MAJOR TURNER'S
ESCAPE
How the ex-Commandant of Famous Libby Prison Fled to Cuba.
HIS EXPERIENCES
TOLD BY HIMSELF
An Interesting
Letter Written by Him
from Havana Just After the
War to a Friend in
Virginia.
Veterans of the civil war; both
North and South, will be interested in the letter printed herewith, now
published for the first time, written by Major T. P. Turner, who was for the
greater part of the war commandant of the famous Libby Prison at Richmond. The
letter was to a Virginia friend, and tells of his wanderings immediately after
the close of the war and his final escape to Cuba.
The warehouse known as Libby
Prison was erected about 1846 by John Enders. A part of the building was used
for storing tobacco. Subsequently the corner house was occupied by Hawkins &
Libby, ship chandlers. The building since that date has been known as the Libby.
It was removed to Chicago in 1889. The Confederate Government used it first as a
place where the commissioned officers might meet and register the privates
detailed for Andersonville, Salisbury, and Belle Isle. In this way over forty or
fifty thousand prisoners probably crossed its threshold. The office of the
commandant of the prison was in the northeast corner.
In February, 1864, 109 prisoners,
led by Col. Streight, managed to escape from the prison by tunneling under the
east wall and gaining access to the premises adjoining. These premises were used
for storage and as a stable, and owing to the latter fact more than half of the
men were recaptured, some of them having an idea that, if they were mounted on
horseback escape would be more certain, but the horses were traced and some
recaptured with their riders.
When the Federals captured the
city, in April, 1865, they caused the arrest of a great number of
“obnoxious” Confederates, and confined them in Libby. Col. Robert Ould,
Confederate commandant for the exchange of prisoners, and Major Isaac H.
Carrington, Provost Marshal of the city, were two of the prominent officers
there confined. Two regiments of local militia, Col. J. Evans andDanforth, with the Twenty-fifth Battalion of local troops, guarded Libby
Prison, Castle Thunder, Belle Isle, &c. The commissary of the prison was
Major Thomas Quinn, and the Adjutant Lieut. John Latouche. The commandant of
Libby was Major T. P. Turner, who, at the evacuation of Richmond, left the
“City of Hills” and made his way out of the country. The following letter
tells of his experiences:
Hotel
Cabanas,
Havana, Cuba,
8th Jan. 1866.
My dear Rob:
I write you a few lines, thinking
you may feel an interest in hearing from me. On the 3rd of April
last, I left Richmond; it was the day on which the Yankees entered. The news of
Gen Lee's surrender was very sudden and unexpected, and the scenes in R. on the
night of the evacuation were horrible. On reaching Gen Lee's army, I found every
thing chaos and confusion; the roads and avenues were filled with fugitives,
hurrying on God knows where. Our party, Major Carrington & Co, were very
near being captured several times.
I was within a few miles of Gen
Lee's Hd. quarters when he surrendered. I then started for Gen. Johnstons army,
but was cut off by Stonemans men. I made a wide circumbendibus and succeeded in
reaching Augusta Ga. where I remained until Gen. Johnston surrendered. I
immediately started for Florida, with Gen. Gardner hoping to get out of the
country in that way. We were within fifteen miles of President Davis, when he
was captured. On reaching the Florida line, we found it impossible to get out by
that route: so we took the back track. Gen. G. sick, and unable to travel
farther, I started, alone, for the Mississippi river. After travelling over the
states of Ga. Alabama & Miss. passing under an assumed name, flanking
Yankees here and there, and avoiding, as much as possible, towns and public
roads; frequently sleeping in the woods; I finally reached the Yazoo Valley;
there I was compelled to abandon my horse, and take it, in a “dug out”
across the overflown country to the Mississippi.
After working my arms nearly off,
or out of joint, sleeping several nights in our canoe, lashed to the trees, with
a “waste of waters “ around us, and almost bitten to death by musquitoes,
buffalo gnats, and every other pestiferous creature imaginable, we found
ourselves unable to proceed further in the “dug out,” and had to take it on
foot, some 25 miles to the Miss, and such a walk! when the mud was not up above
our knees, We thought ourselves very fortunate; for often we were up to our
arm-pits in the suffocating bogs. I was delighted when we came in sight of the
“Father of Waters,” and still more so, when I found my self on the Arkansas
shore. At this time I was travelling with an Ark. Soldier, and walked across the
greater part or the state of Ark. until finally I got an old mule and rode as
far as Waco, Texas. I was then striking for the Rio Grande. At Waco, I met with
Gen. H. Marshall, who was also running from the Yankees. The weather was so
excessively warm, and we heard so much of robberies on the Rio Grande that we
determined to rest during the summer, and pursue our journey at the expiration
of the hot weather. Gen. M. fining that the Yankees did not desire to molest
him, applied for pardon, and returned to his family. I spent the summer very
pleasantly, at the house of a very hospitable Texan. During the month of Aug. an
old Virginian, calling himself Anderson, but better known in Va. as Jubal A.
