Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-06-13
PRISONERS AT CAMP CHASE.
The Enterprise Displayed in Planning and
Constructing TunneIs-TooIs Tsed

constructing tunnels Tools sed.
While at Camp Chase we learned in Va
7uuS ways how some Of our fellow prison
rs at Camp Morton were killed wan
only as We thought while attempting Il"
.sCLpe by tunnels which they had made
rom within their prison iuClusure. Pos
uhiy these statements were made to check
Is in similar efforts for escape, As the
planning and constructing of tunnels. car
~lcd on with great secrecy, was popular
enterprise for several months in Camp
ha~e after all hopes of an early exchange
were destroyed. We learned and had rra
IONS to believe that when it was known by
those in command at Camp Morton that
such a tunnel would come out at a certain
point beyond the walls, the guards had
r!rrs to shoot any prisoners who made
heir exit there, and that some were 50
shot without any other attempt to secure
them. For the correctness Of this state
mrnt We must rely ON men then confined
At Camp Morton To COrruhorate OF deny il.
Certain it is that attempts at "tunnelng
jut' were continued at Camp Chase in
,pite Of such statements, up to the very
time that all officers confined at Column
bus, Ohio, including those Of Gen. John
II lh'l Ehlir NtIt ItlllpNttl III hhiNlp NJ
10 Fort Delaware, where, il they sue
cee'ied in tunneling, their tunnels would
come out in the waters Of Delaware bay.
When We left, a shaft and tunnel were in
progress under the floor of our mess room.
some idea of the extreme difficulty and
7luwncss of these efforts for liberty may
be formed from the following facts: Az
the work was done in the darkness Of the
night, after taps by details and Tellefs
from the most trusted men Of our number.
for spies We're kept among us, and it was
hard Ia identify them. After taps our
lire was allowed To die down. The stove
was moved enough from its position to
take up some Of the rough boa 'ds Of the
loose floor as noiselesly rs pu ,sible In
this way the shaft was sunk il the earth
Immediately under the stOvt, the tiOOr
being near the ground. Toward morning
everything was carefully put back in its
place. and no visible traces ut the nights :
work were left 1t may he asked, how
lid yuu get tools for digging and what
was done with the dirt removed from
these tunnels2 \ file was obtained 10y
careful management; then a strap hinge
was taken from AN out house. This hinge
made two excellent small hoes for tunnel
iuy
low With the file the two straps" Of
the hinge We're cut apart where they
unite The broad part Of each strap
was heated and bent. and then sharpenrd
ike a hoe on the broad edge Each strap
was fastened with the screws taken from
the hinge to small wooden handle, less
than foot long This made Il convenient
and effective hoe for such work, in close
quarters" as the men did who formed the
working force in their unique mining. The
dirt removed from the tunnels was put in
large pockets concealed in the clothes Of
the workers. When these pockets were
filled they were emptied into the common
sink" within the prison walls, To which
prisoners were allowed access AT all hours
OF the night Our -sappers and miners
found this work warmer than one might
suppose on those winter nights in Ohio;
for they We're working in narrow tunnels
under ground, and they were buoyed by
the exciting hope Of escape. Your readers
would be astOnished if Informed of the
amount Of fwork accomplished by these sim
pie COntrivances Of our southern soldiers
J. W. \. Wright in Southern Bivouac.