The National tribune., 1883-02-08
THE MYSTERIOUS SPRING.
An 4ndersOnviIle Prisoner Relates the Story Of its
Origin.

COmrade r. P. Black, of Parker City Pa,
who was prisoner at Andersonville, gives the
following account of the origin of the prOvi-
Dental spring described by Little Red Cap in
the course of his "reminiscences:
was one of the instruments employed by Provi-
dence in discovering that spring. Do any of my
old comrades recollect the conspiracy that was
formed in the prison for the purpose of making our
escape in a body, and discovered by Wirz only a
few hours before being attempted? i have not
seen it mentioned by any one but doubtless many
will now recall it. 1t got up by a sergeant
from Indiana, think, and was directly interested
In It, III fact one of the first to join. We
tered or sworn In by very binding oath, and on
the recommendation of at least two members of it.
We were sworn to secrecy, to obey our leaders
promptly even If instant death was the result. We
made the best of preparations means would al
low of in every way. We dug tunnels from inside
the stOckade to under where those artillery guns
stood outside, near Wirzs headquarters and mada
the space under the guns large enough to hold ten
or fifteen men. We also had tunnels to near where
the guns stood near the north gate. We also dug.
more from near the head of the swamp in to the
stOckade, about One-quarter of the way from the
brook TO the north gate and mined out all the dirt
for nearly seventy feet along the stOckade leaving
II so that by making rush In body against the
stockade II would all fall outward, making an inn
mense gap, by which we expected to get out in a
this dirt we had trouble with water coming in on
us, and drove plugs In the water-courses to hold it
back, but there must have been considerable water
there to keep that swamp so wet and muddy in the
dFyest and hottest weather. If the ex-prisOners
VIII tIaJ spring started Just after
spell which softened the ground and gave the water
a chance to break into old tunnel hole. IL
came out near one of our entrances. Do they also
remember the time of the big flood" in july
when the brook raised and that mined place in
the stockade fell down, and WirZ and his guards
lad to turn out in the rain and stand there keep
US in? 1t was that much consolation to us at the
time. We We're not the only ones that got wet, but
work and plans were all frustrated, for some
one turned infOrmer and told WirZ the whole plan
in the forenoon, 1--WE to make the attempt at 3
p. NJ and soon notices of the information We're
posted all through the prison, troops were seen
coming III by train loads and the artillery was
placed to rake the prison with grape and canister.
We missed getting out, but gave the rebs good
scare, and had something 10 engage minds and
time which kept Us from fretting giving way to
despair while at work. Hope springs
eternal in the human breast and hope in this case
kept UP while at it, and we could only laugh
and hope for better luck next time. The one we
suspected for informing was one-legged
prisoner captured at Chickanauga. He went by
the name of Chickamauga or The Parrot" =" the
latter name account of his terrible big hooked
nose. The prisoners were down him from this
on until day he walked deliberately inside the
dead-ne, and, after repeated warnings, was shot
dead by one of the sentry.