The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1882-11-15

AAss
through my blundering the tunnel
would be discovered, that had cost
such heroic labor, and that should
be loaded with the disgrace of de-
priving hundreds of my fellow pris-
oners of their liberty. In this train
of depressing thoughts came the re-
membrance that this had at one
time been the dead cellar" where
; bodies from the hospital room above
it used to be boxed up prior to
burial. Therevolting idea that the
Union dead should ever have been
left, even temporarily, in such
place siekened me, and | would have
given a fortune at that miserable
moment for a friendly stream of
light and blessed breath of fresh
air. | thought | had already sur
yeyed an acre of wall and was on
the border of despair when to my
boundless JOY my hand fell upon
pair of heels. | knew they were
live heels, fqr l had no sooner
touched them than they vanished
like magic in the wall.
Who's there" said a voice, as if
from a grave.
Moran" L Ianswered, " from the
Gettysburg room. Who are you p"
Charley Morgan" the sepulchral
voice responded, " from the Chicka-
mauga rooms Are the rebs com
ing?"
mo. Go ahead and make room
for me-" said I, and away went the
heels, after Seeding shower of dirt
into both my eyes.
| The hole appeared as | advanced
to have an average diameter of about
two feet. At Zines we appeared to
be descendingiand again we seemed
to rise. The earth was clammy cold
and the air foul and sulfocating. My
bruised shoulder got rough usage as
| wedged myself forward on my
hands and Rce. The hole grew
narrower as | advanced and not
withstanding my slight form found
myself more than once in the posi-
ton of the fatsman who had preced-
ed me. Morgan unhappily took
violent cramp in one OF his legs, and
to relieve his distress pulled off his
shoe. This proved somewhat
troublesome charge, for in order to
save it for It's owner | had to push it
ahead of me as | crawled onward
The length of the tunnel seemed in
terminable i was gasping for
breath and my shoulder was paining
dreadfully. 1t seemed as if we were
lost in some horrible grave.
PURE AIR AT LAST.
| was struck with the wonderful
clearness with which all sounds were
transmitted through the passage, as
If we were encompassed by metallic
instead Of clay walls. At last. near
fainting with suffocation, pain and
fatigue, a ray Of light gladdened my
eyes and felt the welcome blessed
ness Of fresh air certainly the most
delicious air | have ever breathed in
my whole. life. Morgan extended
his hand and gave me friendly well
come as | rose like an apparition to
the surface of the earth, and having
reached terra firma | made careful
and minute survey of my surround
ings. | was in a yard surrounding
two old buildings that faced respec-
lively north and south.
| stood about seventy feet from
the eastern wall of the prison, and
locking through the dilapidated |
fence saw the sentinels pacing their
posts and by the light Of the street
lamps could easily distinguish their
features. An arched way of suffi-
cient width for the passage Of wagons
led to the street on the south that
ran next to and parallel with the
canal. now noticed third person
In the yard and Morgan in a whisper
introduced Lieutenant William Wat
son OF his own company of the |
Twenty first Wisconsin regiment.
We held a hurried conference and |
decided to go down the street in an
easterly direction, agreeing to meet
at the second corner for further con-
sultation We removed our shoes
that we might move noiselesslv and
also that we might run the swifter if
challenged by the sentinels.
LEAVING THE PRISON BEHIND.
Watson went off first and was
followed in about ten minutes by
Morgan. As they moved away |
closely watched the two nearest
guards, who at the time halted on
their posts and gazed together after
the retreatiLg forms of my two
friends. | resolved should they
show a sign of firing to shout an
alarm to my comrades and dash
down the street after them. But
the guards appeared to have no sus-
picion that they were Yankees and
without any audible comment re-
garding them resumed the pacing of
their posts. Feeling this to be my
opportunity | stepped from the'
arched way and leisurely followed {
in the wake of my friends. 1t would
be difficult TO convey to one who ]
has not shared in like experience
a clear idea of the peculiar sensa- s
tion | felt when, after an imprison
ment of over six months. | first
found myself in the open fresh air
and drank in the first fragrant breath
of my liberty; and yet | felt pans
of regret as | turned irresistibly to |
look at the grim walls of Libby,
where | was leaving, perhaps for t
ever, many OF the gallant fellows, the +
most valued friends of my life.
There came at the moment to my s
mind the touching words of Bonni- I
vurd, Byron's Prisoner of Chill j
lon:"
- Yet strange to tell. :
In quiet we had learned to dwell :
Nv very chains and / grew friends,
So much a long communion tends '
To make us what we are Even |
Regained my freedom with sigh" 3