Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-07-31


4 taries 81 coal, and especially to learn al
that he could about the war steamer Michi
can and devise some plan for her capture o.
Obstruction. This duty be performed very
satisfactorily. FsFFRnts nfer FsfFl
THE PLor 10 CAPTURE THE MICHIGAN
4 BE wsstben instructed to return and pui
himself in communication with the officers
of the Michigan, and, feeling his. way, te
4 endeavof TO purchase the boat from its Of
ficers. For time he thought he would
! succeed in this If he could give the gusran.
I tees Of payment of the sums stipulated
but by degrees the question was dropped.
lie asked permission to organize force tc
board and take her. This was gwen, and
Acting Master John 7. Beail was sent to
him to aid in the organization and in
carrying out the enterprise. Their
4 plan was well conceived and held
out the promise of success. II had
been previously ascertained. from escaped
prisoners from Johnson's Island that az or
gahization existed among the prisoners on
the island for the purpose Of surprising the
guard and capturing the island. The pres
ence of the steamer Michigan, which carried
\ IA guns, was the only obstacle. Secret
4 communications were had, by which they
\ were advised, that on the night of the 18th
\ Of September an sttempt TO seize the Michi-
4 gan would be made. On that night Capt.
! Cole, who had previously established the
! friendlest relations with the officers of the
steamer, was to have swine drinking"
! with them on board, and at a given hour
Acting Master Beall was to appear on a
boat TO be obtained for the purpose, with a
sufficient body of Confederate soldiers to
board and take the steamer. Should tLey
capture the steamer, cannon shot sent
through the officers quarters, on Johnson's
Island, was to signify to the prisoners that
the hour for their release had come. Should
they take the island, boats were to be i'm
ogised, and Sandusky was to be attacked.
If taken, the prisoners were TO be mounted
and make for Cleveland, the boats cooper
atine, and from Cleveland the prisoners
were to make Wheeling, and thence to Vir.
GINA. The key to the whole movement
was the capture Of the Michigan. On the
evening of the 10Th, by some treaehery, Cole
was arrested and the messenger, who was
to meet Acting Master Beall At Kelley's
Island, did not reach him. .4-
SEIZURE OF HEIsLANDzo QUEEN
Disappointed, but nothing daunted, Act
ing Master BeaD, having possession of the
Philo Parsons, passenger steamer running
from Detroit to Sandusky, he went on his
way toward Johnson's Island. Having
landed at Middle Bar Island 10 secure asup-
ply of wood, the steamer Island Queen,
with a large number of passengers and 80
soldiers. came up alongside and dashed her
self 10 the Parsons. An attack was at once
resolved upon. The passengers and sol
diers were soon made prisoners and the
boat delivered up to our men. The sol
diers were regularly paroled. The passen-
gers were left on the island, having given
their promise not TO leave for "a hours, and
the boat was towed out into the lake and
sunk. r
The Parsons was then started directly
for the bay Of Sandusky. Here the men,
for certain reasons not altogether satistacto-
~, but possibly fortunately, refused to
make the attack on the Michigan. Beall
returned and landed at Sandwich, G. W.,
and the men scattered through the country.
Most of them have returned to the Confed-
crate States; but few days since Acting
Master Bennett S. Burley was arrested, and
the trial is now going on for his delivery
under the eXtradition treaty. Ii we had
Coles's, Bean's, or his own com mission,
should not fear the result. As it is, they
win have to prove that they acted under
my order, and that will in all probability
secure bis release, but it may lead to my re-
pulsion from the Provinces. At least
have it from reliable source that this last
proposition has been pressed upon the
Canadian authorities, and they have con-
sidered it. Should the course of events
take this direction, unadyised by you,
shall consider it my duty to remain where l
am, and abide the issue. should prefer,
if it be possible, to have your views on the
subject. Capt. Cole is still prisoner on
Johnson's Island, in obedience to your sug-
gestion, as far as it was practicable.
FINANCIAL SCHEME.
Soon after my arrival here, urged the
people in the North to convert their paper
money into gold and withdraw it from the
market. 1 am satisfied this policy was
adopted and carried into effect to some ex-
tent, but how extensively [ am unable to
state. What effect it had on the gold mar
ket it is impossible to estimate, but certain
it is that gold continued to appreciate until
it went to 290. The high price may have
tempted many to change their policy, be-
cause afterward gold fell in the market to
$50. When il was about $50, and exporta-
ton of gold was so small that there appear
Gu Dtt llJllC vi lOl lb3 A1As COlin .
Potterfield, formerly banker of \ ashville, but
now a resident of Montreal, was furnished
with 100000, and Instructed to proceed to
New York and carry out financial policy
If his own conception, which consisted in
the purchase of gold and exporting
the same, selin- il for sterling bills
of exchange, and then again converting his
exchange into gold. This process involved
eha Of fra ant
tie was instructed by Mr.. Clay and myself /
to go on with his policy TIL he had expe 1ded |
S25, 900, with which be supposed he would |
ship directly S., 100000 and induce others |
to ship much more, and then, if the effect |
upon the gold market was not very per- |
ceptible, he was to desist ami return to |
Canada and return the money unexpended. /
By his last report he had caused the ship |
ment of more than 100000, at an ex
pense of less than $4,000; but it seems |
that Mr.. Lyons, who had been former |
partner of Mr.. POrterfsld, was arrested by |
Gen. Butler on the ground that he was ex-
porting gold. and, although Mr.. Lyons had |
no connection with Mr.. Porterfeld in his |
transaction, yet be thought it prudent to |
return to Canada, and while be retains the |
unexpended balance ofthe S25,0 900 to carry |
out his instructions, he has restored $685. 900. |
| must confess that the first shipment had |
a marked effect uponthe market. l am in |
clined to the opinion that this theory will |
work great damage and distrust in the |
Federal finances if vigorously followed up,
and if no untOWard circumstances should |
interfere with the operation.
STEAMBOAT INCENDIARISA.
Soon after | reached Canada, Mr.. Mi |
nor Major visited me and represented him.
self as accredited agent from the Confede
rate States to destroy steamboats, on the
Mississippi river, and that his operations |
were suspended for want of means. ad-
vanced TO him $500 in Federal currency,
and soon after several boats were burned in |
st. Louis, involving an immense loss of |
property to the enemy. He became sus- |
pected, as he represented to me, of being |
the author of this burning, and from that
time both he and his men have been hiding,
and consequently have done nothing
Money has been advanced to Mr.. Churchill
of Cincinnati to organize corps for the pur-
pose of incendiarism in that city. l con-
slider him true man, aud although as yet
be has effected but little, am in constant
expectation Of hearing Of effective work in
that quarter, D..