Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-11-12
THE GREAT CONSPIRACY.
An tx Confederate soldier Tells Of the
Organization at Camp Chase, Ohio,
OF an Escape League.
How Preparations were Made and Six
Thou'and Men Disappointed--Out-
side Aid PROMISED.
AnIIveroN. TEx.. Noy. 9. lsse

while in Northern prison.
reached Camp Chase, ..ohioi on the
9th Of August, 1864. Froin thbn until
some time in September we were treated as
well as we could expect under the circum-
stances; had more rations issued to us
than we could eat. But, as we'll as
now remember, about the 10th Of Sep
TENDER, we were notified that our, rations
would be curtailed, and that nothing
would In future be sold to prisoners that
could be used as food, being told at the
same time that 1t was done by
partment as retaliation for. treat
ment of Northern prisoners at An
derson, Libby and other Southern prisons.
Smallpox broke out among US some time
during November, great many dying in
the hospitals and Of those sent BACK in
the prison as convalescent, but few re.
covered, as the rations were not sufficient,
either in quality or quantity, to build up
the system, making them an easy prey to
pneumonia. During December Of that
year, we learned that there was a secret
organization In Ohio, Illinois and Indi-
ana, organized by those opposed TO the
war policies of the government at Wash
ington, and would lend us all the assist-
ance in their power to aid us In our es-
cape to the South, II we could once get
out of prison We were dying at fear
full rate from starvation and disease, and
had been told that no more prisoners
woul be exchanged, consequently were
In just the right frame OF mind to under
take any desperate chances for liberty.
A secret organization was formed with
that object In view--a requisite to mem
bership being that the applicant must be
recommended by some member who
could youch for his loyalty to the South
ern cause and take an oath that he would
reveal nothing and obey any and all orders
from his officers at any hour, though he
knew that IN so doing death would be
certain.
A commaader.in was selected,
clothed with discretionary powers as to
when and how to make break for lib.
erty. We were then organized into GEM
panies, regiments and origades, with the
necessary commissioned and non commits
stoned officers. We were then set quietly
to work making preparation. Every man
who could spare blanket was ordered
to manufacture it Into rope ladder,
which was done as follows: The blankets
were cut in strips about four inches wide
and plated together like rope (making
large knot evSry sixteen inches), of
sufficient length to reach TO the top of the
parapet. On one end 8 forked stick was
fastened to act as grapple, when thrown
to the top OF the parapet. Others were
ordered to prepare sings (such as school
boys now use) and to gather up stones,
pieces OF iron or anything that could be
used, of sufficient size and might to kill
or disable man. Others were ordered
to secure anything they could find, when
the orders were given to answer as
batterlng rams, to break down the prison
walls. Others had orders to rush TO the
armory, which was just Ia font of he
| prison gates, and secure the arms and
ammunition and overpower any of
the guards who had not been killed or
disabled. All of these preparations were
so quietly made that no one not member
would see or hear anything which would
ever cause him to suspect that an orgaui-
cation OF any kind was in existence. We
were ordered not TO talk to each other on
the subject, but could readily distinguish
each other by signs and pass words. All
details were arranged by the commander
in-chief, and his orders Issued to the off,
GERS by curriers', they being changed every
day by detailir the different companies.
The plan mapped out was, when we found
ourselves outside the prison walls, to
mount as many men as we could find
horses or mules for at the prison, who
had orders to take every horse they could
Had and bring them into the
marching column. Those unmounted
were to make hurried march to
olumous, six miles distant, where we
were assured that our friends would
nave horses and arms in readiness for a
large number Of us, and the government,
car and livery stables, state arsenal
and gun shop wodld be drawn on for the
| remainder.
We were then to make a forced march
to the Ohio river, where we expected to
llnd boats in readiness TO land us on the
sunny soil Of Dixie.
Some time after thorough organization
and preparation, we We're notified on
Saturday night about O'Clock, to be In
readiness at 8 o'clock next morning
| (when the gates were opened for the
scavenger carts) to make the break. A
lew minutes before O'Clock we were no.
Tined TO wait until p. M, at which time
the gates would be open again, Again
we were doomed to disappointment, as a
lew minutes before the time
we were ordered to hold ourselves
In readiness antil 8 a. m.
Monday morning. Again the order was
countermanded, and time set for 4p.m'
and again the time changed to a. M
Tuesday morning. Again the order was
countermanded Why the attempt WAS
not made on Sunday and Monday we
never knew, but on Tuesday il was slain
enough to our minds that the ATTEMPT
then could end only in disaster, az the
guards had been largely increased ON the
parapets, and everything betokene that
our plans had been discovered, or At
least suspected l am OF the opiuien
that II the orders had not been counter.
manded the movement would have been
success, as we had reliable information
that there were only four or ive hundred
!, armed men to guard us, while we acre
I'VE OF six thousand strong, though not All
were members Of our organization. Int
NC expected that all would ION
when they saw It's object The enihu-
siasm aud determination was at fever
heat, and would have carried them over
obstacles that, under ordinary clrcum-
stances, would have been unsurmount.
Ahle AA'~"ns-