USA > Ohio > Franklin County > Columbus > The story of Camp Chase; a history of the prison and its cemetery, together with other cemeteries where Confederate prisoners are buried, etc > Part 12
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Your friend,
S. B. CHAMBERS.
The Capt. A. V. Rice alluded to in the above letter afterwards became a brigadier general, and when President Cleveland was elected the second time he appointed him pension agent for Ohio, the salary being about $4,000 per year. He lost one leg in battle ; and, while a Democrat, held office under Presidents Mckinley and Roosevelt. He died recently.
A little incident occurred early in April, 1862, that caused much excitement in Camp Chase, but did no damage. A sentinel who had not soldiered long was on guard at one of the prisons,
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and as dawn approached thought he saw a man in gray trying to make his escape. He quickly drew aim and fired at the supposed Rebel. This alarmed other sentinels, and these, being new to the business, also fired, and the camp was alarmed. The long roll was beaten and the orderly sergeants shouted to their men to "fall in." The Journal, in speaking of the occurrence, said :
. The guards turned out with commendable alacrity, thinking perhaps that the whole Rebel horde were at their heels and were about to take possession of the camp. They presented a ridicu- lous appearance as they crawled out in every condition-some without their coats and others with one boot or barefooted. When investigation was made, the prisoners were all there and the ma- jority asleep. Only a few were aroused by the excitement. The sentinel shot a cow near by and nearly killed some of our men.
The Journal of April 9 said :
Yesterday morning Colonel Moody, commandant at Camp Chase, started thirty Confederate officers for Fort Warren. They included most of those on parole in this city. The Knights of the Golden Circle shed buckets of tears at parting with their Southern brethren.
The same paper on the morning of July 10 said :
The ingenuity of the Confederate prisoners confined at Camp Chase has been tested in a variety of ways in their efforts to see the outer world. Their latest was to dig out. It was discovered recently that two mines had been made, commencing underneath one of their quarters and running to within a few feet of the out- side prison fence. Had they succeeded in reaching the outside, they would there have been met by the ground guard, whose at- tention they could scarcely have escaped.
The Journal of July 23 said :
Yesterday two squads of prisoners were taken to Camp Chase. The train from the East brought twenty bushwhacking Confed- erates captured in Virginia. Several of them were wounded and on crutches.
The afternoon train from the South brought twenty-eight more, captured recently in Kentucky. among them a Colonel Jones. They marched from the depot to Messrs. Hawkes & Company's stage office, where omnibuses were provided to carry them to the prison. Among the number attracted by them through curiosity were several paroled Union prisoners, who were not very choice in their language in denouncing the authorities for their accom- modating spirit exercised toward these men.
The prisoners at Camp Chase are quiet and submissive since their attempt some days ago to dig out. The three prisons con-
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INCREASING NUMBERS.
tain some 1,676 men. No one is permitted to see them without a special permit from the commandant.
On August 17 eleven hundred Camp Chase prisoners were sent" South. They were to be exchanged at Vicksburg.
In 1862 there were many political prisoners at Camp Chase. A Columbus paper of November 22 says :
There have been examined up to this time three hundred and twenty-seven political prisoners by special commission, and two hundred and seventy of them discharged by order of the Secretary of War, together with fifty-seven others reported upon by the Wa- Department. There are yet about four hundred prisoners con- fined at Camp Chase, anxiously waiting a hearing.
The following-named prisoners were released on the above- mentioned date : Wm. M. Butler, Davis County, Ky .; T. W. Haw- thorn, Mercer County, Va .; George W. Demsey, Fayette County, Va .; John Oder, Campbell County, Ky .; W. L. Hontom, Mercer County, Va .; E. J. Ranson, Virginia; Walter, Brown County, Ohio; Thomas C. Read, Alleghany County, -; Thomas Brigham, Mercer County, Ky. ; W. H. Robertson, Robertson Coun- ty, Ky .; James W. Evans, Grant County, Ky .; Charles Richard, Hampshire County, Tenn .; John N. Helmick, Calhoun County, Va .; John W. Campbell, Davis County, Ky .; A. H. Clement and James Lester, Pike County; J. D. Lillard, Calhoun County; Joseph Hicks, Owen County ; John Roland and R. Smith, Swan County ; Thomas J. Webster, Grant County ; L. Slems, Campbell County ; Solonion McDade and James Green, Gallatin County ; Richard McGeness and John King, Harrison County ; Z. Doly, Bourbon County ; M. Jenkines, Pendleton County; John Dough- erty, Bath County; B. R. Griffin, Henderson County; James Lafferty, Harrison County; Samuel Flowers, Champaign County, Ohio.
