The National tribune., 1882-02-11

was Major Kinds assistant and is now street
commissioner of that city, as follows:
DETROIT, September 10, 1864.
"Close out all the stock in the Mount Hope
Oil Company before three o'clock to-day. Be
prompt. c.. H. COLE"
"This meant that the attack would be made
on the Michigan at five o'clock that evening.
"All dispatches relating to our military duties
were in relation to the Mount Hope Oil Com
pany, and could be easily translated into their
proper significance by any one in the secret.
II left Sandusky for Detroit on Saturday, with
all arrangements perfected. We had previously
determined to capture the Philo Parsons, vessel
plying in the lake trade for service in transport
ing our troops, ETC. was to 60 aboard of her at
Detroit, and the men who were to assist in her
capture were to get on at the various points at
which she touched on the Canadian shore.
Il went aboard the Parsons at four o'clock on
the evening of September 18TH and spent most
of my time with Captain Atwood, her COM
mander. With the capture in view 1 had made
his acquaintance some time before, and frequently
came over on his vessel She left the wharf on
the morning of the 10th and touched at her
various stopping places on the Canadian side Of
the Detroit River. At Windsor and at Maiden
my men got on board. OF course l never indi-
Gated an acquaintance with any of them. I was
IN the pllot-house with Captain Atwood when
we touched at both places, so that | could note
the men as they came on and be where they
could see me. At Maiden, Atwood, observing
the unusual number of seedy-looking men get
ting aboard, said
"'How many skedaddlers are coming on this
morning? These fellows are all we'll off; they
run out of the United States to escape the draft
and are now returning. They look hard, but all
of them have means and are men of position
"'Yes, poor fellows replied, they have had
hard time We watched them bring on their
rickety baggage and when all were aboard we
steamed off. J. Yates Beale, my second officer,
was in readiness for the work, and when We left
Maiden gave him signal to assign the men to
their positions. He did so. A fine engineer, well
armed, was placed near the engine, and one of the
men, well equipped for the work, appointed to
every important place on the boat. was in the
pilot-house with the Captain, for preferred to
deal with him myself When Beale had every
thing in readiness he gave the signal and l
clapped my revolver, which l wore beneath my
overcoat, to Captain Atwood's head and said:
"'Captain you are my prisoner
80 What's the matter, Cole?' he asked, in great
establishment.
You are my prisoner l take possession of
this ship in the name of the Confederate States
Government Go below
The arrest of the captain was Immediately
followed by the capture of the men by other
IL Ill
them below, put the matches down, and were safe
from any interruption from that quarter As
soon as possible the passengers were assured that
they should not be molested. The American
flag was then hauled down and the stars and bars
run up, with the announcement:
This flag is guarantee of protection to wo-
men and children"
"This assurance was sacredly kept, although
it cost some effort. The regular confederate
soldiers who were with me were perfect gentle
men, but some of those hired from Philadelphia
New York, and other cities, were not. 1t was
necessary to put some of them overheard to make
good the promise given when the confederate
flag was hoisted. They went.
about half-past twelve, after we had every
thing running smoothly on the Parsons, we
sighted Put-in-Bay Island. The Island Queen
bound for Cleveland, was lying at the wharf
unloading freight. She carried large number
of passengers, among them three hundred I'M
armed soldiers going to Cleveland to get mus
tered out. We run alongside of her. made fast
and captured her. as we had done the Parsons,
giving and keeping the same assurances of pro-
lection to passengers, especially women and
children. We then steered the two steamers
toward Fighting Island, and put the passengers
ashore There was no possible means of escape,
and therefore no danger that they would give
warning We then steamed off toward the
Michigan, which lay in sight"
"Were your men well armed?"
eyes. They had plenty of frst-class revolvers,
and each man carried Ratchet When was
ON trial they undertook to put false construction
upon the object for which these weapons were
carried. They were simply to be used in case of
a fight, to resist boarders who might undertake
to attack the vessel in small boats. AS forcibly
as would have protected the passengers of the
ships and the women and children so would 1
have forbidden any cruelty or other acts not
well recognized as legitimate in modern warfare
V.
Before going to Detroit had arranged to
give the officers of the Michigan an entertain
ment on board that evening at five o'clock, and
had sent the Wine and other requisites to the
vessel before l left Sandusky. Therefore my
coming on board that day excited no suspicion.