Today in History:

237 Series I Volume XLIII-II Serial 91 - Shenandoah Valley Campaign Part II

Page 237 Chapter LV. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.-UNION.

the man who got on board at Detroit inquire of those who got on board at Sandwich "where the rest of them were." One of them replied that "they did not come." About fifteen more got on at Malden. I observed nothing suspicious until after dinner. One of the men who came on board at Detroit spoke to me twice during the forenoon, asked me some questions about the course I was steering, the distance to the island, and borrowed my glass to look around with. Just after dinner I observed two of them on the pilot-house, two on the wheel-house, and two aft on the hurricane-deck.

About 4 o'clock, and just after we left Kelly's Island, as I was standing in the saloon, I heard a shot, a yell, and then another shot. I then ran onto the main deck, and saw a man run after the fireman with a cocked revolver in his hand, shouting to him to go down the main hatch, or he would shoot him. The fireman escaped, and the man turned to me and made the same order. I hold him to "go to hell," and he shot at me, the ball passing between my legs as I was ascending from the main to the upper deck. On reaching the upper deck I saw five others with revolvers in their hands driving the passengers forward and detaining them. They then ordered them back to the cabin, commanded them to give up their arms, and searched some of them. From the cabin they were driven down to the main deck and down the fire-hold. I was driven down with them. Soon one whom they called colonel came and inquired up to thrown over the cargo of pig-iron. They then asked me if I could fetch her back the same way she came. I told them I could; went to the wheel-house and turned her back. She had been running during the excitement for perhaps half an hour in the same course she was running when the outbreak occurred. They inquired where I could get wood, and on my replying that it could be obtained at Middle Bass Island, they ordered me to steer there. We reached there about dark and laid alongside the wharf. they fired two or three shots there at the owner of the wood and two other men who were standing on the dock, and refuse to help unpitying wood on board. The captain of the boat, who was on shore at the island that day, came down when he heard the shorts fired, and was seized and put into the cabin.

The steamer Island Queen soon came alongside. They made a rush for her at once. She was seized, and the passengers driven on board the Parsons. The Queen was then taken in tow, and both boats started for Sandusky. About half was between Middle Bass and Kelly's Island they let go of the Queen; told me they scuttled her, and I saw no more of her. When opposite Marblehead Light I told the one who they called colonel that it was dangerous to run into Sandusky Bay by night. He told me if I thought I could not get in then not to try it, as he did not want to get aground. I told him the channel was too narrow. He then called his men forward, conversed with them a few minutes, and then came and told me to head the boat for Malden. They told me that everything they met on the was up they were going to destroy. They established a regular watch on deck, and I turned the boat toward Malden. We saw but one vessel near to us as we went up; they told me to go alongside of her, and then asked what waters she was in. When I told him she was in British waters, they said they would not touch her. We reached Malden between 4 and 5 in the morning. About three miles above that place two of the men took one of the Island Queen's yawl-boats, filled her with plunder, and went


Page 237 Chapter LV. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.-UNION.