The National tribune., 1882-02-18
COLE THE PIRATE.
HIS ATTEMPT TO CAPTURE THE MICHIGAN
From the Philadelphia Press.

From the Philadelphia Press
VI.
How did the Federal authorities get infor-
nation of your designs ?"
"a Colonel Johnson, of Kentucky, betrayed
us. AS near as I have been able to ascertain,
after careful inquiry, he dropped upon the
wharf paper containing the information of our
purposes just as we were leaving Maiden on the
morning of the 10Th of September 1t was
picked up and l believe the facts were commu-
nicated to the provost marshal at Detroit. He
telegraphed to the officer of the steamer Michi-
gan, but the dispatch was by accident delivered
to the commanding officer on Johnson's Island.
1t was merely by chance that the message reach
ed the boat in time to save her from capture
and to upset our plans"
what became of Colonel Johnson?"
He cut his throat at the barracks, in Cincin-
natl, while being held as a witness for the Fed
eral Government against me. What his motives
were for betraying us no one has been able to
say. He took his life before that fact could be
ascertained from his own lips, either privately or
upon the witness stand. A clear case of re-
morse"
lou speak Oi neu ulTed III New OK anu
Philadelphia for service on the lakes
eyes, we had a number of men from both cit
les. 1 spent three weeks in Philadelphia be-
tween my arrival in Canada and my attack upon
the Michigan. 1 went there first in June, 1864
established headquarters at Twelfth and Chest
nut streets, in the Girard Building or old Cad
walader House. as I believe it was called We
also had another rendezvous on Fifth street
between Chestnut and Walnut where a man
was ostensibly recruiting an artillery company
for the United States service. 1t was here that
most of our men for the capture of the Michigan
were hired. They were paid $40 a month and
expenses. The money was drawn from Drexel's
bank to meet the current expenses of these agen-
cies and to pay the men. We had quite num-
Der of sympathizers in Philadelphia and Penn
sylvania, but it would do no good to the truth of
history to mention their names, and it would no
doubt be both distasteful and damaging to
them.
We used to meet very frequently at Como
dOre Lavellette's, although he knew nothing of
our secrets. Albert Lavellette his nephew, was
with us, so George Duvall, who afterwards
moved to Burlington, n. j., where he has since
died
Il do not recall the names of any of the men
in Philadelphia who enlisted in our service.
although have them all among my papers at
home None Of them were men who would
impress themselves upon you any way They
were of that class which would aid any cause for
money.
" | never made the personal acquaintance of
any man whom we hired in Pennsylvania, but
did of many persons who sympathized with us
and did what they could to aid our cause
!" In the preceding lines the name of Annie
Davis is frequently mentioned. 1t is not her
real name, but the one by which she was known
while in the United States, and to the Federal
authorities after her capture, while she was on
trial for the important part she played in the act
above recited.
She was woman possessing rare qualities of
mind and attributes OF person to fit her for a
position in any secret service She was of me-
dunn height and well proportioned frame. Her
eyes were coal black, and ever on the alert. The
extreme composure of the rest of her features.
however, relieved them from ANYTHING like
nervousness. Her hair was black and cut short
at the neck, that she might at will assume a
mans disguise. Her manner was easy and
apparently unassumed Did she personate
twenty characters in succession in each she
would have passed current as genuine coin Her
powers of adaptability were simply marvellous
She was British subject. On the breaking out
OF the war, she became warm sympathizer
with the Southern cause, and was so earnest in
her desire to aid it that her enthusiasm upon
TINS subject amounted almost to frenzy She
mace several applications to MI Jake Thomp-
son, the representative of the confederate gov
eminent In Canada, for position in the secret
service OF the South, and after repeated refusals
he finally sent her to Major Cole.
Cole distrusted her at first, and for time used
her only as courier or messenger between him
self and MIR. Thompson. These errands she al
ways performed with speed and accuracy, and bv
degrees she rose in the estimation of her employ |
er, until he finally spoke of her as lone of the