The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1908-01-01
STORY OF ESCAPE
OF Gen. I'LL. Morgan, from the
Ohio PenItentIary.

The Noted Cinfederate Raider and
His Comrade Had No Assistance
from Outside.
Ever since the escape Of John Nor
gan the famous Confederate raider
from the Ohio penitentiary insinua-
tons have been made that Morgan
and six of his comrades had outside
assistance from Southern sympathiz-
ers, and that Warden Nathaniel Me-
rion conived at the escape. But
this is not the case.
Thomas W. Bullitt, of Louisville,
lieutenant in the second Kentucky
Cavalry duriug the celebrated Nor
gan raid, has just visited the cell IN
the Ohio penitentiary in which he
was confined in 1863 4 as a prisoner
of war. This is Mr.. Bulitt's first
visit to the penitnetiary since the
escape. In very expressive terms
he denies the insinuations regarding
the escape. Accompanied by the
deputy warden. Mr.. Built visited
the cell in which he was confined and
also that was occupied by Morgan.
There was no outside help in
the escape said Mr.. Bullitt to a
representative of the New York
Times. 81 know, | was in with the
plan from the first, and I helped dig
the tunnel through which the men
escaped. The whole thing was plan
men by Captain Thomas Hines, and
! the hole through the floor was in
his cell. 1t was kept absolutely Sc
cret, even from our own men.
ttNot more than a dozen or hf-
teen knew anything about It until
the last day when we were unable to
kept from them any longer. knew
about it because helped with the
work. am positive that not a sin
gle person on the outside knew a
thing about it. And I'll say this
about Merton, who was warden at
this time: I never did like hin1---I
disliked him exceedingly--but he
did not know a thing about the es-
cape. There has been some suspi-
cion that there was some connlov-
ance on his part, but it was absolut-
ely untrue.
'.The work was all done with case
knives, which we stole from the din
ing room, and one shovel, which one
Of the men stole somewhere. It was
used in digging the tunnel. "
Bullitt assisted the other men to
get away, but did not go himself
because his cell was near the end Of
the cell block---No. A--and a gaurd
stood near it. It was feared this
guard would hear him If he made
an attempt, so he decided he should
stay behind. Captain Hines, who had
cell l9, commenced the work, dig
ging through the floor. under mis-
bed. Every morning he would
clean his cell up nicely and put every
thing in such prim condition that q
look at the inside, without making
an examination.
During the day when the
men were allowed the freedom
of the corridors for exercise,
down through this hole the men
would climb. The cell tier was built
on an archday, and in here
there was plenty Of room to work.
The distances were carefully meas
ured and holes dug up to the cells
from below When the floor had
been sufficiently removed that a
stamp of the foot would break it
through, work would be started Oh
another cell.
cat the same time work was go.
ing on in the tunnel. On the day
of General Morgan's escape he
changed cells with his brother, Big
Dick Morgan. A hole had been
dug into Dicks cell. In this way
the general escaped, the brother
staying behind.
-Four of the seven men who eS-
capped are dead" said Mr.. Built.
"Smth, / have not seen for two
years or more and I am not certain
whether he is living, but | think ne
is. McGee and one other ! lost track
of soon after the war, and | don
know whether they are living,
Mr.. Bulstt was prisoner from
August, 1863, until early in the
spring of 1864. Only the commits
stoned officers were confined and on
lv a part of them were put in the
Ohio penitentiary. the others being
taken TO Allegheny, Pa. Mr.. Bull
| lit knew but little about the prison,
as the Morgan men were not allow
ed to work in the shops.
"The only part of the inside Of
the penitentiary | ever got to see
was my own corridor and what I
could see while beingmarched across
the court to my meals. We often
wished they would put US to work
in the shops. We would have taken
the prison if they had"
Mr.. Built came near making this
visit to the prison on the anniversary
of Morgan's escape. It was in No
vember 27, 1863, and his visit was
only a few days later, forty-four
years after the escape.
"You after the job as Office boy?"
asked the merchant.
Sure" replied the youngster.
"Any previous experience?'
'No, SIR nothin' previous about NE,
an I don't whistle"