USA > Ohio > Franklin County > Columbus > The story of Camp Chase; a history of the prison and its cemetery, together with other cemeteries where Confederate prisoners are buried, etc > Part 19
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The Sandusky Register of Wednesday morning, September 21, 1864, printed a story, under startling headlines, that alarmed the people of Ohio and made most Union citizens look askance at their Democratic neighbors. From mouth to mouth the story went that the "Knights of the Golden Circle" were to have taken an important part in a general uprising, but for some unknown cause failed to do so.
For the last six weeks Colonel Hill, commander of the forces at Johnson's Island, says the Register, has been daily receiving warnings to the effect that a Copperhead-Canadian-Rebel refugee raid was maturing to surprise the forces and release the Confed- erate prisoners confined on the Island. The plans of Colonel Hill to frustrate their designs were too well conceived and deeply laid to admit of a surprise. During the afternoon of day before yes- terday Colonel Hill received a dispatch from Detroit to the effect that a portion of the conspirators would arrive in this city on the afternoon trains. After notifying Captain Carter, commander of
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the Michigan, of the dispatch, he immediately ordered a posse of men aboard the Princess, to proceed to this city and take charge of the trains on their arrival.
Aboard the Sandusky, Dayton, and Cincinnati train were a large number of men, most of whom left the train before its ar- rival at the depot and proceeded to scatter about the city. The larger portion were finally overhauled and found to be laborers and mechanics rendezvousing at this point to proceed to Nashville, where they were to be employed by the government.
The passengers on the Mansfield train were placed under arrest long before they reached this city ; but notwithstanding, a crowd of men eluded the vigilance of the conductor and escaped at a station some four miles from the city.
A suspicious character, C. H. Cole, who has been boarding at the West House for a considerable time, was then arrested by Captain Steiner, provost marshal of the district. Since his ar- rival in this city Cole has been lavish in his expenditures, feasting and drinking with several of the military officials. Frequent suppers were given, at which no expense was spared, and all bills were settled with gold.
After his arrest a search revealed a number of letters and docu- ments giving the particulars of the plot to capture the steamers, sink the Michigan, free the prisoners on the Island, and destroy Sandusky. The whole scheme was to have been put in operation yesterday. Revelations made by Cole led to the arrest of Abraham Strain, John H. Williams, Dr. E. Stanley, John M. Brown, and a Jew named Rosenthal, all residents and prominent Copperheads of this city. The Sandusky conspirators were to go to the camp of the Cleveland Artillery, spike the guns and use other means to make resistance useless. A party of Rebels were to take passage on the Philo Parsons at Detroit and capture her on the way down, with such other steamers as could be seized. The Michigan was ยท lying at anchor off Johnson's Island, and the purpose was to steal quietly down on her with the Philo Parsons, then suddenly run into her amidships, cutting her down and sinking her.
The Confederate prisoners were then to rise and, with the assistance of their Canadian reinforcements and the local Copper- heads, overpower the guard, make their escape, commit all the damage possible, and either open a campaign in Ohio, with the help of the "Sons of Liberty," or else escape to Canada.
After the return of the Michigan an accomplice of Cole's named John Robinson was arrested, and, with Cole, is confined on board the Michigan, whilst the Sandusky conspirators are con- fined on Johnson's Island. Cole is a young man, rather below the medium size, and from his financial transactions was strongly suspected of being engaged in the interests of the rebellion soon after his arrival, and closely watched.
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During his stay in this city he became noted as a drunken loafer, and was only countenanced in accordance with the money spent. He was a fierce McClellan man.
The steamer Island Queen left Kelley's Island about 6 P. M. yes- terday with about thirty-five members of Company K, One Hun- dred and Thirtieth Regiment, Ohio National Guard, for Toledo, to be mustered out of the service, together with a lot of passengers. They put in at Middle Bass Island to wood. The steamer Philo Parsons was lying across the end of the dock, when the lines of the Queen were unsuspectingly fastened alongside of the Parsons.
