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HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY 349
be reached from Canada in a few hours' night run, and during the winter
season men and teams could conveniently cross the lake from island
to island, not over five miles of ice intervening in any place. During the
season of ice the location of the depot of prisoners practically ceased to
be an island. The capture of that depot or the rescue of the prisoners
confined there, Avould not only be of immense advantage to the rebel
cause and give them great eclat, but Avould be a deep humiliation to our
government and people, and Avould almost certainly be attended by
attacks upon our lake commerce and devastation upon our lake towns.
The'rebel officers confined at the island had a large range of acquaintances
and friends in the loyal States. For them the rebel emissaries
traveling in those States, and the secret orders known as the ' Knights of
the Golden Circle' and 'Sons of Liberty,' had an especial sympathy, and
Avere anxious to aid them by means of rescue, or with places of refuge
~and concealment. They had the means of knoAving each other. These.
facts, Avith the difficulty about exchanges, stimulated machinations for
rescue, front and rear, and kept the prisoners constantly on the qui
vive, ready for any desperate adventure until after the fall of Petersburg.
''
It appears that there AVIIS but a single AA'ell organized attempt to
effect a rescue of the prisoners on Johnson's Island, and that attempt
AVIIS made in the month of September, 1864, although prior to that it
AA'as Avell knoAvn that the Canadian side of the lake sAvarmed Avith agents
of the rebel government and sympathizing residents, subjects of England,
AVIIO AA'ere ever willing to lend aid to the Confederate cause in an
under-handed manner, but AA'ere not so Avilling to participate in open,
AA'arlike hostilities.
The plan of rescue that led to the open attempt on the 19th of September
AA'as conceived by John Yates Beall.' He Avas to. conduct the operations
from the Canada side Avhile one Cole Avas entrusted Avith the work
of gaining the confidence of the officers at Sandusky, and particularly
of the commanding officers of the gun-boat Michigan, that lay in
the Avaters of Sandusky Bay in the immediate vicinity of the island.
The Michigan Avas the only Government boat then acting in the
defense of the island, and AA'ith an ample crew of marines, and her
eighteen guns she could repel any attack that might be made, especially
when acting in conjunction Avith the guard force of infantry and artillery
on the island and at Sandusky. The first step, therefore, in accomplishing
the main undertaking Avas to obtain control of the boat, and
this was the part of the program assigned to Cole. He vyas well remembered
by many of the residents of Sandusky as an active and energetic
fellow, possessing education beyond the average, a fine conversationalist,
and a royal entertainer. He made a prodigal use of his money, with
Avhich commodity he appeared to be abundantly supplied. He dined and
wined the officers of the Michigan and sought 9 to ingratiate himself
wholly in their favor. But in the chivalrous acts of this daring young
felloAv he rather overdid the matter, and Yankee cunning proved more
than a match for his arts. When he thought he had the officers just