The Ohio State Journal of February 5, 1863, says :
The ten o'clock train from the South last night brought three women from Nashville who have elected themselves to a term of repose at Camp Chase. It seems that they were decidedly brisk in: forwarding contraband information to Southern leaders and giving money and aid to their soldiers. They are of one family, being mother and daughters.
The Columbus Crises, speaking of the episode, says :
A few days ago a mother and two daughters, one sixteen and the other eighteen years of age, were sent to Camp Chase as po-
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litical prisoners from Tennessee. They are very respectable and intelligent ladies. This act to outsiders seems very ungallant and has excited a good deal of talk, and a resolution was introduced in the Ohio Senate by Mr. Kenny, of Ashland County, himself a gallant soldier, inquiring into the facts.
Many Confederate officers in those days lived in Columbus. They had given their word of honor not to attempt to escape, and they kept their word. They were associates of the officers of the regular army, or such of them as were stationed in Columbus at one time or another. The Eighteenth United States Infantry was in that city for some time, and its officers and the paroled Confederate officers were conspicuous figures in the hotels and cafés. Among those whose intimacy was most marked were Captain Joyce, of General Buckner's staff, and Captain Dodge, of the Eighteenth Regulars. One day these gentlemen were dining and drinking at Wagner's, the leading café of Columbus, when a private soldier a little worse from drink entered and sa- luted Captain Dodge. The Captain paid no attention to the sa- lute. The soldier paused and addressed some remark to him, when Captain Joyce sprang to his feet and struck the soldier in the face. With his mouth bleeding he went out of the place and, meeting a number of his comrades, told the story of the assault.
A crowd gathered, as many citizens as soldiers, and a riot was imminent. Threats were made that the Confederate must die, and the crowd assumed a moblike aspect. When a number of soldiers entered the restaurant Wagner managed to get the two officers out, but the crowd surrounded them upon the outside. "Kill the d- Rebel!" came the cries from every side. "Kill the other -; he is no better !" cried others. As readily would they have killed Captain Dodge as his Confederate friend; but when they began to crowd upon and jostle the officers about. waiting and wishing that the Confederate would strike again, the police appeared and the officers were hurried to the American house. Here the crowd followed, and it was with difficulty they were rescued and taken to a place of safety. The papers pub- lished the story, and both soldiers and civilians were excited ; and had Captain Joyce appeared upon the streets again while the ex- citement was high, he would probably have been shot.
CHAPTER XII.
THE YEARS CREPT SLOWLY ON.
From 1863 to 1865-Gen. John Morgan and His Men-A Brief Review of His Famous Raid through Ohio-On the Road to Camp Chase-A Tennessee Judge Once a Boy Prisoner-The Boy and the Bowlder- A Conspiracy.
THE events at Camp Chase Prison were not narrated by the Columbus writers, for there was little to consider in the way of news in 1862. There was much transferring to Johnson's Island and to Camp Douglass, and occasionally to the Elmira (N. Y.) prison. The chief event of 1863 was the Morgan raid and its dramatic dénouement.
It was about the middle of July, 1863, that Gen. John Morgan and his faithful horsemen stirred Ohio from center to circumfer- ence. The first one of Morgan's men to arrive at Camp Chase was one Jacob Hix, a private, who, exhausted by the terrible march, fell asleep on his horse and rode for miles. Finally the horse wandered up a country lane far out of the line of march. When Hix awoke, there were no troops in sight, and he knew not which way to turn. He wandered on, however, and finally brought up in the little village of Richmond, some fifty miles south of Columbus. When the villagers saw a real, live Rebel riding leisurely along the streets, there was intense excitement. There was a hurried search for shotguns and the like, and one or two men more collected ; then the rest demanded that Hix sur- render, which the weary Confederate, knowing nothing of the country, did. After getting their prisoner something to eat, they took him to Chillicothe and delivered him to Deputy Provost Marshal Thomas J. Guin, who took him to Camp Chase.
