Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1865-07-21
DESPERATE ESCAPE.

In prison. the inmates think and talk
of little beside escape.
To them. freedom is everything; allelse
nothing.
By day and night they revolve one plan
and another in their mind; hope and de-
spOnd; try and are frustrated; attempt and
are punished Yet they return to their
favorite idea, and endeavor and re-endeav-
/ or. though failure ever follows. Dungeons
and bay0nets have little restraining in
| fuenee
Few men who viii not brave the posi-
bilities of death, when freedom beckons,
and they are encircled by the horrors of
rebel prison.
How well l remember the numerous
trials and failures of my confrere and my
self to escapel It seemed as if we never
could get out. Our genius, we thought,
did not lie in that direction. Our plans
were elaborate, and so were our prepara-
tions We speculated constantly on what
we might do; talked of the feasible in our
blanket far into the night, amid the pulls
ings of the stars and the ravages of in
sects.
While we theorized grandly, some dull
fellow, with only one idea, but that in the
right direction, got out, and brought US,
with our fine reasoning and subtle calcu-
lations, to overwhelming shame.
Was the fault with us, or with the
gods?
1t matters not now, for at last the gods
were kind.
While at Castle Thunder, we were
taught what enterprise and nerve wall ac-
cemplish.
Three prisoners on capital charges were
in the condemned cell, heavily ironed.-
They were desperate fellows, no doubt,
and endured their situations very cheer
| fully-laughing, singing, and bowling IN
! the most uproarious style.
Their gayety seemed to increase daily;
| for they soon began dancing in their
chains, and dropping their iron balls on
the floor as if sporting with their misfor-
tunes.
This latter entertainment they kept up
so regularly, began to suspect there was
meaning IN it, and that it covered de-
sign.
+ Nor was I mistaken, as the sequel prov
A Atbor1t two 0 Z o Z clock we heard row and
rush below; the discharge of several
muskete, and the general indications of a
disturbance. We could learn nothing
then; but after breakfast,-the eating of
piece of cOrn-bread, the throwing away
swallowing of cup of water, was SO de-
nominated in the Castle,-we were ap-
prised of the adventure of the turbulent
trio.
It appears they had made all the noise
to drown the saving through of the floor
which was over store-room; and at an
hour of the night or morning when the
sentinels were apt to be careless, they
took up part of the boards, and slowly
and silently slipped into the under apart
ment, having let themselves down by
strips of blanket they had torn up for
that purpose. o
The enterprising scoundrels then quiet
| ly forced open window into passage
| leading to the street door of the prison;
and in the shadow of that quarter seized
three muskets placed against the walls on
the racks. They then rushed upon the
guard nearest them, and struck him with
the but of the piece, knocking him sense
less over an iron railing that ran across
the passage.
The outer sentinel saw this movement,
and prepared for it, bringing his gun to
the position of charge. He had mistak-
en- his men, if he supposed that would
stop them. They dashed upon him, and
he was just on the point Of firing, when
the nearest prisoner discharged the con-
tents of his musket into the breast of the
guard. literally tearing his breast to pieces,
and of course killing him instantly.
They ran into the street, past the outer
sentinels, who were too much surprised
to act and who forgot to use their mus
kets until too late. The fugitiVes were
nearly to Seventeenth street, when the
rebels gave dropping fire as harmless as
it was useless. The alarm was given, and
the garrison of the prison beaten to arms,
but no traces of the bold prisoners could
be found. Where they went, how they
went, and by Whatr route, was never known;
but week or ten days after, their arrival
at Fortress Monroe was publicly an
nounced.
They had gallantly earned their free
dom and hope they +6a5 enjoyed f.r it TOF9 t6s9
did before they became inmates of the
Castle. Broqome's -Four Years IN Seces-
sia y