St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1879-03-15
DIGGING FOR LIBERTY.
cau. R, s. Northeott Gives Story of
Emprasonment at Libby.

DIGG1NG FOn AADGAN e
Gen. III. s. Nertheott Gives Story OF
imprisonment at Libby.
The Libby building, Richmond, Va,
which was used by the confederate
as prison in which to con-
fine federal officers who were 80 unfortu-
nate az to be captured, is situated near
the southeastern limits of the city. The
building, as it was during the war,
tronted 100 feet on Carey street and
extended south from the said street 100
feet, reaching within few yards of the
James river canal. Previous to the
rebellion it was used as a mercantile
house. While it was used as military
prison during the war, the business sign
of the firm last occupying it was sus'
pended from one corner of the edihce
and read: Libby & Sons, ship>chand-
lers and grocers," And this Libby firm
had the honor of imparting the family
name to this historic prison. The build
ing extended longitudinally from east to
west. On the side fronting Carey street
there were three entrances, each afford.
ing ingress to q separate room. Each OF
these rooms extended from the front to
the rear of the building, consequently
each room was fifty by one hundred feet;
and the house being three stories high,
there were nine rooms in it OF the size
mentioned. The building also contained
a basement irregularly divided. One
large room in the basement was used as
kitchen, in which the cooking was
done for the hospital attached to the
prison. The lower room of this build
ng, during the time the federal prisoners
were confined IN it, was used by the con.
federate officials who had charge of the
prison, and for other purposes
During the winter of 1864, there
were above one thousand federal officers
confined in this building. In the second
and third stories of the eastern division
of the edi6ce the officers captured al
Gettysburg had their quarters, to which
were added few o6cers of tie army o
the Potomac, captured miscellaneously
In the same story Of the middle division
the officers captured at Chickamaug'
had their lodgings. The officers wh'
belonged to General McElroy'g command
captured at Winchester, Virginia, OF
the 18th of June, 1863, had thei
dwelling place in the second story of tn
western division in the same division
in the third story Colonel streight ant
his officers, who were captured nea
Rome, Georgia, on the 4th day of May
1868, had their quarters. In ali til
rooms prisoners captured miscellaneous
> could be found. There was free commu
nication between all the rooms. Their
= being two doors in the partitions COZ
y Meeting one room with the other. OWN
. to the suspension of the exchange {
prisoners restlessness and impatienc
>, were quite prevalent. There was a gres
- desire to escape, but this was apparent
impossible, The prison was strongl
guarded at every point, and could th
prisoner have escaped from the walls I
the building dangers would have best
y him continually until he could reach tt
federal lines; but Notwithstanding II
y great difficulty and danger attending a
. effort to escape it was occasionally mad
- and sometimes successfully. The grande
~ stampede which was made from LIB
was made on the night Of the 9th
~ February, 1864.
~ In December, 1868, Colonel Rose,
a the Tooth Pennsylvania, conceived Il
:, idea of escaping by means Of tunne
~ He communicated his plans to some
~ his comrades, who promised their C
- operation in the matter. The great diff
~ Guilty they found was in getting acce
~ to the basement of tie building, whe
~ they designed commencing operation
- They could get access to the first floor
~ the eastern division, for this was occ
- pied by the hospital COOKE, who we
~. enlisted soldiers who had been captured
- but then there was no opening into tt
. basement. There was, however, lar
~ chimney leading up from fireplace
=, the basement. They finally discover
- that they could go down the aperture
~ the chimney, and thus reach the bat
- ment. At tho east end OF the buildil
20 there was narrow alley, upon the opp
site side of which was lot, of considt
able size, near the center of which the
was an unused stable, this stable bel
y some distance beyond the guards, W
Us were stationed near the building. 1t "
IN the design of the projectors Of the tunr
"a to open the terminus of it into Il
er stable. The greatest difficulty encou
as tered was at the beginning. They had
10 effect an opening in the foundation wa
&c which was of stone. To do this they b
II, no better tools than a few small hate
Id cts which were used about the buildi
ne for splitting kindlings. After great Lab
1t an opening was effected. But the tunr
'h must be walled and arched, The on