River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-06-19
Prisoners at Libby.

Prisoners at Libby.
During the winter of 1861 there were
above one thousand federal officers confined
in Libby prison, at Richmond, Va. In De-
cember, 1868, Col, Rose, of the tooth Penn
sylsania, conceived ths idea of escaping
by means of a tunnel. He communicated
his plans to some of his comrades, who
promised their cooperation in Inc matter.
The great difficulty they found was in get
ting access TO the basement of the building,
where they designed commencing opera
tons. They could gel access TO the first
floor of the eastern division, for this was
occupied by hospitable cooks who we're en-
listed soldiers who we've captured but
there was no opening into the basement.
There was, however, a large chimney lead
ing up from fire place in the basement.
They finally discovered that they could go
down the aperture of the chimney and
thus reach the basement. AT the east end
of the building there was narrow alley,
upon the opposite side of which there was
lot OF considerable size, near the eanter
OF which there was an unused stable, this
stable being some distance beyond the
guards, who we're stationed near the build
ing 1t was the design of the projectors
of the tunnel to open the terminus OF 1t IN
to this stable. The greatest difficulty EN-
countered was OF the beginning. They had
to effect an opening in the foundation wall
which was of stone. To do this they had
no better tools than a few small hatchets
which were used about the prison for split
ting kindlings. After great labor an open
ing was effected. But the tunnel must be
walled and arched. The only material that
could be found for this purpose was the
wooden boxes which had contained articles
of food and clothing sent 70 the prisoners
! from their homes. The secret Of the tunnel
| had been communicated TO but few, and il
was not desired that it should be generally
known what they were driving at; but tc
avoid this, after using their own boxes, they
procured the services of the hospital cooks
who would so among the prisoners and bee
! their empty boxes for fire wood.
Only one man could work in the TUNE
at the same time, and consequently, the
work proceeded slowly. Then the tools they
had to work with, knives and sharpenec
sticks, we're very insufficient. They had K
remain on all-fours or lie fiat while at work
They had estimated the distance to bt
seventy five feet in order to reach the eente
of the stable. They measured their worl
carefully as they advanced, and when the,
reached the length Of seventy five feet the,
tunneled upward, and upon reaching thu
outside earth found they we're correct II
their estimates of distances.
After the opening was effected in the stabl
il was carefully covered with broad boar
until such time as was thought proper for
number OF the prisoners to make thei
egress. The night of the fifth of Februar.
had been fixed upon for fifty Of the officer
to make their escape through the tunnel
The design was for fifty to 60 ont on tina
night and fifty each succeeding night unit
the means of egress was discovered by tn
confederates. II was thought by those VIII
projected and completed the tunnel, that tn
matter wss not known to above one hundre'
officers, to whom they had comm unicated Il
but by some means the thing leaked out an
was generally known to the officers IN tn
prison, and when nine O'Clock had arrives
the hour that the officers should com
mence their egress-the entrance to tn
tunnel was crowded. Ii was designed TO
fifty to leave that night and fifty other
were selected to mislead the confederat
clerk who called the roll each morning. Thi
would have been easily done if the exaC
! number who left had been known, for th
manner of calling the roll was to crowd a
the prisoners into the east room and pas
them through door, and as they passe
through count them and as there wa
another door in the same room it was yer
easy for an officer to pass back through
and fall in and be counted again. Ih
officer who was to count Of the fifty who wer
to 90 the first night and conduct the deceI
ton at roll call the next morning, finding b
could not stop the officers when fifty ha
gone out, and that 80 many would escap
that it would be impossible to conceal thei
flight at roll call, made his own escape.
The next morning when the roll wa
called by the usual method of counting
1Og officers were found missing. This ere
ated intense excitement among the officer
who had charge Of the prison. All the Of
ficefs we're then called by name with tn
same result. The prison was carefully eS
amined and the point of egress was nc
found.
The disappearance of these federals wa
SO mysterious that the confederates wer
dumbfounded. As soon as their astonisk
ment subsidized scouts were sent in ever
direction in search Of the fugitives. |
the meantime a large number of the cit
zens of Richmond recOnnoi'sred the pris
on the greater portion of the day; bu
some time in the afternoon somebody haI
pened to enter the old stable and discoS
cred the tunnel This was great relief t
them. 1t relieved the guards from th
charge of treason, and relieved the minds Q
the superstitious who could not shake th
belief from their minds that some super
natural agency had been employed in th
escape of the prisoners.
The confederate scouts soon began to rt
turn with some of the escaped prisoners, an
in the course of few days they succeeded i
recapturing ffty-two IF the one hundred an
y nine who escaped, fifty-seven having mad
their way into the federal lines. Col. Rose
the protector and engineer of the TUNE
was recaptured and punished for his inge
nuity by solitary confinement in cell 70
1 several weeks.