The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1879-01-31

been easily done If the exact number who
left had been known, for the rule was to
crowd all the prisoners into the east room
and pass them through door, and as they
passed through count them; and rs there
was another door In the same room 1t was
very easy for an officer to pass back through
it and fall in and be counted again. The
officer who was to count off the fifty who
were to go the first night and conduct the
deception at roll call next morning, finding
he could not stop the officers when the fifty
had gone out, and that so many would leave
fight at ioll-call, made his own escape.
The next morning when the roll was
called by the usual method of counting, one
hundred and nine officers were found MISS
ing. This created intense excitement
among the officers in charge of the prison.
All the officers were then called by name
with the same result. The prison was care
fully examined and the point OF egiess was
| not found. Captain Turner, the command
ant of the prison, could think of no other
means by which the prisoners could have
escaped but by bribing the guards, and con.
sequently be placed them all under arrest
and procured a new detail for guard duty.
A lank, lean Georgia sergeant who at
tended about the prison, said: These
| Yankees are all witches and can fly, and
they will all fly out of the windows some
night. JEFF Davis odght to have them
handcuHed so that they couldn't spread their
wings. or else have all the windows barred
| The disappearance of these Federal ofhceu
| was SO mysterious that the Confederates
we're dumbfounded. As soon as their as
tenishment subsided scouts were sent in
every direction in search of the fugitives.
In the meanwhile large number of citizens
of Richmond reconnoitered the prison the
greater portion of the day but some time
in the afternoon somebody happened to en-
ter the old stable and discovered the tunnel.
the guards from the charge of treason and
relieved the minds of the superstitious, who
| could rot shake the relief from their minds
that some supernatural agency had been EN-.
pioyed in the escape of the Yankee prison.
ers. The Confederate scouts soon began to
return with some of the escaped Federal
officers, and in the course of few days they
succeeded in recapturing fifty two of the
hundred and nine who escaped, fifty-seven
having made their way into the Federal
lines. Colonel Rose, protector and engineer
of the tunnel, was recaptured and punished
for his ingenuity by solitary confinement in
cell for several weeks. Colonel A. d.
Streight, of the Fifty first Indiana, made his
way into the Federal lines. All those who
finally succeeded in making good their es'
cape suffered greatly from hunger and cold
before they could get relief. Colonel w. p
Kendrick, of the First West Tennessee
(Union) Cavalry suffered so much that he
died in Cincinnati on his way home. Th'
excavation of this tunnel, with the appliances
at hand, was truly hurculean task. Thu
earth taken from it had to be taken in very
small vessels to considerable distance ant
emptied into sewer in order that discover.
might be prevented. Some of these brav'
men have left the scenes of earth thOs
who survive are engaged in pursuits o
peace, and the exciting scenes througl
which they passed dwell only in memory
Phila. Times.