TO THE EDITOR: I see in your
issue of April 9 that I am called upon by Col. I. B. Dodge, 30th
Ind.
, to give a full and complete history of the Libby Prison tunnel. He says that
he knows well that I am reluctant to do this, but he assigns a reason therefor
which I hardly think just. It is not false modesty that makes me reluctant to do
so, but it is because I am not accustomed to writing articles for publication.
Besides, I cannot write a correct history of the Libby Prison tunnel without
dwelling on my own connection with its entire construction. In this case,
however, Col. Dodge says that it is a duty that I owe to my comrades to write
this history for publication.
Capt. A. G. Hamilton, 12th
Ky. Cav., (afterwards promoted,) and myself began the tunnel scheme in the
eastern cellar of the prison shortly after my arrival there
Oct. 1, 1863
. We continued our work but for a few days when we were compelled to suspend it
by reason of the shifting of prisoners to different rooms; also, the tearing
down of stairways, walling up doorways, etc., which continued for tow or three
weeks. During this time Hamilton and myself cut our way down into the carpenter
shop, out of which we prepared to make
A DASH FOR
LIBERTY
.
A party of us then went down into the shop for this purpose
on more than one occasion, but the unexpected shifting of the prison-guard
prevented the attempt. This party at that time consisted of Hamilton,
Fitzsimmons, McDonald, Lucas and myself. This shop continued to be a
reconnoitering ground for some time, and a larger party, consisting of 70 men,
was organized to operate from this place; the object being to overpower the
guard and break away whenever the near approach of raiding parties of our own
troops or other circumstance would render this plan of escape practicable. At
length the shifting of the prisoners ceased and the work of the prison officials
seemed finished. Then Hamilton and myself again turned our attention to the
tunnel project; but we were now cut off from the eastern cellar, the only place
from which a tunnel could be made with success, for he reason that it was the
only place where we could conceal the dirt, and where we could work without
interruption for several hours at a time. The hospital and hospital office were
immediately over this cellar. The carpenter shop and the dungeons were along
side of it. We had access to the dining-room, which, fortunately, was seldom
visited by any one at night. It was from this place that we had cut into the
carpenter shop directly underneath, and we could cut through the carpenter-shop
wall into the cellar, but the hole in the wall could not well be concealed. We
could cut through the dining-room wall into the hospital, then through the
hospital floor into the cellar, but this plan would not do for many reasons. We
therefore resorted to a device the execution of which has never been surpassed
for care and skill, when it is considered that instruments little better than
pocket-knives were used. We went to the chimney, between the dining-room and
hospital, close to the dining-room door, where the rebel sentinel stood. In the
fireplace of this chimney was a large amount of soot and ashes. In front of the
fireplace were some stoves. We shifted the stoves a little, removed the soot and
ashes from the fireplace and placed them in a gum blanket. A hole was then cut
in the back wall just far enough not to make an opening into the hospital; then
straight down through the wall to below the hospital floor, and just wide enough
not to make an opening into the carpenter shop; then straight out under the
hospital floor into the cellar, making a hole through the entire wall –
somewhat in form to the letter S – from the dining-room to the cellar, large
enough to admit the passage of a man. The material was so cut that after the
hole was completed it could be replaced and removed at will, and not a vestige
of the work be seen when the material was replaced and the soot thrown back. For
the careful execution of this ingenious work the credit is due entirely to
Hamilton
.
We now went down into the cellar by means of a strong rope,
which was afterwards made into a rope-ladder, and recommenced the work which we
had begun several weeks before. There was no more very ingenious work to be done
after we made our way back again into the eastern cellar, but there was a great
deal of hard work before us. Three holes were cut through the heavy foundation
wall on the eastern side of the cellar before a place was found where the dirt
was firm enough to support the tunnel. We were now so much more secure from
interruption and discovery that I determined to organize a party of workmen. The
great readiness that had been shown by the prisoners to engage in the other
adventures led me to suppose that there would be but little difficulty in
organizing a work party that would push the work through in a very few days.
Four men could be on duty at one time – one to dig, one to fan fresh air into
the tunnel, one to draw the dirt back and deposit it, and one to stand guard
near the rebel sentinel and give the danger signal. A party of 15 was therefore
sufficient to be divided into three reliefs, each to work one night and have two
nights’ rest, and still have supernumeries in case of sickness or accident.
