Escaping Down the Peninsula 1864- Rose's Tale

From The Photographic History of the Civil War; Vol. VII

Feb. 14, 1864—Col. Thomas E. Rose of the 77th Pennsylvania Infantry, Who, With Maj. A.G. Hamilton of the 12th Kentucky Cavalry, Planned the Tunnel by Which 109 Federal Officers Escaped from Libby Prison on Feb. 9, Was Recaptured Within Sight of a Federal Cavalry Command, Near Williamsburg, Va.

Fifty years ago today Col.Thomas E. Rose, of the 77th Pennsylvania infantry. who, with Maj. A.G. Hamilton of the 12th Kentucky cavalry, planned the tunnel by which 109 Federal officers had escaped from Libby prison, Richmond. on February 9. was recaptured within sight of a Federal cavalry command, near Williamsburg, on the peninsula.

On leaving the tunnel the escaped prisoners bad made their way in groups of two, three and four, out of the sleeping city. Only one was apprehended within the city limits. This was Capt. Junius Gates of Co. K. 33d Ohio regiment.  While the prison authorities, astounded at the escape, were searching the prison to discover how it was accomplished, the others were either hiding in places indicated by friends, in the suburbs of Richmond, or were concealed in the thickets and swamps between the city and the Chickahominy river, the nearest stream to the city on the east, distant from six to 12 miles. Only the 109 Federals who passed through the tunnel on the night of February 9 ever used It. The other prisoners bad no opportunity again to approach its inner end, by way of the passage that had been formed to the cellar through a chimney from the cook room of the prison. The tunnel was not discovered by the prison authorities for several days after February 9. Then the outer end was found, by the removal of a plank with which the last prisoner to leave had covered It. This was under an open shed 57 feet across a vacant lot, in a yard opening upon 19tb street, by means of a gate under an arch In a building facing that street. A negro was forced at the bayonet's point to enter the tunnel and crawl through it. Its course to the abandoned east cellar of the prison was thus discovered

    

Warned by a Sentinel

Col. Rose and Maj. Hamilton, by virtue of their leadership in planning  the tunnel and directing the work of the company of 15 who dug it, had been the first two to pass out of it, Rose leading. Opening the heavy gate In the arch,which was held by a bar, they stepped out Into the light of a gas street lamp. It was then shortly after 7 P. M. The life, of the city was passing as usual in the down-town streets near the prison. Only a block away was Main street, here rarely quiet.

Between them and that street a sentry paced his beat. His back was toward them as they slipped out of the arch, and when he turned and saw them walking away at an ordinary pace— for he could not have failed to see them—he did not attempt to stop them by a challenge. People were passing every few minutes, and there was nothing about the prisoners to distinguish them as such. They wore civilian clothes— secured from home— and wore Federal blue overcoats. This would excite no comment in Richmond, for the prison guards themselves wore blue overcoats, when they had any, captured from the Federals or a purchase from the prisoners having supplied them. Col. Rose had on a Confederate gray cap, and this helped him.

A few minutes after leaving the arch. Col. Rose and Ma]. Hamilton passed a hospital. In front of which was a sentry. He hailed them, asking them If they didn't know people were not allowed to use the sidewalk in front of the hospital after dark.

The two escaped prisoners made no reply, but started across the street. Hamilton started to run. Rose kept an ordinary pace and passed the hospital. The friends were thus separated and thenceforth Rose kept on alone. Col. Hamilton eventually fell In with other prisoners and succeeded to reaching the Federal lines at Williamburg.

After walking briskly for half an hour Col. Rose found himself outside the lighted section of the city and in the broken country of gullies and ravines lying east of the suburb on the James called Rocketts.

He struck rapidly for the York River Railroad, the line to the southeast, and followed it until, toward morning, he knew himself to be in the vicinity of the Chlckahominy. He was in a section of alternating, fields, thickets, swamps and forests, or one of the old battlefields of Gen. McClellan's campaign of the spring of 1862. Knowing that this region was picketed by Confederate troops, the escaped prisoner crawled into a hollow log at daybreak for real and sleep. He had labored Incessantly at digging In the last two days of the tunneling and wag exhausted. Furthermore, an old break in the bones of one of his feet, sustained In a Tennessee fight, was beginning to trouble him.

