The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-02-09
GENERAL HOBART DEAD
WAS LEADER IN FAMOUS Es-
 CAPE FROM LIBBY. .t.:
One of the Most Thrilling Prison Episodes of the War Be-
 tween the States.
Milwaukee (wis.) Special to st ,o,,

Mllwaukee (Wis.) Special to St. Louis i.obe-Democrat
 Gen. Harrison C. Hobart, sole suryivor or the Wisconsin Constitutional Conyen- ti'' tioh and the last survivor of the twenty nVe daring men wno paned the famous tunnel escape from Libby Prison. died at the hospital of the soldiers home last night. His death marks the. close of a most remarkable career. The hero of numerous bloody battles during the civil war. the target of Southern prison guards. surviving levers and other afl- nlehts contracted in the Southern swamps Deheral Hobart died peacefully of old age. He was native of Massachusetts, oeihs porn in Ashburn1am in 1S20. In 1895 ne graduated from Dartmouth Col iege and immediately came West Three years later he began the practice Of law in wisconsin. then a struggling commu- my' rla He ngured largely in the territo- rIai Legislature of 1s47. He was the first State Senator from his district tSae- boygan and Washington counties) and assisted in framing the Constitution and tne early iegislation of the State. He was Speaker of the House during the session of 1S49. this ending his political career Tor time, so far as holding of- nee was concerned
 When the civil war broke out, Mir. hobart organized a company called the Calumet Rifles, and as it's captain went to the front as part of the 4th Wiscou- sin. He was advanced in command until at the battle of Chickamauga he was m command of the 2lst Wisconsin Dur ing this battle his regiment became de- tached from the main line, and Colonel Hobart. with others was made prisoner They were taken to Atlanta and thence 10 richmond. where they were confined In Libby Prison. The story of the es- cape of number of the prisoners from Libby Is matter of interesting history ana has been told in a pamphlet issued by General Hobart later in life.
 AL this time there were no exchanges or prisoners and the men in Libby planed to gain their freedom. A few of the daring and resourceful leaders finally hit upon plan of digging a tunnel. The scheme was confided to twenty-five me n who could be trusted not to talk, and the work was begun. A table knife chisel and spittoon were the tools and d small tallow candle dragging the spit toon after him with ball of string. The other would fan air into the passage with Q hat and with another string would draw out the spittoon when loaded and conceal the dirt beneath the straw and rubbish of the cellar. Each morning the working party would carefully replace the bricks in the fireplace, where the tunnel started and remove all evidence or the work. Through a mistake of the "engtneers" of the tunel the scheme nearly failed, for the first opening on the outside was within ten feet of some sentinels. This was plugged up and the
 
 After thirty days the hole was com pleted. the twenty-five men in the plan were marshaled under command of Gen. eral Hobart, and at o'clock on the even- ing of February g, 1864, the men began crawling through the hole In order to bewilder the guards. a dancing party with music was extemporized in the room. One by one the men emerged from the hole. passed tho sentinels and min gled with the crowds on the streets. The subsequent perils of these men. some of whom reached the Union lines In safety. pursued bY cavalry and bloodhounds, form one of the most picturesque and thrilling chapters in the history of the civil war. After the original twenty-five men had escaped through their tunnel. remaining prisoners, when there was a wild scramble for liberty. One hundred and nine men passed out through the hole that night, of whom ttfty-sever eventually reached the Union lines, the others being reeaptured or dying of pri- vations while hiding in the swamps
 After recovering from the effects of prison life, Colonel Hobart was given command of a new regiment, and at the head of this he went with Sherman on his march to the sea and up through the Carolinas He had the satisfaction of marching into Richmond, and around the prison from which he had escaped. After the war, having been advanced to the rank of a General, he returned 10 Milwaukee, his residence ID to his daath