ound just beyond the wall. As he leisurely swung himself down, he
studied "the position" carefully, and his observations enabled them to
direct the tunnel aright. Once during the tunneling, while Captain
Hockersmith (another of the projectors of the plan) was at work
underground, Scott called for him and seemed anxious to find him at
once. General Morgan's presence of mind prevented a discovery, or, at
least, a strong suspicion of the plot from at once resulting from
Hockersmith's absence. The General said to Scott, "Hockersmith is lying
down in my cell; he is sick," and he requested Scott to examine and give
his opinion upon a memorial which he (the General) held in his hand, and
which he proposed forwarding to Washington. It was something regarding
our removal to a military prison. Scott (highly flattered by this
tribute to his judgment) took the memorial, looked at it attentively for
some minutes, and returned it, saying, "I think it will do first rate."
It _did do_. In the mean time, Hockersmith had been signaled, and had
"come up," and he made his appearance complaining of a serious
indisposition.

While the work was going on, General Morgan and those who were to escape
with him habitually slept with their faces covered and their hands
concealed. This was done to accustom the night guard to take their
presence in the cells for granted, by the appearance of the bulk upon
the beds, without actually seeing them. This guard went the rounds at
the expiration of every two hours during the night, and he would place
his lantern close to each cell door, in order that the light should fill
the cell and show the occupant. General Morgan used to say that a
peculiar shuddering and creeping of the flesh would assail him whenever
this man approached. He would frequently creep about with list slippers
on his feet, and he moved then without the slightest noise. He used to
remind me of a sly, cruel, bloated, auspicious, night-prowling spider.

When the tunneling approached its completion, all the other necessary
preparations were made. The prison yard, into which they would emerge
from the tunnel, was surrounded by a wall twenty-five feet high, and
means for scaling that had to be provided. There was an inner wall
running from the corner of the "East Hall" to a smaller building, in
which some of the female convicts were imprisoned, but it was
comparatively low, and they anticipated little difficulty in getting
over it. The coverlid