The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1879-06-20
Prisoners at Libby.
now THEY russnIIrD ron LIBERTY.


During the winter Of 1851, there
were above 1000 Federal officers confined
in Libby prison, ut Richmond, Va. In
December, 1863, Col. Rose, of the Tooth
Pennsylvania, conceived the idea of es-
Gaping by means of q tunnel. He COM
municated his plans To some of his com
rades, who promised their cooperation
in the matter. The great difficulty they
found was in getting access 10 the base
ment Of the building, whore they do.
signed commencing operations. They
could get access TO the first floor of the
eastern division, for this was occupied
by hospital cooks who were enlisted sol
diers who had been captured; but then
there was no opening into the basement.
There was, however, large chimney
leading up from fire place in the base
ment. They finally discovered that they
could go down the aperture of the chin
ney and thus reach the basement. At
the east end Of the building there was q
narrow alley, upon the opposite side of
which was a lot of considerable size,
near the center Of which there was an
unused stable, this stable being some
distance beyond the guards, who were
stationed near the building II was the
design of the projectors OF the tunnel 10
open the terminus of il into the stable.
The greatest difficulty encountered was
at 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
| splitting kndlings. After great labor
an opening was effected. But the tunnel
must be walled and arched. The only
| material that could be found for this was
the wooden boxes which had contained
articles of food and clothing, sent 10 the
prisoners from their homes. The secret
of the tunnel had been communicated TO
but few, and il was not desired that Il
/ should be generally known what they
were driving at; but to avoid this, after
using their own boxes, they procured
the services of the hospital cooks. who
would go among the prisoners and beg
their empty boxes for firewood.
Only one man could work in the tun.
mel at the same time. and consequently,
the work proceeded slowly. Then the
tools they had 10 work with, knives and
sharpened sticks, were very insufficient.
They had to remain on all-fours or lay
fiat while at work. They had estimated
the distance TO be seyenty-five feet in
order 10 reach the center Of the stable.
They measured their work carefully as
they advanced, and when they reached
the length Of seventy-five feet they
turned upward, and upon reaching the
outside earth found they were correct in
their estimate Of distances.
After the opening was effected in the
stable, it was carefully covered with q
broad board, until such time as was
thought proper for a number of the pris-
oners to make their egress. The night
of the 9Th Of February had been fixed
upon for fifty Of the officers to make
their escape through the tunnel. The
design was for fifty to go out on that
night and fifty each succeeding night
until tho means of egress was discovered
by the confederates. II was thought by
those who projected and completed the
tunnel, that the matter was not known 10
above one hundred officers, to whom
they had communicated It; but by some
means the thing leaked ont, and was
generally known 70 tho officers in prison,
and when 8 o'clock had arrivad-the
hour that the officers should commence
their egress-the entrance to the tunnel
was crowded. II was designed for fifty
to leave that night, and fifty others were
selected TO mislead the Confederate clerk
who called the roll each morning. This
would have been easily done IL the exact
number who left had been known, for the
manner of calling the roll was TO crowd
all the prisoners into the east room and
pass them through q door and as they
passed through count them; and as there
I was another door in the same room Il
: was very easy for an officer TO pass bach
. through it and fall in and be counted
. again. The officer who was to count of
] the fifty who were to go the first nigh
and conduct the deception at roll cal
the next morning, finding he could no
, stop the officers when the fifty had gons
out, and that so many would escape tina
it would be impossible to conceal theil
fight at roll call, made his own escape
The next morning when the roll wal
E called by the usual method of counting
100 officers we're found missing, Thi
{ created intense excitement among th'
officers in charge of the prison. All tn
+. officers were then called by name witt
7 the same result. The prison was care
l. fully examined and the point of egres
was not found.
The disappearance Of the Federal Off
GERS was so mysterious that the Confed
{ crates were dumbfounded. As soon a
j their astonishment subsidized scouts wer
g sent out in every direction in search 0
I the fugitives. In the meantime larg
number Of citizens of Richmond recon
:, noitered the prison the greater portio
!; of the day; but some time in the after
: noon somebody happened to enter tn
old stable and discovered the tunnel
!, This was great relief to them. 1t re
!, lieyed the guards from the charge {
A treason, and relieved the minds of th
. superstitious, who could not shake til
4 belief from their minds that some supel
natural agency had been employed in th
D. escape of the prisoners.
r. The Confederate scouts soon began
,e return with some OF the escaped prisoI
Al ers, and in the course of few days the
10 succeeded in recapturing AZ Of the Il
20 who escaped, ffty-seven having mao
II their way into the Federal lines. Co
Rose, the protector and engineer of Il
y tunnel, was recaptured and punished fl
u his ingenuity by solitary confinement
y a cell for several weeks.