Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1863-11-25
~ Ce.e1a Plee..Ia ev i was revealed

The Canada PletseHew u was Revealed
fFssn ne Montreal Cssnsseial Advsrtissr.l
The expedition intended to effect the
liberation Of the Confederate officers held
prisoners on Johnsoo's leland, Lake
Eric, having failed, 10 order to remove
The misapprshsnsion that may DO Great
Cd BY Federel accounts Of Canadian
plot to burn Western cities, We give be-
low oil the facts in which the public "a
nterested, which may. We are assured,
be implicitly relied on.
The Warrington government having
refused ts continue the exchange OF pris-
oners OF war under the cartel, sen: the
Southern officers accustomed 10 tTop
ical climate to Johuron's Island, where
1000 Of them were confined in quarters
absolutely unfit 10 house cattle. There
| IL no reason to doubt that the officers Sc
lected for this pr son were those upon
whom the cold, damp climate and ex-
posurs would act most prcjudicislly. 1t
was, in fact, an attempt 10 commit nur-
der without publicly mourning the odium
Of slaughter.
In these circumstances the Confeder-
ate government determined TO make an
attempt to rescue the doomed officers,
and tor this purpose m expedition was
fitted out, consiiiDg Of thirty-six officers
under the command of one who had
distinguished himself in similar ent r
prisss, aud three hundred men. The Of
| ficers embarked al Wilmington 10 the
Confederate steamer R. E. Lee, and
landed at Halifax. The cotton and to-
bacco brought to furnish the funds re-
CURED, amounted to $4,000. The
men came overland through the States
in small parties, to the general rsndez
vous.
The iptAntion wss TO surprise the Fed
eral garrison on Johnson's Island, llber-
ate the pri.oners, convey them to Can
ada iD vessels provided for that purpose
and forward them BY Halifax to Nassau
or Bermuda; the greater parts of The
funds being especially devoted to paying
their passage to one Of these points.
, Any further operations on the Lake.
were left to tho discretion of the office
in command, whose orders we're strin
gent and peremptory to avoid breacl
Of British neutrality, and to take carr
that even Resemblance OF interDationa
: wrong should be prevented. Had john
sons Island been taken, it might hav'
formed . basis for other operation
against Federal commerce on the Lakes
7 but the real object Of the expedition wa
to rescue two thousand valuable 1--we
from the cruelty which had devoted then
to slow but certain death in a olimat
and situation in the last degree inimics
to them.
+ From the Detroit Advertiser.
b The existence of this plot was origin
. ally discovered in the following manner
About two weeks since some OF our mil
itary authorities here learned that certai
rebel agents at Montreal we're seek,n
to purchase two vessels at that city to b
fitted for rebel war service on the Lakes
. Last week it was assertained that oerti
8 ficates of specie deposits, to the amour
r Of at least 5000, 900, on certain Confet
u crate banks signed by Memminger, th
. rebel Secretary Of the Treasury, an
countersigned by Benjsmin, tie reb
Secretary OF State. bad passed threug
our post office here to the rebel agent
.. in Canada.
!. The facts. taken together, had SIM
, ter aspect, aud after consultation wit
= a number Of our prominent citizens, III
o facts were communicated to the Amer
: can Consul General at Montreal, M
. Gidlings. BY him, representation
were made to the Governor>General
. Canada. which led to the revelation
made through Lord Lyons to oar ow
Government. 1t will be seen that Il
first clue was obtained in Detroit.