Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-09-28

! little fishing boat, and at a given signal
| from Cole board the Michigan, while the
| officers were below at dinner, put on the
| matches, and capture tho man-of-war
without the loss Of man. at the same
| instant q cannon discharged from the
quarter deck was to notify the prisoners
at Johnson's Island that the moment had
come, and they were to rise Immediately
in instruction. Their escape was to be
covered by the captured Michigan, which
was to shell the fort and federal quarters.
1t was expected that at this same hour
| the blows would be struck at Camps
Douglas, Chase, and Morton. All points
failed.
Sure of his prize, Cole played with it
as q cat tantaliZes mouse. He delayed
one second too long. He was pledging
his last good health when an officer from
| Johnsons Island entered the ward-room.
Tapping Cole on the shoulder, the Off
Ger said:
major, I arrest you as a Confederate
spy"
Cole 1aughted lightly. but his heart
sank within him. He knew that the
whole plot was frustrated. Upon being
searched, papers were found on his per-
son that proved his guilt beyond a
doubt. With remarkable presence of
| mind he implicated a dozen OF more in
| nocent citizens of Sandusky, and during
| the excitement occasiOned by the adroit
move his friends and acconplices made
| good their escape. Beall scuttled the
| Island Queen in sight of the Michigan,
| and running the Philo Parsons over the
| Canadian shore, sank her also Beat
was shortly after. captured, and, despite
the persistent efforts of his friends. was
executed on Governors Island, February
a, 1865. In his farewell letter to his
| brother he wrote:
Remember me kindly to my friends
say to them that [ am not aware of
blood nor lucre animated me in my
Iold and Tepge a! is mine, saith the
show no unlsindness to the prisoners;
| they are helpless
Cole was betrayed by Colonel
Johnson, OF Kentucky, who afrsrward
his throat in the barracks at Cincin-
natl while being held as a Federal wit
ness After being tried and convicted
OF the charge of piracy and of being
a spy, Cole was sentenced to be hanged
| on Johnson's Island. February 16, 1865.
| He was subsequently moved to Fort
Lafayette and in the mean time public
him General NJ: .. Leggett, afterward
| Commissioner OF Patents, two of the
ladies who were on the Island Queen
when Cole captured her, and many
other sympatnizers petitioned success
| fully for a Communication OF senten.-
| TO life Imprisonment In 1866 he was
| released on a writ of habeas corpus,
at the instance of Jake Thompson. es
| capped to Canada, and thence to Mexico
where he served under Maximiliali. He
was finally pardoned by the President,
returned to the United States, and at
| last accounts was an honored citizen OF
Texas
So the great conspiracy ended. and
| John Holt died a prisoner on Johnson
| Island
HISTORIC INTEREST.
Aside from its natural .eauty and
choice location, Johnson's Island has
| an historic interest that makes 1t dear
| to patriotic Americans. The island is
mile in breadth, and rises to a height
Of fifty feet above the LAKE level, con-
tanning about 800 acres. In its original
| state it was covered with heavy
growth of oaks, and is said to have
been a favorite resort of the Indians.
1t was formerly owned by man
named Bull, and was then known as
Bulls Island, and was the site of the
old custom-house OF the port, removed
here from Port Marblehead L l. p 3;
| property in 1852, and rented it to tne
| government in 1861 as depot for
Confederate prisoners, Company =.
| Hoffman Battalion, taking possession
were shortly. after added, and in 1868
| six mo1e-all known as the One Hun
| dred and Twenty-eight Regiment, Ohio
| Volunteer Infantry. The first prisoners
We're brought here in April, 1857. me
| clusively for Confederate officers, the
| number varying from 1900 to 5000 Du-
ring the full period of its occupancy
| about 56vJ prisoners were conflnsd mere,
nearly all Of whom were at one time
|