Monday morning, July 27, 1863, the Ohio State Journal placed at the head of its editorial columns with big black headline the following: "John Morgan Captured." The editorial said:
The career of the great Rebel raider is ended. He and his whole force are now in General Shackelford's possession. Mor- gan surrendered unconditionally at three o'clock yesterday (Sun-
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day) afternoon. All honor is due the gallant and hardy boys who have finally captured the reckless rider of Rebeldom. Morgan and his command will doubtless be brought to Camp Chase.
The Journal stated several days later :
The noted raider, John Morgan, received a very handsome re- ception yesterday afternoon at the depot-at least.so far as num- bers are concerned. The desire to see one who has given the citizens of Ohio as much trouble as this Rebel has could hardly have been greater than to see President Lincoln. The hero came on a special train, accompanied by General Shackelford and staff, and several other Union officers. The excitement ran high, and a rush was made for the train. The crowd in front feasted their eyes and made way for others eager to see him. The Governor, General Mason, and portions of their staffs were introduced to Morgan and shook hands with him, after which they paid their respects to General Shackelford.
The cell in which General Morgan was confined is yet marked and is pointed out to visitors to the Ohio penitentiary.
The Richmond Enquirer tells of how they managed to escape :
Their bedsteads were small iron stools fastened in the wall with hinges, which could be hooked up or allowed to stand on the floor. To prevent any suspicion, for several days before any work was attempted they made it a habit to let them down and sit at their doors and read. Captain Hines superintended the work, while General Morgan kept watch to divert the attention of the sentinel, whose duty it was to come around during the day and observe conditions.
One day the sentinel came in while Hokersmith was down un- der the floor boring away and, missing him, said: "Where is Hokersmith?" The General replied, "He is in my room sick," and immediately pulled a document out of his pocket and said to him, "Here is a memorial I have drawn up to forward to the government at Washington. What do you think of it?" The sentinel. who perhaps could not read, being highly flattered at the General's condescension, very gravely looked at the document for several minutes before he vouchsafed any reply; then, handing it back, he expressed himself as highly pleased with it. In the meantime Hokersmith had been signaled and came up, professing to feel very unwell.
This sentinel was the most difficult and dangerous obstacle in their progress, because there was no telling at what time he might enter in the day, and at night he came regularly every two hours to each cell and inserted a light through the bars of the doors to see that all were quietly sleeping, and frequently after his rounds he would slip back into the dark in India rubber shoes
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and listen. The General says that he would almost invariably know of his presence by a certain magnetic shudder it would pro- duce; but for fear that his acute sensibility might sometimes fail him, he broke up small particles of coal and sprinkled them before the cell door, which would always announce the sentinel's ap- proach.
About the latter part of October they began to bore. All were busy-one making a rope ladder by tearing and twisting up strips of bedticks, another making Bowie knives, and another twisting towels. They labored perseveringly for several days, and after boring through nine inches of cement and nine thicknesses of brick placed edgewise they began to wonder when they would reach the soft earth. Suddenly a brick fell through. What could this mean? What infernal chamber had they reached? It was immediately entered, and to their great astonishment and joy, it proved to be an air chamber extending the whole length of the row of cells. Here was an unexpected interposition in their fa- vor. Heretofore they had been obliged to conceal their rubbish in bedticks, each day burning a proportionate quantity of straw ; now they had room enough for all they could dig. They at once commenced to tunnel at right angles with this air chamber, to get through the foundation. Day after day they bored, day after day the blocks of granite were removed, and still the work before them seemed interminable.
After twenty-three days of unrelenting labor, and getting through a granite wall six feet in thickness, they reached the soil. They tunneled up for some distance, and light began to shine. How glorious was the light! It announced the fulfillment of their labor; they would soon be free. This was the morning of the 26th day of November, 1863. The next night at twelve o'clock was determined on as the hour at which they would at- tempt to get away. Each moment was filled with dreadful anxiety and suspense, and each time the guard entered their apprehensions increased. The General says that he prayed for rain, but the morning of the 27th dawned bright and beautiful. The evening came, and the clouds began to gather. How they prayed for them to increase! If rain should only begin, their chances of detection would be greatly lessened. While these thoughts were passing through their mind the keeper entered with a letter for General Morgan. He opened it, and what was his surprise and wonder to find it from a poor Irish woman of his acquaintance in Kentucky, commencing: "My dear Ginral, I feel certain you are going to get out of prison, but for your sake don't try it. dear Gin- ral. You will only be taken a prisoner again and made to suffer more than you do now." The letter then went on to speak of his kindness to the poor when he lived at Lexington, and concluded by again exhorting him to trust in God and wait his time.
