The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1895-11-28
A SOLDIERS q
THANKSGIVING
BIZ LIEUTENANT TRIGQ.

THANKSGIVING.
BIZ LIEUTENANT TRIGo.
Copyright, 1896, by American Press Assocta
ton.
We started to dig our way ont of the
prison pen at Salisbury, N. c., on the
Sd 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.
In all prison pens the inmates paired
of at least, and in many instances four,
five or six men formed sort Of close
corporation. All clothing, blankets,
money and other articles went into a
common fund, and ths man shared alike
In the comforts and dtspomforta Il 20
happsnsd that none of % was daspdled
Whan captured. and On entering the
gates Of Salisbury Va had go IN paah,
each . eood blanket and tall uni6oxn,
and W were thus en&hlsd t. live n far
qpeasar ooa1ort than TIA ezeAt mstocity.
We AaA ahoaos o3 eFound On whieh 70
pitch sRx taat, and having. On eye 10 a
tnnnA we got ~ near the dead line and
the 1snes - poeaihla. The distance to
The 6sad Linz WA 8 tsst and to tie
4aooe ahoat %. T.. ...-
Up to this time soore of prisoars
had escaped hy means Ct tanna2s, and
doaans o8 tunnels had bean discovered
while bsinS ding. The Ooatsderatsa On
tered tho pen almost daily through the
months Of June, July, August and Sep
tsmber and made 8 close search for dig
gers. Such vigilance acted to discourage
tho prisoners, and I believe our tunnel
was thu only enc begun in the month of
October. Our tent was . roomy one,
and we began operations, sinking a
shaft five feet deep and large enough to
allow q man to work in. This hole was
in the middle Of our tent, and when not
in use was covered with four sticks and
blanket. All the dirt was carried
away in our pockets and flung into
abandoned wells or scattered over the
ground. A spoon, the two halves of a
oanteen and the handles Of a skillet
were our tools for digging. As we had
noticed that every visit Of the searchers
was made in the afteeaoon or evening
we began and prosecuted Cur work in
The FORENOON. Altar . couple a weakS
som6 diaaing Wa made aftar 10 O'Clock
6 might. bot We nev~ feis safs while
1kas sneaCs1 Whsa ths tannsa proper
Was begn, swe men wus wogkf.g ct
he same time below SFonA A third
stoo1 wetrA ae ~ door. md ths fourth
md 1fsA CARRIED away he Atr&
The t1naa w0 three best below tAs
s1E1aes snA ~ = erf1e Aeesr a,an
mas body. The diSQR lad b PAIL
AimssH IN By sstns his eibows and b.
drew uessE him q tin bed. snd serisG
TAs diEs W. placsd IN ~ basi1 Gnl
drawn oot b. ths man n tho shaft
Crawling into . hollow lcg h fan com
pared 70 wrissiins In and cut o3 such .
tunnel The body shsss cns al The air,
tho place II sitting hot, and SITTER half
IN hoae's wock tlas stsuugsst naa il ussd
mp
When ON tunnel bad sssehsd ths
nsnce. W had 20 - down four fess 70
work under the esds Il Tho logs. md tho
air became % foal tlsae W made. bus
slow hsadway and SONS day1 did nos
work q all We had planned b sun he
tunnel oloss 10 the dispsnssry, ana sftsr
passing the fsnce ths digging beosnss
easier, but delay hom one CAUSE q sm.
Other prevented tho completion Of our
enterprise until the s0th az November.
AZ noon q thak date " had dur our
full distance aud had only . break
through foot q crust 10 b In tho open
air outside tho fence. We must wait fx
Might II ooursa The weather was Ane,
with . proniss It . starlight night, but
during The Afternoon W made all our
arrangements TO 60. Twice during thu
afternoon ahrms weRe given that search
ing parties were coming In, but they
proved 10 b. false. Night finally oxxe
With Our plan undeteoted. and about &
e'cleok the A1st It the i've entered the
tunnsl szeps 10 he far and and broks
through - sTusA We had dug within
- inches a no wan of Tie Aispens1uy.
Tho building IVES used - sleeping qua1-
ters; Tor two Or tlnee men connected with
The hospital aepaztmsnt and . NJ pass-
q 0nt 11 ~ tunnel In turn each q -
AesEd Ass2 talking an moving abost
Zach man asspt away 10 the left, climb
"a ovr fence and followed II for 30
rods, and then mado for . certain tree
which could Be seen from the stockade
and which had been agreed upon a. the
We encountered NO rna,,ds