The National tribune., 1909-04-29
THE TUNNEL AT,UASEnLE.
Industrious Engineering to Escape
From the Tobacco iS0usaPrison.

EOul lOI6CtO sySt'SSbA EiSOh.
Editor National Tribifne!NI saw an
article in The National Tribune from
the pen of John A. Malone, Co. I, 22d
III in which he made mention of the
1 transfer of 500 or coo pris5ners from
Pemberton Prison, Rithmotfd. Va, to
DanvilIe, Va, in the raontlHof Novem-
ber. 1863, and as was IN that transfer
/ and as he also made tns statement of
| the escape thru a tunhei from one of
the prisons in Danville Itowafds the last
of February. 1864. in Which also was.
l will write this:
After reaching DanvflIe we were d.
vided and put into several btick build
| ings, of which there were -FOUR. and so
| recognized as 1, 2. and 4. with sew
eral of my comrades, was put INTO NO.
| building, which was located on the
| four corners The front of the building
was on the street that passed No. l
prison and extended down to the river.
| Reading Comrade Malone's escape
from the tunnel brings to my mind the
tunnel which I was interested in, but
| did not escape thru. The buildings
where we were confined were large to-
| bacco factories, four stories in hight,
with large cellars in which the machin-
cry and presses were stored. Two of
| my company, A, 124th Ohio Games
Williams and John w. Could, and my
self were on the lower floor near the
| III.
| preached by two comrades of the Sec
| ond floor, who wanted to cut hole in
| the floor under our blankets to get into
| the cellar. This we readily consented
| to. In fact / was ready to look in the
cellar myself. After getting in the eel
lar we took an old caseknife and cut
| the Hcorice from the tobacco presses to
| eat, as in our starved condition we were
ready to eat anything In sight While
| in the cellar the comrades of the second
| floor wanted to know II we would help
| to dig a tunnel starting behind the
| presses and extending to small build
| ing about $50 feet south of the main
building. in which the prison guards
were quartered. This building was level
with the ground facing the prison, but
was underpinned on the back, as 1t set
| on a side hill. We were to come up
under this building and roll down the
bank and escape to the river
Beginning the Tunnel.
I have forgotten the names of the
| two comrades, but thirk they were
| from a Wisconsin regiment Being
only IS years of age, / was ready for
anything that looked like escape. We
started by removing the stones from
the side walls, and with knife and q
half canteeD started our tunnel. 1t was
slow digging, as we had to lie flat on
our stomachs. The digger dug ahead of
| him, and threw the dirt under him and
pushed it back with his feet until the
man behind him, also lying on his
| stomach. could catch it and work 1t
! back to the mouth of the tunnel
Before commencing the tunnel every
| man was given number to secure the
proper apportionment of labor. No. ]
| commenced digging with his half cam
| teen or knife. After he had worked till
he became tired No. took his place,
and so on nearly all night. 1t was so
dark we could not distinguish each
other The work in the tunnel was
very exhausting, and the best of US had
| to be relieved every half hour. Often
we would be wringing wet with sweat.
We also suffered for want f0f air.
great tunneling tool was that half can
teen. 1t could also be used for any,
bread. TO brown coffee, also stew vege-
tables. -. k
The tunnel was simply q round rat
| like burrow little larger than a mans
| body. We were about threel weeks in
digging it. 1t was a terrible trial on us
with such scant toolsl.hardlg any tools
at all-in our starved condition.
| During the time of tiinneling the sur
face of the ground was frozen5hard with
some snow. But as We of 1.-THE prison
never had any fires in the building we
/ were getting used to cold weather.
When the tunnel was finished. except
! the crust under the guards quarters
the night was set to make our escape.
| The Tunnel Discovered.
The weather got warmer and it com.
menced to rain. AS the. relief guard
twas being changed in the. morning one
of them fell thru into our tunnel, as We
| had got it too near the surface. The
rebels in charge of the prison came in,
| and wanted to know who dug the tun-
mel OF course, nobody knew. Our ra-
| tions were cut off for the day. but on
the following morning the two leaders
| acknowledged the digging, and were
taken out and bucked and gagged for
six hours, then given an extra loaf OF
bread each and put back in the prison.
But in about a month from that time
IL of us went thru the sewer in tha,
back yard. This yard was about 18 feet
by 30, and was heavily stockaded with
lthree-inch pine planks. standing on end
| 16 feet high, heavily spiked to timbers
in the back of the building.
We went down three steps. and in the
corner of this pen We had ditch 10
feet deep, which was used for sink.
From this sink was large box sewer,
two feet by three feet and IL feet long,
and extending into a ditch outside the
inclosure that ran down to a small
canal Between the prison and the
canal was an iron foundry off to the
right. TimberS were over this ditch.
Two of the prisoners asked the officers
in charge of the prison to let us carry
water from this canal and wash out the
sink. which they did.
That night it rained hard and got
very dark, and as had to go down in
the night / saw somebody's head go
into the sink as l was going down the
steps.
Going Out Thru the Sewer.
4 So 1 ran down, as 1 thought some-
body had fallen in He was just going
into the sewer, SO / went down after
him, but as we got to the outlet we had
to lie still until the guard marched to
the other end of the building. We fig
ured we would then skip down the
ditch and cross over this bridge.
AS he went over this bridge he ran
to near the end, and the plank counter
balanced with him, making terrible
noise and drawing the attention of the
guard. AS l came out the sewer the
guard, pointing his gun down at me.
told me to come out, and as had no
chance to go back readily obeyed. In
this incloSure in the rear of the prison
was small gate with an iron bar. On
the outside the guard opened this gate,
and gave me lift with his boot, and
went up to my comrades ON the floor,
but they had withdrawn all comrade-
ship in so short time and were ready
to kick me out. Out of the IL who
went thru the sewer only two escaped,
as on the following morning, dogs were
NlNsxa f.E.VgE