New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-11-16
gNE Projected REBEL MvASlON.
Scrni-0gficial statement Oh
Their Designs
En- Expedition Sent from Wilmington
to Halifax.
IS OFFICERS AND 800 MEN ENGAGED.
5000 Rebel Of:iccrs TO have
been Released.
JohDson's Island to have been Taken as a
Base Of Operations.
Federal Commerce en- the Lakes &c
be Destroyed.
Tie Lake Ports Laid Under Contribution
and the Country Devastated.
SEAT EXCITEMENT IN THE LAKE COUNTRY
Prompt Precautionary Measures Adopted.
From The Montreal Commercial Advertiser.
TIE lOHNsON's ISLAND EXPEDITlON.

TIE JOHNSON'S ISLAND EXPEDITION.
The expedition intended to effect the liberia
ton o The Confederate officers held prisoners on John
sous leland Lake EIie having failed. in order tC
remove the misapprehensors that may be created by
FEEDER accounts Of "a Canadian plot to burn Western
cies We give below all the facts in which the public
interested which may we are assured be implicitly re-
Lod on.
The Washington Government having refused &c
continue tie exchange OF prisoners Of war under ih'
cartc sent the Southern officers accustomed to trop
cal climate 10 Johnsons Island. where 900 Of them
were confined in wreohed quarters absolutely unfit to
house cattle. There is reason to doubt that The
officers selected FOR this prison were those upon WHOM
tie cold damp climate, and exposure would act mos
rreudicially. Ii in fact an attempt TO commit
muIde. without publicly mourning the odium o.
slaughter
In these circumstances tie Confederate Government
determined 70 make an attempt to rescue the doomed
officers ard sr Ills purpose an expedition was fitted
out consisting Of thiiysx officers under the command
G who had distinguished himself in similar dashins
enterprise and three hundred men. The officers en-
talked al Wilmington in the Confederate steamer X. T.
Lee. and landed at Halifax The cotton and
tobacco trouel. by that steamer freight We're sold t.
furnish the FUNDS required amounting to $1,000
IaI,ies TO the general rendezvous.
Thenteniion to surprise the Federal garrison Oh
Johnsons Island berae the prisoners convey them tC
Canada in vessels provided for THAI purpose and for
ward them By Halifax 10 Nassau Bermuda. the
greater part Of the funds being specially devoted 10
paving their passage TO ore Of these points.
ANY further operations on the Lakes were leh 20 the
discretion Of tic officer command whose orders were
stringent anL pe.cmpory TO avoid a breach Of British
neutrality and 10 take care that the senbance 81
International wrong should be prevented Had John
sons Island been taken. il might have formed basi
fr other operations against Federal commerce On ih
Lakes but the cal object Of the expedition wa' TO res
cue two thousand valuable lives from the cruelty whie
had devoted them to slow but certain death in a CLIMATE
snd situation ID The last degree lnimica to them
STARTLING REVELATIONS
From Tie Detroit free PTess 18Th.
We have received information which appear
authentic but which scarcely credible o. daring
gigantic and dangerous Rebel scheme winch mas Jn'
been discovered by TIE Government ana "m,h ioI u
apparent feasibility and tie state Oh iDl"hFuh'''
which said ~ have attained may well cause te M
most apprehension and alarm N Detroit aud troughou
Michifsn. The scheme Is worthy the ingcnuy an'
aufaciv Of he Rebel leaders and i IL is MT iuy sue
cessfGl n vii De in consequence ~ ne yict 4" l
officers Of tie Government assisted by the detective
whom they have employ "a ia iefIctng out ana Dflntii
il 20 nght The scheme conrrehends no less ihnA ~
seizure Of Detro and its occupation during me winter
~ =
Spring an active invading force against MicnsaD
OHIO and Indiana Tic psb.ic may feel very u4iura
curiosity 20 know how this IS 10 be done.
