The Washington herald., 1914-02-23
THE WAR DAY BY DAY
Fifty Years Ago.
e, Who with Other Federal 06ees Had Escaped from Libby
February Was Making Paiafa journey from Richmond
Toward the Potomac River.
written expressly for The Herald,


Fifty years ago today Col. A. d.
StreightSof the Fifty-first Indiana Voiun-
teers, who. with 1os other Federal officers,
had escaped from Libby Prison oh Feb
ruary 8, was making a painful journey
from Richmond toward the Potomas
River.
Col. Streight.s journey from the Confed-
crate capital was to prove one OF great
hardship. The route was much longer
than that followed by many of the other
escaped officers, majority Of whom had
struck out down the Peninsula Delay
in getting away from Richmond had MADE
this route hazardous to Col Streisht
Although his escape had been effected
on February 8, Col. Streight had been
concealed in the house of a Unionist on
the outskirts of Richmond for week
thereafter.
The Confederate authorities attached
peculiar Importance to Col Streight as q
prisoner. The capture of Streight and
loo of his command of mounted infan-
try. near Rome. Ga, by Gen Nathan B.
Forrest Con May 5. 1859 had been bril-
liant feat.
When the Federals put the Confederate
raider, Gen. John II. Morgan. into the
Ohio Penitentiary. the Confederates had
held Col. Streight as hostage for Nor
CAMS treatment as a prisoner OF war, de-
clining to exchange him. On November
8 Gen. Morgan had escaped, but the Con-
federates continued to hold Col. Streight-
The circumstances attending Col.
Streight's escape from Libby Prison have
been the subject of much romantic fc-
ton which has passed for fact. A per-
sistent popular belief ever since the war
is that he was hidden in the home of
Miss Elizabeth Van Lew. q member Of q
prominent Richmond family, whose many
kindnesses to the Libby Prison inmates
had brought her under suspicion in the
Confederate war department
Miss Van Lewis home, on the hill above
Libby Prison. was one of the noblest man
sions in Richmond. 1t had a secret cham
Der. in which escaped Federal prisoners
had indeed been hidden; but Col Streight
was not one of them. This is settled by
Miss Van LEWIS diary, extracts from
which were published in Harper's Maya
zine in 1911. The diary contained this
entry regarding Col. Streight, under date
of February Is, 1854:
81 shall ever remember this day be-
cause of the great alarm had for others
Col. Streight and three of the prisoners
were secreted near Towards
Grove. After passing through the tunnel
they were led by a Mrs. G. to a hum
bic house on the outskirts OF the city;
there Mrs. R received them. By re-
quest OF some OF their number she came
for me. We had a little laughing
and talking and then 1 said good-by with
the most fervent God bless you in my
heart toward all Of them"
The Mrs. c." mentioned by Miss
Van Lew was Mrs. Abbie n. Green. ma
tive of New Hampshire. who lived in
Richmond throughout the war. The Fed
eral government gave her q clerkship for
her assistance to<escaped prisoners. The
'MrS. R" was Mrs. l. A Rice. an
other constant friend of the Northern
prisoners in Richmond.
Given Arm. and u Guide.
Although Col. Streight was one of the
prominent prisoners in Libby. there is
less detail in the account OF his escape
than in any of the other published ac-
counts describing the experiences OF the
men who passed through the famous tun-
mel. He was popularity credited with hav-
ing directed the digging Of the tunnel.
but ii does not appear that he had any
hand in the work or any knowledge of It
until it was done
Col Streight got away from the prison
with three other officers, Maj. B. B. Nc
Donald. of the 101st Ohio Volunteers, and
Capt. W. w. Scarce and Lieut.. John
Sterling. of the Thirtieth Indiana volun-
teers. Mcdonald was one of the fifteen
officers who dug the tunnel and who took
precedence in passing through it.
At the house of a negro to which the
party had been told by Mrs Green to
proceed, they were met by Mrs. Green,
and were conducted to their hiding place
10 wait until the hunt for the ESCAPED 100
had somewhat died out. before starting
North. Their hiding place was described
in the history Of Col. Streight's Regiment
as the house of a Mr.. Quarles, where
they met Mrs. Rice, who gave I'D her
rooms to them, and provided clothing
and food"
While in concealment Col. Streirht and
his companions were visited by several
Union men. who furnished them with
money, reyolvers and ammunition and
supplied them with a guide to take them
clear of the Confederate works near the
Chickahominy River
Leaving Richmond probably on Feb
ruary 16, by one of the highways lead
ing eastward to the Chickahominy, Col.
Streight and his party succeeded in
crossing that stream so near a Con-
federate picket post that they saw the
sentry on his beat. Once across, they
plunged into the swamp for greater Sc
curlty.
Through Frozen Svamps.
The weather being cold they suffered
severely, for they dared not build fires.
On the fourth day of their journey they
arrived at the Pamunkey River, which
was flowing high and filled with ice.
Col. Streight crossed on the trunk of
cedar tree and securing a boat on
the farther bank rowed his companions
over.
Their progress was now painfully
slow, for their feet were badly swollen
0IIITo@==,S2