Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-05-31
JOHN MORGAN'SRAID.
q Remarkable Incident Of the Late
Civil War.
THE CAPTURE OF THE CLYLLRYMAH
With Some Of His onscers-Bow the Work
Of Tannciiing Out OF the Ohio
Peniteutlary Was Done.
est. Louis Republic.)

was the result OF disobedienoe OF orders.
and Il brought General Morgan into last
Ing disgrace with the Richmond Govern
ment
II appears, however. on the authority OF
General Basil Duke. that. in disobeying
General Bragg's orders not to cross the
Ohio river. General Morgan had calculated
the risk and had decided in advance that
he and his command were almost sure to
30 captured lie thought that he could
do the confederacy more good by being
captured after a rid north OF the Ohio
than by remaining In Kentucky and car
rying out the plan OF campaign agreed
on with General Bragg.
In June. 1863. Bragg was threatened IN
flank and rear by more Federal troops
than he felt able 20 handle. so he de-
termined 10 send Morgan 10 create di-
version by getting in the rear OF Rose
Grams. cutting of his supplies and Gre
ating tho greatest possible scare at the
smallest possible expense.
In deciding 90 enlarge the scope OF the
campaign General Morgan undoubtedly
thought he was acting on his sober tudg-
mont. but II was more probable that he
was governed by that love OF perilous
adventure which impels boys 20 throw
stones Mt a hornets nest, regardless OF
the consequence
Nearly his entire command OF 2.4GO men
were under % years OF age all eager for
adventure. and not disposed to stop to
count the cost OF finding II. IL ne had
told them that he intended TO lead them
in raid around Boston and back, no
doubt they would have undertaken 1t
with the same enthusiasm they showed
In crossing the Ohio when the chances
were ten to one that they would never
get back, except as prisoners.
COMMITTED.
After their capture, General Morgan,
General Duke, and slxty-eight officers Of
the expedition were committed 20 the Ohio
penitentiary by order OF General Rurn-
side. There was great indignation I'm the
ConfederaCy at the time. because II was
reported that they were treated as
felons." but, as n matter OF fact. though
the Cincinnati papers were fercely de-
nouncing them as guerrillas, robbers, and
borse-thieves, they were not imprisoned
with the conyicts, but in separate
division OF the penitentiary, partitoned
off from the part occupied by the con-
ylcts
Among tho prisoners was Captain
Thomas III. Hines, who. as he originated
the plan OF the celebrated escape. is the
best authority on everything connected
with II, and he writes that he probably
got the idea from the French studies
he was carrying on In his cell 70 relieve
the monotony OF prison life.
AT that time Victor HugO's Les Mise
rabies" was a new book, and it became
very popular In the Confederacy. When
Grant was pressing Lee back toward APP
pOmatt0X, the novel circulated from nan1
TO hand among the ragged and hungry
Confederates, who, with grim humOr pro-
nounCed the title Lees Miserabies.' In
the summer of 1868 Captain Hines was
sitting In the door Of his cell in the OHIO
penitentinry. when a deputy warden ad-
dressed him with insulting rouGhness. lie
at once retired 20 his cell, and determined
TO revenge himself upon the warden by
escaping. having In mind he thinks, some
Of the methods pTacticed by Jean Vatican,
lie had been reading how Vatican had
escaped from the barbados through the
sewers OF Paris, and as the floor OF his
cell was perfectly dry and free from mould.
he concluded that there must be an air
passage under it which could be utilized
10 escape as the sewers Of Paris mad
beCp.
PLAN OF ESCAPE.
In his first anger with the deputy war
den he had said TO himself that he would
neither sleep nor eat until he had worked
out a plan Of escape He ate nothing and
drank nothing during the day. but by 3
O'Clock ne had framed plan that satisfied
him well enough TO allow him TO 90 to
sleep The next morning he had con
sultation with General Morgan TO whom
ne communicated the plan substantially
as II was carried out. 1t was TO cut
through the floor of the cell into the air
chamber. should one be found. and 10
tunnel from that into the yard, which
was found to be on a level with the cell
floor After reaching the yard the prison
wall would have to be scaled, but they
were confident Of their ability to get over
the wall II they could once reach it,
General Morgan approved the plan, and
as only a limited number would be able
Ia escape in the event Of success he Sc
lycted Captain J. G. Bennett c. S. Magee
Ralph Sheldon, Samuel II. Taylor, and j..
H. HoCkersmith to cooperate with Cap
tain Hines
Work was begun on the 4th Of Novem-
her. To prevent the daily examination
of his cell, from which the tunnel was TO
be made Captain Hines had offered 10
relieve the guards OF their work Of sweep
ing 1t. They furnished him II broom, and
the inspector making his daily rounds
cOmplmented him on his neatness. Had
the Inspector entered his cell the plan OF
tho escape must have been discovered at
once as the hole I'm the back OF the cell
was only concealed by the folding cot
propped up against the cell wall and the
mattress on which Captain Hines slept
was full of bricks and cement taken from
the wall
In beginning they cut through inches
cf cement and took out SIX layers Of
bricks. after which they reached the air
chamber they had supposed to exist I'm the
wall IL was feet wide by feet high
and extended the entire length OF the
row OF cells in which they were confined.
AS the end OF their air chamber was
heavily grated, with a large quantity OF
coal piled up against the grating on the
outside, they could not escape except by
the original plan OF tunnelling from the
air chamber into the yard
rms tunnel they began almost directly
under the cell occupied by Captain Hines
running NJ right angles 10 the air chamber
ana cutting through the foundation wall
OF the cells, five feet thick, through
Twelve feet % grouting TO the outer wall
OF inc east wing Of the prison. which
was siH feet In thickness. and. after cut
ung Through this wall. tunnelling four
Ieet TO the surface IN the yard. near the
female department. OF the prison.
TWO KNIVES.
The work was done with two knives
male from nat nles which had been snug
va ~ men VINO hdd been In the hos
p'a| As the prisoners were locked in
,h'lr cells at night. they were obliged TO
Worh IN the daytime. when the danger Of
us'v'u'n was always great. BY a series
OF taps on the floor they established a
system oi communication with the men
~ the tunnel. so that warning could be
gwen. but in spite Of the utmost pre-
SauVNn detection seemed inevitable more
'nah once The deputy warden called the
toI ully f1r dinner. and one day Cap
yam hoch'r-mith. who was In the tun-
me" hod l.t come out at roli-can. lie
Va missed. but General Morgan by hold
i"s an earnest consultation with the war
N,h on some subject that gentleman
,.'uEht important, succeeded in giving
ho,Nersmi'h time 70 crawl out without
being detected
Inc men worked In shifts. and much OF
we excavation was done by those who
knew they had not been selected 10 es-
,aPe. After the completion OF the tun-
ne' here was st!ll serious difficulty.
~ hsl only one entranee-that through
lhe zen OF Captain Hines-and as there
Wa no chance OF scaling the wall IN the
oayume, General Morgan and the rest
belhs locked In their cells nj Might