Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-12-03
FoRAeING SWEET POTATOES.
HOW YANKEE PRISONERS CAPTURED REBEL
VANS AT LIBBY PRISON.

The recent sale at auction Of the old
Libby warehouse ln which 10 many north
ern soldiers were confined as prisoners Of
war, has brought out many new and inter
esting stories connected with that historic
building. One OF the best Of these was
told by an ex-Guard Joseph Wingheld, who
lives IN Richmond The following is his
version OF cute Yankee trick:
at was about '68, and Libby building
was so crowded that 10 wouldn't hold any
more prisoners, so they put a large lot OF
them in the second story Of the building
across the street. Soon after these prison.
ers came the prison officials got a large
supply OF sweet potatoes (regllur yam0
from North Carolinu, and stored them on
the first floor OF the building in which
those prisoners we're confined. Big sweet
potatoes we're Injuries in those days, and
Turner and those fellows kept a strict
watch over the building, | can tell you.
The third day after they had been slowed
away il was noticed that they we're disap-
pearing at the rate Of about bushel day
At first it was thought that the rats took
them, but second thought showed that
the idea was absurd. Sentines we're post
ed all around the building with orders to
shoot any man they caught stealing those
yams, but they didn't see anybody TO shoot,
and although they were posted there day
and night. and no one was allowed to enter
the room where the potatoes we're kept,
they continued to disappear at the rate OF
bushel a day. The cOnfederates saw
their yams disappearing in this way and
were furious. The thing was an unac-
cOuntable mystery. The doors and win.
dOws OF the room we're sealed, and private
marks were put on the wax, so that if any
one Of them was opened it would be known
The next morning the officers went into
the room. The wax was all right but an
other bushel OF potatoes had vanished.
Well, sir, it was the maddest crowd you
ever saw. They came after the and ordered
me TO take my stand in the room. They
locked me in, and lighted candle was
placed at each end Of the room so that ]
could see. ! was ordered to shoot on sight
anybody | saw stealing those yams. It
was terribly Lonesome in that room. Just
as fast MS | would light one candle and go
to the other end Of the room to light the
other the rats would cut the first one down
They were regular Confederate rats, and a
candle was u godsend to them. After a
lot OF worry gO the rats out Of the way
and sat down near the door waiting for de-
velopments. There / stayed till twelve
o'clock; but, though kept my eyes on the
potatoes all the time, couldn't see any OF
them going. Shortly after twelve | heard
creaking, grating sound, which seemed
to be all over the room at once. cooked
my gun and held my breath. but still
couldn't see any sign of life except the rats
creeping about the floor by Georgep /
thought, this darned place Is haunted, if
there is any such thing as place being
haunted. The sound stopped, but about
ten minutes after it began again. Hooked
at the pile Of potatoes, and presently saw
something shoot from the calling aud fall
on them. | saw It was brick, and could
distinguish rope tied to ii. ! crept lit
tie nearer to get good look at the thing,
but before | could examine 1t it was drawn
slowly up, and there was about peck Of
yans sticking TO It, 1t went up through q
hole which had been cut in the floor above,
and presently came down again with a
thump right among the potatoes. 1t was
the most artful arrangement you ever saw.
The brick had about iifty holes drilled In
it, and through each hole a sharpeued ten.
penny nail had been driven, so that when
the brick fell among the yams these nails
stuck into every one they fell on. /
Guuluu I lhukulllk hb lub blluIl uOukb
those Yankees had taken 10 get at the yams.
/ gently pui my hand forward and caught
hold OF the rope. Pretty soon they began
to draw on it, and when it did not mOYe /
heard one fellow say, Steady, boys; the
bricks hung in something. Pull her
steadily without Jerking They did pull
steadily, and fairly lifted me from the
floor No jerk; easy, boys, easy the di-
ranfnr qaid and fhau tu yUan / not
pretty red in the face holding to the rope.
Twas afraid to let go, because thought
some Of those spiked nails might strike me
in passing. thought of my pocket knife
and hauled it out Just as they were putting
all their weight on the other end OF the
rope. cut 1t in two and the end shot
back though the hole in the ceiling, and
could heard rolling aud tumbllng on the
floor above, showing that Ghe sudden CIV
ing way OF the rope had had disastrous
effect. heard another voice say: There,
now, told you so. You've broken the
rope. We've lost our brick, and to-mor-
row we will be found ont. Then another
voice called out; Can't you see 1t? We
might hook it up Next I saw a long neck
protuding through the hole, and n fellow
peering down. Then | called out: II
you trouble any more of those potatoes I'll
shoot That fellows head shot back
through that hole Just like termpin, and
it was as still as death up there. ! hated
to tell on them because it was such a sharp
scheme OF foraging on the enemy, but
had to. When the officers went up the
next morning to examine the room il took
a long time to find the hole. Those Yam
KEGS had to cut hole about foot square
through the floor, and it was done so neat
ly that il took eyes to discover it. That
was where the officers yams went TO.
"What church is that2'' asked a stranger