Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-10-09

located ut sandusky-Captain Charles
II. Cole, formerly Of Morgan's Con-
federate cavalry corps. Cole was sup
piled with means to entertain officials
who might be of service to the Con-
federacy. and he finally concluded that
the control of the lakes could be
secured by the capture Of the United
States gunboat Michigan, the sole de
fender of the waters, and the liberia
ton of the Confederate prisoners at
Camp Douglas. Chicago, and at john
sons island. In Sandusky bay.
Thompson gave Cole authority to
capture the Michigan and appointed
Beall to aid him. 1t was arranged be-
tween Cole and BealI that the former
would remain at Sandusky and CO.
operate by bribing some Of the men
on the Michigan, and by preparing the
prisoners on Johnson's island for an
outbreak. They were to seize Fort
Johnson, the guns Of which covered
the prison yard and the waters con
tiguous to the island The Michigan
lay off the island The date was fixed
for the night of Sept 10, and Beall
vent to Canada to organize a force,
Eazarding everything. as will be seen.
N the success of his confederate, who
at the decisive moment, when Bealps
attacking party should arrive off San
dusky, was to make rocket signals
from Johnson's island that the ex-
pected aid was a certainty.
Raiders Capture a Boat.
Beall secured the services of Acting
Master Bennett G.. Burleigh of the
Confederate navy. a southern refugee
in Canada. he having escaped from
Federal captivity at Fort Delaware a
short time before, and eighteen Con-
federate soldiers Of similar history.
The party took passage on the Philo
Parsons, a lake steamer running be-
tween Detroit and Sandusky. Burleigh
went on board at Detroit and secured
passage for himself and three friends,
Bean among them. who were to join
him Mt Sandwich, Canada. At Maiden,
Canada. in a crowd Of over twenty
passengers. there were sixteen more of
the party, two of them carrying an old
trunk tied with a rope. Everything
went on as usual during the day until
A o'clock In the afternoon, when the
boat was four miles from the Ohio
shore.
The old trunk contained hatchets
and r%evolvers. Armed with these, the
raiders soon overmastered all hands on
board. Then Beall bore his vessel di-
rectly for the gunboat Michigan and
approached within cannon range.
Now for the shore end Of the plot.
Cole had agreed to invite the officers
of the Michigan to a late banquet in
Sandusky. to bride the engineer and
have him hold a carouse with the crew
on board, also to have a few daring
leaders among the Confederate prison
ers on Johnson's island awaiting the
attack on the Michigan, ready to
arouse the mass of their comrades and
make an outbreak at a given signal, a
canno shot by Beall through the off,
GERS quarters on the island.
Beall's Men Mutiny.
The Confederate leaders at the pris-
on were alert, awaiting Beall's an
nouncement by a ann shot that he
had successfully boarded the Michi-
gan. Beall awaited Coles
ment that the Michigan 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 to calculate his chances of sue
cess as things stood. His vessel was
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