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What could this mean? No human being on the outside had been informed of his intention to escape ; and yet just as all things were ready for him to make the attempt, here comes a letter from Kentucky advising him not to try it. This letter had passed through the examining office of General Mason, and then through the hands of the lower officials. What if it should excite their suspicion and cause them to exercise an increased vigilance? The situation, however, was desperate. Their fate could not be made worse, and they resolved to go. Nothing remained to be done but for General and Col. Dick Morgan to change cells. The hour approached for them to be locked up. They changed coats, and each stood at the other's cell door with his back exposed, and pretended to be engaged in making up their beds. As the turn- key entered they pulled their doors shut.
Six, eight, ten o'clock came. How each pulse throbbed as they quietly awaited the approach of twelve! It came; the sentinel passed his rounds. After waiting a few moments to see if he intended to slip back, the signal was given and all quietly slipped down to the air chamber, first stuffing their flannel shirts and placing them in the bed as they were accustomed to lie. As they moved quietly along through the dark recess to the terminus where they were to emerge from the earth, the General prepared to light a match. As the lurid glare fell upon their countenance a scene was presented which can never be forgotten. There were crouched seven brave men who had resolved to be free.
Fortunately-yes, providentially-the night had suddenly grown dark and rainy, the dogs had retired to their kennels, and the sentinels had taken shelter. The inner wall, by the aid of a rope ladder, was soon scaled. and now the outer one had to be attempted. Captain Taylor, a nephew of the illustrious Zack, be- ing a very active man, by the assistance of his comrades reached the top of the gate and was enabled to get the rope extending all around, which the General immediately cut, as he suspected that it might lead into the warden's room. This turned out to be correct. Then they entered the sentry box on the wall. changed their clothes, and crept down the wall. The General skinned his hand very badly and all were more or less bruised. Once down, they separated. Taylor and Sheldon going one way. Hokersmith. Bennett, and McGee another, and General Morgan and Captain Hines proceeding immediately toward the depot.
The General had succeeded in obtaining a paper which in- formed him of the schedule time of the different roads. The clock struck one, and he knew that by hurrying he could reach the down train for Cincinnati. He got there just as the train was moving off. He at once ascertained if any soldiers were on board; and espying a Union soldier, he boldly walked up and took the seat beside him. He suggested to his seat companion
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THE YEARS CREPT SLOWLY ON.
that, as the night was damp and chilly, he join him in a drink. The hospitality was accepted, and the two soon became friends. The cars in crossing the Scioto had to pass in a short distance of the penitentiary. As they passed, the officer remarked: "There is the hotel where Morgan and his officers are spending their leisure. I sincerely hope he will make up his mind to board there during the balance of the war, for he is a great nuisance !" When the train reached Xenia, it was detained by some accident for nearly an hour. Imagine the anxiety as soldier after sol- dier would pass through the train, for fear that when the sentinel passed his rounds at two o'clock their absence might be discov- ered !
The train was due in Cincinnati at six o'clock. This was the hour at which they were turned out of their cells, and of course their escape would be discovered. In a few moments after that it would be known all over the country. The train was running rapidly to make up the lost time. General Morgan said to Cap- tain Hines: "It is after six. If we go to the depot, we are dead men. Now or never." They then went to the rear and put on the brakes. Hines then jumped and fell heels over head in the mud. Another severe turn of the brakes, and General Morgan jumped. He was more successful, and lighted on his feet. There were some soldiers near, who remarked: "What do you mean by jumping off the cars here?" The General replied: "What is the use of my going into town when I live near here? And besides, what business is it of yours ?"
They went immediately to the river and found a skiff, but no oars. Soon a little boy appeared, and seemed to be waiting. "What are you waiting for?" asked the General. "I am waiting for my load." "What is the price of your load?" "Two dol- lars." "Well, we are tired and hungry. We will give you two dollars, and you can put us over." So over they went. The house of a friend was reached and a fine breakfast was obtained. Money and horses were furnished, a woman's prayers were be- stowed, and off they went, forward through Kentucky. Every- body vied with each other as to who should show them the most attention, even to the negroes. Young ladies of refinement even begged the honor of cooking their meals.
