Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-11-22

to concentrate at the rendezvouz of local
militia who guarded the city during the
absence of Lees army. held at some dis
tance from Richmond by the iron grasp of
Gen. Grant Everything was thought of
and provided for. and, if assisted by "a
| body of our cavalry. which Cesnole had
reason to expect. would make dash into
Richmond, would iberate the prisoners
therein enclosed. who constituted an army
in itself
Magnificent! But how to get out of the
Libby prison? In the first place. Cesnola
| to obtain much information that he need
ed, selected from the negroes who did
the menial services of the prison two of the
most intelligent and willing; these proved
invaluable for they kept him informed of
the movements of troops. of localities
| where arms were stored, of the residences
of important persons and of many other
things necessary for him to know. For
tunately at that time he was selected by
the Richmond authorities to distribute
among our poor naked prisoners at Belle
Isle the clothing forwarded to them by
the United States sanitary commission.
These daily excursions through the city
enabled him to observe many things learn
the topography OF the whole place, and
particularly of the most important lOcali-
ties. For two months he thus walked
daily the streets of Richmond. observing
and rejecting Little did his guard know
as he walked side by side with the chatty,
humorous colonel what was brewing in his
mind.
During the distribution of clothing he
became acquainted with most of our priS-
oners and many hopeful word did he
whisper in their ears. The plan was thus
fast maturing in his mind. and many dis
questions he had opportunities to make.
He felt now sure that if only 1000 Union
cavalry would make a dash into the city he
could liberate all the prisoners and take the
rebel capital For this purpose he wrote
to Gen Xii lpatrick, Col. Devin, Col. Custer,
Col. Dahlgreen and Col. Mcintosh (all cav
alryl, and selected me to communicate
with the War Department at Washington.
1t tneeded but this auxiliary assistance for
the successful execution of his plan. Every
thing was ready but he never heard a
word from any of those officers or from the
War Department. though he learned after
ward that they all received his letters con-
veying the intelligence. There is rarely
any doubt that the idea of delivering the
prisoners by a cavalry raid in Richmond,
credited to Fitzpatrick by his biOgrapher
was suggested to him by Cesnola'S letter,
although it would have been great i'm
pudence for Gen. Fitzpatrick to make the
attempt without a preconcerted plan of
action with the prisoners themselves.
The plan for the escape of the officer
prisoners from the Libby was as clever as
interesting. They organized all sorts of
which mn +rnf
exhibitions which gave them a great lati-
tude for applause and for noises of every
kind. There was very serious object in
these exhibitions of fun and frolic which
the guard in attendance was not acquaint-
ed with. They drew largely they were so
funny. The personnel of the guard off
duty found pleasure in attending them
everybody was in good humor. But the
sphinx was there watching and waiting to
turn the humorous into Il tragic scene
CeSnOla was the sphinx. who only wanted
a word of encouragement from Washing
ton to give the work that was to bring
about the metamorphosis. But no word
came, and CesnOa, night after night, re-
tired to his prison couch disappointed if
not disheartened. A word from him while
the play and shouting was going on and
the doors would have been closed the Con-
federate guards mixed with the audience
seized and gagged their uniforms taken
and put on the chosen braves. who, thus
disguised, were to descend and seize the
remaining guard on duty down stairs and
at the gates
This first step successful it would have
been easy to accomplish the rest.
One thousand Union cavalry dashing in
to Richmond at that moment and 10000
desperate, well organized men liberated in
less than an hour would have taken posses
sion of Richmond But. alas. not word
came from outside and time was passing
and even ambition was taking possession
of some of the officers Who should com
mand was question. Gen. Neai Dow was
the senior officer and would have been en-
titled by the United States militia regu-
latiOns to the command but he was not
competent for such work. Vanity and
ambition unfortunately reigned within
these walls of Squalor and and death. Col.
Cesnola was next in rank. and moreover he
had conceived the plan, but he was for
eigner. and that he should become the hero
of this daring deed was repulsive to nation
al vanity. And so the matter was whis-
pered, and even too loudly, for one morning
they found that new precautions had been
taken. and that the guarding force was
more than trebled. The secret was out
Who betrayed? One Union officer was
suspected, but Col. Cesnola as well as 9TH
ers in the secret, would not believe that
person guilty of 50 much treason. But the
fact remained that the Indifference to the
appeal of Col. Cesnola to cavalry officers,
and. through me to the War Department
at Washington, delayed the matter until
+ ! II Al l..
this daring conception and plan of Gen.
CesnoIa aborted, and Mr. Stanton was
saved from the ignominy of refusing to as
sist our prisoners in their attempt to
escape, and probably to capture the rebel
caDital