Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-06-19

BEALL. THE E.AKE ERIE PIRATE

This young Nirginian. an officer OF
the Confederate army. was hung as q
pi.a and spy on Governors Island,
New York lIarbor, February "a, 1865.
1Ae sentence was Just. and its execu-
ton necessary part OF The discipline
Of war. Yet now that years have
elapsed, and we can review the past
without that terrible personal interest
that made our hearts burn within us,
there is something worthy of note
in the story of this man, who young,
wealthy and educated, threw himself
as il were, into the jaws of death from
sincere, though mistaken love for his
native country.
John Yates Beall was native OF
Jefferson county, Virginia. He grad
uated at. the University of Virginia,
Charlottesville, and at the breaking out
of the rebellion owned large planta-
tion in his native county his property
was estimated at Sl,5O0,OOO and in adj.
dition he was said to be the heir oil
an estate in England. In the earliest
days of the war, Beall organized Com
pany g, Second Virginia Infantry, and
his regiment afterward formed part OF
the original "Stonewall Brigade un-
der Stonewall jackson. He took
part in many battles, but it Is his pi-
ratical expedition among the Islands
of Lake Erie which brings him within
the range of our subject--an expedi-
ton which ended In disaster and
death. 1t Is well remembered along
the lake shore; Buffalo, Detroit,
and Cleveland wero filed with excite
ment; the citizens patroIled the streets
by night, and visions OF piratical crafts
sailing boldly In and firing upon the
deienseless houses, filed all eyes. Ex-
hausted Ohio had sent into the field
regiment after regiment beyond her
quota, but her nothern frontier was en-
tirely exposed, and it seemed an easy
thing to sail over from Canada and bat
ter down her towns. Looking back
upon 1t now it still seems easy; and
yet 1t was never done, although Cana
da swarmed with conspirators, under
the leadership Of Jacob Thompson, Sc
cret agent of the Confederate govern
ment. The United States had but one
war vessel on the lakes, the Michigan,
paddle-wheal steamer, carrying eigh-
teen 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 was lying of Johnson's
Island, Sandusky Bay, which had been
used since 1862 as depot for prison
ers Of war; here were confined 2480
men, all, with the exception of about
one hundred, officers of the Confeder-
acy, enough to command an army OF
$4,000 men. The little island was nat
urally uppermost in the thoughts OF
rebels in Canada. 1t was near at hand,
steamer could run across in the night,
and in the winter land force could
attack it, for the ice was strong, and
nowhere was there more than five
miles between island and island, and
stretching like stepping stones across
from Point Pelee to Ohio, mainland.
No other prison was on an exposed
frontier like this, and were it not for
the guns Of the Michigan . rescue
might be effected the Michigan, there.
fore, must be captured.
In the report of Jacob Thompson,
Secret Agent of the Confederacy in
Canada, document belonging to The
rebel archives the whnla nlnf il ralaf-
ed. There were two parts, the first
being the expedition by water under
Deall. and tho Aoesn,l, a rnnsniraay, -.
shore, by which the officers of the
Michigan were to be thrown off their
guard, so that upon a given signal,
Beall could steam rapidly in. surprise
them, and capture the boat. A can.
non shot sent over Johnson's Island
was to tell the prisoners that the hour
of rescue had come; Sandusky was
next to be attacked, and after horses
had been secured, the prisoners were
to mount and make for Cleveland, the
boats cooperating, and from Cleve-
land strike across for Wheeling and
the Virginia border. The key to the
whole movement was the capture oil
the Michigan.
The plot on shore was headed BY a
Confederate officer named Cole. BealI
performed his part with entire success
and had the other head possessed equal
capacity, no doubt the plan would have
been successful, and the whole North
taken by surprise at this daring raid
and rescue upon this hitherto peaceful
and unDoticed border. The two thous.
and young officers riding for their
lives through the heart of Ohio, where
there was no organized force to op.
pose them, would have seemed like q
phantom band to the astonished inhab.
itants. Even the famous raid of John
Morgan, well remembered in the great
red brick farm houses Of the central
counties, would have been eclipsed by
this flying troupe, the flower Of the
Southern army. On the lake, Beall
would have held the whole coast at his
mercy, and the familiar old Michigan
turned into piratical craft, would
have carried terror into every har.
Dor.
But the plot on shore failed. Cole
spent his money freely in Sandusky
and managed to procure an introduc.
tion to the officers of the Michignn
inviting them to supper-parties, and
playing the part of a genial host
whose wines are good and generously
offered. The tedium Of the daily life
upon the steamer and in the small
town was enlivened by his hospitality
and for some time all went well; but
gradually he began to mar his own
plot by SO much incautiousness and
such want of dexterity in his AmOve.
ments that suspicion was aroused In
Sandusky, and his mannuvers were
watched. On the evening Of the 10th
Of September Cole had invited the
officers of the Michigan to q supper.
party. Every thing was prepared for
them, the wine was drugged, and
when by this means they had been
rendered helpless, signal was to no.
tify Beall that all was ready for his
attack. But in the meantime suspicion
had grown into certainty, and at the
very moment Of success Cole was ar.
rested by order of the commander ol
the Michigan, the signal was ueve,
given, and Beall, on board of the Par
sons, strained his eyes in vain toward
Sandusky and Johnson's Island, cruis.
ing up and down outside the bay, now
talking with his prisoner, the captain
and now urging his men to dare all
and make the attack alone. But the
men, disorderly rabble gathered to-
gether in Canada, refused to enter thu
bay and at last, disappointed and
disheartened, Beall gave the signal t.
turn the boat, and abandoned the at
| tempt. Back went the Parsons. witt