The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-05-03

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There died in Washington the other
day" said the Colonel, "a a who
was regarded in that city and In the
Army CT the Potomac as the only
Union prisoner who ever escaped froal
Libby prison in day light. This was
John G. MCGOWAN Of the First Mary
land infantry. He was captured by
the Confederates in 1861. but managed
to escape. He was captured at a lat
date and sent to Libby prison. One
night a number Of prisoners were mo-
titled that they would be exchanged the
Eext day.
Among these was a man named
Quail Of a Michigan regiment Quail
knew that MCGOWAN was in very poor
health. and he proposed that the lat
ter take his place in line and answer
20 the name Of Quail when the roll
called. MCGOWAN did this and
was marched out with the released
prisoners. He stipulated, however.
that before the party reached the ex-
change boat Quail should make him.
self known, and, insisting that he had
been overlooked, demand his release.
Quail carried out his part Of the
program and was sent after the march
Ing Column. The guards were ms -ruct-
ed to halt the column and discover, If
possible, the extra man. One count
was made as the men stood in line, but
no extra man was found. Then it was
decided that Quail should take his
place In line and that another count
should be made as the men went on
board the exchange boat Given fair
warning. MCGOWAN boarded the boat
among the first, and before the final
muster was made by the delivering and
receiving officers, hid himself.
'sThe prisoners in number and name
tailed with the rolls, and all were
Turned over to the exchange officers.
who at the time knew nothing of Nc
Gowan's presence on the boat. Later
he went aboard the Union exchange
boat that met tie other at a designat-
ed po.nt He made good his escape,
and tie adventure was in every way
creditable to both MCGOWAN and Quail
But MCGOWAN was not the only Union
prisoner who escaped from Libby pris-
on IN broad daylight.
I'm the first campaign up the Kama
wha in July, 1861, Captain John B.
Hurd of the Second Kentucky infantry
was captured at Poca. In due time he
was sent to Libby prison, wearing the
Jaunty uniform of gray adopted by
the First and Second Kentucky regi-
ments and by the Twenty-sixth Ohio,
which also became a part of the Kama
wha division.
"One day Captain Hurd was walking
about in the room occupied by the Of
lcers when several surgeons came in
to look after the sick. These were
from civil life, and in civilian druss,
each wearing a green ribbon or scarf
on the left arm. Hurd noticed that
the green ribbon carried the wearer
past the guards without question or
challenge. Just then one Of the sur
geons, In passing through the crowd
of prisoners, dropped his green rib
bon. Hurd placed his foot upon 1t,
and then put 1t in his pocket.
He retired to a corner, tied the
ribbon or scarf about his own arm,
and, assuming an authoritative, pro-
fessional air, walked Into the hall,
passed the guards at the entrance and
passed the guards at the entrance and
went down the street unmolested. He
was assisted by some old acquaint.
ances, made his way to the Union
lines and returned to his regiment to
do good service as major In the later
years Of the war. This was the most
notable escape Of a Union prisoner
from Libby prison in broad daylight.
The story is worth telling again and
again."
"A good many men," said George r.
Gorham, had war adventures worth
the telling. Early In 1868 l was run
nlng an engine between Murfreesboro
and Nashville. ! was getting used to
TIE new conditions, and when the army
went south In June Invent, too. One
day the First regiment, Michigan en-
gineers and mechanics, went by under
the command Of Colonel Innis and
Lieutenant Colonel Huntoon. Huntoon
had been master mechanic at Marshall,
Mich, when 1 was running on the
Michigan Centre before the war. he
recognized me as l leaned forward to
watch the boys, and called my name
He said at once that they wanted nv
train to go right along with them and
I went.
81 was with the advance Of the army
for several months and witnessed a
good many skirmishes and exciting es-
capes. On n occasion General Sheri-
dan climbed on my engine and ordered
me forward. We went prospecting to-
ward Decherd and Bridgeport, the
General insisting that we ought to 20
as far as we could find rails. We felt
our way forward until we approached
Bridgeport, when the rebs fired on us,
Then we retired In good order.
Later, when the engineers had re.
paired the bridge at Bridgeport and
the trestle at Whitestown, my train
was one Of the first to cross for n run
to Chattanooga. 1t was a rough road,
md / remember that as | ran across
the reconstructed high trxstle al
Whitesides or Running Water the track
seemed to wobble or to swing first to
| one side and hen to the other. Blu.
all the locomotives went over it Will
a whoop, and those first runs into
Chattanooga were worth remember
ing"
speaking of the Second Kentucky
SAL. the Old Timer, Colonel j. v
Guthrie was the organizer and Colone
Of the First Kentucky regiment. His
Lamesake and nephew was Major Jas
v. Guthrie, who died a few days age
at Cincinnati. Nearly all old Chicago