The record-union., 1898-03-07
JOHhSON'S ISLAND.
DEATH OF THE MAN WHO WAS
ONCE ITS OWNER.
Recalls the Dark Days Of the Early
Sixties-Flace of Confeder-
ates' Captivity.


passed away whose name is. by the
circumstances OF war. inseparably lak-
ed with the history of his country, says
q Sandusby correspondent in the Chi
rago "Chronicle." Mr.. Johnson was
the owner of the famous island that
was made historic by its occupation oy
the Federal Government during the re-
bellion as a military post for tne de-
tention of Confederate prisoners OF
war
Mr.. Johnson was born in County
Wexford Ireland. in 1907, and removed
from there with his parents TO Mon
treal, Canada, in 1S22. He lived there
until 1882, when he came TO SandusKy
and remained here until his death. lie
acquired by purchase in 49, the
island which bears his name and was
the owner of the greater portion CT II
at the time of his death, having Cnly
recently sold fifty acres of it to The
Fifth Regiment Ohio National Guafi,
for use as a permanent camping ground.
The Government endeaVored TO obtain
possession of the island at the close or
the war for the purpose of establishing
a military post there, and offered MI
johnson 100000 for it, but he declined
to part with il.
Johnson's Island is located at the
mouth of Sandusky Bay, overlooking
Lake Erie, and is about mile long ANA
& mile and a half wide. 1t was an ideal
spot for prison post. No prisoner was
ever known to escape from it, The
grounds were inclosed within fence
twelve fet high, with a platform top,
upon which sentinels paced to and fro
day and night. To the north Lake Erie
fGho
east, separated by three miles of water,
lies Sandusky, while west and south OF
the island are broad stretches of San
dusky Bay.
Viewed from the deck of a, passing
steamer in the summer the island looks
like a huge emerald in a setting of blue,
the picturesque effect being hightened
as the waters, gently stirred by ihe
breeze break in ripples on the long,
low sandy shore or, lashed to fury by
the gale rushes with suilen roar against
the beach To-day the snowclad island,
bound by icy fetters looks bleak and
dreary. and the biting winter winds
that come in fitful gusts across the
broad expanse of frozen waters sigh
mournfully through the barren
branches of the trees.
The island was used almost exclusive
ly as d prison for officers, the total
number confined there from first to last
aggregating over 15,00o. The first
prisoners were taken there in April
1S6o. and in September. 1860, the last
of them were sent to Fort Lafayette
and Johnson's Island was abandoned
as a prison post. The men confined on
Jchnson's Island represented the flower
of the chivalry of the South. They
We're largely professional men and
planters. among them being many who
We're prominent in science, literature
and art.
These men We're treated during the
period of their imprisonment as befitted
men of their station in dife,, SO far as
circumstances would permit. of course.
They were lodged in comfortable
houses. provided with suitable cloth
ing. and their tables We're furnished
with an abundance of the substantials
and many luxuries. They were subjected
10 no petty tyranny, but on the con-
trary, We're granted privileges enjoyed
by prisoners at no other military post
in the North. an exception being made
in their case, because as class they
were considered superior to ordinary
prisoners. and were put upon their hon
or in. many instances where it would
have been hazardous to have trusted
men with less scrupulous regard for
their words.
BETRAYED BUT ONCE.
This trust was never betrayed but
once. and that was through outside in
flueuce 1t was when Jacob Thompson,
formerly Secretary of the Interior un-
der Buchanan. Major C. II. Cole of the
Fifth Tennessee Confederate Regiment,
Major Thomas Hinds of Bowling
Green and several others Matched a
conspiracy for the liberation of all
the Confederate prisoners in the North.
Their object was to capture the man
of-war Michigan, which was at that
time on Lake Erie seize the steamer
Philo Parsons, running between Sam
dusky and the islands, at the head OF
Lake Erie, and release the 5000 Con-
federates. of whom 1000 We're on John
sons Island, 5000 at Camp Douglas,
near Chicago. 1900 at Camp Chase,
near Columbus, and 1000 at Camp Nor
ton. near Indianapolis. Then with the
aid of over 10000 other Confederates
and Northern sympathiZers who had
congregated at various points to aid in
the consummation of the plot, they
hoped 10 strike a fatal blow at the
Union at a time when. according to the
calculations of the conspirators. Cen
eral Early was to lay siege to Wash
ingtoa and thus make II impossible for
the Federal Government TO send troops
to the points to be attacked
A part of the programme was carried
out Colonel Cole. who had beer
deputcd to capture the Philo Parsons
did so, and sailed away with her. But
the conspiracy TO seize the Michigan
and liberate the 23.eDo Confederates
failed, and Cole and his men We're cap
tured Their betrayer was Colone
johnson of Kentucky, a prisoner OF
Johnson's Island. who. seized with re-
morse for the act, committed suicide
shortly afterward.
Cole was tried and sentenced to bt
shot. the execution TO take place OF
Johnson's Island. But infuen&a
friends interceded for him. and his sen
tence was commuted TO life imprison
meat. He was taken 10 Fort La
fave.te in 1866. remaining there one
year. was then pardoned out. and j!
now living on a ranch in Texas. Tbs
men captured with him were subjected
to a few years imprisonment and wer'
then rardoned Thus ended one of tn
most gigantic conspiracieS of the wa.
for tj.e overthrow OF the North.
IS STILL UNCHANGED.
That portion Of Johnsons Island. es
peciafly devoted to the purposes of
prison. remains to-day much as il wa.
from 1852 20 1863. The old fort is in
fair state of preservation. the block