She was then boarded by about thirty Confederates, who had captured the Parsons, and, with revolvers and hatchets in hand, drove the passengers and crew of the Island Queen into the hold of the Parsons, not even excepting Captain Orr, who was after- wards called up and, it is supposed, made to pilot the Parsons. The engineer of the Parsons was shot at while engaged at his post at the engine, and was afterwards seen bleeding. How se- verely he was wounded, or what became of him, is not known. As a matter of course, all were surprised and could do nothing but surrender, which they did with the best grace they could com- mand. Some of the passengers, not obeying the orders of the raiders as quickly as they desired, were roughly used, the raiders hitting them on the heads with hatchets and revolvers.
After throwing some thirty cords of wood aboard the Parsons, the passengers were ordered from her hold, some of whom were paroled, while others were not molested except being examined for arms. The soldiers of the One Hundred and Thirtieth Reg- iment were afterwards called out and more closely scrutinized, but the pirates were in too big a hurry to do their work thoroughly.
About half past five A.M. the gunboat Michigan hove in sight of Kelley's Island, where were a number of passengers who had been released by the raiders. The islanders, not knowing wheth- er she was in possession of her own officers and crew or the raid- ers, were not a little alarmed ; but soon their fears were dispelled, as the form of the jolly old commander, Captain Carter, was ob- served upon her deck.
The Michigan then proceeded to search for the captured boats. steering for Middle Bass Island. When about halfway between the two islands she met a sailboat having on board Mr. Ashley, clerk of the steamer Philo Parsons, and a number of other cap- tives, headed for Sandusky. These gentlemen informed the com- mander of the Michigan that the Parsons had been seen about two o'clock in the morning steaming in the direction of Malden. The gunboat then proceeded on her cruise in the direction of Mid- dle Bass Island, where she was heartily cheered by the remaining captives on shore. She then started for the mouth of the Detroit River, where, falling in with vessels and tugs, she was informed
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that the Parsons had not been seen in that vicinity. The Mich- igan then put about and steamed down the lake, inquiring of ves- sels for the missing steamer, without effect. She then steamed for Middle Bass again, and shortly after leaving there discovered the Island Queen on Chucanola Reef. The vessel was sunk in seven feet of water.
The Island Queen is a small sidewheel steamer, running be- tween Sandusky and the Islands, and is owned by the Messrs. Kelley, of Kelley's Island, and commanded by Captain Orr, of this city.
The Philo Parsons is a steamer of similar build, perhaps a third larger than the Queen, and for the past season has been run- ning between this port and Detroit. The Parsons is command- ed by Captain Atwood. The destruction of these vessels is a severe blow to the residents of the islands, as they almost solely depended upon them for transportation of their freight and pas- sengers to and from the islands.
Captain Orr gave the following account of the capture of his boat :
"The Philo Parsons left Detroit at 8:30 Monday morning, with a number of passengers on board. One of the men said to the clerk that he had some friends at Windsor, Canada, whom they wished to have taken on. Five came on board at this place. At Malden, Canada, they took on more men, who brought with them - an old trunk tied with ropes. From there they went to Kelley's Island, where several more got on. About a mile after leaving Kelley's Island the men opened the old trunk and took out arms, which they concealed under the long-tailed coats, and then sta- tioned themselves in squads at the commanding parts of the ves- sel. At a signal a squad went to the pilothouse, and holding pis- tols at the head of the wheelman, told him that if he did not direct the boat as they wished they would blow his brains out. The wheelman did as they ordered-there was nothing else to do-and they steamed down the lake, in full view of Sandusky, for a short time.
"They then turned up the lake and stopped at Middle Bass Island. Here she ran alongside of the Island Queen, made fast, got out a gangplank, and began unloading freight.
"About this time six or seven of the pirates got on board the Island Queen from the Parsons's aft, and perhaps twenty got on forward, and presently notified all on board that they were pris- oners. There was quite a crowd at the wharf, and the crowd was augmented by the passengers the raiders had ordered off the boat. Presently they fired several shots indiscriminately into the crowd. Mr. Lorenzo Miller, of Put-in-Bay, was seriously in- jured.
