Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1873-06-12
JOHN YATES BEALL.
His Trial and Execution for Piracy-An
Interesting Leaf from the History OF
the Rebellion.

His Trial and Execution for Piracy-An
Interesting Leaf from the History of
the Rebellion.
From Harper's Magazine.1
The young Virginian, an officer OF the
Confederate army, was hung as pirate
and d on Governor Island, New York
harbor. Feb. "a, 1865. The sentence
was Just, and it's execution a necessary
part of the discipline of war. Yet now
that years have elapsed, and We can re-
view the past without that terrible per-
sonal interest that made our hearts burn
within us, there is something worthy of
note IN the storyo of this man, who, young,
wealthy, and educated, threw himself, as
it were, into the jaws of death from sin
cere though mistaken love for his native
country.
John Yates Beall was a native of JEFF
ferson county, Virginia. He graduated
at the University Of Virginia, Charlottes-
vile, and at the breaking out of the re-
bellion owned a large plantation III his
native country his property was estl-
mated at 81, 500, 900, and in addition he
was said to be the heir of an estate in
England. In the earliest days of the
war Beall organized Company G, Second
Virginia Infantry, andhis regiment after
ward formed part of the original "Stone-
wall Brigade" under StonewaH Jackson.
He took part in many battles, but it is
his piratical expedition amongthe islands
of Lake Erie which brings him within
the range of our subiect-an expedition
which ended in disaster and death. 1t
is well remembered along thelake shore
Buffalo, Detroit, and Cleveland were
filed with excitement the citizens pa
trolled the streets by night, and visions
of a piratical craft sailing boldly in and
firing upon the defenseless houses filled
all ewes. Exhausted Ohio had sent into
the field regiment after regiment beyond
her quota. but her northern frontier wa
entirely exposed, and it seemed an easy
thing to sail across from Canada anC
batter down her towns. Looking back
upon it now, it still seems easy ; and yef
it was never done, although Canada
swarmed with conspirators, under thu
leadership of Jacob. Thompson, secre
agent of the Confederate Government
The United States had but one war yes
sci on the lakes, the Michigan, apaddle
wheel steamer carrying eighteen guns
The capture of this boat would enable
small body of men to carry destruction
from one end of the lake to the other
In September, 1864, the Michigan wa
living off Johnson's Island, Sandusk
Bay, which had been used since 1852 a
a depot for prisoners of war; here WEI
confined ., 4S0 men, all, with the e.
ception of about one hundred, officer
of the Confederacy, enough to comman
an army of so, 900 men. The little islam
was naturally uppermost in the though
of the rebel officers in Canada. LII wa
near at hand, a steamer could run acro'
in the night, and in the winter a lar
force could attack it, for the ice vi
H. strong, and nowhere was there more thf
five miles between island and islam
stretching like stepping-stones across Il
lake from Point Pelee to the Ohio mai
land. No other prison was On an expos
frontier like this, and were it not for t.
guns of the Michigan a rescue might
effected the Michigan, therefore, mu
be captured.
On the morning of the 10Th of Sc
tembar the steamer Philo Parsons, pl
ing between Detroit, the islands, a
Sandusky, left Detroit at the usual no
on her way down the river at Sandwic
on the Canadian side, four men came
board, and at Maiden a party of TWEEN
more, bringing with them a large o
fashioned trunk tied with ropes. AS
this period there was a constant sire:
Of fugitives crossing the border, feei
from the draft, or coming back WI
empty pockets, this Maiden party exc
edn 10 comment, and the steamer went
her way through Lake Erie, stopping
the different islands, and taking Oh
n,mhor of nasoonoers for Sandus]
After leaving Kelley's Island, the last
the group, suddenly four men came t.
ard the clerk, who, owing to h absel
of the captain, had command Of
boat, and leveled revolvers at his he'