Sleeping soundly In the hollow log, in spite of bis cramped position and the cold. Col. Rose woke In the afternoon. Before leaving the log he lay for some time listening to the sounds in the woods about him. They were few until to his surprise he heard the neighing of horses, the talk of soldiers and various other familiar sounds of a camp. He had slept near the camp of a Confederate cavalry picket.

In the late afternoon Colonel Rose emerged from his tree and, carefully creeping past the camp, made for the Chickahominy. He was so fortunate as to reach it at a point where by deep wading, it was fordable. The water was icy cold, but he plunged in, and, though he fell into a few deep holes, he managed to reach the far side. He now found that before him lay a dense swamp, the extent of which, in the dim light, he could not Judge.

Hunted by Cavalry.

Entering the swamp Colonel Rose waded and splashed through water and mire at times to his waist. Under the trees It was now completely dark. After a long and exhausting tramp in the swamp, the weary fugitive reached firm ground, and almost at the moment found himself near a picket camp. Avoiding this he struck into a deep woods, in the recess of which a little later he built a fire with some precious matches he had kept dry In his cap.  There was danger In the fire, but Its warmth was a great comfort, and beside Its grateful glow the exhausted man slept soundly until morning. Waking stiff and sore, with his foot paining him and his clothes frozen on one side and burned on the other, he set out again southeastward.  Passing Crump's Cross Roads, where he avoided another picket, he reached the neighborhood of New Kent courthouse before dark. Here in crossing a field he was overtaken by a cavalryman, who asked him if he belonged to the local cavalry. Trusting to his gray cap, Rose answered yes. The man rode off and Colonel Rose saw that he soon entered a camp.

Fearing pursuit Colonel Rose plunged Into a laurel thicket. His fears were well grounded, for a troop of cavalry was soon engaged in a man hunt, beating the thicket and some woods beyond, which Rose had reached.

Seeing that his case was desperate Rose left the wood and hid in a drain In a field, through which be crept on his hands and knees for nearly half a mile, throwing his pursuers off the scent.

The drain brought him to the Williamsburg road, near which he lay for some hours resting.

Thenceforth his route was along this road. Pickets were encountered every few miles, but he crept around them and kept on until he had passed Dlascund Bridge and came to a place called Burnt Ordinary, which was but 12 miles from Williamsburg. Negroes who had fed and guided him at intervals had told him Williamsburg was in Federal hands.

Taken In sight of Friends 

To the great Joy of the limping and weary fugitive on coming out of the edge of a wide cleared space he saw a troop of cavalry Tiding up the distant road. They were Federals. Weakened by the long fight for liberty that seemed now won. Rose sat down to wait their arrival.

This moment of indulgence in fancied security was fatal. Before the cavalry had come up Colonel Rose saw coming up behind him threw men who also seemed to he Federals. He approached them and too late discovered that they were Confederates wearing Federal overcoats. They commanded him to surrender and as their carbines covered him he could do nothing.

The Confederates now saw the approaching Federals for the first time, a ridge having cut off their view before.They now ordered Colonel Rose, under guard of one of their number, to the rear.

As he was escorted up the road Colonel Rose, watching a chance. with the strength of desperation wrenched the man's gun from him and firing it off threw it down and began to run Unhappily he ran headlong into a group of Confederates he had not before observed. They ware watching the approaching Federals, soon the officer in command@ them ordered a retreat and so the troopers who might have saved him came in sight over over the ridge Rose caught one fleeting glimpse of and then was hustled off, limping and discouraged, in the direction of Richmond. In less than two days he was back in Libby prison. In solitary confinement, on bread and water diet, sick, worn out and miserable.

In April, 1864, Colonel Rose was exchanged. He served with distinction to the end of the war and afterward in the regular army, being a captain in the 16th Infantry.

