Raiding with Morgan Part 38

"What! escaped from Johnson's Island?" asked Mr. Pettis, in astonishment.

"No, I am one of Morgan's officers."

Mr. Pettis nearly jumped off the seat in surprise.

"Morgan's officers are all in the penitentiary," he gasped.

"One is not and never was," answered Calhoun.

Mr. Pettis regarded him closely, and then said: "It can't be, but it must be. Is your name Pennington?"

"It is," replied Calhoun.

"Why, the papers have been full of your escape. But the general opinion seemed to be that you wandered away in a delirium and died."

"Which you see is not so," said Calhoun, with a smile.

"How in the world did you get away?"

"That is a secret which I cannot tell even you."

"Very well; but, Mr. Pennington, you must come home with me. You will find friends in Columbus, many of them, who will be delighted to meet you."

When Columbus was reached, Calhoun, on advice of Mr. Pettis, bought a suit of citizen's clothes, for, said he, "We Knights hate the sight of that uniform; it's the badge of tyranny."

Calhoun saw that he had found a friend indeed in Mr. Pettis. No Southerner could be more bitter toward the Lincoln government than he. He fairly wors.h.i.+pped Vallandigham, and said if he would only return to Ohio, he would be defended by a hundred thousand men. He was especially indignant over the way Morgan and his officers were treated.

"We have schemed and schemed how to help him," said he, "but see no way except we storm that cursed penitentiary as the Bastille was stormed.

And," he added, with emphasis, "the day is fast approaching when we will do it."

For three days Calhoun remained at Mr. Pettis's, wearying his brain as to how he might help his general, but every plan proposed was rejected as impracticable. On the third morning he happened to pick up a paper, and glancing over its columns, saw an advertis.e.m.e.nt which caused every nerve in his body to tingle. It was an advertis.e.m.e.nt for a boy to work in the dining-room and wait on the table at the penitentiary. The advertis.e.m.e.nt stated that the sole duty of the boy was to wait on the table when the Confederate officers ate, as they objected to being waited upon by convicts. In less than five minutes Calhoun was in his Federal uniform and on his way to the penitentiary to apply for the position.

"You do not look very strong," said the warden, kindly; "do you think you could fill the bill?"

"I am sure I can," said Calhoun. "Only try me and see."

"Well," replied the warden, "I had rather hire a boy who has served his country, as you have, and I will give you a trial."

Thus to his great joy Calhoun found himself hired to wait upon his old comrades in arms. With what feelings he commenced his duties can be imagined. Would they recognize him, and in their surprise give him away?

No, he thought not. They knew too well how to control themselves for that.

It was with a beating heart that Calhoun waited for the time of the first meal. It came, and the Confederate prisoners came marching in. How Calhoun's heart thrilled at the sight of his old comrades! But if they recognized him they did not show it by look or sign.

When the meal was finished and the prisoners marched out, Calhoun managed to give Morgan a little slip of paper. On it was written: "I am here to help you if I can. Be of good cheer."

But how could Calhoun help them? Even at meal-time guards stood everywhere watching every move. His duties did not take him out of the dining-room.

Calhoun began by making a careful survey of the building in which the prisoners were confined. Fortune favored him. One day he made a remark to one of the employees of the prison that the floor of the building seemed to be remarkably dry and free from damp.

"It should be," was the reply; "there is an air chamber under the floor."

Like a flash there came to Calhoun a plan for escape. If this air chamber could be reached a tunnel might be run out. He took careful note of all the surroundings, and drew a plan of the buildings and surrounding grounds. These he managed to pa.s.s to Morgan un.o.bserved. At the next meal-time as Morgan pa.s.sed him, he said, as if to himself, "No tools."

This was a difficult matter. Nothing of any size could be pa.s.sed to them without discovery. But in the hospital Calhoun found some large and finely tempered table-knives. He managed to conceal several of these around his person, and one by one they were given to Morgan.

Calhoun now waited in feverish excitement for the success of the plan. He had done all he could. The rest depended on the prisoners themselves.

Through the shrewdness and indomitable energy of Captain Thomas H. Hines the work was carried to a successful termination inside the prison wall.

General Morgan occupied a cell in the second tier, and could do nothing.