Early, stopped in the neighborhood. We soon became acquainted, & determined
to continue our wanderings together, and “to share weal or woe” in our
attempt to free ourselves from Yankee thraldom.
About the middle of October we
started for Galveston, having abandoned the idea of striking for the Rio Grande.
We went to the house of Dr. I. Carr Massie; a Virginian, whose residence was on
the bay about 35 miles from Galveston. There we communicated with friends in the
city, who kindly interested themselves in our behalf, getting us a safe passage
out of the country, without the knowledge or consent of the Yankee authorities.
In a short time, we were notified “to come down,” as every thing was in
readiness. We were kindly received and entertained, and clandestinely put on
board of a fine “Bark” “bound for Liverpool,” and were soon on the
“deep blue sea,” leaving the “so-called” U. S. behind us, with its
abolition crew.
After quite a boisterous voyage,
we reached the west bank of the Bahamas, and were landed on the Bermine Islands,
among the negro wreckers. We passed as “Mass” Yankees, and were kindly
treated; after waiting for nearly two weeks, we succeeded in getting passage on
a schooner, for Nassau, and were landed there, on the morning of the 1st
of December, just as the signal gun fired from Fort Charlotte, and the Royal
Ensign went up. You may be sure that after our long and arduous struggle, to
free ourselves from atrocious persecution, tyranny, and oppression, we rejoiced
at finding ourselves, at last secure, under the protection of the “Red Cross
of St. George.” From Nassau we sailed on the English steamer “Corsica,”
and arrived here, on the 10th of December 1865.
I do not know that the Yankees,
desired particularly to arrest me; for several months I saw no news-papers and
am not posted; but I knew enough of Yankee character, to be convinced, that no
one connected with the Prisons, would be safe in their hands. Their “civil
commissions,” are but organized machines, to echo and record their foregone
conclusions and every single member of them, as in the cases of Mrs. Surratt and
Capt Wirtz, are murderers, and I trust they will “one of these days,” share
the same fate, they meted out to others. It was not a very brave act, in a
government, which makes such pretentions to greatness arid magnanimity, to take
Capt Wirtz, a poor defenseless foreigner, and try, convict, and execute him, on
charges and evidence, which should not have convicted a “decent dog.” But
what, can you expect from the barbarians of the North? After such a murderous
war as they have waged, against the women and children of the south what show of
justice, should any man expect? If I had been arrested, I suppose I would like
poor old Wirtz, have fallen a victim to the same cruel vindictiveness which
claimed more drops of life-blood - (the oceans which have been shed, through
their instrumentality not being enough to sate their hate) as a libation to
their ignoble victory.
This is a gay city, and the fair
senoritas, are many of them, very beautiful, though I have no doubt, their
beauty would grow dim, and fade away, before the gorgeous beauties of old
Lynchburg for instance, before Miss H. and Miss L. I wish very much you were
here with me, we could have a little fun, although this is a very expensive
place, and does not suit Confederates, unless they happen to have been
Quartermasters or Commissaries. I shall spend the winter here, and will be
delighted to hear from you; write me a long letter, anything will be
interesting, and all will be news to me.Letters
will reach me safely, if addressed under cover, to
“Francis D. Newcomb; Hotel
Cabana;
16 Terriente Regent St.,
Havana, Cuba.”
No postal treaty exists between
Spain and the “U. S,” and letters from the interior should be sent to New
York or to Baltimore to be forwarded out of the country. Send your letters to
me, to some friend in New York or Baltimore Mr. Fowle in the latter city, will I
have no doubt, attend to it for you. Hoping that we may meet, in happier and
better times, both for ourselves and country,
I remain, most truly
& faithfully your
friend Th. P. Turner.
To
S. R. Shinn Esq.
If you see any
of my friends please present my respects, If you see any of my Yankee friends,
give to them my kindest regards, and say to them, that I would have allowed
myself to have been taken, or arrested, but for several reasons, the principal
one being, that I would have seen them d-d first. I have written to Latouche and
Ross, but have not heard from them as yet. I send a photograph of myself. I
would like to have yours.
