The Washington herald., 1914-01-31
THE WAR DAY BY DAY
Fifty Years Ago.
Engaged /. Digging Tunl By Wh Was Planned 10 Efset the
Eseap. Themselves and 0has-Labsng Amid Dmsn and DE-
cuIies
written expressly for The Hers

-.
written expressl
Fifty years ago today a band OF hfteen
Federal officers in Libby Prison were en-
gagged in digging a tunnel by which II
was planned to effect the escape Of them
selves and others.
This was the second tunnel project that
had been put on foot in the prison since
early winter. The first had been to tun-
mel into a sewer in Canal street near the
James River. The plan had failed through
the flooding of two tunnels successiveiy,
and the work on them had been aban-
doned on January % after thirty-nine
nights of toll.
There were three separate cellars under
the prison, with heavy wall between
them. These walls extended to the upper
floors, but were pierced by doorways only
above the first floor.
These tunnels had been run from the
east cellar, which was used only for
storage To this the plotters had gained
access by cutting an S-shaped passage in
a chimney flue. The top of the S was in
the back of a fireplace in the kitchen Of
the prison. which was the central room
on the Carey street floor level, and the
bottom was in the east cellar, several
feet from its floor. The wall was thus
pierced on one side at the top and the
other at the bottom OF the opening.
The prison kitchen was not frequented
at night, and the diggers had passed
through their hole in the chimney unde-
tected. The nearest guards were on their
beats outside the prison
Once in the east cellar the diggers were
free from interruption.
The Fifteen Who Dug. -. .-
In the first tunneling enterprise fifteen
men had been employed. After a brief
rest from their labors, the party was re-
organized, most Of the original fifteen en-
listing for the second undertaking, and
enough recruits being admitted to make
up the original number.
The party thus formed consisted of the
following officers:
Col. Thomas E. Rose. Seventy-seventh
Pennsylvania Regiment; Mai A. G. Ham,
ilton, Twelfth Kentucky; Capt. Torrance
Clark, Seventy-ninth Illinois; Maj. George
H. Fitzsimmons. Thirtieth Indiana: Capt.
John F. Gallagher. Capt w. S. B. Ran
dali, Second Ohio; Capt. John Lucas.
Fifth Kentucky; Capt. l. n. johnson.
Sixth Kentucky; Mai. B. B. Mcdonald.
101st Ohio; Lieut.. n. S. Mexican, Twenty
first Illinois: Lieut.. Davis Garbett, Sew
enty-seventh Pennsylvania: Lieut.. ]. c.
Fisler. Seventh Indiana Artillery; Lieut..
John D. Simpson, Tenth Indiana; Lieut.
John Mitchell, Seventy-ninth Illinois;
Lieut. Eli Foster, Thirtieth Indiana
Hamilton and Rose were the originators
and prime movers in the undertaking. as
they ihad been in the first one. 1t was
theyf who selected the point at which
the tew tunnel was begun, and indicated
its direction.
Under a Vacant Lot.
At the east end OF the prison was
vacant lot, which sloped from Carey
street, on which the prison fronted. to
Canal street, running along its rear. This
lot was fifty-three feet wide. Beyond
1t on Carey street was warehouse /
Backing up TO the lot from the next !
cross street was a small business build |
ing, in which was a carriage arch lead |
ing to a yard in which stood an open |
shed. This yard was separated from the
vacant lot by a high fence.
1t was the plan of the tunnelers to |
turrow beneath this lot. come to the |
surface in the shed behind the fence |
open from within the heavy gate in the |
arch that communicated with the cross |
street and walk away into the business !
section of Richmond.
In beginning their tunnel the diggers |
had been fortunate. The wall of the |
prison was brick. 1t was strengthened |
in the cellar by buttresses of brick, be- |
tween which was a deep recess The |
place was dark at all times, and evenl
with the candle of the diggers going |
the recess was in shadow. As II was
planned to carry on the work night |
and day this was important, for the |
guards sometimes looked into the cellar
by day.
Fortune favored the prisoners in be- |
ginning work on their tunnel. The Con-
federate authorities had begun to place
iron gratings in the windows of the |
prison, and this work made a great deal
of noise. While il was in progress the |
diggers in the east cellar were engaged
in breaking a hole through the brick
wall of the prison. They thumped away
with a will, knowing that the noise
would be drowned by that of the work
men at the windows, who were nearer
the guards than they.
A few hours work by Mai Mcdonald |
and a companion resulted in a breach
large enough to admit the body of a
man
The first night after the breach was
made, Capt. johnson and Lieut. Fisler
began digging. They had nothing but q