The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1863-11-26
The Lake Erie Rebel Plot


Plot.
From the Montreal Commercial Advertiser.
The expedition intended to effect
the liberation of the Confederate Off
GERS held prisoners on Johnson's Is
land, Lake Erie, having failed, in or
der to remove the misapprehensions
that may be created by Federal &C
counts of Canadian plot to burn
western cities, we give below all the
facts of the case in which the public is
interested, which may we are assured
be implicitly relied on.
The Washington government hav-
ing refused to continue the exchange
of prisoners of war under the cartel,
sent the southern officers accustomed
to a tropical climate to Johnson's Is
land, where two thousand of them
were confined In wretched quarters,
absolutely unfit to house cattle. There
is no reason to doubt that the officers
selected for this prison were those up
on whom the cold, damp climate and
exposure would act most prejudicially.
It was, in fact, an attempt to commit
murder without publicly mourning the
odium of slaughter
In these circumstances the Conted-
crate Government determined to make
an attempt to rescue the doomed Off
ce1s, and for this purpose an expedi-
ton was fitted Que, consisting Of thir-
| ty-six officers under the command of
one who had distinguished himself in
similar dashing enterprises, and three
hundred men. The officers embarked
at Wilmington, in the Confederat e
steamer R, E. Lee, and landed at
Halifax. The cotton and tobacco
brought by that steamer as freight
were sold to furnish the funds re-
quired, amounting to $40, ZOO. The
men came overland through the States
in small parties, to the general rem
devious.
The intention was to surprise The
Federal garrison on Johnson's Island,
liberate the prisoners, convey them tc
Canada in vessels provided for that
purpose, and forward them by Hall
fax to Nassau or Bermuda the great
er part Of the funds being specially de-
voted to paying their passage to one Of
these points.
Any further operations on the Lakes
were left to the discretion Of the officer
in command, whose orders were strin-
gent and peremptory to avoid breach
Of British Morality, and to take care
that even the semblance of int ernation-
al wrong should be prevented. Had
Johnson's Island been taken, it might
have formed a basis for other opera
tons against Federal commerce on the
Lakes; but the real object of the expe-
dition was to rescue two thousand val
liable lives from the cruelty which had
devoted them to slow but certain death
in climate and situation in the last
degree inimical to them.
From the Detroit Daily Advertiser.
The existence of this plot was orig
inally discovered in the following man
ner: About two weeks since our mil
itary authorities here learned that GER
tain rebel agents at Montreal were
seeking to purchase two vessels at that
city, to be fitted for rebel war service
on the lakes. Last week it was as
certained that certificates of specie de-
posts, to the amount of at least $780,
900, on certain Confederate banks
signed by Memminger, the rebel Sec
rotary of the Treasury, and counter
signed by Benjamin, the rebel Secre-
tary of State, had passed through our
post Office here to the rebel agents in
Canada.
These facts, taken together, had a
sinister aspect and after consulta-
ton with a number of our prominent
citizens, the facts were communicated
to the American Consul-General at
Montreal, Mr.. Giddings. BY him
representations were made to the Gov.
ornor-General of Canada, which led to
the revelations made through Lord
Lyons to our own Government. It will
be seen that the first clue was obtain
ed in Detroit.