The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-11-25
LIBBY PRISON RoMANCEs.
The Assistance Given Prisoners by Abbis
Green and Bette Van Lew

The Assistance Given Prisoners by Abbie
Green and Bette Van Lew
"Graff," in Chicago News.
The old. yellow, moth-covered books and pa
pers OF Libby prison tell a not unromantic tale
of two women who were directly connected with
two momentous events OF the famous Southern
prison.
After the war these ladies figured in good posi-
tions in the gift of the government, which they
had ever proven loyal to, although surroundedby
rebels in the very hot-bed OF treason. One of
these was Miss Abbie Green. She fingered
about the old warehouse so much. IL her desire
to do something for the Union prisoners confined
therein, that she was told that if she did not
stop fooing with the - Yankee prisoners she
would be hustled into Castle Thunder
But she feared not, and it was she. as much
as any other person, who was the instigating
cause of III men escaping in body In the
prison was one Col. A. ID. Streight, who had or
gained an expedition having for its object the
raiding of the country in and around Rome, Ga
Forrest captured the whole of Them and they
were sent to Richmond prison.
Abbe Green happened to know Streight, and
she Struggled in to him pair of large Colt
revovers. with the word that if he would escape
he would be taken care of until he could get out
of the country One night some of the prison
ers standing at the window could, by the aid of
pale moonlight, see dark objects popping up.
as 1t were, from the very bowels of the earth in
vacant lot across the street Where
in the - are all those men coming trom2"
shouted one of the prisoners. Shut ND. you
= fool" said another, who was in the secret
Come away from that window and keep your
mouth shut" When the roll was called the
next morning III men were missing II
took my man JIM" Said my informant, 'the
next morning, and made an examination of
the lot across the street 1t was full of high
weeds, and directed Jim to get in and look
about In doing he suddenly disappeared.
When went to the spot where l had seen him
last. yawning hole confronted me. [ stood
there in wonder for moment, when looked
up and beheld Jim running out of the prison.
Then the whole thing dawned on my befuddled
mind. Those III men had got out of the prison
Ia the same manner that Black Jim had got
into it,
By means of large chimney the men had low
cred themselves to the basement where we kept
a large quantity of straw. The men had dug
down through the floor of the basement, across
the street forty-two feet, and emerged into the
vacant lot. The dirt taken from the hole was
piled in the room and covered with straw. IF it
hadn't been for very peculiar accident" con-
tinued the aged narrator, 1--WE would have lost
every able-bodied man in the prison that night"
Col. -Streight got fast in the hole The men had
dug under a gasmain, making sudden turn
down and then up. Streight was q big, heavy
fellow and in going under he got caught be-
tween his shoulders and hips The men in front
pulled and those in the rear pushed, but for
hours he remained in this plight, until toward
daybreak he was hauled out more dead than
alive 1t was then too daylight to
make the delivery general One hundred
and seventeen got away, but we captured more
than half of them. Streight was taken care OF
by Abbie Green, in little hut just outside the
city, where food was provided till he was able to
get away, which he finally did, and reached
Washington in safety" Miss Green was given
position in the United States Treasury po-
sition which she still holds.
1t will be remembered that when Grant be-
came President he gave the Richmond postoffice
to Miss Bette Van Lew. This act was generally
supposed to have been made a recognition Of
many acts of loyalty to the Union during the dark
days of the war This in general is true, but there
is one thing in particular which she did that is
not much known. It was Bette who, with her
big hearted mother, Mrs. Van Lew, received
into their home a sick man from the prison to
nurse back to life. This man was Calvin Hud-
son, jr., who like Congressman Ely. went down
to Bull Run to see the fight and was1sftarea
by the rebels and made prisoner of war. Both
these men were from Rochester, N. Y, and
for Congress. Hudson had married
the niece of Secretary Seward He
took typhoid fever, and failed rapidly. Through
the efforts of Ely and others he was secured pri-
vate quarters. and these at the residence of the
loyal Mrs. Van Lew For this Mrs. Van Lew
incurred the wrath of the fireeaters, and, if her
house had not been protected by tho command
ant of the prison Capt Corp" Gibbs) it would
have been mobbed.
Everything possible was done for poor Hud
son. But it was too late. The shadowy valley
had been entered ere he had left the prison,
and when the yellow leaves of October were
thickly falling without his window the feeble
pulse flickered and went out. It was a
sad death He had left his young wife in her
bright home in the North merely to become
an idle on-looker, never dreaming Of
the result of this unfortunate action. His last
hours were made as comfortable as possible by
the kind family under whose roof he died He
was buried in Mrs. Van Lewis private lot in
Church Hill Cemetery.
Brave. generous loyal Bette Van Lew! Let
the boys in blue revere her memory, and delight
to honor tne name of one who was true to the
flag when it took nerve to be so.