The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1902-01-16
Escapin. from Libby.


South to the cause of the COnfederacy
has been the subject Of many a story;
no less honor can be due to the women
here and there i'm the South who as
| sisted the Union cause by words anu
deeds that attested at least equal 10y
atty to their convictions.
| Miss Abbie G.een was so constant
| in her attendance about the old Libby
Prison, hoping for an opportunity to
assist the Union prisoners confined
therein, that she was told If she did
not stop f0Oling with the Yankee pris-
oners she would be hustled into Cas-
tie Thunder.
Abbie Green happened to know Col.
Streight, who was a prisoner there.
| and she smuggled in to him pair Of
large Colt revOlvers. with the word
that If he escaped he would be taken
Oners standing at the window could.
by the aid Of pale moonlight. see
dark objects popping up. as 1t were.
from the very bowels Of the earth in q
vacant lot across the street Where
in the d are all those men coming
from" shouted one Of the prisoners.
shut up. yon d-n fool" said anoth-
er who was in the secret. Come away
from that window and keep your
mouth shut" When the roll was called
the next morning one hundred and
seventeen men were missing.
Of escape was fruitless. Across the
street was lot full of high weeds, and
it suddenly occurred to the searchers
to send black Jim across to look about
among them. In doing so he suddenly
disappeared. On examination a yawn-
ing hole was discovered. and while
standing wondering what had become
of Jim, his sudden appearance running
out Of the prison at once relieved anx-
iety ON his account and revealed the
secret Of the escaped prisoners, who
had got O1t Of prison by the same hole
Jim had got into It,
The men had lowered themselves
through a large chimney to the base
ment. where they kept a quantity of
straw; then dug through the basement
floor, across the street forty-tw0 feet,
and out among the weeds in the va
cant lot
Colonel Streight first entered the
hole. Being a big, heavy fellow. he
got caught between his shoulders and
hips in going under. where they had
coA In l.
mained in this plight, blocking up the
way Of escape, and was with difficulty
pulled out more dead than alive. More
than half the men were recaptured-.
Colonel John B. Wyman.
Zone Of the best soldiers Of the army
Of the Southwest. with whom l was
associated for months, was Colonel
John B. Wyman, Of the Thirteenth Ini-
nois Infantry" relates General Cyrus
Bussey while on the line Of march
through Arkansas Wyman's regiment
was approaching a town. when the
Colonel. who was riding at the head
Of the regiment. turned to his band
and said: Boys, give us some music
The band began to play, and Wyman
noticed that one Of the drummers did
not drum. Refining in his horse, he
cried out: Why don't you drumY" The
drummer, very much alarmed-for Wy
man was a severe disciplinarian-left
his place in the ranks, and said: Col
onel, I've got big fat turkey in the
drum. II you don't say anything about
it l will give you half Of it, The Col
onel replied in loud voice: If you've
got a headache, why don't you say so?
OF course yoa need not drum The
Colonel dined ON turkey next day.
General Sherman's army left Hell
ena for vicksburg Dec. 81. When the
feet were about leaving the wharf,
Colonel wyman walked out upon the
stageplank of the boat on which his
command was embarked. and. taking
me by the hand, bid me good-by, and
said: Here's for brigadier's commits
sion or a glorious death Ten days
later I was in command at Helena. A
steamer landed at the wharf boat,
where had my headquarters, with the
body of Colonel John B. Wyman. who
had found a glorious death fighting at
the head Of his regiment, one week