Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1882-02-28
A Story Of the War.
THE HISTORY OF A CONSPIRACY THAT
FAILED.

iooeio.e oMcev' teIis the story OF an at
tempt 10 release ~ OO0 Confederate pri
soners at Lineage, Columbus, and San
ousky 10 1904 and 70 form north ives.
Tern conieuar8cy. Major G. II. Cole, o
tne riItn tennessee regiment was tn
leading spirit OF the plot. He narrowly
escaped hanging, and fs now q prOmi
nent railroad man In Texas. He receiv
ed DIS !nstructl0ns from jacob ThOmp-
SOD, VINO was then In Canada, and was
put 10 com mmand OF the department o
Onio, with headquarters at Sandusky
with the force OF the 20 600 rebels whom
tne conspifators intended to release, anC
wltn tue ectlve aid Of the northern
symPathizers, 1t was thought that 9
nortn western confederacy was not i'm
possiDie ano the time fixed for the as.
sauit on the camps where prisoners were
confined was gau9ed by Gen. Early't
attack on Washington. which was t.
engage tne great force OF our army, and
make u Impossible tn reinforce the small
oody or Union soldiers Id the north west
where there was almost open rebellion
against conscriPtion. and people were
weary of war. 1t was first intended to
strike the blow while the national Dem
0cTatlc convention was in session at
Chicago, and more than 1000 Confed~
crate soldiers and sympathizers were
there ready tor aciiOn. But Early's
delay in striking Washington caused q
postpOnement Col. Burr names Brick
Pomeroy among the northern allies of
the rebels. aud asserts that Jacob
Thompson gave him money to establish
bis Lacrosse Democrat
S When Cole was given command at
Sandusky he was ordered to capture the
United States man Of war Michigan. the
only armed vessel on the lakes and with
her the COnfederates felt sure of success
He made the acquaintance of the Officers
on board, havin. meantime settled at
Sandusky as an oil specu lator, and soon
became q welcome guest on the shin
The COnfederacy had plenty of money
In its secret service fund, and Cole saws
there was something like $S6 600 600 to
the credit of the Confederate commits
sioner and his colleague, Jacob Thomp-
SOD, most of which was deposited at a
bank in Toronto. He becameyshajl fel-
low well met" with the military officers
at Sandusky, dined and feted them and
learned their plans as tar a. possible
But he needed men to helm In the cris,s
and as the Government wanted soldiers
and seamen, he had two Confederatea
enlisted on board the Michigan. and ten
others went on duty with the REGIMENT
stationed on Johnson's Island. Cole
tells of one occasion when he took Jacob
Thompson on board the Michigan dis
guised as hiss country aunt. and gave
b m chance to see the vessel and nm
derstand his careful plan of attack II
was decided to strike the fret blow Sen.
temher 10, 1854, and as soon as the
Michigan was captured and the Com
federate prisoners were released. to cnt
all the telegraph wires. seize a railroad
train. run down to Columbus. aud aid
in freezing the prisoners there and then
20 back to Sandusky and establish the
temporary headu uarters of the North
west. Gen. Trimble, q prisoner. was to
he made comma nder-in chief. Major
Hinds, in command at Chicago and
Major Castleman at Centralia were to
attack Camps Douglas and Monroe al.
multaneousIy with Coles ASSAULT on
Johnson's Island, and the former war.
rior was also to capture one of the iron
steamers plying betwe cen G. and Haven
and Milwaukee. Through some misun-
derstanding those men failed to- MAX
their attack when Cole did, although he
sent this telegram, which meant that
the time had come "Close out all the
stock in the Mount Hope Oil Compapv
before O'Clock to day. Be prompt.D
Cole had previously determined to
capture the Parsons, q vessel In the lake
trade. and about 4 O'Clock in the after
nOOn of the 18th he went on board of
her at Detroit, and waited for. his men
who were to come on disguised as fel
lows who bad left the States to escape
the draft. Everything worked we'll,
and when the boat left Maiden Cole
gave the sigral to his assistant, j, Yates
Beall, and pointing bis revolver 1T Cant.
Atwood's head, remarked, Captain,
you are my prisoner There VS. no
chance for resistance. and the boat was
headed for Fighting Island, where tn e
passengers were landed, with no pros
psos of immediate escape. The next
day, after Cole had captured also the
island Queen, q large passenger steamer,
he moved from the Parsons 10 the Michi
gan. He arranged banquet for the of
ficers on the boat that day, and all his
plans worked like charm until. in the
enjoyment of wine aud song, he delay
ed giving an order and ruined bis
scheme, for an officer from Johnson's q
island suddenly appeared with the an
nouneement that Cole was his prisoner.
The plot was betrayed nv Con fede rate
soldier, Col. johnson, of Kentucky, who
had dropped paper containing the in
formation on the wharf at Maiden. Cole
tried to appear surprised 1T such an at
tack on his "honAh. sah." but General
Trimble's commission as commander
in chief was found in his pocket, and
be gracefully acknowledged the corn, of
which he appeared reasonably proud -
He was ordered to name his accomplices.
who were all around him in the boat.
but quick as q flash devised a plan to
save them. He named twelve of the
most prominent citizens of Sandusky,
loyal men, knowing they would be ar
rested, and feeling sure that his female
accomplioe In the CITY, Annie Davis.
would surmise his capture and warn his
fell0 w. -conspirators Ia his boats.
He was not mistaken for Miss Davis
rowed tn the Parsons and told Beall the
news. He scuttled the Island Queen
and ran the Parsons on the Cauada
shore, where she sank. Every man but
to be captured few days al, forwards,
when she returned Win nosfce from the
Confederate government tnat Two Unl-
on omcers were neio as ransom ior
the Culef cODSp1FaLOfS. Johnson, the