Page:Harper's New Monthly Magazine - v109.djvu/599

Rh be released, the Americans bought many tools of all kinds from them. Mr. Williams, clerk to Mr. Beasley, soon arrived and gave to each prisoner a blue suit, a pair of shoes, and a shirt, and told them the United States would clothe them altogether now.

Dartmoor was ordered to be the prison for all American prisoners. So about 3500 were sent there. The governor began to employ them as masons, carpenters, blacksmiths, as workmen on the roads, and as hospital nurses at 6d. a day.

The present parish church at Prince Town was built by American prisoners, and I believe no other that has been built by prisoners' hands in a far-off land stands in the world to-day to glorify His name who said, "I was sick and in prison and ye visited me."

The men on outdoor work smuggled into the prison much that was contraband—rum, tobacco, candles, and oil,—and were able to make articles which found a ready sale outside.

Three hundred and fifty more prisoners arrived from Stapleton, near Bristol,—No. 4 now contained 1400 men, and was overcrowded. Captain Shortland told them he would open the yards on the south side of the enclosures and they might have the freedom of the other prisons.

The prisoners, through long confinement, and almost losing hope of any exchange or of peace, formed a plan to escape. This was aided by the introduction of a new guard—a regiment not used to the prison-regulations discipline. July 4 came around again, and to celebrate it they had procured a large white ensign, on which they had written, "All Canada, or Dartmoor Prison for life." The spirit of this little band of patriots was tremendous. They also were to have an oration at eleven o'clock, and invited the officers and guard to it. When the time arrived the orator selected delivered a fervid speech from a cask, the officers and guard looking on from the inner wall. Afterwards a dinner was served, the menu of which was soup and beef, and speeches were made eulogizing Congress and President Madison, who was most popular with the prisoners.

The plan to escape was not put into effect until after the 4th of July. The prisoners were soon to be removed from No. 4 to No. 6. In this prison they would have access to Nos. 5, 6, and 7, which were in one yard.

Soon all acquiesced in the plan, and a committee was appointed to swear each man to absolute secrecy. He was neither by word, look, or deed, to convey the idea to turnkeys or guard that anything unusual was happening; should one do so, the penalty was death at the hands of his fellows. A committee was formed to watch both guard and prisoners to see that no undue communication went on between them, and enough were told off to do the work while others rested, and all went on in the every-day routine as usual. On the 20th, after taking most careful measurements, the digging was begun. A shaft was to be sunk in both prisons to a depth of 20 feet, and then at this depth a tunnel 250 feet long was to be begun. This would carry the excavation beyond the outer wall, which extended down six feet to the plane of the road outside. The work progressed rapidly, but the great difficulty was to dispose of the loose earth. It was done in this way: A little at a time was emptied into the stream which ran through the court at four miles an hour, each of the men emptying a small quantity when unobserved. They also obtained permission to bring some lime into the prison under pretence of whitewashing the walls. This they mixed with the dirt and plastered on the walls, whitewashing over it. No. 5 being unoccupied, and no guard being posted there, digging was also begun in that prison. A large hollow spot was soon found, and large quantities of earth were removed to it. A lamp was kept lighted to expel the foul gas, and in a month the tunnel had grown to 40 feet. In September the tunnel had much increased, and the openings were so cleverly concealed that they were not discovered by the guard. They were so small at the top that but one man could squeeze in, although within the tunnel four could work abreast.

On the 5th, to the horror of all, Captain Shortland entered the prison with a large guard, and walking directly towards the hole, said he knew of the work in No. 5, but as his informant had not told him correctly, he could not find it. The guard then began to sound the entire floor with