The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-06-18
Prisoners at Libby.

Prisoners at Libby.
During the winter of 1864 there were
above one thousand federal officers confined
in Libby prison, at Richmond, Va. In De-
oember, 1868, Col. Rose, of the Tooth Penn
sylvania, conceived tho idea of escaping
by means of tunnel. He communicated
his plans to some of his comrades, who
promised their cooperation il the matter.
The great difficulty they found was in get
ting access to the basement of the building,
where they designed commencing opera
tions. They could get access to the first
floor of the eastern division, for this was
occupied by hospitable cooks who were en-
listed soldiers who were captured but
there was no opening into the basement.
There was, however. large chimney lead
ing up from q fire place in the basement.
They finally discovered that they could 60
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
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 build
ing. 1t was the design of the projectors
of the tunnel to open the terminus of it in
to this stable. The greatest difficulty en-
countered 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 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 to the prisoners
from their homes. The secret of the tunnel
had been communicated to but few, and it
was not desired that it should be generally
known what they were driving 1T; but to
avoid this, after using their own boxes, they
procured the services of the hospital cooks,
who would 60 among the prisoners and beg
their empty boxes for fire wood.
Only one man could work in the tunnel
at the same time, and consequently, the
work proceeded slowly. Then the tools they
had to work with, knives and sharpened
sticks, were very insufficient. They had to
remain on all-fours or he fiat while at work.
They had estimated the distance to be
seventy five feet in order to reach the center
of the stable. They measured their work
carefully as they advanced, and when they
reached the length of seventy-6ve feet they
tunneled upward, and upon reaching the
outside earth found they were correct in
their estimates of distances.
After the opening was effected in the stable
it was carefully covered with broad board
until such time as was thought proper for q
number of the prisoners to make their
egress. The night of the fifth of February
had been fixed upon for fifty of the officers
to make their escape through the tunnel.
The design was for fifty to 60 out on that
night and fifty each succeeding night until
confederates. 1t was thought by those who
projected and completed the tunnel, that the
matter wss not known to above one hundred
but by some means the thing leaked out and
was generally known to the officers in the
prison, and when nine o'clock had arrived
the hour that the officers should com
mence their egress-the entrance to the
tunnel was crowded. It was designed fol
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 if 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 door. and as they passed
through count them and as there was
another door in the same room it was very
easy for an officer to pass back through il
and fall in and be counted again. The
officer who was to count off the fifty who were
to 60 the first night and conduct the decep
ton at roll call the next morning, finding hi
could not stop the officers when fifty hac
gone out, and that so 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
100 officers we're found missing. This ere
ated intense excitement among the officer
who had charge of the prison. All the of
fcers we're then called by name with tn
same result. The prison was carefully OK
amined and the point of egress was no
found.
The disappearance OF these federals was
so mysterious that the confederates were
'dumbfounded. AS soon as their astonish
ment subsidized scouts were sent in ever,
direction in search of the fugitives. II
the meantime large number of the citi
zens, of Richmond reconnoitered the pris
on the greater portion of the day; bu
pened to enter the old stable and discov
cred the tunnel. This was great relief t.
them. 1t relieved the guards from tn
charge of treason, and relieved the minds o
the superstitious who could not shake tn
belief from their minds that some super
natural agency had been employed in tn
escape of the prisoners.
The confederate scouts soon began to re
turn with some of the escaped prisoners, an
in the course of few days they succeeded i
recapturing ffty-two of the one hundred an
nine who escaped, ifty-esven having mad
their way into the federal lines. Col. Rose
the protector and engineer of the tunnel
was recaptured and punished for his inge
nuity by solitary confinement in a cell fo
several weeks.
"Bl0de Up"
The other day muscular young fellow
having an odor of the stables about him
entered Detroit photographers establish
ment and explained that he would like t
have about one photograph taken, but o.