Of the 109 who escaped from Libby prison 69 reached the Federal lines, 48 were retaken and two perished by drowning. Of the 48 who escaped 26 were within the lines at Williamsburg on February 16 and the others continued to come in, there and on the upper Rappahannock and the lower Potomac, for the next two weeks.

-Buffalo Evening News, February 14, 1914

Escaping Down the Peninsula 1864- "If one-fourth the escaped prisoners get in it will surprise me"

Escape route- winter 1863-1864

                      FORT MAGRUDER, February 15, 1864.

Brigadier-General WISTAR,

             Commanding:

The following are the names:

1. William B. McCreery, colonel Twenty-first Michigan Infantry.

2. H.C. Hobart, lieutenant-colonel Twenty-first Wisconsin Infantry.

3. T.S. West, lieutenant-colonel Twenty-fourth Wisconsin Infantry.

4. Alexander von Mitzel, major Seventy-fourth Pennsylvania Infantry.

5. Samuel Clark, captain, Seventy-ninth Illinois Infantry.

6. Gottlieb C. Rose, captain, Fourth Missouri Cavalry.

7. Albert Wallber, adjutant Twenty-sixth Wisconsin Infantry.

8. N.S. McKeen, first lieutenant, Twenty-first Illinois Infantry.

9. George M. Welles, second lieutenant, Eighth Michigan Cavalry.

                                            ROBT. M. WEST,
                                             Colonel, Commanding.

                      [Indorsement.]

Major-General BUTLER:

The above are the 9 officers just arrived at Williamsburg.

                                    I.J. WISTAR,
                                     Brigadier-General.





                                   FEBRUARY 16, 1864.

Brigadier-General WISTAR,

                    Yorktown:

Richmond papers of 12th, received, say 109 prisoners escaped, and that 26 were recaptured, none less than 20 miles from Richmond. All of them must have crossed the Chickahominy. Have you anything further in regard to them? Many of them must still be secreted in the woods.

                                    J. W. SHAFFER,
                                 Colonel and Chief of Staff.





                               YORKTOWN, February 16, 1864.

Col. J.W. SHAFFER,

            Chief of Staff:

Probably none of these prisoners recaptured had crossed the Chickahominy. Robertson's cavalry and Holcombe's Legion cavalry are both the other side of Chickahominy for that purpose, besides the infantry. There is no enemy this side, except Hume's scouts, who keep off the main roads and know every path. My cavalry is out after the prisoners, and has been since the first came in. It must go by detachments, of course, having to come back for forage, of which the country supplies none. If one-fourth the escaped prisoners get in it will surprise me, in the face of the regularly organized and long-prepared plan to prevent it. Fifteen have already come.

                                         I.J. WISTAR,
                                           Brigadier- General.


-- The war of the rebellion: a compilation of the official records of the Union and Confederate armies.; Series 1 Volume 33

 

More to come on another officer named Rose.

Escaping Down the Peninsula 1864- . . .and Tales of the Army

                                                   FEBRUARY 15, 1864.

Col. J. W. SHAFFER, Chief of Staff:

Colonel Streight is concealed in Richmond, but at large. His friends desire the papers to state his successful arrival here, for obvious reasons. Please arrange it immediately with the Associated Press agent.

                                       I.J. WISTAR,
                                         Brigadier-General.


- The war of the rebellion: a compilation of the official records of the Union and Confederate armies.; Series 1 Volume 33

Escaping Down the Peninsula 1864- Tales from the Daily Dispatch . . .

Recaptured.

