The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1870-02-09
fIe Escsp 81 Cen JehA a. kssSaA
from The Ohio FenttcHsIa .s & y

This is certainly one Of ths,m6si
tonderful achievements recorded III
history and % dpubs has ,fFeaaeutiy
beeu expressed as TO whether klprgal,
tsalIy did escape OF got oalby epftupiiBp
tho officials, the following account will
be read with interest. Il may be relied
ou a. strictly aud accurately true, and
n prepared lrom notes made by Col.
Aston at tho time and publiahcd in the
Richmond Enquirer; Capt. Hines not
onIy was DOT Filled, bat lived to get
back to the Con iederacy, and was en-
trusted afierward by the government At
Richmond with very dangerous mis-.
zion within the enemy's lines.
To appreciate the difficulties Of this
escape one must have seen she prison.
Il certainly required boldncss aud des.
peration to undertake il, even If there
bad bccu 20 guards to elude; but with
such vigilance as was exercised night
aud day by the officials, it was an un-
dertakiug that would have caused almost
any other man than Morgan to shrink
from attempting.
The cells Of the prison in which they
we're confined, consisted W holes in a
great thick wall, 81 feet wide, I'll feet
high. aud 6a feet long. They were
secured, first, by u grated iron door, aud
then sheet iron shutter; which when
closed. excluded both light aud air, and
no person could survive more than o
few days when this outside door was
closed Their beds consisted OF iron
bunks that were fastened by hinges to
the wall, aud could either be hooked up
or allowed to stand on the floor, and to
prevent any suspicion, for several days
before auy work was attempted they
made it habit to let them down and sit
at their doors and read. Capt. Hines
superintended the work, while General
Morgah kept watch to divert the atten~
ton Of the sentinel, whose duty it was
to come around during the day and OBJ
serve if anything was going on. One
day this fellow came iu whilo Hoker-
smith was down under tho floor boring
away. and missing him, said, "Where is
Hokersmith 2" The General replied,
"He is in my room, SICK" and imme-
diately pulled document out of his
pocket and said to him: "Here is a
meporial [ have drawn UP to forward to
the Government at Wasbipgton-what
do YOU think of it7" The fellow, who,
perhaps, could not read, being highly
Aattered at the Generals condesccnsion.
took it aud very gravely looked at it for
several moments before he vouchsafed
any reply. Then, handing it back, he
expressed himself highly pleased with
it. In the meantime Hokersmith had
been signalled, aud came up, protesting
to feel very unwell. This sentinel was
the most difficult and dangerous obstacle
in their progress, because there was no
telling at what time he would enter
during the day, aud at night he came
regularly every two hours to each cell
and inserted light through the bars of
their door to see that they were quietly
sleeping, and frequently after he had
completed his rounds, he would slip back
10 the dark with pair of India rubber
shoes on, to listen at their cells if any.
thing was going on. The General says
that he would almost invariably know
OF his presence bya certain magnetic
shudder which it would produce; but
for fear that this acute sensibility might
sometimes fail him, he broke up small
p'rticles of coal every morning and
sprinkled it before the cell door, which
would always announce his coming.
Everything was now ready to begin
the work. So about the latter part Of
October they commenced to borc. All
were busy-one making rope ladder
by tearing and twisting up strips of bed.
tick, another making bowie knives. and
another twisting up towels. They
labored perseveringly for several days.
and after boring through niue inches Of
cement, aud nine thicknesses of brick
placed edgewise, they began to wonder
when they should reach the soft earth.
Suddenly brick fell through. Wha.
could this meant What Internal cham
Der had they reached? 1t was imme-
diately entered, aud to their great
establishment and joy, it proved to be an
cir chamber extending the whole length
OF the row OF cells Here was an unex
pected interposition in their favor.
Hitherto they had been obliged to
conceal their rubbish in their bedticks,
each day burning a proportiouate quan.
tlty ofstraw now they had room enough
tor all they could dig. They at once
commenced to tunnel at right angles
with this air chamber, to get through
the foundation and day after day they
bored, day after day the blocks of granite
were removed, aud still the work before
them seemed interminable.
After twenty three daya Of unremit-,
ting labor, aud getting through gran
'te wall OF six feet in thicknes they
reached the soil. They tunueled up for
some distance, and light began to shine.
How glorious was that light It annoup.
ced the fulfillment of their labors, and if
Providence would only continue its ia.
vor, they would soon be free. This was
the morning Of the 28th day of Novem.
Der, 1868. The next night, at IL o.
clock, was determined on as the hour at
wh'ch they would attempt their liberty.
Zach moment chat ,ntervened was filed
x'.h dreadful anxiety and suspense, and