The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-04-26

aba 10 the hanus OF Tue enemy, told very
plainly on many of the prisoners The friends
Of the melancholy would take every means
possible to brace them up, TO amuse them, and
make their confinement as light as possible.
If this had not been done in the case of Col.
VIII Denny, / am sure he would have died.
He was a friend of mine before we entered the
army. In one end of the long room group
would to holding prayer meeting, while at
the same time III the other end a group would
be engaged in hilarious laughter over, proba-
bly,, some lmpromptu amusement, or possibly
some prepared entertainment. These things
were done with no irrevereut purpose, but be-
cause they We're necessities to stimulate the
minds and hearts of all tending toward de-
spOndCncy. But in spite of all that could be
done many would give up to die, and declare
they would never see home and friends again
in this world.
The escape of Col. Streight and the other
l39-odd, through the tunnel beneath the street
and the opposite lot, had a wonderfully buoy
ant effect on those of US left behind. Ii was an
event that gave rs something new to think
about. The tunnel opened to the great free
world outside. near lamp post at a street
corner. On the night of the escape, as of course
on every other night, this post was lighted.
Just before the attempt was made for freedom
a Pennsylvania Colonel, whose name / have
forgotten. passed out through the tunnel TO re-
cOnnoiter and report the situation. He climbed
up that lamp post at the street corner near
the mouth Of the tunnel, and cOoily turned out
the gasight and then passed entirely around
the prison, standing like great mountain of
blackness III the darkness. After this careful
survey of the situation he returned through
the tunnel and reported all clear The escape
is a matter of history. But the events in the
prison the next morning were lively and inter
esting. Roll-call proceeded on this morning
as usual, four in file and when the count was
sF,,r Il
about hundred. The rebels were not salts
fed with the count, and had Us to stand in
files of four in the west room while they count
ed the files. These files were not all full, and
the boys held up their hats on their hands in
the vacant places in the adjacent files. Still
the count was short. Those making the roll
call thought it strange, but the suspicion
that any had escaped had not dawned upon
their minds as yet. Then they drove US
TO the east room and had us pass out
Singly through the open space between the
points of the two Misunderstanding bayOnetS
thrust IN at the open door. While this count
was going on the boys sawed a hole through
a closed door IN the partition, and went back
into the east room and were counted again as
they passed a second time through the vgilant
bay0nets The boys did this Just little too
good, for the count was a little over a hundred
too many this time. Then we were put into the
east room again, and no foOing this time.
They counted us, and when they reached d
hundred they simply put pencil mark on
sheet Of paper to represent the hundred count
ed. When the count was now completed, they
found they did not have enough prisoners by
over a hundred. Then they thought it posi-
bic that they had missed putting down a mark
for a hundred. They reported again TO the
prison authorities the result Of the roll-call,
and this not being satisfactory they were sent
back 10 do their work over again. Roll call
always came before breakfast, and we fooled
them in this manner till after 10 o'clock in the
morning, and without breakfast
Then suspicion seemed to have crept into
their dull heads, and they came into the west
room and inquired:
g Where's Col. StTeight?'
90 Why, he just this minute went into the
middle room,' some one answered. They pro-
ceeded to the middle room and asked:
-" Where's Col. StreightY
Why, he just passed over into the east
room
Then they went into the east room and pro-
pounded:
- Where's Col. streight?'
60 He's just gone down below some cunning
/ fellow answered.
"Thns they hanted for Col streight, but did
not ind him.
Then they came back into the room and
mingled with the boys in the hope of catching
F oD4nG AGiAdAh buab hOAlN 4tfe6l the bcCfcbs
The boys, aware of their intent collected into
groups and began to discuss improbable things
about the escape. The rebel spies overheard
this, intended for their ears but without letting
+ them know it was so intended.
They bribsd the guards, and got away
down the waier-clOset where the board is off
! Those guards got 90 watches or more and a great
deal of money
The fools evidently believed this They
examined the water-clOset at once Looking
out Of the windows a little later we saw the
4 guards all up IN rows and diligent search be-
ing made Of them FOR the watches and money
I This afforded US food for great laughter OF
/ course they got no watches or money from the
/ guards.
4 The matter had gone on 50 long without
I discovery that We began to hope we might use
+ the tunnel a second night. But they caught
! on 70 the fact at last, and began to search the
building for the place of escape. And in time
I they found It. That ended our hopes Of exit
through the tunnel.
II IS said, but / do not know the truth Of
+ II, that a rebel officer and a darky were going
through the cellar one day, and the darby dis
+ covered a shoe sticking out of the straw. Hav-
ing poor shoes himselfhe took hold of it, intend
ing 70 take it for mis- own use, and when he
found that the shoe was on the foot Of a man
/ covered up ia the straw, he was frightened
nearly to death, and in his great surprise ex-
/ claimed yociferousiy:
Wheh!'
What +? inquired the rebel officer in some
+ little establishment.
Taking a second, sober thought, and with
4 the instructive shrewdness Of his race, the
/ darby answered coolly:
50 What q Tati'
il Is said that the approach Of the rebel
/ officer and the darby in the cellar was so un-
/ expected that the laborers in the tunnel had
! scarcely time TO hide. This man hid in the
straw SO hastily that be did not get his foot out
Of sight But the discovery was not made
/ then
The evening after the escape some of the
men who got away were brought back They
had been overtakcu by the rebels The most
/ Of them were Teeaptured but they did not get
Col Streght. Some were brought in badly
/ torn by bloUdLouuds. The sight was indeed a
. pitiab.e one. But war knows no mercy.
Grant was laughed at by the rebels They
said he was no General at ALL But | noticed
that when Grant got command Of the Eastern
. army, they began 10 shift their prisoners 10
safer quarters. j was taken with others to the
Macon stockade May g. 1864 and two months
| later was sent 10 Charleston, under the fire oi
the Union guns. One day 20-pound piece Of
shell came crashing through the roof Of tile
I building IN which / was confined 1t did no
particular harm.
Six or seven weeks afterward we were sent
/ from Charleston 10 the Columbia st0ckade Nc
one was allowed 10 pass the dcad-iine' under
rf gI4,. IL