The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1898-03-13
Thrilling Experience Of Capt. Tom Hines
During the War.
CAPTURED BY FEDERALS MANY TIMES
hHs by His Goodness ana Daring nnn-
aEed to Escape at oppor.une
Times-Tho Assassination of Lin.
coin Gave Rise 20 Hts Most Peril
GUS Adventure.
(New York SUM

SEAlledeiate soldier in kentucky MT
the Time of his death, except Gen. Basil
w. Duke, who was Gen. John Morgan.s
Iieht bower. Certainly few men in The
south had moro exciting career a s a SOL
dier' raider and liberator of Confederate
prisoners than he.
Gen: Basil w. Duke, who was Intimately
associated with Captain Hines dlIrin,r il,',
war, until after the escape of Hines nnd
Morgan and their associates from The
OF captain Hines last night related The
loiloW wing story Of the escape as one of the
said: iic
FOR personal courage, skill in planning
1 H during execution Captain Hines had
lew equals. lie never seemed I'M "A hurry
never gave evidences Of excitement. hi
ne ne struck the lightning. and. had the war
lasted much longer he would have taken
HiEm rank as commander.
The great escape from Columbus was
p,an lu ana IN great measure executed
I ~ Gaptnm Hines and by Captain james
mad heard In some way that an air cham
Der extended under the lower range Of
able, as he could III no other way account
Tor the dryncss Of his cell. Subsequent
Investigations proved this TO he correct
anu alter consultation with General Nor
Sun II. was determined TO cut into th;s
enainner from Hines cell and dig n tun-
men Were .ne R prison on yard IA number OF
gan digging through the eighteen inches
OF stonc, cement and brick that composrd
me fi ,C; Of the cell, using case knives
ing room The dirt WA Was conce e"S "'h in
n nan,IkGrch,els and under beds until IT
cieancu his room every day and threw an
OLD sack over the opening that was being
made mad The guards would look in and, Sec
ing me cell 50 neat and tidy, would pass
on. Finally the air chamber was reached
G nnnd. after much labor, the tunnel was
finished, extending TO the point i'm Tho
yard whence 1t was intended to mako Tho
exit, s>'' - ''''''>o '''e
The men selected to attempt the cs-
Trnomas H. Hines. Ralph Sheldon, Sam
taylor. Jacob Bennett. James Hooker
efiln ana Ge Gius,ayns MCGEE They all
General Morgan, and ii was arranged that
Gu the night Of The escape General Nor
brother,Col. Richard Morgan, who occu-
pied one OF the ground floor cells. and be-
tween whom and the general there WAS
the air chamber had cut away the stone
and concrete beneath the floors of the five
cells, from which other occupants besides
Inptam lines were TO escape. Only
thin shell WAS left, that 1t was only
necessary for the OCCUPANT 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
a STOUT knife rs weapon of defense.
through the tunnel and cut away the sod
1t was rainy and cloudy and they passed
10 the outer wall, the bad weather having
dirvSn the scntries and the dogs that
guarded the yard at night 10 shelter. By
the help OF II rope and an improviscd hook
they scaled the wall and. separating into
pairs. took their departure.
Tho escape was not discovered until
the next morning. when the rope WIS
found hanging from the wall and there
was 4 hubbub and confusion among the
guards and rejoicing among the prisoners.
general Morgan ana Captain Hines i'm
medintcly on their cscarc, took the train
for Cincinnati. In the suburbs OF Cincin-
natl General Morgan pulled the bcl-cord
ana he NJ one end OF the car and Captain
Hines, at the other put on the brakes .caus-
ing the train to slackcn speed so that
they could jump off. They then went 10
the river and paid n boy 81 TO row them
through Kentucky and Tennessee, reach
Ing the Confederate lines after many
adventures. Captain Hines was separated
from General Morgan in Tennessee and
again captured. He was guarded In =
cabin that night by few soldiers He
was fine story teller, and succeeded in
SO interesting his captors in his yarns
that for moment they left the door UNI
guarded. He at once jumped out into the
darkness and, diving into Il thckct cs-
capped and Joined his command.
1T was soon after this that Captain
Lines WAS detailed TO serve under Jacob
Thompson, and never again joined the
command Z"
The next adventure of Captain Hines
worth noting was narrow escape from
libcrate the Confcderatcs held ut Chicago
lie was living in the house of DR.. Ed
wards who favored the Confederate
facts and surrounded the house. Go
ing to bed CAPTAIN Hines slit omen
mattress, crawlcd inside and then had the
bed rcarrangcd as usual. The soldiers
searched The house carefully looked under
mattress. However. although banicd. they
were not entirely dishcartcncd and main
tanned q careful guard.
The excitement, fortunately for Hines,
made Mrs. Edwards sick. and. in consc-
quencc. doctor was employed and num-
bcrs OF friends called from time to time
to express their sympathy. Therpat Hines
walked boldly ~ the door with c,-r. of the
parties of callers, stepped ont with Them.
speedy recovery Of the invalid, and walked
away unmoleStcd by the innocent guards
In Cincinnati. where he remained for Il
time ut the home of Mr.. ana Mrs Sum
Thomas, he hnd Il chamber prepared in the
jam Of an old. fashioned chimney. behind
cupboard full of dishes. When the Fed
cral soldiers came, as he knew they would
do he was in the hole in the wall That
was unsupported by the scar"hcrs
escapes was when he was at Detroit. Just
after the murder of President Lincoln.
Hines looked very much like F'ooth ana
was followed by men who thought he was
Booth. AS he related the story himself.
1t was as follows:
"As soon as heard OF the assina ton
I knew there would b. trouble, and start
ed for Detroit to cross the river mo
Canada. AT Dotrot found WIS being
followed by detectives. and walked into
a saloon with my grip in my hand and
my ovcrcoat on my arm. The detectives
followed. | ordered drink and invited all
present to join me. ] then placed my grin
and ovcrcoat on the counter and went out
the back door, l did not return. but went
to the river and stepped on tho first boat
Just as we Were leaving the wharf the de-
tectives got on board. The captain told
me, to my dismay. that in accordance with
orders the boat would go UP n few miles
and land on the same side The authori-
tics ware afrnId Booth miEht Gscnnn lhnt