"After this they went to the engine room and ordered the en-
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gineer to come out; but he not being quite so prompt as they wished, they fired upon him, one of the balls taking effect in his right cheek. He was the only one of the boat seriously injured by the shots. They then put most of us into the hold of the Island Queen. A short time afterwards they sent for me to come out on deck, and asked me if many strangers came into Sandusky that afternoon. They wanted to know if there was any excite- ment in the city, and if it was known that the steamer they were in possession of was coming. Then they took me into the cabin, where the ladies were, together with several men. The ladies and children were given permission to go ashore, after exacting a promise that they would not give any information of what they knew to any one for twenty-four hours.
"Pale with fear, the ladies promised, and were permitted to go ashore at Middle Bass.
"They then ordered the soldiers who came on board at Kelley's Island to come upon the deck, and made them swear they would not take up arms against the Confederacy until legally exchanged, after which they were permitted to go. The citizens were forced to take an oath not to divulge what they knew until twenty-four hours had elapsed. They were then permitted to go ashore. Having cleared the vessel, they got the stern line out, lashed the boats together, got under way, and stood out for Sandusky. When between Kelley's Island and Put-in-Bay, they inquired of one of their men who had been sent into the hold if he had scut- tled the Island Queen. He said that he had knocked off the head of a pipe so as to let in a stream of water four inches in diameter. They then lowered the yawl and took it in tow of the Island Queen, leaving the Parsons to her fate.
"While under way they talked of taking the Michigan, but doubted their ability to do it. One or two of the men objected to 'going into a slaughterhouse," as they put it. When opposite Kelley's Island they forced me to go into the fire hold, and while there they consulted and waited, apparently, for signals.
"Then discretion overcame their valor, as they put off up the lake and steamed up into the Detroit River, while I, with nine others, was put off at Fighting Island, some seven miles from Detroit. They asked me who I was going to vote for, and I told them Lincoln. They then asked what McClellan's chances were, and I told them very small indeed. They replied : 'I reckon they are rather slim.' "
The clerk of the Philo Parsons gave the following version of that boat's capture :
"The steamer Philo Parsons left Detroit on the morning of September 19, at 8 A.M., with about forty passengers. Imme- diately after leaving Detroit a young man, whom I had frequently seen before, came to me, and, calling me by name, said there were
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four passengers who wanted to take the boat at Sandwich, a small town on the Canadian side of the river, some three miles below Detroit. I reported the same to Captain Atwood, and he stopped and took them on. They said when they came on board that they were taking a little pleasure trip, and intended - to stop at Kelley's Island. All the baggage they had was a small hand satchel.
"At Malden, twenty miles down the river, on the Canadian side, where the boat stops regularly, about twenty more came on board and took passage for Sandusky. As it has been quite common of late to take on that number of passengers nearly every trip at this point, no attention was paid to them.
"The majority of those who took the boat at Malden were from Ohio, who, getting starved out in Canada, were returning home. I at once set this party down as a lot of the same kind. A large, old-fashioned trunk with ropes constituted the baggage of the party. Everything went off quietly during the day. The boat stopped at a number of the islands, taking on quite a number of passengers. Captain Atwood stepped off the boat at North Bass Island, where he resides.
"Shortly after leaving Kelley's Island, and between the island and Sandusky, I was standing in front of my office, when four of the party came up to me and. drawing revolvers, leveled them at me and said that if I offered any resistance I was a dead man. At the same time the old black trunk flew open, and in less time than it takes to tell it the whole gang of about thirty- five were armed to the teeth with revolvers, hatchets, etc. I then told them that they apparently had the strongest party, and guessed I should have to surrender. They then stationed two men to watch me, the remainder rushing into the cabin threat- ening to shoot any one offering resistance. There was a large number of ladies aboard, who were badly frightened.
"The boat was then headed down the lake for about an hour, and then turned and run to Middle Bass Island. While lying there the steamer Island Queen came slowly alongside and was instantly seized. Quite a number of shots were fired and quite a number struck with hatchets, but I think no one was killed. The passengers of both boats were put on shore, and a portion of the baggage.
"After taking what money I had, they requested me to go ashore. They permitted me to take my private property, but my books and papers, belonging to the boat. they kept. The boats were then started out in the lake, the Parsons towing the Queen a short distance into the lake, and then letting her go adrift. After putting off the passengers at Middle Bass, the Philo Parsons headed for Sandusky, and was gone about four hours. She afterwards returned under a full head of steam, and after
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passing Middle Bass headed for Malden and steered in that direc- tion as long as we could see her.