Only those who occupied cells on the ground floor had any hopes of escaping. Captain Hines, with infinite labor made an opening through the floor of his cell into the air chamber. Once in the air chamber they could work without being discovered. With only the table-knives to work with, these men went through two solid walls, one five feet, and the other six feet in thickness. Not only that, but they went through eleven feet of grouting. Then, working from under, they went through the floors of six cells, leaving only a thin scale of cement, which could be broken through by a pressure from the foot. The work was commenced November 4, and finished November 24. Thus in twenty days seven men, working one at a time, had accomplished what seemed almost impossible.

During these days Calhoun could only wait and hope. As the prisoners pa.s.sed him in the dining-room, all they could say was "Progressing," "Not discovered yet," "All is well so far." At last, on the 24th, Calhoun heard the welcome words, "Finished. First stormy night."

Calhoun now examined the time-tables and found that a train left Columbus for Cincinnati at 1:15 A. M.; arriving in Cincinnati before the prisoners were aroused in the morning. So he wrote on a slip of paper: "Escape as soon after midnight as possible." He believed that train could be taken with safety. The afternoon of November 27, the weather became dark and stormy. At supper-time Calhoun heard the glad word, "To-night."

As soon as his duties were done he hurried to the home of Mr. Pettis, exchanged his uniform for citizen's clothes, telling Mr. Pettis his work at the penitentiary was done, and he had decided to leave. "Ask no questions; it is better that you know nothing," said Calhoun.

Mr. Pettis took his advice, but he was not surprised in the morning when he heard that Morgan had escaped. For General Morgan to escape, it was necessary for him to occupy a lower cell. His brother, Captain d.i.c.k Morgan, occupied the cell next to Captain Hines. The Captain, giving up his chance of escaping, effected an exchange of cells with his brother.

This was easily accomplished, as they were about of a size, and it was quite dark in the cells when they were locked in.

The General had been allowed to keep his watch. When a few minutes after twelve came, he arose, fixed a dummy in his bed to resemble a man sleeping, and breaking through the thin crust over the opening with his foot, slipped into the air chamber. He gave the signal, and was quickly joined by his companions. Captain Morgan had made a ladder out of strips of bed-clothing, and by the aid of this ladder they hoped to scale two walls, one twenty feet high, which would stand between them and liberty, after they had emerged from the tunnel.

A little before midnight Calhoun made his way as close as he durst to the place where he knew the wall must be scaled. Not three hundred feet away several guards were gathered around a fire. The night was cold, and the guards kept close to the fire. Slowly the minutes pa.s.sed. The city clocks struck half-past twelve. Would they never come? Had their flight been detected?

Suddenly a dark spot appeared on top of the wall. Then another, and another, until Calhoun counted seven. They were all there. Silently they slid down the rope ladder, the talk and laughter of the guards ringing in their ears. But noiselessly they glided away, and the darkness hid them.

"This way," whispered Calhoun. When out of hearing of the guards, they stopped for consultation. It would not do to keep together. They decided to go two and two. Calhoun handed each a sum of money. There was a strong clasping of the hands, a whispered farewell, and they who had dared so much separated.

The next morning there was consternation in the penitentiary at Columbus.

The news of Morgan's escape was flashed over the country. The Federal authorities were astonished, dumbfounded. A reward of five thousand dollars was offered for his recapture. Every house in Columbus was searched, but to no purpose. John Morgan had flown.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ESCAPE OF MORGAN FROM PRISON]

CHAPTER XXIII.

THE FLIGHT TO THE SOUTH.

The 1:15 train from Columbus to Cincinnati was about to start. "All aboard," shouted the conductor.

Two gentlemen sauntered into one of the cars, to all appearances the most unconcerned of individuals. They took different seats, the younger just behind the older. General Morgan and Calhoun had reached the train in safety; had purchased tickets, and taken their seats without exciting suspicion. A moment more and they would be on their way South.

A Federal major came hurrying in and seated himself beside Morgan, and the two entered into conversation. On the way out of the city the train had to pa.s.s close to the penitentiary. The major, pointing to the grim, dark pile, and thinking he might be imparting some information, said: "There is where they keep the notorious John Morgan."

"May he always be kept as safe as he is now," quickly replied the General.