The Portland daily press., 1876-03-21
Rebel Prisons.

In the early morning, our fugitiyes sheltered
in the woods, saw negro coming in their di-
rection and one of them went cautiously to
meet him; he had been sent to them by their
guide OF the preceding night. He did not
think it safe for them to come to his hut, be.
cause rebel scouts were securing the country in
pursuit of the runaways Our friends lay coz
cealed in the wood all the day, Supplied by the
negro with hoe-cake, their only food, and at
night they were led by him to safe point very
near the loyal lines, which they reached before
day.
All the fugitives who were so fortunate as to
fall in with negroes made good their escape
but little more than half the number wers NOS
able to do so, and were captured and brought
back to the Libby Prison where they were con-
fined for some time in DARK, unvestlated cells
In acellar of the prison. Col. Spofford OF a
New York regiment, whose place in the prison
was near mine, was one of those who we're recap
tured after several days and nights of exposure
to the weather, and wandering, weary and ex.
hausted in strange country.
Among our number was Col. White of PENN
sylvania, who had been recently elected to the
State Senate, and his presence there was most
important to the loyal cause, because without
him there was a tie between the copperhead
members and the loyalists The rebel authori-
ties we're aware of this and we're resolved to
detain him at any cost so that he was not in-
cuded in any exchange. On one occasion
there was to be an exchange of a few officers,
one OF whom was sick and unable to leave
This was not known to the prison authorities,
end It was arranged that Col. White should
take his place in the list, which he did and
was passed on board the small steamer to 20
down the river, and was Just ready to be
banded over TO the loyal steamer, when infor-
nation was brought from the prison of the
substitution and Col. White was detained.
Strange as it may seem it was neyerthe less
true, that among the officers confined at
Libby Prison there were several copperheads,
and it was supposed that word was communi-
Gated by one of these to the PRISON officials of
the escape of Col. White.
At this time Richmond could have been easi-
ly captured, if its actual condition had been
known. This may be seen from the fact that
one hundred and ten escaped prisoners without
information or guides, were able without dis
coyery to pass the rebel lines about the city.
Richmond was actually thrown. into a state of
alarm by considerable force of loyalis who
approached within three or four miles, but not
knowing the actual state of the case they made
40 attempt upon the rebel lines We made
every possible endeayar to communicate with
the loyal commander, but could not succeed
The only way in which it could be done was TO
induce some one of the negroes at service in
the prison to undertake the enterprise but il
would cost him his life If detected, and no one
of them was willing to attempt 1t At this
time it was reported to me one morning that
preparations had been made the night before
to blow the prison up with all of us In 10. Sew
eral officers came to me with the report, which
could hot credit. The rebels were bad enough
to do that-a much more merciful thing than
the slow starvation and freezing to death Of
thousands of helpless soldiers, but coald not
believe them TO be so reckless OF the inevitable
results to them and their cause. They were
relying for success chiefly, IT not solely upon
European sympathy and material aid. Such
an act would send thrill of indignation and
horror throughout the world, and would render
it impossible for any European power to help
them without dishonor.
inquired into the origin of this report and
traced it to one of the negroes serving about
the prison. He was brought TO me that might
learn all directly from him. "Now tell me all
you know about it, and nothing except what
you do know" swell, sab, all knows is dis:
Las night when Pse sleepn dey comes
done git up and dey took us"-"Us--who's
us?' me aud tree oder nggers. Dey took
US down inter de cellar and dey marked
out place on de groun and tell US ter dig
@ eFs as Apd % @ And and Dig ssy a; S dey tell
take big box and put it inter de hole, and
dat's all knows sah." "How large was the
hoe?' "As big as dis table''-my table about
feet square. How deep was the hole? .Bout
SO deep;" holding his hand about four feet from
the floor. "What did you put into the box?'
Muffin sab, dat's all knows"
Soon after this, Dick Turner came into the room
where we were and we charged him with making
preparations to blow the prison up. Without
HESITATION or reserve, he confessed that it was
SO but said he had no share in it. Major Tur-
ner the Prison Commandant, also admitted
the fact, as did Col. Ould the Commissioner Of
exchange of prisoners A clergyman came in
to the prison two or three days, after and ad-
mitted that the fact was well known in the
town and justified it, on the ground that the
rebels had right in that manner to prevent
our recapture by the Union forces which were
then in the neighborhood of the city. The
blowing up of eleven hundred officers, prison.
ers OF war, seemed TO our Southern "brethren'
to be proper thing to do and simple way OF
dsposlng OF troublesome guests! Near Libby
Prison was an immense tobacco warehouse
containing about two thousand union soldiers
prisoners-and in an opposite direction was
Castle Thuuder, in which many officers were
confined. We never knew whether prepara-
tions had also been made to blow those prisons
up also.
All these nee people are Reconstructed
now and are willing, nay even anxious to take
charge of our national affairs and relieve union
men of all responsibility in that direction.
They are waiting for an opportunity. thew are
bding their time. Perhaps the people who
sucriiced so much treasure and blood to save
the nation will now confde it to the tender
care of those who strove to destroy it, and per-
haps-they won't! MD,
1t is stated on the authority Of Thomas Ball,
President of the new Idria quicksilver mining
company. that the trustees of the company
have ratified the bonds for deed to be exc