The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-06
THE LIBBY PRISON TUNNEL
Capt. Moran Tells Again How This
Famous Hole Was Dug and Used.
Perils Encountered in RAT HelP-The Night
the 100 Departed-The Narrative as Re-
peated by One of The Men Engaged
New York Times.

\ Under the title Colonel Roses runner AZ
Libby Prison." Capt. Frank e. Moran contrib
utes to the March number of the Century one
of the most interesting of the remarkable series
of war papers published by that MAGAZINE.
Captain Moran was one of the 100 Union officers
who escaped through the tunnel the night
of Feb. 9, 1864, and one of the unfortunate
forty-eight who were afterward recsptured. OF
the fifteen men who dug the tunnel. twelve are
still living. These twelve include Colonel Rose
himself, .the engineer aud leader in the plot
throughout who is now a captain in the Six
teenth United States Infantry, and who in the
war was colonel OF the Seventy-seveuth Penn
sylvania Volunteers. Colonel Rose made
prisoner at Chickamauga, and arrived at Libby
prison on Oct l. 1868.
Libby Prison was a three-story structure,
having cellar the floor Of which on one side Of
the building was on level with the street On
fits four sides the prison was detached struct-
IRE, 80 that euardsmen paraded along every
part OF its walls. at one end however, besides
The space for the guardsmen to walk, there was
\ vacant lot of fifty feet width, and beyond this
d high fence and group Of buildings independent
or the prison. 1t was under this lot and into
the yard formed By these buildings and the
fence that the tunnel was made. But in order
TO begin operations it was necessary to enter
section OF the prison cellar that walled off
from the other portions and was not accessible
from the room directly above IT. because that
room was Ia use night and day as hospital
Only from tie adjoining room-the kitchen
was il safe to descend This section of the cell
lar given the name RAT He'll Its floor
was covered with packing straw TO an average
depth of two feet, and thus it afforded shelter
10 large colony Of rats, and hence the name.
Says Captain Moran:
There was, in fact, but one plan by which
Rat He'll could be reached without detection,
and the conception of this device and its sue
eessful execution due TO the stout-hearted
Hamilton. This was to cut ahole in the back of
the kitchen fireplace; the ineision must be just
FAR enough to preserve the opposite or hospital
side intact. IL must then be cut downward
to point below the level OF the hospital floor,
then eastward into Rat He'll, the completed
Gpening thus to describe the letter 81 1t
must be wide enough to let q man through, yet
the wall must not be broken on the hospital
side above the floor, nor marred on the carpen-
ter's-shop side below. Such break would be
fatal. for both Of these points were conspicuous
" exposed to the view of the confederates every
hour in the day. Moreover it was mperativelv
necessary that all traces of the beginning of the
opening should be concealed, not only from the
confederate officials and guards. who were con-
stantly passing the spot cry day, but from the
hundreds OF uninitiAted prisoners who crowded
ground the stove just IN front Of 1t from dawn
gill dark.
Work could only be possible between the
hours of 10 at night when the room was gen.
orally abandoned by the prisoners because of it's
Inundated condition, and o'clock in the morn
ing. when the earliest riserS were again astir It
was necessary to do the work with an old jack
knife and one of the chisels previously secured
by Rose. IL must be done in darkness and with
out noise. for vieilans sentinel paced the
Carey street. sidewalk just outside the door and
within ten feet of the fireplace. Arubber blauke
was procured and the soot from the chimney
carefully swept into it. Hamilton, with bis old
knife. cut the mortar between the bricks and
pried dozen of them out, being careful to pre-
Be rye them whole.
''The rest of the incisiou was made in accord
ance with the design described, but no concep-
tion could have been formed beforehand of the
eiekening Tediousness of cutting 'S-shaped
hole through heavy wall with feeble old
jackknife, in stolen hours of darkness. Rose
guarded his comrade against the constant dan
ger Of INTERRUPTION by alert enemies on one side
and by laundering friends on lhe other; and, as
frequently happens IN human AFFAIRS. their
friends gave them more trouble than their foes.
Night after night passed, and still the two
got up alter taps from their t.ard beds. and de-
scended to the dismal and reeking kitchen to
bore for liberty When the sentinels call at
Castle Thunder and at Libby announced
o'clock the dislodged bricks were carefully re-
placed, and the SCOT previously gathered in the
gum blanket was flung 10 handfuls against the
restored wall. filling the seams SO entirely be-
tween the bricks to defy detection At last
after many weary nights. Hamilton's heroic
patience and skill WAS rewarded. and the way
was open to the coveted base OF operations, Rat
HeH.n
Various were the plans proposed for some sort
of escape through this part Of the cellar be-
fore the tunnel under the vacant lot was under
taken:
1.-THE first plan was TO dig down alongside the
east wall and under il until it was passed, then
turn south ward and make for the large street
sewer next the canal. and into which Ross had
before noticed workmen descending. This sewer
was q large one, believed to be fully six feet
he cOnld ha
little doubt that an adjacent opening 10 the
canal would he found to the eastward. It was
very revealed, however, that the lower side
of Libby was built upon ponderous timbers, be-
low which they could not hope 10 penetrate with
their meager stock of tools-sueh. at least, was
the opinion OF nearly all the party. Rose never
theless determined that the effort should be
made. ana they we're soon ar work with OLD pen
knives and case knives hacked into saws. After
infinite labor they at length cut through t he
great logs, only to be met by an unforeseen and
Still moro form idabe barrier. Their tunnel, in
fact, had penetrated below the level of the
canal. Water began to filter in-feebly at first
but at last it broke ia with rush that
near drowning Rose. who barely had time TO
make his escape. The opening was therefore
plugged mp; and to do this RAPIDLY and leave no
dangerous traces put the party their wits end.
IAN attempt was next made TO dig into a small
sewer that ran from the southeast corner of the
prison into the main sewer. After number of
nights of hard labor, this opening was extended
90 point below brick furnace, in which were
incassd several caldrons The weight Of this
furnace caused a CAVERN near the sentinels path
outSide the prison wall Next day q groap of
officers were seen cycling the break curiousiy.
Rose, listening at window above. heard the
word rats repeated by them several times, and
took comfort. The dav he entered the
cellar alone. and felt that if the suspicious of
the confederates were really awakened a trap
would be set for him in Rat He'll, and deter
mined. If snch were really the case, that he
would be the only victim caught. He therefore
entered the little partitioned corner-room with
some anxiety, but there visible evidence.
AZ re hA III ann MI 1f1
rose.'
But in spite Of these failures Rose and Hamil-
ton pressed on with their efforts:
''bIost Of the party were now really i'll from
the foul stencil In which they had lived 80 long
The visions of liberty that had first ured them
to desperata efforts under the inspiration OF Rose
and Hamilton had at last faded and one by one
they lost heart and hope and frankly told Col
Rose that they could do more The party
was therefore dsbAndsd. and the vet sanRuine
leader. with Hamilton for bis sole heloer con-