--Eight more of the Yankee prisoners who escaped last Tuesday night from the Libby, were brought back yesterday. The following is a list of their names: Maj. J. Henry, 5th Ohio; Maj. J. N. Walker, 75th Indiana; Lieut. W. F. Clifford, 16th U. S. cavalry; Lieut. D. Garbett, 77th Penn.; Lieut. H. B. Freeman, 18th U. S. cavalry; Lieut. F. A. M. Kreps, 77th Penn; Lieut. J. W. Hare, 5th Ohio cavalry; Lieut. F. C.--, 11th Penn. This number, added to those already received at the Libby, makes thirty who have been captured out of the one hundred and nine that succeeded in effecting their escape. Various rumors were afloat yesterday that the notorious Col. A. D. Streight had been captured somewhere on the line of the James River and Kanawha Canal, and among others that, finding him well armed, a severe struggle ensued between himself and his captors, during which he was fired at and severely wounded. It is believed, however, that these reports were groundless, as no information of his re-arrest was known at the Libby prison up to late last evening, and we were unable to trace it to any authentic source.

Twelve of the seventeen Yankee prisoners who escaped from Castle Thunder on Monday night have been brought back and reimprisoned in that institution.

-The Daily Dispatch: February 13, 1864.

More captures.

--Twelve more of the escaped Yankee officers from the Libby prison have been captured and brought back since our last publication. Their names are--Col. Ely, 18th Conn.; Capts. E. L. Smith, 19th U. S. cavalry, and J. W. Macmack,--Ohio infantry; Lieuts. W. H. H. Wilcox, 10th N. Y. cavalry; Daniel Hansburg, 1st Michigan cavalry; Adam Hauff, 45th N. Y.; T. J. Ray, 49th Ohio; J. H. Gadsby, 19th U. S. infantry; M. M. Bassett, 53d Illinois; M. Bedell, 123d N. Y.; H. P. Crawford, 2d Illinois cavalry, and L. W. Sutherland, 126th Ohio. The last named individual was retaken at City Point.

There is no truth in the rumors which have been fife in the city for several days, that Col. A. D. Streight had been recaptured. On Saturday last Maj. Turner dispatched a courier in the direction which it was said he was found, but he failed to bring back any information which could substantiate the fact

-The Daily Dispatch: February 15, 1864.

The escaped Yankees.

--Two more Yankee Lieutenants, part of the one hundred and nine officers who escaped from the Libby prison on Tuesdaynight last, were captured and brought back yesterday. These, added to the number previously arrested, foots up fifty-two, leaving still at large fifty-seven, a little more than half of those who succeeded in escaping from the prison.

-The Daily Dispatch: February 16, 1864.

Search after Yankees

--A Game of Cards Interrupted.--In consequence of information received at the Libby prison to the effect that sundry of the Yankee officers who recently escaped from prison were concealed in the upper rooms of the building occupied by Mahoney &McGehee, on Main street, a military guard effected an entrance in the domicil yesterday evening, but did not succeed in finding any of the parties of whom they were in search. A large crowd was attracted to the spot by the report that Col. Streight was in the house. The only thing disturbed during the raid was a game of cards, the participants therein (among whom were one or two members of Congress) scattering on the approach of the military, some getting on the roof of the house, lending color for the time being to the report that Streight was about.

-The Daily Dispatch: February 17, 1864.

 Capture of escaped Yankees.

--Since our last publication four more of the Yankee officers who escaped from the Libby prison on Tuesday night of last week, have been captured and brought back. The following is a list of their names: Captain E. M. Driscoll, co. G, 3d Ohio; L. P. Lovett, 5th Ky.; R. H. Day, 56th Pa.; Lieut. H. C. Dunn, 10th Ky.

In another column will be found the announcement of the safe arrival of the notorious Col. A. D. Streight at Fortress Monroe, and it is therefore unnecessary to make any further allusion to the many reports which have been circulated in this city with regard to that individual.

-The Daily Dispatch: February 19, 1864.

Escaping Down the Peninsula 1864- "His feelings at seeing the old flag are indescribable."

