The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-05-10

pocketknlte In the prison, and, in anticipa-
non OF our making a break, the guards were
doubled and battery of light artillery was
brought down and posted In the open space
on the other side Of Carey street.
Ihe bars OF the windows were TO be
smashed out, and the doors broken open bv
means OF the heavy crossbsams on the upper
floors, and then the men on the upper floors
were 70 use the same beams for sliding
down to the street. while the men below
were rushing on the guards through the
doors and from the prison office. Desper-
ate work this for unarmed me1; but, then.
they were willing to take desperate chances
In order TO reach the arms upat the arsenal
and 1t was well understood that after the
guards had poured in their first fire they
would not have time to reload before they
were overpowered by the weight of num-
bers.
The extra precautions in the way of
artillery and double guards showed that the
confederates feared an outbreak and that
they were not prepared to offer a stubborn
resistance to a strong attack was evident to
US from the character of the organizations
that passed the prison on their way to the
eastern defenses. These organizations we're
composed Of old men and boys, few of them
had uniforms, and the formations and
marching showed that they did not under
stand the simplest rudiments of drill. Ie
gladdened our hearts to see these men go
by, for now we felt sure that, however
numerous they might be, Kilpatrick's troop
erS would ride over and through them, nor
be checked in their advance by any re-
sistance they might offer.
For the first time since my coming to
Libby all the prisoners were in high spirits.
They cheered the Home Guards as thew
passed, and tauuts and slang, ana not a Jew
oaths were exchanged between the pale
men marching DOVE the street, and the
paler men watching them through the iron
bars. OF course. no such ridicule would
have been hurled at Lees splendid veterans
had they gone by even in rags, for they had
won the right to be respected as gallant
men. There was one little battery in that
hastily gathered army of resistance
that called out roars of laughter
as it halted for few minutes In front of
the prison. 1t consisted of four noun tain
howitzers, that looked like toys. Each gun
was drawn by particularly gaunt mule,
and each mule was led by a man whose
heart evidently was not yearning for the
shock Of battle. One of these mule leaders
was in charge of burly Irishman with
bristling red head and one eye; the other
must have been lost in battle, for he was
particularly bitter and pugnacious. One
of the men in the Upper Potomac room
called down to the Irisnman:
"Say, Pat, where did you get that mule?'
From the yankees, dom yez." was the
reply.
''Sthole him, dom yez; there's no need for
sthalin' what it's SO aisy to take" was the
retart.
whats the beautiful creatures nameg
''Sure, that brute's names Basic Butler.
Isn't it, ye divil!" and the oDe-eyed man
struck the mules ears with his whip
"Say, Pat" called out one of our Irish
men, 'if you can coax that mule to lie
down there and die, I'll have you massed
out of purgatory when you die"
why do you want ould Bin TO die?"
Because" said Ryan, "It'Il be the first
thing like mate we've seen near this prison
for months and months, and it may be
that they'll issue him TO US with the morn
ing's rations."
"Ha! ha" shouted the man with the mule,
and the one eye glared up viciously, ''ye're
fxin' filter ration than that, dom yez.n
what is it,"
TITS loike this" be replied, and he coiled
the end of the rope he had in his hand and
held it up, with his head to one side, his
tongue out, and his one eye closed in a way
that was horribly suggestive, thor gh the
graphic pantomime called out peals of
laughter, not only from the prisoners, but
also from the guards.
hO ION4tEOA baLbc4 AOnBOu IllONtu
down Carey street, and the general impress
sion was that our side did not have the best
of the verbal contest.
For the truth of the following | cannot
vouch of my own kno Wedge. but as it was
accepted without question by the officers of
my acquaintance there must have been
good reason for the belief. In some way
some think there was e spy in the prison
who revealed the matter to Turner-the
QJItbnritipa GOT wind Of nj ali fo
cooperate with Fitzpatrick; it is quite pos
sible they may have surmised II, but be-
that as it may. number of the leaders
were called down to the office, and then
told that the prison was mined. Turner is
represented as saying:
''lf you people come into Richmond to-
night, or you attempt to make a break, by
G. we will blow the place end every man
in it to hip
This startling threat spread through the
prison and produced anything but a COM
Portable feeling. Still, there was not the
least sign that it intimidated any one or in
any way weakened the resolution to carry
out the plan that mad been decided on. Just
before dark we saw some prisoners in the
uniform Of cavalrymen being taken to the
Pemberton building. and we inferred from
this that Fitzpatrick was close at hand and
had brush with the enemy.
Our anxiety the night Of the escape
through the tunnel was very great partIc-
ularly to those who were determined to
"make break for it, y but it was compara~
tive calm in contrast with our feelings on
this occasion, for every man had q direct
personal interest and would be called on to
take part in a life-and-death struggle
against great odds before another day
dawned. 1t was q particularly dark raw
night, and | fancy that the guards
about the prison did not call
out with their customary cheeriness,
"All's wellr' When 9 o'clock came and
with it the order for Lights out" the men
did not stretch themselves on the floor as
had been their habit, but gathered in little
groups in the darkness, and, in whispers,
discussed the situation. How could men
think of sleeping above mine which might
be fred at any moment and for ever put
an end, SO far as we were concerned, to hun
ger and war and the ceaseless yearnings for
freedom and the sight Of loved onesa
The guards had just announced "Half-
past eleven and all's well?' when boom,
boom, boom, came the sound of cannon
from the south, ami the stoutest heart
stood still. then began to throb violently.
'Our boys have attacked the works!
Pray God they may get through them"
These and similar expressions of eager hope
and burning anxiety were passed from man
to man. In the intervals. when even the
guards stopped to listen, the spaces Of the
silence between the poundings OF the guns
became painfully oppressive.
Tha guards announced IL o'clock, then