u j. est4matsd hot there aIcn the cghborme prov
ipce, Of Canada not less than 10000 able boiled rn
refugees from fhe southern States and drsercis non
he 1 Mon ar1nc. who are wen drilled and may ~
short time De gIled into 100 arny Of thoroughly di'
cjplned soldiers il is known mat they are nTcao.
pnchcd with want. and j. calculated that a. The Hcs
son advances tLcy viii be- driven by dcstteton 10 ni.
degenerate adventure tat prOn. relief from sarf ipi
and exposure These men ale relied upon TO inin's
the material Tor the enterprise. Detroit nseleo'c ~
the field Of operations nom s Ncifhes' 10 the 'ahaN
frontier and hence is f.cLlty ~ communication no
ouiY for procuring AID supplies, but also doubtle.
as afoldug ;oler4by safe means 10 escape 70 the lead
.rs in the movement ~ case Oi disaster
4 necessary part ~ this scheme IS naval bfce
How is tbs TO be procured VIII be asked. our n
formation is correct II 3 already al hand. Every on
will can n mind the frequent mention IN the teegfapi
dpatchc- of the escape Of blockade runners from IN
port % Wilmington. and Their ARM al ~ ialliek
These vessels most Of tleu are coMpicly Dnlt SWIM
Icit draueit steamers Beside the supplies 81 cotton
and other articles taken from the Rebel ports they car
~ regular commissions al part 81 the oneaeIato nav
80 mon aruapcu, ~ il suited 10 then tunHagc al'
capacity. The fact ofthcir coming ron a'@niedefar
Jort bearing their Commissions VIII iehe'e mem ron
the objections urged against friu5h bhlt fe'
,e- Ike the Alabama and others Whch nav
never touched AZ port under heDei isa'i.Dn
These vessels. after having procured Whtt hup
plies they can At Halifax without yioining tb
neutrality laws arc 10 start ostcnsiby o. cruise bu
VIII make their Way directly up lhe ~ Lawrence
through Lake Oniarlo, Tie Neilanc tnnn m.d Iah
Enc and taxing position "A the rFcr oppJfe IIrifoi
Je,oaud IFS unconditional surrender The Unlte
States by ueafy stipulation with Great Britain BEN
urecuded from maintaining anruaya force Oh tue mhe
axcep fjr re- enuc purposes VIII o.! course be po"cIc
10 meet ench aga armament It's coming, aud nntiea
zion viii be- closed DCorc force can De impf"'iscH q
act against fha audaciOas royers. Thus having posse
sion of and commanding the city tA'y VII declare b
open 10 commerce, and draw supples-io' pay lns j.
which ample urrns haze been provided HDin we pro
ceeds Of running bct wcen the ports Oh " ni
ton AID Haillsx-sld also receive willing Accession q
their force from the ready material mentioned 'D''e
from the other side.
This plot is entirely consistent with the lately discOi
cred conspiracy in Cincinnati - seilc Tue steamer VI .
lfah ana release tie prisoners confined Oh JV"n'
slard IN Sandptkg Bay and Chat con- piracy was 90 ~
less part though by no means necessary part 81 70
The plot ls novel one bat il must be conicaseh no
more rash Dan many "alhlc enterprises that meet va
success. Ihe dcfDse'ess condition Of our lake cOn3
and towns NOT OILY saKscsts bat invites come SUCH ca
fcTpilsei md je,Ict nom IT, location, seems b.
adapted for iig execution
Geographic dispatches 10 the Associated Pres ~
c6iyed ID late A0ur i.st night after tie above wa
written. convey tle startling Intelligence llat tl
Rebel pyaioeIs have already made their appearance
sandusky Boy.
NON Ibc Detroit lI.Aune Of Friday evening"
We have for some da ys been in possession al
Information that Rebel raid n a peculiar clalactn
was medit4od upon Lake Erc. brit We have been unde
fnrh funcons 81 secrecy maj We could rot mention n
I"s ,--,... ~e.-'-- s..~.--..s.