How the Prisoners Escaped from the Richmond Jail

 Incredible Underground Work

 Friendship of Virginia Negroes

We have already published an account of the manner in which the Rebel General Morgan and his companions escaped from their Northern prison in Ohio. We now give some very interesting statements relative to the manner of escape of several officers who succeeded in getting out of Libby Prison. About the beginning of the year 1864 the officers confined in Libby Prison conceived the idea of effecting their own exchange, and after the matter had been seriously discussed by some seven or eight of them, they undertook to dig for a distance toward a sewer running into a basin. This they proposed doing by commencing at a point in the cellar near to the chimney. This cellar was immediately under the hospital and was the receptacle for refuse straw thrown from the beds when they were changed and for other refuse matter Above the hospital was a room for officers and above that yet another room. The chimney ran through all these rooms and prisoners who were in the secret improvised a rope and night after night let working parties down who successfully prosecuted their excavating operations. The dirt was hid under the straw and other refuse matter in the cellar and it was I trampled down to prevent too great a bulk. When the working party had got to a considerable distance underground it was found difficult to haul the dirt back by hand and a spittoon which had been furnished the officers in one of the rooms was made to serve the purpose of a cart. A string was attached to it and it was run in the tunnel and as soon as filled was drawn out and deposited under the straw. But after hard work and digging with finger nails, knives, and chisels a number of feet the working party found themselves stopped by piles driven in the ground. These were at least a foot in diameter. But they were not discouraged. Pen knives or any other articles that would cut were called for and after chipping, chipping, chipping for a long time the piles were severed and the tunnelers commenced again after a time reaching the sewer. But here an unexpected obstacle met their further progress. The stench from the sewer and the flow of filthy water was so great that one of the party fainted and was dragged out more dead than alive and the project in that direction had to be abandoned. The failure was communicated to a few others besides those who had first thought of escape and then a party of seventeen, after viewing the premises and surroundings, concluded to tunnel under Carey street. On the opposite side of this street from the prison was a sort of carriage house or outhouse and the project was to dig under the street and emerge from under or near the house. There was a high fence around it and the guard was outside of this fence. The prisoners then commenced to dig at the other side of the chimney and after a few handfulls(sic) of dirt had been removed they found themselves stopped by a stone wall which proved afterwards to be three feet thick. The party were by no means undaunted and with pocket knives and penknives they commenced operations upon the stone and mortar. After nineteen days and nights at hard work they again struck the earth beyond the wall and pushed their work forward. Here too after they got some distance underground the friendly spittoon was brought into requisition and the dirt was hauled out in small quantities. After digging for some days the question arose whether they had not reached the point aimed at and in order if possible to test the matter Captain Gallagher of the Second Ohio Regiment pretended that he had a box in the carriage house over the way and desired to search it out. This carriage house it is proper to state was used as a receptacle for boxes and goods sent to the prisoners from the North and the recipients were often allowed to go under guard across the street to secure their property. Captain Gallagher was allowed permission to go there and as he walked across under guard he as well as he could paced off the distance and concluded that the street was about fifty feet wide. On the 6th or 7th of February the working party supposed they had gone a sufficient distance and commenced to dig upward. When near the surface they heard the rebel guards talking above them and discovered they were two or three feet yet outside the fence. The displacing of a stone made considerable noise and one of the sentinels called to his comrade and asked him what the noise meant. The guards after listening a few minutes concluded that nothing was wrong and returned to their beats. The hole was stopped up by inserting into the crevice a pair of old pantaloons filled with straw and holstering the whole up with boards which they secured from the floors, etc. of the prison. The tunnel was then continued some six or seven feet more and when the working party supposed they were about ready to emerge to daylight; others in the prison were informed that there was a way now open for escape. One hundred and nine of the prisoners decided to make the attempt to get away. Others refused fearing the consequences if they were recaptured. About half past eight o'clock on the evening of the 9th the prisoners started out. Colonel House of New York leading the van. Before starting the prisoners had divided themselves into squads of two, three and four, and each squad was to take a different route, and after they were out were to push for the Union lines as fast as possible. If was the understanding that the working party were to have an hour's start of the other prisoners and consequently the rope ladder in the cellar was drawn out. Before the expiration of the hour however the other prisoners became impatient and were let down through the chimney successfully into the cellar. The aperture was so narrow that but one man could get through at a time and each squad carried with them provisions in a haversack. At midnight a false alarm was created and the prisoners made considerable noise in their quarters. Providentially however the guard suspected nothing wrong and in a few moments the exodus was again commenced. Colonel Kendrick and his companions looked with some trepidation upon the movements of the fugitives as some of them exercising but little discretion moved boldly out of the enclosure into the glare of the gas light. Many of them were however in citizen's dress and as all the rebel guards wore the United States uniform, but little suspicion could be excited even if the fugitives had been accosted by a guard. Between 1 and 2 o'clock the lamps were extinguished in the streets and then the exit was more safely accomplished. There were many officers who desired to leave who were so weak and feeble that they were dragged through the tunnel by mere force and carried to places of security until such time as they would be able to move on their journey. At half past two o'clock Captain Joyce Colonel Kendrick and Lieutenant Bradford passed out in the order in which they are named and as Colonel Kendrick emerged from the hole he heard the guard within a few feet of him sing out "Post No 7, half past two in the morning and all is well." Lieutenant Bradford was intrusted with the provisions for this squad and in getting through was obliged to leave his haversack behind him as he could not get through with it upon him. Once out they proceeded up the street keeping in the shade of the buildings and passed eastwardly through the city. A description of the route pursued by this party and of the tribulations through which they passed will give some idea of the rough time they all had of it. Colonel Kendrick had before leaving the prison mapped out his course and I concluded that the best route to take was the one toward Norfolk or Fortress Monroe as there were fewer rebel pickets in that direction. They therefore kept the York River Railroad to the left and moved toward the Chickahomimy River. They passed through Boar Swamp* and crossed the road leading to Bottom Bridge. Sometimes they waded through mud and water almost up to their necks and kept the Bottom Bridge road to their left, although at times they could see and hear the cars traveling over the York River road.

