The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-02-13

J
thought proper fsr a number of the pris-
oners to make their egress. The sight
of the 9th of February had been 6xed
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 the means Of egress was discovered
by the cOnfederates. 1t was thought
by those who projected and completed
the tunnel that the matter WAS not
known to above 8 hundred Cf5cers, to
whom they had communicated it; but
by some means the thing leaked out and
was generally known to the officers in
prison, and when nine o'clock had ar
rived-the hour the officers should Coal
menee their egress-the entrance to the
tunnel was crowded 1t was designated
for City to leave that night, and fifty
others were selected to mislead the con-
tederate clerk, who called the roll each
morning. This wonld have been easily
| done if the exact number who left had
| been kESwD, tor the manner of calling
the roll was to crowd ali the prisoners
into the east room and pass them through
a door, coDnL them; and, as there was
another door in the same room it was
very easy for az officer TO pass back
through it snd fall III and be counted
again. The officer who was to count of
the fifty who were to 90 on the first right
and conduct the reception at roll~call
the next morning, finding he could not
stop the ofiicers when the fifty had gone
out, and that SC many would leave that
it would be impossible 10 conceal their
flight at roll,call, MADE his own e>cspe.
The next morning when the roll was
called by the usual method of counting,
! one hundred aud nine officers were
found missing. Tiis created intense ex-
element among the officers in charge OF
the prison. All the officers were then
called by name with the saEe 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 and procured
q new detail for guard duty.
| A lank, lean Georgia sergeant who
attended shout the Prisen, said " These
Yankees are all witchea'and can ~, and
will all fly out of the windows some
night. jeff Davis Ought. to have chem
handcufed so that they couldn't spread
their wings, or else hare all the wiaidOws
barred" The disappearance OF these
federal officers was so mysterious that
the cOnfederates were dumb-iounded.
/. AS soon as their astonishment sabs.ded
scouts were sent IN every direction in
search of the fugitives. In the mean
while a large number of the ciSi8ens OF
Richmond reconnoitsred the prison the
greater portion of the day ;. but some
time in the afternoon somebody happeRed
to enter the old stable and disooVeSed
the tunnel. This was great relief 10
them. 1t relieved the guards from the
charge of treason, and relieved the
minds of the superst;tiOus, who could
not shake the beiei from their minds
that some supernatural agency had been
employed in the escape Of the YANKEE
| prisoners. The confederate scouts soon
began to return with some OF the escaped
federal officers, and in the course OF
few days they succeeded in recognising
| ffty-two of the one hundred and nine
who escaped, fifty-sevpn having made
their way into the federal lines. Colonel
Rose, the protector and engineer of the
tunnel, was recaptuTed, and punished
| for his ingenuity by solitary confinement
in cell for several weeks. Colonel A.
D. Streight, of the fity-sirst Indiana,
made his way into the federal lines.
All those who finally succeeded N max
ing good their escape suffered greatly
from hunger aud cold before they could
get relief Colonel W. 2. Keadriek, of
the nrst West Tennessee unioA.HOsEslry,
suffered so much that he died in Giacin-
natl OIL his way homs.
The excavation Of this tunnel, with
the appliances at hand, Was truly an
herculean task. The earth taken from
it had to 5e taken in very small vessels
to a considerable distance and emptied
into q sower, ir order that discovery
might Ls prevented. Some OF these
brave n1su have left the scenes Of earth;
those VINO survive are engaged IN pur-
suits Of peace, and the exciting scenes
through which they passed dwell only IN
memCsy.
G9,nn..