Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-12-28

nucn OF these irregular ana unm1lltary
proceedings is known from the attempts
made in the fall of 1864 to divert the
attention of our Government from the
enemy in front by raids from Canada,
that we are justified in believing that
many more were projected which
for some reason were not put
in operation. Sanders, Tucker
Cleary, Thompson, and Clay were
in Canada, the accredited agents
of the Confederacy, engaged in matur-
ing and putting in operation plans for
terrorizing the North, some of which
did create great CONSERVATION and I'M
of the Canadian or the British Govern
ment that this kind of guerrilla war
fare could for months be organized in
Canada and launched from there
against country with which she was
at peace. The daring expedition of
Beall for the release of the Confeder
ate prisoners on Johnson's Island, in
Lake Erie, has been lately treated of
in this series of papers. In Novem-
Der, 1864, man named Kennedy, with
his helpers, attempted to burn the
city of New York by firing four wide
ly separated hotels. The attempt cost
this desperate his life; he was arrest
ed and hung shortly after. In the
same month came the st. Adams raid,
a most wanton and freebooter-like Of
fair, the perpetrators of which escaped
back to Canada, the authorities there
refusing to give them up. A very
warm welcome would have been given
them could they have been found on
our territory afterward.
St. Adams, where this raid occurred,
is and then was large village of YER
mont, near the shore of Lake Cham
plain, fifteen miles from the Canadian
border, and about the last situation
where an Eruption of Confederate
guerrillas was to be looked for. The
leader of this expedition was Lieuten-
ant Bennett H. Young, having at his
back at least thirty men. They broke
into the town, killed several citizens,
seized large number of horses, plum
dered the banks of two hundred thou
sand dollars, and attempted to burn the
town. A strong armed party was Or
ganized, and pursued them over the
border, but every man escaped and was
sheltered by hospitable Canada.
From these specimens it is easy to
see what o force Of bold, resolute men
the Confederacy had just over the line
watching for an opportunity to intilct
damage on the United States. The
cities and towns along the whole
river and lake border swarmed
with them; they made no Sc
cret there of their character; they
always had an abundance of money
with which to forward their plans-not
Confederate paper, but gold coin:
They staggered and boosted OF what
had been done, and limited OF great
things that we're going to be done 6y
them; and they made themselves the
heroes of large numbers of Canadian
youth, who in their mature years are
probably ashamed of the admiration
they bestowed on these men. Our
Government had its agents everywhere,
often in disguise, picking up informa.
ton. and was, no doubt, able to thwart
in advance some of the plots.
All the vigilance that could he exef1
cised could not always prevent man
of holiness and good address getting
through our lines, travelling about IN
the North, making his own ooserva-
tions, and crossing into Canada. Oar
Government made it dangerous pusi,
ness. and that was the most II co1lo
do. The North was SO thlckly poPula-
ted. and it's lines of travel so many,
even then. that the job of interceptlng
Confederate emissaries and spies, IN
trana;t was very large one. A spy