The Hartford herald., 1885-06-17
MORGAN'S ESCAPE.
Judge Hines Version Denounced as
Incorrect by the Real Hero
of the Escape

| GENTLEMEN II have recently had
the privilege of reading several ac-
counts Of the escape Of Gen. Morgan
and six Others from the penitentiary AT
Columbus, Ohio, on the night of the
2sth of November, 1863. These ac-
counts to me have been both pleasant
and painful pleasant, that they call to
mind the SCENES of by-gone days, and
the many stirring events connected
with that memorable struggle. Pain
ful, because in all the published reports
Of that escape from the old State prison
not one of them So far has been cor
rect. Had the brave Gen. Morgan
lived to give his version of that affair
it would be unnecessary at this time for
me to say anything about il. He would
have seen that every man connected
Herewith should have had justice done
him, and that the hOnors, if any there
we're, in the escape, should rest where
they justly belong, and not upon one
whose only work was to sit in his cell
door and study French. In every pub
lislied account heretofore Capt. Hines
has made himself the hero of the whole
escape, while others have been made
to occupy inferior positions or have
been entirely ignored.
The Southern Bivouac for June has a
lengthy article upon the escape of Nor
gan and his men, written by this hero
Hines and vOuched for by Gen. Basil
w. Duke, who seems to he grooming
the judge for the coming Appellate
election. ! am much surprised at
many statements that he has made to
the world in that wonderful article of
his. He claims the honor of origina-
ting the scheme to escape, and also to
haye laid out and carried into effect the
plans, the successful workings of which
enabled Us once more to breathe the
air of liberty. L propose, though an
humble citizen of this Commonwealth,
by the consent of the editors of the
Cleaner, through their most excellent
paper, to give the true version of the
affair, let il hurt whom it may. Gross
injustice has been done to many good
men, brave and true, in the accounts
heretofore published of this marvellous
escape, while some have reaped honor
therefor who were not entitled to it,
say positively that Judge Hines did
not originate the idea of escape Capt.
Sam Taylor and myself had the plans
all laid and ready to begin work before
he, Hines, knew anything whateysr OF
the affair. On the last day of October,
1868, Capt. Hines came into cell No.
2s, which was the one occupied by my-
self Capt. Taylor aud | were seated
on my bed engaged in conversation in
regard to our escape, when Hines came
in and asked il "we were not plotting
against the whites" Capt. Taylor re.
piled: "YOu are damned mighty right, ="
which was his way of swearing. Capt.
Hines certainly cannot forget that then
and there We informed him of our in.
tentiOns, and Oh certain conditions let
him into the secret as third party.
At the proper time | shall let the reader
know what these conditions were, and
shall also probably ask the captain
some questions that will surprise the
many. The truth must and shall be
told, let it affect who it may. In Basil
w. Dukes history he gets my name AS
James HOckersmith. James Hooker
smith was in the Federal army.
know not where he got his informa-
tion, unless it was from Capt. Sheldon
or some one who was actually engaged
in the work. Capt. Sheldon did faith
full work in our efforts to escape, as did
Others. In Collins History of Ken
tucky there Is another account given
by Judge Hines, which is far from be-
ing correct, and i'm which he again fig
ures as the hero. Seven years ago,
while the captain was candidate for
| judge of the Court of Appeals, he came
to MadisOnville, my home, where he
was almost stranger. He sent for me
to call upon him, and seemed surprised
to find that | was opposed to him in
his race. gave as my reasons that in
his account in Collins History that
and others had been ignored, while he
had taken to himself the whole credit
for the escape. He said that | judged
him wrong; that he had referred Col.
lins to Capt. Sheldon and myself for q
correct account of this, and that the
history was to be revised and that he
himself would see that justice was done
to all. lie failed to do this, but is now
writing history himself, backed b,
Basil Duke, and that history is farther
fro m being correct than the first.
| | propose to correct some of the many
errors that have been written in regard
to that midnight escape, and hope that
neither Judge Hines nor any one else
will take offense at what may be said
or written in this series of articles, as
it is my desire to simply give "A true
version of the whole affair, to neither
rob any one of any honor due him, nor
give to any man credit that belongs to
another.
Let us now suppose case, so that
We may be able to see who could prop
erly describe the scenes of that Novem-
ber of 1868. Two men 90 through the
Mammoth Cave, one of them rushing
through as if for life itself His time is
limited; if he fails to get through In a
certain time he forfeits liberty and
perhaps life itself. The other has days
and weeks before him; he takes his
time he lives in there. Which of the
two can give the better description oi