Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1895-11-27
A SOLDIERS
 THANKSGIVING.
BY LIEUTENANT TRIGa.

Copyright. 1895, by American Press Associa,
 tion.
 We started to dig our way out of the prison pen at Salisbury, N O., on the 2d day of August, 1868. There were five of us, all of whom had been captured at the same time, and we reached the pris. on in May.
 Ill all prison pens the inmates paired off at least, and in many instances four, five or six men formed q sort of close corporation. All clothing, blankets, money and other articles went into q common fund, and the men shared alike in the comforts and discomforts. It so happened that none of us was despoiled when captured, and on entering the gates of Salisbury We had $90 i'll cash, each good blanket and full uniform, and we were thus enabled to live ill far greater comfort than tha great majority. We had choice of ground on which to pitch our tent, and having an eye to q tunnel we got as near the dead line and the fence as possible The distance to the dead line was 6 feet and to the fence about B.
 Up to this time 2 score of prisoners had escaped by means of tunnels, and dozens of tunnels had been discovered while being dug Tho Gonfederates en- tered the pen almost daily through the months of June, July, August and Sep tember and made close search for dig gers. Such vigilance acted to discourage the prisoners, and l believe our tunnel was the only one begun ill the month of October. Our tent was q roomy one, and we began operations, sinking a shaft five feet deep and large enough to allow man to work in. This hole was in the middle of our tent, and when not ill use was covered with four sticks and blanket. All the dirt was carried away i'll our pockets and flung into abandoned wells or scattered over the ground, A spoon, the two halves of a canteen and tho handles of a akillet were our tools for digging, As we had noticed that every visit of the searehers was made ill the afternoon or evening we began and prosecuted our work ill the forenoon. After couple of weeks some digging was made after 10 o'clock at night, but we never felt safe while thns engaged. When the tunnel proper was begun, i've men were working at the same time below ground A third stood watch at the door, and the fourth and fifth carried away the dirt.
 The tunnel was three feet below the surface and but trifle larger than | mans body. The digger had to pull himself in by using his elbows, and he drew after him tin basin and a string. The dirt was placed in the basin and drawn out by the man in the shaft. Crawling into @ hollow log is fun com pared to wriggling ill and out of such Q tunnel. The body shuts out all the air, the place is stifing hot, and after half all honr's work the strongest man is used up.
 When our tunnel had reached the fence, we had to go down four feet to work under the ends of the logs, and the air became so foul that we made but slow headway and some days did not work at all We had planned to run the tunnel close to the dispensary, and after passing the fence the digging became easier, but delay from one cause or an other prevented the completion of our enterprise until the 20th of November At noon of that date we had dug our full distance and had only to break through foot of crust to be in the open air outside the fence. We must wait for night, of course. The weather was fine, with promise of a starlight night, but during the afternoon we made all our arrangements to go. Twice during the afternoon alarms were given that search ing parties were coming in, but they proved to be false Night finally came with our plan undetected, and about s o'clock the first of the five entered the tunnel, crept to the far end and broke through the crust We had dug within 12 inches of the wall of the dispensary The building was used as sleeping quar- ters for two or three men connected with the hospital department, and as we pass ed out of the tunnel ill turn each of us heard them talking and moving about Each man crept away to the left, climb ed over a fence and followed it for 20 rods, and then made for a certain tree which could he seensfrom the stookade and which had been agreed upon as the rendezvous. We encountered no guards and raised no alarm, and within half an hour from the time the first man enter ed the tunnel the five of us were gath 1 cred under the tree.
 We travelled all night, with only