The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-10-08
MORGANS' ESCAPE.
THE STORY TOLD BY ONE or
LEADING ACTORS.
A Thrilling Narrative OF the Wnr--SC
the Fugitive Confederate Passed
Through Cincinnati, Etc.


there Is none which is frau2ht with
or more romantic interest than tn, ~" u
OF General Morgan from the ohio = ~ :"
tiary to Columbus. where with si.s 49,
nri.ope, Of ,,.ar ~ no insttootion - i3nda
General a. r.. Burnside, OF the rep
army. There is also no other incidg MhW'
our late "onpleasantacss' which IA. IL
ways seemed to have greater HaNo,tsJ
mystery connected with -, ana many ~
pie believe that the real mystery OF ~
or has been solved and never VIII be filtd
the grave shall give up its dead. nave
been importuned so often TO write the true
story of how General Morgan ana SLY Of
his officers. including myself. escaped lro'a
tNat gloomy. seemingly improbable 9'ie "a
Columbus, that. at lcnsth, J have deter
mined 10 do So though, perhaps. l may
never permit what | write to see the isht
until after my death.
Morgnn's Raid ard Capture.
In the summer of 1863 General Morgan
command made. through southern Oho'
one of those raids which were the most Gar
ing and successful in the history Of modern
or ancient warfare In that instance, now
over. he did not meet with his usual great
success, for his raid terminated in July q
that same year Of 1868 with tho capture OF
himself and siNty-ciSht OF his officers AID
men. il was very Characteristic Of Genel
Morgan that. though he could have c9coiea
himself. he preferred TO share tho fate OF ~
comrades When we found that the ,'N
KEGS were upon us General Moran took /.
the river ana had got nearly 10 the Nr
lucky size unobservcl and unWrsuai 4.
the cneipy when, seeiu@ tnIt his ttilo"-@ Nj
d,ers were prisoners. he deliberately aVt-t
back and gave himself UP. II, instead =
doing this he had continued sTmIn'o~ ~
he r6a ,hci "o,d Kentucky" me would nevea
have become a federal prisoner sos
In the ohio Pen. I
Having oausht tae lion. General BURNSIDE
was at a loss 10 know where to cage Air'
The federal troops had been assisted
their captgre OF the DISTINGUISHED conicje-,
ate 10y the Ohio militia. and it therefore oc-,
cili,d 10 Burnside that perhaps he mlsht
naturally fO6K to Ohio for assistance ht
keeping him. This asalH,-nce was afford
by Governor Todd. then chiot c&eruti'e o!.
the Buckeye state, who volunteered the uSe
of the ohio pcnitentiarE.
General Burnside accepted the governor
offer. and on Angus: ]. 1869. we were e2cht
placed In a separate cell In the first aH.'
second range or tier OF a. lis on the south
side OF the east wing OF the prison
These cells were let into scAc block o.
masonry l60 feet long and y feet thies.
They opened upon hall T. f-ot wide and
16i feet in length. Then, a. now, "a" prison
buildings and their yard were inclostd w q
solid stone wall 50 feet high, 4 feet in thick
ness Iui level on top.
We at length became so desperate from
confinement tnat We determined TO escape
no matter at what hazard. liut how was
cyrapc 20 be affected?
From = O'Clock p. il. til a. !n We We're
locked in our cells wifh no means of conn
muuicaton. Through The day We were @'-
loN.d to roam about the large HaHl oa 60
which our cells opcaol ana To- caryrrte
freely with each other, though tlnr. was an
armed sentry an either end OF tEs haaL
through which the regular keepers q the.
prison passed NJ frequent and regular ~
t,rvals We discussed every r9Fete ~
in possible plan Of escape ass wc -tnoC4ss
but could hit upon none that seemed feas-
ible
A Plan of Escape.
We had been some three months IN dur
aucc vile. when. in consequence Of ou iU-
suit That was offered o. one of our number
Captain Thomas 4. Hines. Icy the deputy
warden. plan was evolved by which y.
did finally succeed in making our ysrau'.
captain Hines retired TO his cell about s
% clock %. H.. voviug tnat food should Hat
pass his lips and that sccn should uo, rest
az on his cyolids until he had tsuu-ht oIt
some plan OF escape that should b.. placti-
cable.
Anout 1i.i5 O'Clock he came 90 me and
said that he had hit upon - plan which
ho thought would 10. At AN events he was
determined te NV g. lie then informed ~e
lint be had noticed that the wallis of his
c.t. instead OF being damp. as they nat
uraly would have been from lae fact that
they were built upon level with thc
ground outside. were Tcrfe It's dry. From
tuis he concluded that there must ac am air
chamber beneath Row, IL such should Doe
the case. Captain Illness plan was to run
d tunnel from It through the foundation
into the yard. and tHen 90 escape over the