The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1872-08-07


money as was necessary would b
furnished by me. 1t was held, an
was a decided success. The vas
multitudes who attended seemed t
be swayed by one leading idea-peacC
The friends were encouraged ant
strengthened, and seemed anxiOu
for the day when they would d
something TO hasten the great goal G
peace.
About this time that correspond
ence between our friends and Horac
Greeley made its appearance. Lin
coins manifesto shocked the country
The belief prevailed over the Nortl
that the South would agree to a re
construction; and the politicians, cs
pecially the leading ones, conceived
the idea that on such an issue Lin
coin could be beaten at the ballot-boy
At all events, they argued, the tria
of the ballot-box should be made be
/ fore Il resort was made to force, al
ways dernier resort The Spring
field meeting came of, but it was ap
parent that the fle exhibited at Pc
oria had already diminished. Tht
whole tone of the speakers was that
the people must rely on the ballot-bo1
for redress of grievances. The
nerves of the leaders of the order be
gan to relax About this time :
large lot of arms were purchased and
sent to Indianapolis, which was dis
covered, and some of the leading
men were charged with the design tc
arm the members of the order fOl
reasonable purposes. Treachery
showed itself at Louisville. Judge
Bullet and DIR. Kall'us were arrested
and sent to Memphis. The day on
which the great movement was to be
made became known to Mr.. MELON
aid, candidate for Governor Of Indi-
ana, and believing it would mar the
prospects for election unless prevent
ed, he threatened to expose all the
parties engaged unless the project
was abandoned. Thus the day pass
ed by and nothing was done. The
Chicago Convention came. The
crowd was immense. The feeling
was unanimously for peace. 4 gen
eral impression prevailed that Il re-
construction could be had, and that it
was necessary to so far pandcr to the
military feeling as to take General
Mcclellan to insure certain success.
This nomination, followed as it were
by divers disclosures and arrests of
persons who were prominent mem
bers, totally demoralized the "SOns Of
Liberty" The feeling with the mas
es is as strong as ever. They are
true and brave. and believe are will
ling, but they have no leaders. The
vigilance of the Administration, its
large detective force, the large boun-
ties paie4sfor treachery, and the re-
spectacle men who have yielded to
the temptation, added to the large
force stationed in these
States, make organization and prep
aration almost impossible.
A large sum of money has been ex-
pended in fostering and furthering
these operations, and it now seems to
have been to little profit; but in re-
viewing the past / do not see how it
could have been avoided, nor has it
been spent altogether in vain The
apprehensions of the enemy have
caused him to bring back and keep
from the field in front at least sixty
thousand men to watch and brow
beat the people at home In this
view of the subject the same amount
of money has effected SO much in no
other quarter since the commence
ment of the war.
In July last, Capt. Charles III. Cole,
of Gen. Forests command, made
his escape from prison. He represen-
ted to me that he had been appointed
a Lieutenant in our navy. / sent him
around the lakes with instructions to
go as a lower deck passenger, to fa-
miliarize himself with all the channels
and different approaches to the sever
al harbors, the strength of each
place, the depositaries of coal, and es-
pecially to learn all that he could
about the war steamer Michigan, and
devise some plan for her capture or
destruction. This duty he perform
ed very satisfactorily He was then
to return and put himself
in communication with the officers of
The Michigan, and feeling his way,
10 endeavor to purchase the boat from I
is officers. For time he thought [
be would succeed in this, if he could
give the guarantees of payment of
he sums stipulated, but by degrees
he question was dropped. /
He asked permission to organize |
/ force to board and take her. This
vas done, and Acting Master John
7. Beall was sent to him to aid the
organization and assist in carrying
,ut the enterprise Their plans were t
we'll conceived, and held out the
promise of success. 1t had been
ascertained from escaped
prisoners from Johnson's Island that
IN organization existed among the
prisoners on the island for the pur-
,ose of surprising the guard and
the island. The presence
# the steamer Michigan, which car
led fourteen guns, was the only OBJ
tacle. Secret communications were
lad, by which they were advised
hat on the night of the 18th of Sep
ember an attempt to seize the Michi-
,an would be made On that night
Japt. Cole, who had previously es-
ablished the friendliest relations with
he officers of the steamer, was to
ave a "wine drinking" with them ON
'oard, and at given hour Acting
daster Beall was to appear on boat,
o be obtained for that purpose, with
sufficient body of Confederate sol
iers, to board and take the steamer.
should they capture the steamer,
annon shot sent through the officers
uarters on Johnson's Island was to
ignify to the prisoners that the hour
Or their release had come. Should
hey take the island, boats were to be
and Sandusky was to be
ttacked. If taken, the prisoners
Fere to be mounted and make for
the boats cooperating;
nd from Cleveland the prisoners
rere TO make for Wheeling. and