The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-03-27
THE REBEL FRONTIER RAIDS.
Supposed Com plieIty OF Glenn emit O.. Clay
His Letter 10 Tho ReheI AulhnrnieSs

Supposed Corn piieIty OF clement @: Clay
His Letter 10 tho Rebel Authorities
tFrom the Boston Advertiser, March 20
Tho following letter was found person captured In
c Department OF Washington in the early part Of 1854
He turned ont 10 be messenger from the rebel emisa
RES In Canada TO the Richmond autbort es, trying 10
make his way through our lines into Virginia This la-
fully Identified the production OF Clement c. Clay Jr,
who Ia sharing with Jcn Davis the hospitaties OF
established by it, In tho ro5bing and numbering raids
from Canada into the United States 10 understood to be
the real ground for Mr. Clay sPro'onsed imprisonment
ST. CArnARIsE's c. W., Nov. !, 1904
sR-You have doubtless learnod through the press OF
the United States Of the raid st. Adams, Vermont by
about twenty Confederate soldiers nearly allo Thorn
escaped PRISONERS led by Lieutenant Bennett H. Young
of their attempt failure to burn the town. and OF the
robbery u three banks there Of the Aggregate amount OF
States forces Their commitment and the pending pro-
liminary trial There twelve fourteen Of the
twenty-five who have been arrested aud who are now IN
prison al Montreal where the trial for commitment tor
extradiiion i. now progressing letter IRON Hon. J.
d. Abbott The leading counsel for the prisoners, dated
Montreal 2Sth October says TO "We'' Nhe prison
ers counse) ''a think It quite clear that the will
not justify commitment for extradi.ion under the
law as It stands; and We conceive the strength
hold, establishing the authority Of the raid
crs from the Confederate States governme1- But
there h no doubs that this authority might be made
explicit than 1t IL In Far regards the particular
complained OF; and presume The Confederate gov
will consider II 70 DO 5her duty recognize
officially the OF Lieutenant Young and his party,
and VIII find TO convey such recognition u the
our courts if.his were accompnnied or beloved By
demand upon goverpm errna the prisoners BIZ set
at liberty, think good effect would be produced,
al hogh probably the application w, Id not b rec7iyed
by the authorities There will DO 40 least fortnghts
time and probably moro, expended liz the examination
Ct Witnesses so that there will 90 plenty OF for
any thing that may be thought advisable 10 be done In
behalf Of the prisoners' met Mr. Young at Halifax,
on my way here in Nay last he showed me letters re-
s state rights and tlseiore OF Southern independence
vouchiug for his ntsgE.sas man, h pety Chris
tian and his loyalty soldier Of the south After
satisfying that his heart with us in our struggle
aud That lie had suffered mprisenme for many months
soldier OF the Confederate sta from which no bad
escaped, he developed his plans for realii ng some OF
the injuries and trages inflicted upon the Soith
thought them feasible and fully warranted by the law
of nations and therefore recommended him and his
plans the Secretary Of War He sent back by the
Secretary OF War with commission a. second ieuen-
ant TO execute his plans and purposes bot 10 report "a
Hon. and my self. We prevented his achieving OF
attempting what am sure he could have done for US
and which may be fully explained hereafter. Finally
disappointed In his original purpose, and In all the sub
sequent enterprises projected be TO return To
the Confederate States Haiax, but passing through
the New England States and burning some towns and
robbng them OF whatever he could convert TO the use Of
the Confederate government.
This ! approved as jstifable retaliation We a.
tempted TO burn the town or ~ Adams, Vermont ard
would have succeeded bat for the failure OF the chemical
preparations with which no armed. Believing the
already fired in several places and must DO do
stoyed he then robbed tho banks OF all the funds no
could find, amounting 10 moro than 500 COO That he
prompted by selfish ner enary mot Yes, and
that he did not intend to convert the funds taken t. his
use but 10 that the Confedern,e States, am az
well satisfied am that he Is honest tr'le
soldier and pair OF; and one who knows him will
question his title 70 this character. He assured me,
before going on the raid that his efforts would be 70
destroy towns aud houses, not 10 plumber 70
rob- but, he said, II, after hiring town, he saw he
could take funds from a bank oranything which algnt
infict injury the enemy and benefit his own govern
ment ne would do 80. He added most emphatiosily
that whatever he took should be turned TO tins
eminent its representatives foreign lands Ny
strucdons to him. oft repeated were destroy what
vaiuab,enot TO stop or rb; but IT, after firing
atown he could seize and carry oil money or treasury
that they delivered 70 the proper authorities OF the
Confederate States That they not delivered &C
Cording 10 his promise and intention was owing AN
suio, the failure Of his chemical compound " tro
tho e~n and to tho capture o. himself aud mon ON
Canadian soil, wore be ng surprised and ovcrpowered
by superior numbers from the United Ststea ON show
ing me his commission and his instructions from Mr.
no q % a. % ooa %
the enemy ~ tho way Of retaliation tiis be true, t
seems 70 the Confederate States government should
hesitate to his ast fully authorised
ssssss n MS s ~ &C. SSs Yosns
and his wifi DO given to tue I'm Jed States anthor
tics II TO- fear the speratea aud alarmed opie
Of Vermont will excite or oil and summary vengeance
upon them before they The prison Of ~. Ahans
EThe symIathes oil niue-tsntls VI the Canadians arc
with Young and his men--a majority OF all the news.
papers JUST excuse his act ~ merely aliaton and
they DIES only tho authority u the Confederate STAT
govenm ut 10, " their extrndton Tho refusal
exradtou fully warranted by the like Of the
United astes many ched lately In the Canadian
papers, which cannot now rspa.t but which you can
IDLY nnd The refusal Of extraMIion would % OF
saa1ry PoltcaI influence, ~ rs thought botn
In the British provinces ard In England cannot
now explain why. trust therefore ior the saks n't
only OF the otuve soldiers VINO attempted TINS daring
eApolI VIII ch has caused pan'c thrcushout the United
States bordering Csnail. aud tho organization Of
forces 10 resist as wen the arbitrary and yrnnous order
General DIX ouchingthe coming Presidential elect on
but Tor the sake Of anu country, that th Pre-
sident VIII assume Tho respons outy VI the sct o. Leu.
tenant Bennett Young, and thai yo1 VIII signify In
such form viii eno II admisstVn evidence In
the psudlpg Trial
send he special messenger VINO bears ths that your
apswe' may De Drought o~'. oy IN wuhh Ten Jay OF
oy tue Ath inst ihe hns luaSin u. an ana WIN DO
psponod Tor the acton OF inc sonier.te STATES gov
efnn'cnt ~ ionS Us possible, ceraihiy iot zen DAYS
avail myseii oi his cpp1lunmy 70 oring 70 your
notice the case u captain Charles d ,osc another es-
c'l'eu ~ Sner VI oeneIA' fVr =. ooand VINO was
taAea aoout sA weeSs snGe 10 Tue mscD'san tho Fed
crh ~ar steamer uh LAKE hr'el ana cnsfgea whh an
autnlpt ~ piracy, tor attempting 70 espsure me ves
sep WIN DO hg spy &C fne iace v that NO prJecI