Year: 1867

LIBBY PRISON.


No institution of the Confederacy obtained such
notorety during the war as the Libby Prison, cor
ner Cary and Twentieth streets The main reser-
voir for all the Federal prisoners taken in the
South, at times its walls contained as many as four
thousand and in all, not less than one hundred and
twenty thousand prisoners Of war were received
and recorded here during the years of hostilties.
The structure stands now as it stood then, its
many windows looking vacantly upon the placid
river in the rear, and the busy street in front,
wrapped in "brown study" But the glory and
terror of the Libby have alike departed. Its floors
no more re-echo to the tramp, tramp ofthe pris-
oners overhead The human faces that swarmed
at the windows are all gone, and the guard has
been relieved for the last time. The immense
rooms are vacant and SILENT disturbed only by the
rush and scamper of the rats that plunge and dart
into their holes The cell doors are ajar-their late
inmates condemned, gone to the execution ground
and their graves.


On the night of the 9th of February, 1864, Col.
Sueight and a large number of officers confined
here, escaped by means of the most scientific piece
of tunneling on record. It's accomplishment was
the work of months, prosecuted at night, usually
after the hour of midnight The opening of the
tunnel sprang from the east basement wall, ten
feet below the bed of the street 1t was so con-
tracted in its diameter-ony sufficient to admit the
body of man-that only two prisoners could work
at the tunnel at the same time, one digging for
ward, his only tool sugar scoop, his comrade
hauling back the loosened earth in an army satch-
ell, by means of string attachment The tunnel
extended about sixty feet across the street, and
broke above the surface in the lumber yard oppo-
site, where the tunnelers resurrected themselves
into star light and freedom. That night the SEN
tines paced their posts as usual, and shouted at
intervals, "All's WE'LL"


The opening in the prison wall, which involved
the removal of heavy stone masonry, has been clo-
sed up, but the mouth Of the tunnel that opened
and let out the prisoners remains.


When the Federal raider, COL Dahlgren-he Of
the torch, turpentine and oakum ball-was cavor-
ting around Richmond, the Libby was mined in
the basement. Much comment has been occasion
ed by the act, and it was never clearly understood
why it was done, or by whose order The object
of placing the powder there surely was not the
blowing into eternity Of several hundred helpless
prisoners in case their recapture or release was in
evitable; but rather that a knowledge of the fact
that the prison was mined, freely communicated to
them, might overawe and deter them from an at
tempt at revolt and escape, in the event Of the
raiders getting into the city, True is, neverthe-
less, that the mine was sunk-a square hole in the
earth, four feet Deep and directly under that part
of the prison occupied by the prisoners. A train
was laid, and led some distance and senti-
mel paced constantly about the magazine-prevent-
ing all approach thereto and answering no ques-
tions. When the danger was past, the powder
was removed, in the night, as secretly as it had
been placed there.


No executions took place at the Libby during the
war; but since its close several murderers have been
hanged here by the military authorities.


The trap in the third foor originally constructed
for the hoisting and lowering of hogsheads Of to-
bacco, furnished gallows ready to hand. These
executions were private.


We reckon there are at this day hundred thous-
and men, alive and scattered throughout the Nor
thern States, who at one time or another, were
inmates of the Libby, prisoners Of war. How
multform and various must be their memories Of
this place Their long months of confinement,
the monotonous return of roll call, ration serving
and sentinel tramping. The sunbeams Of peace
fall upon the river--rest upon these walls again
A prison no more; wide open and inviting stand
the doors-not closed, repulsive and guarded. The
hospital ward, once filed with groaning, dying
men; the dead house that received their remains
are re-transformed into busy Offices Of trade trans
actions; and these expansive floors, that lately
creaked beneath the heavy tramp of men, now
groan beneath the weight of commercial staples


The Libby is again devoted to the uses for which
it was constructed in the golden days ante bellu,
and reconverted from the sanguinary uses Of war,
it is once more an emporium of the trade of Rich
mond


! CASTLE THUNDER


One square removed from the Libby, on the