The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1896-01-02

northeast, with 12 miles start. He
dashed off and reached Somerset at
dark. Ellsworth seized the office, and
in the name of General Boyle wired to
all points north, countermanding the
orders for pursuit. Morgan was '.too
strong to be attacked, = SO the dispatch
ended
The Great Ohio Raid and Prison Escape.
just a year and four days after the
telegraph raid closed so successfully on
the banks of the Cumberland the great
Ohio raid of 1868 terminated in disaster
on the banks Of the Ohio near the Penn
sylvania line. EARLY on Sunday morn
ing, July S6, Major Ways battalion of
Ninth Michigan cavalry dashed into the
moving column Of raiders and began
cutting and shooting right and left.
About 70 Confederates were brought
down and $50 escaped. Major Way rode
up to Morgan, who was in a carriage,
and reached for him, but the agile Ken
tuckian jumped out at the opposite side,
leaped fence and mounted the horse Of
one of his dead troopers. The boldest of
Morgan's followers took the cue from
their leader, broke from their captors
and galloped after him. They struck out
across country toward Smith s ford, in
tending to cross to Pennsylvania soil.
Before reaching the river the column
was again circumvented, this time by
Major True's battalion Of Kentuckians.
Several Of the raiders attempted to ride
out OF the trap at breakneck speed, but
they were fired upon from all sides, and
Morgan in person hoisted the white flag.
The state Of Ohio claimed Morgan and
his officers because they We're captured
while raiding within it's borders. The
party to the number of 70 were accord
ingly imprisoned in the penitentiary at
Columbus. Their cells were set in solid
masonry so formed as to constitute an
interior structure similar to cage set
in a large room. -
Morgan's cell was in the second tier,
there being three above and one below
his tier. Between shutdown and sunrise
tho raiders were securely locked in.
They were not permitted to have news
papers, and their correspondence was
subjected to rigid censorship. Under
circumstances like those men of spirit
naturally take great risk to breathe the
air Of freedom, and the raiders began to
speculate on means Of escape. One of
the officers, Captain Thomas H. Hines,
after some study, came to the conclu-
sion that there must be an air chamber
beneath the floor of the cage, and with
Morgan and five others proceeded to
open hole under his cell, which was
in. the first tier. Cutting away the
cement with steel case knives, they re-
moved several layers Of brick and found
chamber feet wide and 4 feet high.
1t extended to the end of the wing in
which the cage was built. The chamber
proved to be too strongly walled to adj
nit Of an outbreak direct, but it proved
an excellent place for tunneling. Sew
eral faithful men not to be included in
the escape helped in the work. ...- :. :;
The work was finally completed after
cutting through 5 feet of foundation
wall beneath the cell, 10 feet of cement
filing and Of the outer WALL -Four
feet of earth was removed to make q
place Of egress. When all was ready,
Morgan and the five fortunates chosen
to escape with him were provided with
citizens clothing, and also some green
backs, which Indispensable had been
Struggled into the prison by friends.
A south bound train passed Columbus at
1:15 a. M, and it was decided to make
exit Immediately after midnight and
board that train. On Nov. &c Morgan
learned that prison inspection would
soon take place, and it was arranged to
go out the first dark night. The night
Of the 9th happened to, be cloudy and
was chosen for the start. A few minutes
past 10 the six men assembled in the
air chamber nerved for the next en-
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