While passing through the swamp near the Chickahominy, Colonel Kendrick sprained his ankle and fell. Fortunately too was that fall for him and his party, for while he was laying there one of them chanced to look up and saw in a direct line with them a swamp bridge and in the dim outline they could perceive that parties with muskets were passing over the bridge. They therefore moved some distance to the south and after passing through more of the swamp reached the Chickahominy about four miles below Bottom Bridge. Here now was a difficulty. The river was only twenty feet wide but it was very deep and the refugees were worn out and fatigued. Chancing however to look up Lieutenant Bradford saw that two trees had fallen on either side of the river and that their branches were interlocked. By crawling up one tree and down the other the fugitives reached the east bank of the Chickahominy.  They subsequently learned from a friendly negro that had they crossed the bridge they had seen they would assuredly have been recaptured for Captain Turner the keeper of Libby Prison had been out and posted guards there, and in fact had alarmed the whole country and got the people up as a vigilant committee to capture the escaped prisoners.

 After crossing over this natural bridge they laid down on the ground and slept until sunrise on the morning of the 11th when they continued on their way keeping eastwardly as near as they could. Up to this time they had had nothing to eat and were almost famished. About noon of the 11th they met several negroes who gave them information as to the whereabouts of the rebel pickets and furnished them with food. Acting under the advice of these friendly negroes they remained quietly in the woods until darkness had set in when they were furnished with a comfortable supper by the negroes and after dark proceeded on their way; the negroes who everywhere showed their friendship to the fugitives having first directed them how to avoid the rebel pickets. That night they passed a camp of rebels and could plainly see the smoke and camp fires. But their wearied feet gave out and they were compelled to stop and rest having only marched five miles that day.

 They started again at daylight on the 13th and after moving awhile through the woods they saw a negro woman working in a field and called her to them. From her they received directions and were told that the rebel pickets had been about there looking for the fugitives from Libby. Here they laid down again and reassumed(sic) their journey when darkness set in and marched five miles but halted till the morning of the 14th when the journey was resumed. At one point they met a negress in a field and she told them that her mistress was a Secesh woman and that she had a son in the rebel army. The party however were exceedingly hungry and they determined to secure some food This they did by boldly approaching the house and informing the mistress that they were fugitives from Norfolk who had been driven out by Butler and the Secesh sympathies of the woman were at once aroused and she gave them of her substance and started them on their way with directions how to avoid the Yankee soldiers who occasionally scouted in that vicinity. This information was exceedingly valuable to the refugees for by it they discovered the whereabouts of the Federal forces.

