Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-05-31
PRISONERS AT CAMP CHASE.

The Enterprise Displayed in Planning end
Constructing Tunnels-Tools Used.
While at Camp Chase we learned in va
rious ways how some of our fellow-prison-
ers at Camp Morton were killed-wan-
tonly as we thought-while attempting, to
escape by tunnels which they had made
from within their prison Enclosure. Pos
sibly these statements were made to check
us in similar efforts for escape, as the
planning and constructing of tunnels, car
ried on with great secrecy, was q popular
enterprise for several months in Camp
Chase after all hopes of an early exchange
were destroyed. We learned and had rea-
sons 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
orders to shoot any prisoners who made
their exit there and that sorne were SO
shot without any other attempt to secure
them. For the correctness of this state
ment we must rely on men then confined
at Camp Morton to corroborate or deny it.
Certain it is that attempts at %"tunneling
out" We're continued at Camp Chase in
spite of such statements, up to the very
time that all officers confined at Column
bus, Ohio, including those of Gen. John
III. Morgan, We're removed in March, 1864,
to Fort Delaware, where, if they sue
ceeded 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
slowness of these efforts for liberty may
be formed from the following facts: All
the work was done in the darkness of the
night, after "taps' by details and reliefs
from the most trusted men OF our number.
for spies were kept among us, and it was
hard to identify them. After "taps" oul
fire was allowed to die down. The stove
was moved enough from its position tc
take up some OF the rough boards of the
loose floor as noiselesly as possible. In
this way the shaft was sunk in the earth
Immediately under the stove, the fool
being near the ground. Toward morning
everything was carefully put back in its
place, and nc visible traces Of the nights
work were left. 1t may be asked, how
did you get tools for digging, and what
was done with the dirt removed from
these tunnels? A file was obtained by
careful management; then a "strap-hinge'
was taken from an out house. This hinge
made two excellent small hoes for tunnel
ing.
How? With the file the two straps of
the hinge were cut apart where they
unite. The broad part of each strap
was heated and bent, and then sharpened
like a hoe on the broad edge. Each strap
was fastened with the screws taken from
the hinge to a small wooden handle, les.
than a foot long. This made a convenient
and effective hoe for such work, ain close
quarters" as the men did who formed the
working force in their unique mining. The
dirt removed from the tunnels was put il
large pockets" concealed in the clothes o.
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 hour!
of the night. Our ''sappers and miners
found this work warmer than one nigh
suppose on those winter nights in Ohio
for they Were working in narrow tunnels
under ground, and they were buoyed by
the exciting hope of escape. Your reader.
would be astonished if informed of the
amount of work accomplished by these sim
pie c-ontrivances of our southern soldiers
-Js w. A. Wright in Southern Bivouac.