Year: 1879

During the winter Of 1861 there
were above 900 Federal officers con


iined in Libby prison, at Richmond


Va. In December, 1868, Col. Rose, oi
the One Hundredth Pennsylvania, con.
eeived the idea of escaping by means Of
q tunnel. He communicated his plans
70 some Of his comrades, who promised
their cooperation in the matter. The
great difficulty they found was in get
ting access 10 tho basement Of the build
ing, where they designed commencing
operations. They could get access to
the first floor Of tho eastern division,
for this was occupied by hospital cooks
who were enlisted Holdiers who had
been captured; but then there was no
opening into the basement There was
however large chimney. leading up
fsoIn u Fireplace in the BASEMENT. They
finally discovered that they could 90
down tho aperture of the chimney and
reach tho basement. At the east end
Of the building there was a narrow al
ley, upon the opposite side of which
was lot of considerable size, near the
center Of which there was an unused
stable, this stable being some diseance
beyond the guards, who were stationed
near the building. II was the design
of the projectors Of the tunnel TO open
the terminus Of il in this stable. The
greatest difficulty encountered was at
the beginning. They had TO effect an
opening in the foundation wall, which
was of stone. To do this they had no
better tools than few small hatchets
which were used about the prison Tor
splitting kindlihgs. After great labor
an opening was effected. But The tun-
mel must be walled and arched. The
only material that could he found for
this was the wooden boxes which had
contained articles Of food and clothing,
sent to the prisoners from their homes.
The secret of the tunnel had been com
mnnicAted to but few. as it was not dc.
sired that il should be generally known
what they were driving at; but TO avoid
this. after using their own boxes, they
procured the services Of the hospital
cooks, whe would go among the prison
ers and beg their empty boxes for fire
wood. Only one man could work in
the tunnel at the same time, and, con-
sequently the work proceeded slowly.
Then the tools they had to work with,
knives and sharpened sticks. were very
insufficient. They had 10 remain on
all-fours or lay fiat while at work. They
had estimated the distance 70 lbs seven
ty-tive feet in order 10 reach the center
Of the stable. They measured their
work carefully as they advanced, and
when they reached the length If seven
ty-tive feet they tunneled upward, aud
upon reaching the outside earth found
they were correct in their estimate of
distances.


After the opening WAS effected in the
stable it was carefully covered with
broad board until such time as was
thought proper for number of the
prisoners TO make their egrcsS. The
night Of the 5th Of February had been
fixed upon for fifty Of the officers to
make their escape through the tunnel.
The design was for fifty to go out on
that night and fifty each succeeding
night until the means Of egress was dis
covered by the Confederates. IL was
thought by those who projected and
completed the tunnel that the matter
was not known to above one huadrcd
officers, to whom they had communi-
Gated it; but by some means the thing
leaked out and was generally known to
the officers in prison, and when o'clock
had arrived-thc hour that the officers
should commence their egress-the en-
trance TO the tunnel was crowded. It
was designed for fifty to leave that night
and fifty others we're selected to mis-
lead the Confederate clerk who called
the roll each morning. This would
have ben easily done if the exact num-
Der who left had been known, for the
manner of calling the roll was to crowd
all the prisoners into the east room and
pass them through door and as they
passed through count them; and as
there was another door in the same
room it was very easy for an officer to
pass back through it and fall in and be
counted again. The officer who was to
count off the fifty who were to go the
first night and conduct the deception at
roll-call next morning, finding he could
not stop the officers when fifty had
gone cut, and that SO many would leave
that it would be impossible to conceal
their flight at roll.call, made his own
escape.


The next morning when the roll was
called by the usual method of counting,
l09 officers were found missing. This
created intense excitement among the
officers in charge of the prison All the
officers were then called by name, with
the same result. The prison was care
fully examined and the point of egress
was not found.


The disappearance of these Federal
officers was so mysterious that the Con
federates were dumbfounded. As soon
as their astonishment subsidized scouts
were sent in every direction in search
of the fugitives. In the meanwhile a
largenumber of the citizens of Richmond
reconnoitered the prison the greater
portion of the day; but some time in the
afternoon somebody happened to enter
the cid stable and discovered the tun-
mel. This was great relief to them.
1t relieved the guards from q charge of
treason, and relieved the minds of the
superstitious, who could not shake the
belief from their minds that some SUI
pernatural agency had been employed