"The crews of both boats were retained and made to do the bidding of the parties in possession. The captain of the gang informed me he would place myself and passengers where we could give no information until morning, and before that time their work would be completed. He said it was their intention to run to the mouth of Sandusky Bay; and if they received the proper signals, they would run in, attack the United States steamer Michigan, lying off Johnson's Island, and then release their friends imprisoned at that place.
W. O. ASHLEY."
The name of Cole is mentioned in the Register's account of the exciting event, but the name of the daring man who, in reality, made the only successful movement in the entire affair is not mentioned. At that time, too, they did not know who Cole was, but that develops later. The man who captured the Philo Parsons was a Virginian named John Yates Beall, sometimes mentioned as Bell, and who was subsequently arrested and tried in Canada, as was another raider by the name of Burleigh.
The history of Erie County, Ohio, gives an account of the incident which follows:
The plan of rescue that led to the open attempt on the 19th of September was conceived by John Yates Beall. He was to conduct the operation from the Canadian side, while Major Cole was intrusted with the work of gaining the confidence of the officers at Sandusky, and particularly the officers of the gunboat Michigan, that lay in the waters of Sandusky Bay, in the imme- diate vicinity of the prison. The Michigan was the only gov- ernment boat then acting in defense of the island, and, with an ample crew of marines and her eighteen guns, could repel any - attack that might be made-especially when acting in conjunc- tion with the guard force of infantry and artillery on the island and Sandusky.
The first step, therefore, in accomplishing the main under- taking was to obtain control of the gunboat, and this was the part of the programme assigned to Cole. He is well remembered by many of the present residents of Sandusky as an active. energetic fellow, possessing education beyond the average; a fine conversationalist and a royal entertainer. He made prodigal use of his money, with which commodity he appeared to be abundantly supplied. He dined and wined the officers of the Michigan, and sought to ingratiate himself wholly in their
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- favor. But in the chivalrous acts of this daring young fellow he rather overdid the matter, and Yankee cunning proved more than a match for his arts. When he thought he had the officers just about where he wanted them, the picture reversed, and the officers had Cole where they wanted him, and he fell a prisoner into their hands.
Cole arranged a wine party at the time that affairs were ex- pected to culminate, and the liquor was heavily drugged; but the officers never partook of his bounty, and instead of their falling victims to his plans he himself fell into theirs.
The Sandusky Register has this to say of the after effects of the raid :
The plans of Beall were equally well formed, but, through the failure of Cole, were also futile so far as carrying out the main effort was concerned. Beall, with a few rough characters, took passage on the steamer Philo Parsons as that boat was making her passage between Detroit, the Islands, and Sandusky. At Malden twenty other men also came on board.
. After passing from the landing place at Kelley's Island the men approached the clerk of the boat, who, in the absence of the captain, seems to have been in command, and, with revolvers pointed at him, demanded a surrender. Without much resistance the steamer passed into the charge of the piratical crew, and was turned back toward Middle Bass Island, where a landing was made.
About this time the Island Queen reached the dock at Middle Bass, but no sooner had she touched then she was boarded and captured; not, however, without stout resistance from her com- manding officer and the engineer, both of whom were overpow- ered, the latter being shot in the face. On board the Island Queen was a party of about one hundred discharged soldiers returning home; but, being without arms, they were powerless in the face of a score or more of heavily loaded revolvers in the hands of determined, desperate men.
The Queen was scuttled and sent adrift, after which the prow of the Parsons was turned toward Sandusky Bay. After cruis- ing about for a long time, anxiously watching for the signal from the land supposed to have been successfuly organized by Cole, Beall wanted to make the attempt at rescue without the assistance of Cole's cooperating force; but knowing the power of the Michigan's guns, and fearful of the result, Beall's desperate crew weakened and declined to take the chances.
