st side was already to
open, and the one on the west nearly ready, when they were both discovered
and filled up. There was strong evidence of treachery in the discovery of
these tunnels, as Captain Tabb went directly to both of them, and seemed
to know just where to find them.

There was at this time in the prison, one Hartswell Silver, who claimed to
be a Captain in the 16th Illinois Cavalry, but who was generally believed
to be a spy, placed in there to detect our efforts at escape, and to him
was attributed the disclosure of our plot. Had these two tunnels been
completed, at least half of the officers would have escaped, and as the
force guarding us was small at that time, there is no doubt but that the
majority of us would have succeeded in getting away. In fact the evening
before, two or three officers escaped, by crawling under the stockade,
where the branch or stream entered the camp. They were fired upon by the
guard, and one was brought back. The long roll was sounded and the whole
force turned out in expectation of a general break. All officers were
notified that any one leaving their quarters, even to go to the sink,
would be fired upon by the guard. A great excitement prevailed among the
rebs all night, which was aggravated by those in their bunks calling out
every little while--"Corporal of the guard post number fo." "Dry up there
will you." "Oh! give us a rest." "Louder old pudden head." "What's the
matter with you." "Put him out." "Shoot him." "Lie down." "Tabb try your
big gun on this fellow," and like expressions, making a perfect uproar in
camp all night long. After a moment's silence, some fellow would imitate
the plaintive caterwaling of a cat, another barking like a hound, and
another would answer from away off with the deep bark of the mastiff,
another would crow like a cock. Sleep was out of the question, you might
as well try to quiet a barroom full of drunken politicians who had elected
their favorite candidate as to keep those fellows still. Once in a while
the guard would call out, "keep still there you Yanks or I'll shoot in
there," when some one at a safe distance would sing out "Put him in the
guard house." "Buck and gag him." "Stone the loafer," etc., and so it kept
on during the whole night.

The next morning Tabb had two more field pieces planted in the woods to
the south of our camp, and horsemen appeared with hounds to track and
capture the fugitives, but for some reason they could not