The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1864-01-28

last a thousand years. I prey God to |
spare me life and limb to fight Rebels. |
wish to do nothing else until the last
one is cxterminotcd. Yet trust for the |
good of the country that IL will no, be
long until we again have peace. The
Contederacy is sinking slowly but sure
k. Their currency Is so deprecated
now that il is only worth four cents on
the dollar in the city Of Richmond. IL
was selling on the street few days be-
fore | let - for one tha, is they were
giving - Confederate dollars for one
greenback, The Government authori-
ties are now, and have been for months.
paying seven aud eight. The majority
OF the South would gladly return TO the
Union IL il was in their power to do so.
But J think have said enough about
tho treatment of the prisoners at Rich.
mond, aud will II W give you a full aud
detailed account OF the manner IN which
l made my cscape, aud my route To the
Union lines. From the day that enter
ed the Libby Prison until | succeeded in
getting away, did watch my opportunity.
] soon became satisfied that to get cut of
any ofthe upper rooms was an impossible
ity, and the only room that there was any
prospect Of getting out OF was the hospi-
tai room In the east end of the building,
which is Us low as the street on the north
side, but the second floor on the south
side. Well, had to get into this hospi-
tai before could hope to escape consc-
qucptly was taken suddenly very sick,
OF course | was carried to the hospital.
where all sick men are taken, kept my
bed three or four days; was visited by
the surgeon Ga mullct.headed fellow, that
didn't know bcans,) regularly every day.
He left me large doses OF medicine. which
found did me great deal of good in my
vest pocket Alter several days of fcign-
ed sickness, sat to work to fad com.
panion to 90 with me, and, as fortune fa-
vored me, found the man, Lieut.. Skcl-
ton, of the 18th Iowa Regiment, who had
long had the same opinion that had,
that he would get away from there il pos
siblc. We soon commenced our arrange.
ments, and worked very slowly, and
everything being ready on the llth OF
this month, we resolved 10 make the at
tempt. Du.ing the day we went down
into the basement story, which is used as
a cook room for the hospital, aud cut a
small door open in the south-east corner
of the room. This we opened with a
large beef ceavcr, by drawing the spikes
and nails and cutting off the cross.bars'
AS we had to work very cautiously aud
silently, ii took Us some time 10 do this,
but il was accomplished ere dark. The
hour Of 10 o'clock was the hour we set to
make the break. We prepared crackers
aud dried beef, enough to last us through
aud then dressed ourselves in citizens
clothes (Which we had received from
home), aud then everything was ready.
We watched the sentinels very closely
they all turned and walked to the west
aud at that moment we opened the door
and Iike lightning we crossed the guard
/ line, and when the guards faced about we
were walking coolly aud briskly down
the street. We kept down Canal stree,
some two squares, aud then turned ~
Main street. We then thought that the
bold,st step was the fastest, Sc we wen'
through the city on Main street, then
through Rockets, little town adjoining
Richmond on the east. After passing
through Rockets we came to the VIII.
liumsl urg road.
This we kept for about nile, wher
we came in sight of their batteries ant
forts, and we knew that pickets were on
the road, so to Dvoid the batteries nnt
p:ckets we took by-Jath leading off u
the right and down into a deep ravine
and in this we passed between their forts
out into the country. The night was
dark, and consequently il was very diff
cult travelling. We made about seven
miles that night, aud came 10 the VIII.
l,amsburg roud just at daybreuk. We fil'
ed into u thick clump of cedar bushes and
very hard, and it was chilling cold ; bui
zoe ioere FREE what cared we for cold
rains when we were breathing the air o
freedom All day Saturday we remain
ed in the bushes. The Rebel drums WI
! could plainly hear on all sides Of US, gun,
firing, and soldiers were passing and re-
passing, and at one time five Rebs pass
ed SO near us that thought we should
surely be discovered, but they did not see
US, and We, Of course, did not hail them.
We had been surmisng oil day about
our whereabout, but could not find ouI
our exact locality, so we concluded to
hail the first darkey that passed. We
watched che road closely, aud about sun
down heard Il wagon coming. Lieut.
Skellon said he would go out and stop !,
il it was driven by negro. He crawlet
close to the roadside und awaited thl
coming Of the wagon, when lie jumpe,
out and told the negro driver to halt.
The boy stopped his team, and on
comes white man 10 know whit h,
wants. He instantly saw our danger
aud being ready for any emergency
cried out: "Say, Mister, l have lost
black boy, aud have tracked him out int
this Deigbborhood, but here / lost him.
Have you heard or seen anything Of I
boy about 40 years old, Eve feet FIVE, ant
very blackl My name is Galloway, ant
il yen hear anything of my boy, you will
~ me great kindness by having hin
put into irons. Good day, Sir" Tn,
man promised to do his best, and be-
lieYing every word, drove on. just a
dark we again set forward on the VII
lamsburg road leading to Bottoms
Bridge, over the ChickahomiDy RIVER
Ihtre ls tOrce oil ABOUT 4Oo men NJ the
bridge. We Travelled some three miles
and tearing we would run into their
pickets IL we went further, we turned in
TO the woods sgain. II had been raining
some time, aud consequently was as dark
as Egypt in the woods. We could not
60 any further, so laid down for the night
again. We could not sleep, for we were
by this time as wet as II we had been in
the river. Day at last dawned, and ere
II was quite light we were on our way.
We had only ieft Richmond some ten
miles behind US up to Sunday morning.
We now, by the aid Of a small pocket
compass, laid our course directly north,
and kept il for several hours. We then
turned directly cast, toward the Chicka'
hominy River, and soon found ourselves
I - a A sL.s