General Morgan remained in Kentucky some days, feeling per- fectly safe and sending into Louisville for many little things that he needed. He went to Bardstown and found that a Federal reg- iment had just arrived there looking for him. His escort, with heroic self-sacrifice, refused to cross the river until he was safely over. He then hired a negro to get his horse over. The river was high and the horse came near drowning, but after more than an hour's struggle with the stream he was pulled out so exhausted that he was scarcely able to stand. .
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The Columbus (Ohio) Crisis had the following pleasant word to say about the raid :
We received a letter Monday from Batavia, Ohio, giving some rather laughable accounts of Morgan's passage through that place. The great scare did not last long -- nobody hurt ; but a good many horses were taken by Morgan's men. Hobson's men, who were following Morgan, got the mail just in from Cincinnati and car- ried it off, but promised the ladies to return any letters for them. which was strictly complied with next day. One lady begged of them not to take her pony. They had the saddle on, but delivered it up. They said they did not come to disturb the ladies.
Naturally the excitement was great in Ohio, and particularly in Columbus. All sorts of rumors were in circulation about col- lusion from penitentiary officials or persons from the outside. General Morgan's story is corroborated by Governor Tod, as the following letter will show :
THE STATE OF OHIO, EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, COLUMBUS, Dec. 11, 1863.
N. Merion, Esq., Warden of Penitentiary.
DEAR SIR: Deeply chagrined and mortified as I was to hear of the escape of General Morgan and six other Confederate prison- ers, I am glad to know from the report of Messrs. Wright and Hoffman, just handed to me, that there is not the slightest evi- dence to be found of fraud and corruption on the part of the officers, either civil or military, in whose custody the prisoners were, nor on the part of any individual or citizen without or within the prison ; but that the sole reason for their escape is to be found in the misunderstanding of General Mason and your- self as to which of you should be responsible for, and have the care and inspection of, the prison cells.
To avoid a like occurrence, I have now to request that you take upon yourself the entire charge and responsibility of the safe- keeping of the prisoners. I have furnished Colonel Wallace, Com- mander of the Post. with a copy of this letter of instruction, and directed him to conform his actions thereto.
Respectfully yours, (Signed ) DAVID TOD, Governor.
The announcement was made in the Columbus papers of De- cember 25, 1863, of the arrival at Camp Chase of Colonel Carter, late commander of the famous Black Horse Cavalry of Virginia, that made the famous charge on the Union lines at the battle of Bull Run. "That redoubtable body of horsemen," said the Ohio State Journal, "which constituted the flower of Stuart's cavalry
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THE YEARS CREPT SLOWLY ON.
division, has been entirely used up. The Colonel Carter men- tioned was one who in the Virginia Convention persistently op- posed secession."
There arrived on May 13, 1863, a number of prisoners under charge of Lieutenant Thorpe, of a Michigan regiment, and a set of resolutions were presented by the prisoners that leave a bit of brightness on the usual somber canvas of the prison scene :
ON THE ROAD TO CAMP CHASE.
Thinking as. we do that justice should be done in all cases, we take this occasion to return our sincere and heartfelt thanks to Lieut. D. D. Thorpe for his kindness and gentlemanly treatment toward us. May he and the kind guards who accompanied him with us to Camp Chase continue to exercise their courtesies! for they will find that humanity is a great comforter in this vale of tears.
We hope to live and know that Lieutenant Thorpe shall wear an eagle on his shoulders.
With kind regards, J. H. Triplett, J. H. Thomson, J. R. Bette- son, W. C. S. Wetmore, E. P. Smith, J. R. Smith, R. V. Hamilton, W. T. Drodley, J. Kindall, J. Meneer, S. Everman, H. C. Molen, B. Braidy, J. Giboret, E. Murphy, T. Harrison, H. Rogers, S. Aikins, W. T. Armstrong, E. W. Lyons, J. W. Aldudge. G. W. Marshall. J. T. Harwood. J. Borris, W. Jones, D. C. Clark, G. Vessey, M. Mills, W. Kindell, L. Bianitt, C. H. Johnson, J. Henry, and twenty-five others.
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