When about 1.5 miles from Williamsburg the party came upon the main road and found the tracks of a large body of cavalry. A piece of paper found by Captain Jones satisfied him that they were Union cavalry but his companions were suspicious and avoided the road and moved forward. At the Burnt Ordinary about 10 miles from Williamsburg awaited the return of the cavalry that had moved up the road and from behind a fence corner where they were secreted the fugitive saw the flag of the Union supported by a squadron of cavalry which proved to be a detachment of Colonel Spear's 11th Pennsylvania Regiment sent out for the purpose of picking up escaped prisoners. Colonel Kendrick says his feelings at seeing the old flag are indescribable. At all points along the route the fugitives describe their reception by the negroes as most enthusiastic and there was no lack of white people who sympathized with them and helped them on their way. In their escape the officers were aided by citizens of Richmond not foreigners or the poor class only, but by natives and persons of wealth. They know their friends there but very properly with hold any mention of their names. Of those got out of Libby Prison there were a number sick ones who were cured for by Union people and will eventually reach the Union lines their aid.

 -The Portrait Monthly, May 1864



                                         *

The Boar Swamp/Bottom's Bridge area

Escaping Down the Peninsula 1864- Swimming the Chickahominy

                                     FEBRUARY 15, 1864.

Col. J. W. SHAFFER, Chief of Staff:

Cavalry returned to Williamsburg with 9 more escaped officers. A fresh detachment has gone out.

                                      I.J. WISTAR,
                                        Brigadier-General.







                                     FEBRUARY 15, 1864.

Col. J. W. SHAFFER, Chief of Staff:

I should have explained that refugees and escaped prisoners, knowing of the pickets at all the upper fords and bridges, almost invariably come down parallel with Charles City road, in hopes of finding boats on lower Chickahominy. After crossing it they are pretty safe, but boats are purposely removed by the enemy and only to be had at few points. The refugees and negroes generally cross by swimming. Seventeen leave here by boat to-morrow, including 6 field officers.

                                       I.J. WISTAR,
                                         Brigadier-General.


- The war of the rebellion: a compilation of the official records of the Union and Confederate armies.; Series 1 Volume 33

Escaping Down the Peninsula 1864

                             FORT MONROE, VA., February 14, 1864.
                                                 (Received 3.40 p.m.)

Hon. E. M. STANTON,

     Secretary of War, Washington, D.C.:

The following telegram has just been received from General Wistar:

                                       YORKTOWN, February 14, 1864.

Col. J. W. SHAFFER,

       Chief of Staff:

 Two escaped Union officers have reached my pickets from Richmond. They report 109 more on the road. A general delivery of one prison-house was effected by digging a tunnel under the street, General DOW could not stand the fatigue of  the trip, and consequently did not come. My cavalry are in motion, scouring the Peninsula to cover the escape of the rest. Several colonels, among them Colonel Streight, are on the road, but the path is hard.

                                                   I.J. WISTAR,
                                                     Brigadier-General.

                                                 J. W. SHAFFER,
                                            Colonel and Chief of Staff.

              FORT MONROE, VA., February 14, 1864.

                                             (Received 2.35 p.m., 16th.)

Hon. E. M. STANTON,

          Secretary of War:

Twenty-six of the escaped prisoners have arrived within our lines up to to-night. We have sent cavalry patrols up the Peninsula as far as the Chickahominy to pick up all we can. Have sent an army gun-boat up the James and Chickahominy Rivers for the same purpose.

                                         BENJ. F. BUTLER,
                                   Major-General, Commanding.



- The war of the rebellion: a compilation of the official records of the Union and Confederate armies.; Series 1 Volume 33