The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1895-08-09
CONGRESSMAN MORGAN.

men with their liberty on tho Federal
side of the line Five times did he es.
cape from rebel prisons, and four times
was he recaptured.
"The first time | was taken, said
Mr.. Morgan in telling me the story of
his remarkable experiences, Il was sent
with Il lot of other prisoners to Libby
prison. | had not been there very long
before began meditating plans of es
cape. While knocking around in the
room where we We're confined discov
cred that the chimney led down TO an
unoccupied room in the basement The
guards apparently had no suspicion that
we could reach the basement by the
flue, but we did, climbing up through
the fireplace and then slipping down the
chimney. By working quietly and i'll
regular relays we We're able to dig a
tunnel from this basement under the
foundations of the building across the
street and into an adjoining open square.
We had some trouble in disposing of the
earth taken out of the tunnel, but piled
most of it up i'll the rear of the base
ment room. BY careful management we
kept up our tunneling for several weeks
without attracting the attention of the
guards. On the appointed night Colonel
Strait and 125 men passed safely through
the tunnel and out the other end. where
the opening was concealed from view
from the prison by some bushes 1t was
very successful break, but only about
half of us succeeded in getting safely to
the Union lines. | was caught the next
day on the Chickahominy and carried
back to Libby. They confined me in an
cell and put me on half
rations. 1
Before night l had a hole through
the floor above and was in communica-
ton with my fellow prisoners up stairs
They shared their meat and tobacco
with me. I had just laid my plans for
another escape when the authorities con-
Guided to transfer us to Macon. We |
were six days on the journey. which we
made in box cars. On the way several |
Of my companions and myself cut big /
hole through the bottom of the car, not
the fact that several armed |
guards were in the car with US. The |
noise Of the train helped us, and we
kept up a singing and shouting as we
worked. When the train stopped in the
night, we slipped through the hole and
got away. This time / was out week
and really thought I had succeeded in
making good my escape. l had got clear
IF the Confederate lines and was right
opposite our own army when rebel
diminishing party came up and caught
Two companions and myself We We're
sent to Macon.
II did not have the pleasure of escap-
ng from the Macon prison. We did
nave tunnel dug under the walls and
we're about ready to disappear when our
)lans We're exposed by some one on the
inside, probably a Confederate placed
,mong us for the purpose of giving
way our schemes of escape. / was next
ent to Camp Sorghum, as it was called,
It Columbia, S. C. The name was de-
lived from the rations given prisoners
here-corn bread and sorghum molas
es. One day a few of the boys and my
elf made a break and succeeded in
,etting through the lines, but were all
aiken the next day. Later 1 made an
ther break, having for companions Cap
ain Ewing and Captain Baldwin, the ,
after one of my congressional chumS in ,
he house. He is member from Mime
ota, you know, and right glad We're we 5
0 discover one day while sitting out in ,
he lobby taking n smoke that we had | ,
een companions on that daring though .
effort to get away from our ,
God friends, the Johnny Rebs. We got ]
long famously after giving them the {
lip this time and thought we were I
DING to reach the Union lines But at :
he end of the third day Ewing broke ;
own completely, and we staid by him
nd were caught and sent back
''Mv fifth and successful attempt to