The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-30
R%ESOURCEFUL TOM HINES.
STIRRING WAR TALES OF 4 MAN
VINO FOUGHT WITH MORGAN.

best known Confederate soldier ia kentucky Mt
the time OF his death, except Gen. Basil w.
Duke, who was Gen. John MorRan's right bower.
Certainly fow men In the South had n moro OK
citing career as n soldier, raider. and liborator of
Confederate prisoners than he.
Gen. Basil w. Duke. who was intimately as.
ISOLATED with Capt. Hines during tho war. until
after the escape of Hines and Morgan and their
associates from the penitentiary in Columbus,
o.. in speaking OF Capt. Hines last might, related
the following story OF that escape as one OF the
events that made tho Captain famous. lie said:
For personal courage, skill in planning, and
daring in execution, Capt. Hines had few equals.
He mover seemed in q hurry. never gave evil
dences OF excitement; but he struck the light.
ming. and. had tho war lasted much longer, he
would have taken high rank as a commander.
1.-THE escape from Columbus was planned and
in a great measure executed by Capt. Hines and
by Capt. James HockersmIth of jacksonville,
Ky. Hines had heard in some way that an air
chamber extended under tho lower range Of
cells, and he thought this the more probable, as
in no other way could he account for the dry
ness Of his cell. Subsequent Investigations
proved this to be correct. and after c%onsulta-
ton with Gen. Morgan it was determined to cut
into this chamber from Illness cell and dig o
tunnel into tho prison yard. number of men
were taken into the plot. They began digging
through tho eighteen inches of stone. cement and
brick that composed the floor OF the cell, using
case knives that had been distracted from the
dining room. The dirt was concealed in hand
kerchiefs and under beds until it could DO dis
posed OF. Hines swept and cleaned his room
every dav and threw an old sack over the open
ing that was being made. The guards would
look in and, seeing the cell SO neat ana tidy.
would pass on. Finally the air chamber was
-zz.A.l -.l -f.u, .,~l lul-. Al. .,.-.t .,nn
finished. extending to the point in the yard
whence 1t was intended to make the exit.
THE men selected to attempt the escape
with Gen. Morgan were Capts. Thomas H..
Hines, Ralph Sheldon, Sam Taylor. jacob Ben
nett. James Hockersmith, and Gustayus Nc
Gee. They all occupied cells on the ground
floor except Gen. Morgan. and 1t was arranged
that on the night of the escape Gen. Morgan
was to exchange places with his brother. Col.
Richard Morgan. who occupied ono Of the
ground-loor cells, and between whom and the
General there was a striking resemblance. Men
working from the air chamber had cut away the
stone and concrete beneath the floors of the five
cells. fiom which other occupants besides Capt.
Hines were to escape. Only q thin shell was
left. so that it was only necessary for the occu-
pant of the cell to stamp on the floor and break
through. 1t was a little after midnight when
the men entered the air chamber, leaving
stuffed dummies in their beds.
They made their way. each armed with n
stout knife as q weapon OF defence. through the
tunnel and cut away the sod that closed the
aperture leading into the yard. 1t was rainy and
cloudy, and they passed 10 the outer wall, the
bad weather having driven the %sentries and the
dogs that guarded the yard at night to shelter.
By the help of a rope and an improvisod hook
they scaled the wall. and separating into pairs
took their departure.
THE esca pc was not discovered until the next
morning. when the rope was found hanging
from the wall. and there was hubbub and con-
fusion among the guards and rejoicing among
the prisoners.
Gen. Morgan and Capt. Hines, Immediately
on their escape. took the train for Cincinnati;
the bell cord and he at one end Of the car and
Capt. Hines at the other put on the brakes,
could jump, Off. They then went to the river
and paid a boy So to row them across to the
Kentucky shore, and went through Kentucky
after many adventures. Capt. Hines was sep
arated from Gen; Morgan in Tennessee and
that night by a few soldiers. He was a fne
story teller, and succeeded in so interesting his
9 zap Soor in u ms yaras ina" HI f at q 1 me%f jnm tSs9{ isit
escaped and joined his command.
1T was soon after this that Capt. Hines was
detailed TO serve under, Jacob Thompson, in
Canada and never again Joined the command"
The next adventure of Capt. Hines worth not
ing was n narrow escape from the, Federals
while he was in Chicago planning to liberate the
Confederate prisoners held there. he was iiy;,
the Confederate cause. but the authorities
learned the facts and surrounded the house.
Going to a bed Capt. Hines slit open the bottom
OF a canvas-covered spring mattress. crawled
inside. and then had the bed rearranged as
fully. looked under that bed repeatedly, but
never into the mattress. However, although
batfled. they were not altogether disheartened
and maintained n careful guard.
The excitement. fortunately for Hines, made
Mrs. Edwards sick. and in consequence a doctor
was employed. and numbers of friends called
from time TO time to eNDrcSS their SYmDuthY.
Thereat Hines walked boldly to the door with
one ONE t Of the parties Of cal callers asi stepped out
the speedy recovery Of the invalid and walked
away unmolested by the innocent guard.
the home OF Mr.. and Mrs. Sam Thomas, he had
a chamber prepared in the tamb of an old:fash-
When the Federal soldiers came, as he knew
they would do, he was in the hole in the wall
that was pnspspected by the searchors.
der OF President Lincoln. Hines looked very
thought he was Booth. As he related the story
himself it was as follows:
soon as l heard of the assassination 1
knew there would be trouble. and started for
Detroit to cross the river into Canada. At De-
troit / found j was being followed by detectives.
hand and my overcoat on my arm. The detec-
tives followed. / ordered a drink and invited
and overcoat on tho counter and went out the
back door. l did not return, but went to the
river and stepped on the first boat. Just as we
board. The Captain told me. to my dismay. that
in accordance with orders the boat would not
cross the river that night. but would go
up a few miles and land OH the same
side. Tho authorities were afraid Booth
might escape that way, and no boats were al
lowed to cross. Tho detectives thought they
had mo, and played with me like u cat would
with a mouse. They left me unmolested., OK:
pecting to arrest me when the boat landed. I
walked around awhile and then went into the
pilot house. l told the pilot i wanted him to
land me on the Canada side. He said 1t was Inn
possible. as he had his orders. told him
thought he might 3ccomnodate me, and pulled
the Canada shore / will blow your brains out
said i. and IL you give q signal you will be n
dead man before assistance can reach you He
was a sensible man. and steered for Canada,
and when the boat touched i thanked him and
jumped of before the Captain and the detec-
lives realized what had happened"
As a matter of fact. Hines made q raid into
Indiana Just before Morgan's celebrated raid
north OF Ohio, but he did not succeed in getting
any OF the copperheads TO join him. and did find
so many militia that he had TO retreat. But be
arrived back at the river just in time 60 join
Morgan. and so had u part In that noted exploit.
After the war Capt. Hines prarticod law sue
c~essfuily at Bowling Green. He was elected