The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-05-14
LIBBY TUNNEL.
An Interesting Account of Its Construction.

An Interesting Account Of Its Construction.
To THE EDITOR: see in your issue of April
that l am called upon by Col. l. h. Dodge,
| Both Ind, to give full and complete history
of the Libby Prison tunnel He says that he
| knows well that am reluctant to do this, but
| he assigns reason therefor which / hardly
| think just. 1t is not false modesty that makes
me reluctant to do so. but it is because l am
not accustomed to writing articles for pubica-
| ton. Besides, | cannot write correct history
of the Libby Prison tunnel without dwelling on
| my own connection with its entire construction.
In this case, however. Col. Dodge says that it
is a duty that / owe to my comrades to write
this history for publication.
Capt. A. G. Hamilton, 18th Ky. Cav, (after-
wards promoted,) and myself began the tunnel
| scheme in the eastern cellar of the prison
| shortly after my arrival there Oct l, 1868 We
| continued our work but for a few days when
we We're compelled to suspend it by reason of
the shifting of the prisoners to different rooms;
also, the tearing down of stairways, walling up
doorways, etc, which continued for two or
| three weeks. During this time Hamilton and
myself cut our way down into the carpenter
shop. out of which we prepared to make
DASH FOR LIBERTY.
party of us then went down into the shop
for this purpose more than one occasion,
but the unexpected shifting of the prison.
guard prevented the attempt. This party ut
that time consisted of Hamilton, Fitzsimmons,
Mcdonald, Lucas and myself. This shop con-
tinued to be accommodating ground for some
time, and larger party, consisting of 20 men,
was organized to operate from this place; the
object being to overpower the guard and break
away whenever the near approach of raiding
| parties OF our own troops or other circumstance
would render this plan of escape practicable.
At length the shifting of the prisoners ceased
and the work of the prison officials seemed fin
ished. Then Hamilton and myself again
turned our attention to the tunnel project;
but we were now cut off from the eastern cell
| lar, the only place from which tunnel could
be made with success, for the reason that it
was the only place where we could conceal the
dirt and where we could work without inter
rupton for several hours at a time. The hos
ptal and hospital office were Immediately over
| this cellar. The carpenter shop and the dun
| geons were along side of it. We had access to
the din;rg-r0om, which, fortunately, was sell
dom visited by any one at night. 1t was from
| this place that we had cut into the carpenter
shop directly underneath, and we could cut
| through the carpenter-ShOp wall into the cell
lar, but the hole in the wall could not we'll be
concealed. We could cut through the dining
room wall into the hospital then through the
hospital floor into the cellar, but this plan
would not do for many reasons. We there
| fore resortcd to device the execution of
which has never been surpassed for care and
| skill, when it is considered that instruments
| little better than pocket-knives were used.
We went to the chimney, between the dining
room and hospital, close to the dining room
door, where the rebel sentinel stood. In the
fireplace Of this chimney was large amount
of SCOT and ashes. In front of the fireplace
were some stoves. We shifted the stoves lit
tie, removed the SCOT and ashes from the fire.
place and placed them in a gum blanket.
hole was then cut in the back wall just far
enough not to make an opening into the hos
nil 4hnnS tr ol,t uuh fhp IN
below the hospital floor, and just wide enough
not to make opening into the carpenter
shop; then straight out under the hospital
floor into the cellar, making hole through the
entire wall-sOmewhat in form of the letter s.
from the dinng-room into the cellar large
enough TO admit the passage of q man. The
material was so cut that after the hole was COM
pleted it could be replaced and removed at will,
and not vestige of the work be seen when the
material was replaced and the SCOT thrown
back. For the careful execution of this in
genious work the credit is due entirely to Ham,
ilton.
We now went down into tho cellar by means
of a strong rope, which was afterwards made
into rope-ladder, and recommended the work
which we had begun several weeks before.
There was no more very ingenious work to be
done after we made our way back again into
the eastern cellar, but there was a great deal
Of hard work before us. Three holes were
on the eastern side Of the cellar be-
fore a place was found where the dirt was
firm enough to support the tunnel. We were
now so much more secure from interruption
and discovery that determined to organize a
party of workmen. The great readiness that
had been shown by the prisoners TO engage in
the other adventures led me to suppose that
there would be but little difficulty in organic
ing party that would push the work through
in a very few days. Four men conld be on duty
at one time-0ne to dig, one to fan fresh air
into the tunnel, one to draw the dirt back and
deposit it, and one to stand guard near the rebel
sentinel and give the danger signal. party
of Is was therefore sufficient to be divided into
three reliefs each to work one night and have
two nights rest, and still have supernumeries
in case of sickness or accident.
Fifteen men therefore, including Hamilton
and myself, were selected to compose this party.
l found more difficulties with this arrangement
than l had anticipated. The men were totally
unused to the circumstances. The profound
darkness of the place caused some of them to
become bewildered when they attempted to
move about, and as absolute silence had to be
observed, they could not find their way to
places where they were needed or even find
their way out of the cellar, and, what was
worse, as the cellar was very large and no one
must speak above whisper, it was matter of
great difficulty to find them. / sometimes had
to feel all over the cellar to gather up the men
that were lost The ndescri baby bad odor
and impure atmosphere of the cellar made
some of them sick. The uncomfortable posi-
tions in which they had to work amid crawling
rats-the cellar was called rat h was
uncomfortable to some. To the unrefecting the
scheme seemed impracticable as soon as the
first burst of enthusiasm was over. The work
did not progress as thought it should In
very short time this party WAS disbanded, and
Hamilton and myself continued our dreary
work alone, as before, for many nights Every
day added to our experience and l resolved to
organize the working party anew. The same
men that composed the first working party, as
nearly as practicable, were assembled, and,
taking advantage of acquired experience, the
party was reorganized with great care. A few
of those who composed the first party, from
sickness or other cause, were not available, and
new men were selected to ell their places. The
party was divided into three permanent relefs
as before, and no man was permitted to do but
one kind of work. If he was not an expert at
the kind of work assigned to him he was Gu
joined upon to become so as quickly as possible.
This party now worked with energy and sys-
tenn, and, although their work progressed very
slowly at first, it increased each night, and in
II nights tho tunnel was completed from the
cellar to the shed in the yard on the west side
of the warehouse, from which the escape of the
prisoners was easily made.
To this band Of men, and to no other person
or persons, is the credit of the Libby Prison
tunnel due. It was this band Of men, headed
by myself which first escaped on the 9th of