Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1890-06-27

passengers, including thirty-two unarmes
Union soldiers, and crew as prisoners to
the Philo Parsons. The boats remained
there some time, and finally all of the inn
prisoned passengers and crews of both ves-
sells were sent ashore and the Philo Par
sons, with her Confederate crew, steamed
toward Sandusky, the Island Queen dashed
alongside. 1t was night but the moon
shone and the hapless passengers saw from
their island refuge that the Island Queen
was soon sent adrift and the Philo Parsons
disappeared in the shadowy distance.
Beall bore his vessel directly for the gum
boat Michigan and approached within can
non range. Now for the shore end of the
plot Cole had agreed to invite the officers
of the Michigan to a late banquet in San
dusky, 20 bride the engineer and have him
hold carouse with the crew on board;
also to have few daring leaders among
the Confederate prisoners on Johnson's
Island awaiting the attack on the Michi-
gan, ready to arouse the mass of their COM
rades and make an outbreak at a given
signal, a cannon shot by Beall through the
officers quarters on the island. A prelim-
mary to all of this was to be rocket sig
nal sent up on shore by one of Coles aids,
as an announcement to Beall that every
thing was ripe for the finishing blow. This
signal failed to appear. The Confederate
leaders at the prison were alert, awaiting
Bealls announcement by a cannon shot
that he had successfully boarded the Mich
igan. Beall awaited Coles announce
ment that the Michigan's crew,
which outnumbered his force five to one,
had been fixed" and made comparatively
helpless for defense. When the hour
passed and no signal appeared Beall began
RI calculate his oh ppau of o,ncacS ne in cro
stood. His vessel was run so close to the
gunboat that he could hear voices on board
of her. If the plot had been discovered he
might expect IA hostile demonstration from
the Michigan AS the moments passed
and no movement was made on the gun
boat he decided to risk everything, board
her at all hazards and strike for Johnson's
Island at "A venture. In this crisis an I'M
looked for event dashed his high resolves
suddenly to the ground The crew of the
Philo Parsons met his orders with mutt
nous protest against further proceeding.
The absence of the shore signals was inter-
preted by them as a warning that the
plot had been discovered y spokesman of
the party brought forward a protest writ
ten on the blank side of a bill of ladng
found on the boat and signed by seventeen
out of eighteen of his men. 1t read:
ON BOARD THE PH1Lo PARSONS,
Sept. 20, 1864
We. the undersigned, crew of the boat afore-
said, take pleasure in expressing our admiration
/ Of the Gentlemanly bearing. skill and courage of
Capt John Y. Beal a commanding officer and
gentleman, but believing and being well con-
WINGED that the enemy is already appraised of
approach and is well prepared that we
cannot by any possibility make it success, and
having already captured two boats, respect
fully decline to prosecute it any further.
Beall argued and pleaded with the men,
and in this was supported by Burley and
one other, but he was powerless TO enforce
obedience. The crew insisted that the
death penalty awaited them if captured,
and they felt certain that such would be