The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1879-02-14
earth found they were correct in their
estimate of distances.

eartn found they were correct in their
estimate of distances.
After the opening was effected in the
sable, 1t was carefully covered with
broad board until such a time "a was
thought proper fer number Of the pris-
oners TO make their egress. The night
OF the 9th of February had been fixed
upon lor fifty. of the officers to make
their escape through the tunnel. The
design Was for 6tty to go out on that
night and ffty each succeeding night
untilsthe means of egress was discovered
by the confederatess 1t was thought
by those who projected and completed
the tunnel that the matter was not
knowh to above hundred oficers, to
whomsthey had communicated it; bat
by se4e means the thing leaked out and
was eDasalIy known to the cficers IN
prison, and when nine o'clock had ar
rived-the hour the officers should COM
mence their egress-the entrance to the
tunnel was crowded. 1t was designated
for fifty % leave that night, and Fl ty
others wee selected to mislead the con-
tederate derk, who called the roll each
m )rning. This wonld have been easily
done if tie exact number who left had
heen known, for the manner of calling
the roll vas TO crowd all the prisoners
into the east room and pass them through
door, cunt them and, as there was
another door in the same room. it was
very easy for an officer to pass back
through i and fall in and be counted
again. The officer who was to count off
the fifty Who were to go on the first night
and coneuct the reception at roll>call
the nextmorning, finding he could not
stop the officsrs when the lfty had gone
out, and that so many would leave that
it would be impossible to conceal their
flight st rollAcall, made his own escape.
The nxt morning when the roll was
called by the usual method of counting,
one hundred aud nine officers were
found missing. This created intense ex-
citemen. among the officers in charge of
the prison. All the officers were then
called ty name with the same result.
The prison was carefully examined, and
the point of egress was not found. Cap.
Turner, the commandant of the prison,
could think of no other means by which
the prisoners could have escaped but by
bribing the guards, and consequently he
put them all under arrest aud procured
new detail for guard duty.
A lank, lean Georgia sergeant VINO
attended about the prison, said These
Yankees are all witches and can fy, and
viii all fly out of the windows some
night. JEFF Davis ought to have them
handcuffed SO that they couldn't spread
their wings, or else have all the windows
baned." The disappearance of these
fl deral officers was 30 mysterious that
the confederates were dumb-founded.
As coon as their astonishment subsided
scouts were sent in every direction in
search of the fugitives. In the mean
while a large number OF the citizens ol
Rich mond reconnoitered the prison the
greater portion of the day; but some
time in the afternoon somebody happened
to enter the old stable and discovered
| the tunnel. This was great relief to
them. 1t relieved the guards from the
charge of treason, snd relieved the
minds OF the superstitious, who could
not shake the belief from their minds
that some supernatural agency had beer
employed in the escape of the Yankee
prisoners. The confederate scouts soor
began to return with some of the escaped
federal officers, and in the course of &
few days they succeeded in recspturins
| fiity.two of the one hundred and nine
who escaped, fifty-sevan having made
their way into the federal lines. Colone
Rose, the protector and engineer of The
tunnel, was recsptured. and punished
for his ingenuity by solitary confinement
in a cell for several weeks. Colonel A
D. Streight, of the fiity-first Indiana
made his way into the federal lines
All those who finally succeeded in max
ing good their escape suffered great.
from hunger and cold before they coulo
get relief Colonel w. p. Kendrick, o
the first West Tennessee (union) cavalry
suffered 30 much that he died in Cincin
natl on his way home.
The excavation of this tunnel, witt
the appliances at hand, was truly al
herculean task. The earth taken from
it had to be taken in very small vessel
to considerable distance and emptie'
into a sewer, in order that discover
might be prevented. Soma of thes
brave men have left the scenes of earth
these who survive are engaged in pur
suits of peace, aud the exciting scene
through which they passed dwell only j
memory.