The National tribune., 1883-07-05
TOLD BY SURVIVORS,
Stories Of Prison Life and Escapes to
Gods Country.
To the Editor NATIONAL tribune:

To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
On the night of February o. 1863 when the
famous tunnel was finished at Libby Prison,
there was naturally some excitement. soon got
the countersign, which was the word fifteen
no one could pass without it-and presently
found myself on the outside of old Libby with
two of my friends, Lieutenants Eugene Hales,
of the First Rhode Island cavalry and Harris,
of the Third Ohio infantry. We were not long
in walking away, but our progress was not
not altogether untroubled We were halted on
the streets of Richmond by sentinel, who was
guarding some kind of a building l made
him believe that we belonged to the rebel
army, part of which were then encamped on
the outskirts of the city, and he let US pass.
We soon found ourselves at the outer line of
breastworks. Everything was favorable. There
was not soul there to modest us. We got upon
the works and gave one last, farewell look
back towards cid Libby. As soon as we left
the works we were in the brush and swamps.
There, sir, we were, thousand miles from
home, without anything to eat, in an enemy
country, and liable to be shot at any moment.
We suffered much with the cold When we
reached the Chickahominy River, about eight
miles from Richmond, cur sufTerings began.
The river was frozen at the edges, the ice being
about an inch thick This | broke with my
bare feet. | had taken my clothes all off ex-
bank where [ broke the ice. | got in alone,
but got out as soon as l could. My shirt was
frozen as bard as a board in three minutes. L
told the lieutenants that we never could wade
and would have to make arrangements to swim.
There was rebel picket within shooting dis
lance of u.s. We could see him building up his
fire. He was great fellow tossing, and he keptit
up. Ii he had been quiet he would have heard
us in the ice and water. | stood there awhile
with nothing me but that frozen shirt.
Presently one of the leutenants asked me to go
IN again; perhaps the stream was deepest there.
l went iii again and soon found it was the
deepest. l metioned for the ieutenants to
come on, and we got over the stream. In two
or three hours daylight began to appear. We
selected a large swamp for our hlding-place
during the day, as we dared not travel in day
time. We could hear the barking of dogs on
| some of the plantations. This made Us feel
uneasy for we knew that all Richmond would
be after US, but the dogs never molested U.S. L
sat in that swamp that long cold day with
piece of wood in my mouth to keep my teeth
from rafting, and warmed my feet with nay
hands, and my hands by blowing my breath on
them.
A COLD TRAMP.
When we started out of the swamp we could
hardly move hand or foot and oh, but was | not
hungry! Iwould have given all that ever ex-
| pected TO have for a good warm breakfast. /
!
| with me entreated me to go to some house and
| get something to eat. But was determined
| that no one should see me until we were safe
within the Union lines The country was
! swarining with rebels; none of us had the least
| knowledge of the locality, Neither of the
armies were moving and the pickets had fires,
| and these would sometimes be so close together
| that we would have to get down and crawl
/ through other times SO far apart that we
! could walk through unmolested. We travelled
| about twenty-five miles on the second night.
| Our next hiding place was high hill where
! the brush and timber was thick. The sun
shone q little on that day, and small patches
of sunshine were eagerly sought for by us.
! While in one of these sunny spots would
/ doze-off, then in a few minutes the sun would
! be gone and | would wake up almost frozen.
/ This day we saw about 5000 rebels on a train
on the York River r. K. 1t was another day
/ Of long, tedious suffering, but night came at
! last. We had nothing TO guide us but the
North star. Up to this time l did not think
that was suffering very much from hunger,
/ but now / began to suffer so keenly that If
! / had had a poor dog and knife TO kill
! him with, l should have eaten him raw, and
| thought it good. About II o'clock on the third
| and last night, Lieutenant Hales got sick and
| laid down. He told Harris and myself to go
! ahead, save ourselves, and let him stay there.
! Poor fellow, how did pity him. We tried TO
| help him along, but soon saw that we would
| have to leave him to the mercy of the rebs.
/ We We're III section of country where the
| large timber had long ago been cut, and the
/ underground was very thick. l saw dim
| light in small cabin, and told Lieutenant
| Hales that | thought perhaps he could get
/ something warm to drink and something TO
! eat at the hut. | went with him to within
about two rods of the cabin, but could hear
nothing, and see only very dim light. The
| door of the cabin was on the opposite side. /
l lot Of lsattta ant nv
| and stood there until / heard him open the
| door. / could still hear nothing, and went to
| where had left poor Harris. We travelled on as
fast as we could. Then / saw for the first time
that it would not do for me to sit down to rest.
LUCKY FIND.
| had presence of mind enough yet to know
that if ! sat down ten minutes l would become
| SO stiff that / never would get away from there
unless the rebs should take me away. Harris
/ began to complain very bitterly but said that
| if he had something to eat he could make
| it. We travelled until daylight began to
make its appearance. Neither of US could
/ scarcely walk or talk. Just then | saw in
field cabbage which had been partly
| buried. / told Harris to hold on to the fence
| until went after it. pulled up two pretty
| good heads but when l got back TO Harris
| he was down, and never would have gotten
| away from there if | had left him. After
/ pulling off some of the dirty leaves of one
| of the heads, l rubbed it over his mouth,
| telling him / had something to eat. You
| ought to have seen him go for that cab
| bage. The moment we began to eat it we
| could walk and talk better. / never ate any
| thing before and never expect to again, that
did me as much good The last five or six
| miles we travelled was after daylight, but we
proceeded very carefully. We began to find
| bits of newspaper, one piece being the half of
some Baltimore paper, and we were certain by
| these signs and fresh horse tracks, that some of
the cavalry stationed at Williamsburgh had
| been there How eager 1 was to read every
| word After awhile we came to large OPEN
| ing, and judged by the appearance of things
| that there had been battle fought there. 1t
was where Mcclellan fought the battle of Viii
| liamsburgh. Away in the distance we could
! see a line of pickets, and beyond high ground
| We did not know whether the pickets were
| Union boys or rebs Away to the left ex-
| tended high brush ground. We concluded to
go to this ground. Imagine our joy when
/ reaching there to see the Stars and Stripes
floating from the top of a large building ON the
| high ground. In few moments we were safe
within the lines / told the provost marshal
that at least forty officers had made their escape
! from old Libby, and how many more / did not
! know, by the tunnel. | saw that he was doubt
ing me and my story, but, happening to think
| of my little memorandum book, the only thing
\ + hrou ol,t old + ihhxr tn