The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-01-04
CHRISTMAS IN LlenY.
Union Prisoners Of War Diseovsrsd !
Barrel Of Rum.

would pick out Libby prison as a place
Tor spending a jolly Christmas. but a
Wen known Springfield man said yes
terday that the most memorable
Christmas eve he ever spent was pass-
ed within its walls. The celebration
was, indeed, not according to the polite
loeas OF a Christmas feast, for it was
nothing more nor less than a deep
drinking revel INDUCED in by over 400
Union prisoners. How the rum wa see
cured and what vas done by the prison
guards to put a stop TO the uproar RAJ
tod yesterday by one OF those who
played a leading part In the affair. It
was in December, 1861, that the Spring.
held man found himself a prisoner in
LIBBY, n as he had been
before his capture he was assigned to
the hospital, which was located in the
Mayo tobacco factory, adjoining the
prison proper and within the prison in
closure.
He was getting better from hia
wounds and was just able to walk
without the aid Of another mar as the
happy christmas season approached.
The prisoners naturally were very
homesick about this time, and they
longed for some Of the luxuries and
comforts which they had left SO far
away in the north. Captain Dick
Turner of Texas, who had charee of
the hospital section OF the prison camp.
was a rough-and-ready sort OF man
with a big heart that held a.elot Of
sympathy for he prisoners. The cap
Tain could not do much for them, but
ne did all he could to make life look a
little less f%orlorn, and 1t was his Gus
tom every Sunday morning to 90
through the hospital and distribute
enough tobacco to the men to a s
them the whole eek.
Such are the vagaries Of the human
nature n a when some one made the
discovery that there was a lot Of to-
bacco stored in the basement of the
building there was not a soldier in the
hospital who did not long to get hold
OF some of it, even though he had al
ready more than he could use. WAYS
and means were soon invented COR
stealing some of it, and the soldiers
took more than usual delight in doing
this Oecause because they realised that
the tobacco belonged to private indi-
viduals who were on the confederate
side. On the day before Christmas n
of the patients who had been badly
wounded in the foot, proposed to the
Springfield man that they go to the
basement and make a raid upon the
tobacco.
The Springfield man readily assent
cd, and, with the assistance Of other
prisoners, 1t was arranged that sew
eral OF them should surround the
confederate guard who stood near the
place where the tobacco was stored.
This was easily done. It was the rule
that two men should be allowed TO go
out into the yard at the same time,
while the guard watched them. the
rest of the prisoners having to wait
their turns until the others came
back from their walk. The men who
were waiting accordingly stood be-
tween the guard and the tobacco, SO
that the two foragers might get to the
tobacco without the guard seeing
them.
The Springfield mar and the other
fellow had no trouble in getting as far
as the section OF the basement where
the tobacco was stored, and they
quickly removed a board in the parti-
ton and slipped through the opening
thus made. The board was replaced SO
that the foragers could not be seen
from the outside. The two thieves be-
gan to I'LL their pockets with the tobac-
co, when one Of them overturned a
box, which made so much noise that
1t attracted the attention Of the guard,
who Immediately ordered the other
prisoners to return to their beds. He
could not leave his post to investigate
the cause of the noise, but he could
watch the partition separating the to-
bacco from the rest of the basement.
and the two brave foragers were COM
PEELED to lie low for two hours. Fortu-
nately for them, the guard was con-
WINGED that there vas no one in the
tobacco section, for he did not inform
his successor about the affair, and the
new guard paid no attention to the
place.
The Springfield mai and his compan
ion then resumed their search for to-
bacco, and in the course Of their In
they came across Ave BAR
rels filled with good old New England
rum. This was the best sight they
had seen since they were captured, ana
they were not slow to remove one OF
the plugs and put their mouths to the
bunghole. When they had satisfied
their immediate wants they passed the
word along to their comrades, who.
brought all sorts of receptacles to havc
filled. The two proud discoveries Of
the barrels remained inside the in
closure, n In the course Of an hour
they Allied and delivered to their COM
panions over twenty large pals OF
rum. Night was now coming on, ana
it vas not long before the hospital was
in an uproar.
The corporal OF the guard came In
attempt to restore order, but he was
seized bodily and thrown out OF the
room. He was followed by Sergeant
Henry WurtE Of ~Andersonville fame.
who was also thrown out OF the room
by the jolly Union prisoners. Captain
Gibbs of Alabama, with a squad of SOL
diers, then came in to restore order.
and as he was popular with the pris-
oners most OF them complied with his
request for quiet, with the exception
OF an Irfshtnan named Murphy, who
had been a member of Ellsworth's Fire
zouaves Of New York. Murphy had
had n Of HIS legs amputated near the
hip, and he had drunk just enough rum
to make him ugly.
In reply to the request of Captain
Gibbs that he make less noise, MUIR
ply used bad language, w~hereupon
Captain Gibbs ordered some OF his men
to put on the handouts and fasten
them behind his back. he then placed
Murphy on the floor. whore he wal un-
able to get UP. Before Gibbs had
reached the door Murphy had succeed
ed In freeing n hand from the hand