Disheartened and discouraged, the daring leader reluctantly put about and made for Canada, where the steamer was aban-
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doned and her former crew released from temporary imprison- ment. This was the only open attempt made to effect the escape of the officers confined on Johnson's Island, and it proved a failure. What would have been the result had Cole's effort been successful is wholly a matter of speculation. Several promi- nent citizens of Sandusky were arrested, charged with complicity in the attempt. They were temporarily confined on the Island, but were afterwards released.
Beall seems to have been less fortunate. He was captured near Suspension Bridge, N. Y., and taken to New York City and confined on Governor's Island. He was charged before a military court with the seizure of the steamer Philo Parsons, also the Island Queen, and of being a spy in the Confederate service.
He was also charged with attempting to wreck an express train between Buffalo and Dunkirk, for the purpose of robbery. He was found guilty and sentenced to be hanged. The day of the execution was fixed for February 18, 1865, but President Lincoln granted him a respite of six days, that his mother might see him once more.
Prior to the attempt to release the prisoners on Johnson's Island, Beall was a captain of a company of Virginians under Gen. Stonewall Jackson. He possessed at the time of the break- ing out of the war a valuable plantation, and was a young man of large means and great promise.
The Confederate Veteran, in the issue of July, 1900, has this to say upon the event :
Jacob Thompson, formerly Secretary of the Interior under Buchanan, Maj. C. H. Cole, of the Fifth Tennessee Confederate Regiment, Maj. Thomas C. Hinds, of Bowling Green, Ky., and several others hatched a conspiracy for the liberation of all the. Confederate prisoners in the North.
Their object was to capture the man-of-war Michigan, which was at that time on Lake Erie, seize the Philo Parsons-which was done-and release the twenty-five thousand Confederates, of whom four thousand were at Johnson's Island, eight thousand at Camp Douglas, nine thousand at Camp Chase. and four thousand at Camp Morton, Indianapolis. Then, with the aid of ten thousand Confederate and Southern sympathizers who. visited in the North, and who had gathered at various points. to aid in the consummation of the plot, they hoped to strike a fatal blow at the Union at a time when, according to the calcula- tions of the conspirators, General Early was to lay siege to. Washington, and thus make it impossible for the Federal gov- ernment to send troops to the points to be attacked.
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A part of the programme was carried out. Major Cole, who had been deputized to capture the Philo Parsons, did so, and sailed away with her. But the conspiracy to seize the Michigan and liberate the Confederates failed, and Cole and his men were captured. Their betrayer was Colonel Johnson, of Kentucky, a prisoner on Johnson's Island, who, seized with remorse for the act, committed suicide shortly afterwards.
The Veteran is evidently in error as to the part Cole played. Cole was a prisoner at the time Beall was cruising about Sandusky Bay, waiting for a signal from Cole that he was in possession of the Michigan.
The statement that the plot was betrayed by Colonel Johnson is something the Northern writers seemed to know nothing about, as no mention is made of it in any of the stories of the time or in the reports of the Federal officers. Nor has it been mentioned in subsequent Northern accounts of the episode. The Veteran fur- ther says:
Cole was tried and sentenced to be shot, the execution to take place on Johnson's Island; but influential friends interceded for him, and his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. He was taken to Fort Lafayette in 1865, remaining there one year ; was then pardoned, and is now living on a ranch in Texas. Thus ended one of the most gigantic conspiracies of the war for the overthrow of the North.
In following the subsequent history of the great conspiracy many remarkable statements concerning the capture of the Philo Parsons were found. The Buffalo Commercial Advertiser of November 27, 1864, says :
The examination of G. B. Burleigh, alias Captain Beall, the Lake Erie pirate, was commenced before Recorder Duggan, at Toronto, Wednesday. Mr. R. A. Harrison appeared for the Crown, and Mr. M. C. Cameron defended the prisoner. The only witness examined was a young woman named Gertrude Titus, of Detroit, who was a passenger on the Philo Parsons at the time of her seizure by the armed men.
She fully identified the prisoner, and testified that he was the most conspicuous and active of those who seized the Parsons and perpetrated the outrages on board. Mr. Cameron contended that no case had been made out, or at least the prisoner could not be claimed, as his case did not come under the Ashburton treaty. The Queen's proclamation recognized the Confederates as belligerents, and therefore it was no act of piracy or robbery
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