John Hunt Morgan escapes from the Ohio State Penitentiary (1863)

Confederate cavalry leader John Hunt Morgan escaped from the Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus on November 27, 1863. He and six officers dug a tunnel from Thomas Hines' cell to the inner yard, then climbed a wall using a rope made from bunk coverlets and a bent poker iron. Morgan returned to the South, coinciding with the birth and death of his daughter.

Episodes

Background and detail

Background. John Hunt Morgan was a Confederate general who launched a 1,000-mile raid into Indiana and Ohio in July 1863. After skirmishes, approximately 700 of his men were captured at the Battle of Buffington Island in Ohio. The escape later occurred at the former Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus, which operated from 1834 to 1984 and is distinct from the modern Ohio State Penitentiary in Youngstown, Ohio.

Escape. On November 27, Morgan and six officers, including Thomas Hines, escaped their cells. They dug a tunnel from Hines' cell into the inner yard and ascended a wall using a rope made from bunk coverlets and a bent poker iron. This event occurred in the Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus.

Aftermath. Coincidentally, Morgan's wife gave birth to a daughter on the same day as his escape. The child died shortly afterward before Morgan returned. Morgan eventually returned to the South, though his earlier raid was considered a futile sidelight to the war.

People involved

Sources

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