a peaceful Salisbury in 1864 (1886 image)
A Richmond newspaper admired the effectiveness and restraint of the Confederate garrison that thwarted an attempted mass escape by Union prisoners at Salisbury, North Carolina.
From a Seneca County, New York newspaper in December 1864:
Attempt of the Union Prisoners at Salisbury, N.C., to Escape
On Thursday last a serious attempt was made by the federal prisoners confined at Salisbury, N.C., to escape, which was rapidly and effectually quieted at the expense of considerable Yankee blood. It appears the plot had been formed among the prisoners (of whom there are at Salisbury some thirteen thousand) to overpower the interior guard of the encampment, then break through the line of parapet guard, and after securing all the arms they could, to march through Western North Carolina into Tennessee, and make good their escape. In the first part of their programme they succeeded. The interior guard were soon overpowered and two of the unfortunate men were killed while resisting. They then attacked the parapet guard, who fought bravely against the terrible odds until the alarm had been fully communicated to the garrison, and two pieces of artillery were thrown into position bearing upon the encampment. Two of the parapet guard were killed in their gallant defense. In good time the artillery opened, and after a few raking discharges of grape and cannister, the insurrectionists cried out for mercy, and declared they would make no further effort to get away. By this time they were completely surrounded with artillery and infantry, and it is well for them that they ceased their demonstration, and sued for mercy. In ten minutes more the whole camp would have been one scene of slaughter. As it was, about forty were killed, and a large number wounded. Thus a very foolish attempt to escape from a confederate durance has ended. It will prove, no doubt, a lesson to prisoners in the South. But for the coolness, and, it may be added, the consideration of the officers commanding the garrison, the punishment inflicted upon these misguided captives would have been far more serious, if indeed it had not amounted to the annihilation of the entire body, – Richmond Enquirer, Nov. 28.
It looks like the Richmond article had the date on November 24th. According to NCpedia there was an attempted mass escape at Salisbury on November 25, 1864. About 200 Yankees were killed.
Things had gotten worse at Salisbury during October 1864 as 5,000 extra prisoners were crowded into the camp.
