From the Richmond Dispatch, 8/27/1864, p.1, c. 6
Attempted Escape of Yankees from Belle Isle – Two of them Killed and Three Others Wounded. – Between eight and nine o’clock Thursday night, during the prevalence of the storm, an attempt was made by two of the Yankee prisoners confined on Belle Isle to escape, by swimming the river to the Chesterfield shore; but the guard on duty observed their movements, and immediately fired upon them, killing one instantly and severely wounding the other. About twelve o’clock on the same night, another party of three attempted to escape from the island by the same means, but they were also discovered and fired upon, when one was killed and the other two wounded – one mortally. – On counting the prisoners yesterday morning, which is the practice every day, Lieutenant Virginius Bossieux, the officer in command, missed one other prisoner, who could not be accounted for, and it is supposed that he was either killed or succeeded in making his escape the same night.