The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1863-11-26
The Lake Erie Plot.

The Lake Erie Plot.
The entire country, including Canada
has been highly excited during the pas.
week over the discovery Off plot which !
supposed to have been incubating in CaDad
for some time, by the rebel sneaks and Sc
cesh sympa,hizers, for the purpose Of lber
ating the secesh prisoners Of Johnson's Isl
and, some four thousand in number-al
officers--burn Buffalo, Cleveland, seize De
troit, by alarge rebel invading force, occup,
it during the winter, and-the organization
then of large rebel force againet Michigan
Ohio and Ipdiapa, and, in fact, play the mis-
chief with the Yankees Generally. We vii
briefly give the facts as they have already
come to light.
Information reached Governor Tod, o.
Ohio, early last week, that . plot was or
foot among rebel sympashizers in Canada te
hberate the four thousand rebel prisoners--
all of them officers--including among them
General Tri,nble. General JEFF. Thompson
and General Jones, on Johnson's Island
and then such desperstions as were possible
such - urning:Sandusky, Toledo. Clevs-
land, Buffalo, &C., and then make their es-
cape into canada. Governor Tod immedi.
ately telegraphed 10 Washington the infor.
nation he had received. The Government
at first hesitated TO give csedence to the
extraordinary story, but on Thursday last,
Lord Lyons received dispatch from the
Governor General of Canada warning him oil
the existence of the plot, telling him the plan
was to seize some steamer on the lake, give
it such offensive material as they could,
proceed at once to Johnson's Island, liber-
ate the prisoners, sail Immediately for Buff
ialo, burn it, &c. Lord Lyons at once com.
municated the dispatch to Secretary Sew
ard, who transferred it to Secretary Stan
ton, and that officiel Immediately telegraph.
ed the substance Of it to Mayor Fargo, at
Buffalo. that the necessary precautions which
the case demanded might at once be made,
the Secretary promising that the Govern
ment will cmHloy all the means in its pow.
er to suppress any hostile attack from any
source.
On Tuesday previous to the events nara.
ted above, Maj. Pierson, in command Of
Johnsons Island, received information that
fully armed and equipped gunboat had
left the Canadian shore with the intention
of assisting in releasing the prisoners. He
had other information, also, that simultane.
ously with the appearance Of the pirate.
genera! uprising and attack was to be made
by the rebel prisoners. the guards overpow.
cred, the arsenal seized, Sandusky to be
pillsged ard burned, and the rebels then to
make their escape to Canada, These facts
were Immediately communicated to Cover
nor Tod. who, upon receiving the informa-
ton, stopped train with four hundred
prisoners on its way from Columbus to San,
dusky, telegraphed to Colonel Senter to dis
patch troops to the scenc Of anticipated
trouble, and . considerable force was sent.
The United States gunboat Mich igan,
which was in the hsrbor Of Sand1sky, at
once took position in front of the prison on
the Island ready to pay her compliments to
any pirstical craft that might appear, Or
send destructive FIRE among the prisoners,
should there be any manifestations Of re-
volt. Other measures have also been taken
to render Johnson's Island secure against
any attack from without, or revolt from
within. Buffalo, Cleveland, Sandusky and
Detroit have not been idle since tho alarm
commenced, and every measure for the Sc
curity of the frontier, under tho order Of
General Dix, has been taken. The Canadian
Parliament has also moved in the matter.
This is The situation Of the great Lake Erie
Plot to day.
Exactly how formidable this great Cana
dian naval raid in itsdssigp apd execution
WAS to be, is not known, and perhaps new
er will lie except to those engaged in it.
II is pretty certain, however, that it is .
fragmentory portion of the other rebel plot
which has been recently developed in Ohio.
A correspondent Of the New York Times
telegraphs (. op Washington that it il un.
derstood there that vallaRdigham, James
Clay, and Marshal Kane had fully arranged
for passing through the Wellsnd Canal On
armed steamer. whose mission was, 1rst, to
open the prison doors for the esptive rebels
at Ssndusky Bay; second, to arm and
sSpip these veterans, over 1000 in number;
third, to seize a. many propeliers on Lake
Erie % we're needed, and arm and man
them fourth, to make Buffalo . heap Of
ashes, and her vessels in port charred skel.
atoms dfth to burn Gleyeland sixth, to
whip out the commerce of Lake Erie; sey-
enth. to consume Detroit, and in effect do.
stroy the commerce and cities Of the lakes,
from Ogdensburg to Chicago At blow.
The correspondent Of the New York
World in Washington, telegraphs that At.
torney General Mcdonald, OF Canada, is
there, and brings information which shows
the seriousness Of the plot for the release Of
the prisoners, etc. Lord Lyons receivcd
informrtion of the scheme from q citizcn Of
Baltimore, two months ago. 1t appears
that number of secessionist were to take
passage on the Chicago and Ogdensburg
propellor and seize them, then intercept the