Fifteen men therefore, including Hamilton and myself, were
selected to compose this party. I found more difficulties with this arrangement
than I had anticipated. The men were totally unused to the circumstances. The
profound darkness of the place caused some of them to become bewildered when
they attempted to move about, and, as absolute silence had to be observed, they
cold not find their way to places where they were needed, or even find their way
out of the cellar, and, what was worse, as the cellar was very large and no one
must speak above a whisper, it was a matter of great difficulty to find them. I
sometimes had to feel all over the cellar to gather up the men that were lost.
The indescribably bad odor and impure atmosphere of the cellar made some of them
sick. The uncomfortable positions in which they had to work amid crawling rats
– the cellar was called rat h__l – was unendurable to some. To the
unreflecting the scheme seemed impracticable as soon as the first burst of
enthusiasm was over. The work did not progress as I thought it should. In a very
short time, this party was disbanded, and Hamilton and myself continued our
dreary work alone, as before, for many nights. Every day added to our
experience, and I resolved to organize the working party anew. The same men that
composed the first working party, as nearly as practicable, were assembled, and,
taking advantage of acquired experience, the party was reorganized with great
care. A few of those who composed the first party, from sickness or other cause,
were not available, and new men were selected to fill their places. The party
was divided into three permanent reliefs as before, and no man was permitted to
do but one kind of work. If he was not an expert at the kind of work assigned to
him he was enjoined upon to become so as quickly as possible. This party now
worked with energy and system, and, although their work progressed very slowly
at first, it increased each night, and in 17 nights the tunnel was completed
from the cellar to the shed in the yard on the west side o the warehouse, from
which the escape of the prisoners was easily made.
To this band of men, and to no other person or persons, is
the credit of the Libby Prison tunnel due. It was this band of men, headed by
myself, which first escaped on
the 9th of February, 1864
, and was long gone from
Richmond
,
Va.
, before any other prisoners escaped. Their names are as follows: Col. Thomas E.
Rose, 77th Pa.: Capt. A. G. Hamilton, 12th Ky. Cav.; Capt.
Terrance Clarke, 79th Ill.; Maj. George H. Fitzsimmons, 30th
Ind.; Capt. John F. Gallagher, 2d Ohio; Capt. W. S. B. Randall, 2d Ohio; Capt.
John Lucas, 5th Ky.; Capt. I. N. Johnson, 6th Ky.; Maj. B.
B. McDonald, 101st Ohio; Lieut. N. S. McKeen, 21st Ill.;
Lieut. David Garbett, 77th Pa.; Lieut. J. G. Fislar, 7th
Ind. Art.; Lieut. John D. Simpson, 10th Ind.; Lieut. John Mitchell,
79th Ill., and Lieut. Eli Foster, 30th Ind. There are two
of the above named men, I am informed, who have “sold their birthright for a
mess of pottage,” and whose names do not deserve to appear in connection with
those of honorable men; but this statement would not be true if their names were
omitted, and the publication of truth is the object of this article. There are,
besides the above, two men whose names it would be proper to mention in this
letter. Lieut. F. F. Bennett, 18th Inf., on one occasion assisted
Hamilton
in rescuing me from a perilous position while at this work. Capt. John
Sterling, 30th, frequently furnished the party with ropes and
candles, which we used in the tunnel, he having money to procure these things.
Both these men belonged to the first party of workmen, but did not belong to the
second. To A. G. Hamilton belongs the credit of having done all the work that
required great care and mechanical ingenuity. It was he who cut the hole from
the dining-room to the celebrated eastern cellar; it was he who made the rope
ladder – in fact, he executed little ingenious devices too numerous to mention
here. His work was altogether indispensable to the success of the scheme. For
the organizing of the hands for work or any other adventure; for the assignment
of the details and the instruction of the men, I am obliged to take the credit
to myself. There was no other leader in the whole affair.
It will be seen that I have not attempted to go into the
details of the history of the tunnel any further than to draw an outline of the
matter that will do justice to my comrades. –
THOMAS E. ROSE, Colonel, 77th
Pa.
,
Pittsburg
,
Pa.
