s literary pursuits were suspended, however, for
that night.

When the news of the battle of Chickamauga was coming in, and we were
half wild with excitement and eagerness to learn the true aversion of
the reports that prevailed--for every thing told us by the prison
officials was garbled--we by good luck got in two or three newspapers
containing full accounts of the battle. I shall never forget listening
to them read, in General Morgan's cell, while four or five pickets
(regularly relieved) were posted to guard against surprise. These papers
were read to the whole party in detachments--while one listened, the
succeeding one awaited its turn in nervous impatience. As I have said,
General Morgan grew more restless under his imprisonment, every day, and
finally resolved to effect his escape, at any hazard, or labor.

Several plans were resolved and abandoned, and at length one devised by
Captain Hines was adopted. This was to "tunnel" out of the prison--as
the mode of escape by digging a trench, to lead from the interior to the
outside of the prisons, was technically called. But to "tunnel" through
the stone pavement and immense walls of the penitentiary--concealing the
tremendous work as it progressed--it required a bold imagination to
conceive such an idea. Hines had heard, in some way, a hint of an air
chamber, constructed under the lower range of cells--that range
immediately upon the ground floor. He thought it probable that there was
such a chamber, for he could account in no other way for the dryness of
the cells in that range. At the first opportunity he entered into
conversation with Old Hevay, the deputy-warden mentioned before. This
old man was very kind-hearted, and was also an enthusiast upon the
subject of the architectural grandeur of that penitentiary. Hines led
the conversation into that channel, and finally learned that his surmise
was correct. If, then, he could cut through the floor of his cell and
reach this air chamber, without detection, he would have, he saw, an
excellent base for future operations. He communicated his plan to
General Morgan, who at once approved it. Five other men were selected
(whose cells were on the first range) as assistants.

The work was commenced with knives abstracted from the table. These
knives--square at the end of the blade instead of pointed--made
excellent chisels, and were the very best tools for the inauguration of
the labor. Putting out pickets to prevent surpri