Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-01-24


from which each one Of the seven would
escape. II these apertares were cut rom
the top Of the floors Of the cells, the
risk Of detection would be proportionably
/ increased 30 an accurate measurment OF
| Che distance between the cells was taken.
and with Hines' cell as point Of departure,
it was easy 10 calculate where to commence
cutting from underneath, in order thar the
floors Of ell these particular cells should be
| perforated. A thin crust, Gully, Of the ce-
meni was left, bat 70 all outward appear
ancea the floor was as sound az ever.
BY means Of an arrangement which had
been perfected for obtaining all absolutely
necessary articles, each one Of the party
abont 10 escape had procured a stout, sharp
! knife-Eeiy effective weapons In case IL
surprise and an attempt to stop their escape.
When everything was ready they waited
several nights for rain, trusting 70 Glide
The vigilance Of the guards more easily in
the obseurity Of such a night, and taking
the chances, also, that the dogs, which
we're turned loose every night in the yard,
would be driven By the rain into their ken
nels, which were situated on the other side
Of the yard from that where they would
emerge. Two or three days before the
effort was made, Gen. Morgan received a
letter from an Irish woman in Kentucky,
warning him not 10 attempt to make his
escape, from which she predicted great
evils 10 bias aould result. She assuaedst -
his kindness to the poor in Lexington, and
claimed that she was informed Of the
future in some supernatural manner.
On the 10Th of November Gen. Morgan
learned that there had been g change Of
military commandments at Columbus Well
knowing that this would be followed by an
inspection OF the prison and discovery Of
the plot, he determined that the effort
should be made that very night. His own
cell was in the second range, from which it
was impossible to reach the air-chamber
and tunnel; but the cell Of his brother,
Col: Richard Morgan, had been prepared
for him, and when Scott tapped as usual on
the stove, Is signal for each man to |
retire to his cell, the exchange was effect
ed. There was sufficient resemblance |
between them to deceive man who would |
not look closely, especially when they we're |
seated with their faces turned away from |
the door.
At any rate, Scott and the night guard |
were both deceived, and efforts were made |
by the occupants of the cells near to both |
Of those, where close inspection would have |
been dangerous 10 attract 10 themselves l
the attention Of The guard when he went /
the rounds. As il was especially necessary /
on this occasion, to know certainly when
the night guard approached small bits Of /
coal had been sprinkled, just before the
hour for locking up, on the floor Of the /
FIRST range, so that thread as lightly as he
would the sneaking cur could not help
making lOad noise.
1t had been arranged that, just after the
Twelve o'clock visit from the guard, Capt.
Taylor should descend into the air-chamber
and give the signel underneath the floor Of
zach cell. Fortunately, the only man who
was vile enough to have betrayed the plan,
vas absent in the hospital. Six hours
elapsed after the locking in regularly the
night guard during that time went his
.ounds, making an awful cracking as he
lassed along the lower range. Sixty odd
men lay awake, silent and excited-with
hearts beating louder andblood rushing faster
through their veins than the approach of
,attle had ever Occasioned. Perhaps the
'oolest Of all that number were the seven
Who were about TO incur the risk.
Twelve o'clock struck, and the clang of
he bell seemed 70 be in the hall itself-the
,uard passed with his lantern--a few min
ties elapsed {While the adventures lay
till lest be should slip bach, and then at
he signal they sprang from their beds;
iastily stuffed flannel shirts with material
repaired before hand, and made up
lundles to lie in their beds and represent
hem. Then stamping upon the floor
bove the excavations, the thin crust of
ach gave way and they descended into the
ir chamber. They passed one by one
long the tunnel, until the foremost man
cached the terminus and with his knife
at away the sod, which had Of course been
eft untouched Then they emerged into
be open air.