnished the officers in one Of
the rooms, Was made to serve the purpose
of a cart. A string was attached to it, and
ir was run in the tunnel, and, as soon as
filled. was drawn out, and the dirt deposit
ed under the straw. But, after hard work,
and digging with finger nails, knives and
chisels, q number of feet, the working party
found themselves stopped by piles driven
in the ground. These were at least a foot
in diameter But they were not discour-
aged Penknives or any other articles that
would cut, were called for, and after chip.
ping, chipping, chipping, for long time,
the piles were severed, and the tunnelers
commenced again, an in few moments
reached the sewer.
But here an unexpected obstacle met
their further progress. The stencil from
the sewers and the flow of filthy water was
so great that ono party tainted, and was
dragged out more dead than alive, and the
project in that direction had to be aban-
doned. The failure was communicated to
a few Others besides those. who had first
thought OF escape, AID then party of
seventeen, alter viewing the premises and
surroundings, concluded to tunnel under
Carey street On the opposite of this
street, from the prison, was sort of car.
riage house or outhouse, and the project was
to dig under the street and emerge from
under or near the house There was a.
high fence around it, and the guard was
outside Of this fence. The prisoners then
commenced TO dig at the other side of the
chimney, and, after few bandsfull of dirt
had been removed, they found themselves
stopped by stone wall, which proved af
terward to be three feet thick. The party
were by no means daunted, and with pen
kives and pocket>knives, they commenced
operations upon the stone and mortar.
After nineteen days and nights hard
work they again struck the earth beyOnd
wall, and pushed their work forward
Here. too, latter they had got some dis
tance under ground) the friehdiy spit toon
was brought into requiSition, and the dirt
was hauled out in small quantities After
digging for some days the question arose
whether they had not reached the point
aimed at; and in order to, if possible, test
the matter, Captain Gallagher of the ID
Ohio Regiment, pretended that he bad q
BOX i'll the carriage house over the way,
and desired to search it out This carriage
house, it is proper to state, was used as q
receptacle for boxes aud goods sent to pris-
oners from the North. and their recipients
were often allowed TO go, under guard,
hn ~ N fIs.tr Marty
Capt. Galaher was granted permission to
90 there, and as be walked across, under
guard, he, as well as he could, paced off the
about fifty feet wide. .. a
On the 9th and 7th of February the
working party supposed they had gone q
sufficient distance, aud commenced to dig
upward. When near the surface they heard
the rebel guards talking above them, and
discovered they were some two or three
teet yet outside the fence. ~
The displacing Of stone made consid
erable noise, and one Of the sentinels called
to bis comrade and asked him what the
noise meant. The guards, after listening q
few minutes, concluded that nothing was
wrong, and returned to their beats. This
hole was stopped up by inserting into the
crevice pair Of old pantaloons filled with
straw, and by bolstering the whole:up with
boards, which they secured from the floors,
&c, of the prison, The tunnel was then
continued some six or seven feet more, and
when the working party supposed they
were about ready to emerge to daylight,
others in the prison were informed that
- taeFe-was way now open for escape
One hundred and nine ofiths prisoners de-
cided to make the attempt 70 get away
Others refused, fearing the consequences if
they we're -recaptnred;- and others yet,
lsmong whom was General Nesf Dow,)
declined to make the attempt, because, GA
they said,) they did not desire to have
their Government back down from its
enunieated policy OF exchange.