In pursuance of this plan, the Confederates in Canada seized the lake steamers Indian Queen and Parsons, and started for Sandusky. On arriving off that place, however, their signals were unanswered; and after waiting as long as they dared, they were forced to the conclusion that something unexpected had occurred to interfere with the success of the plans, and had no recourse but to make their escape as rapidly as they could, well knowing that the Michigan, if she ever got her guns to bear on them, would blow them out of the water in very short order.
The scheme fell through, not because the party from Canada did not keep their engagement, or were not willing and anxious to do all that they had the power to do, but because one of the men who went to Sandusky for the purpose of seizing the Michigan turned traitor. I may, perhaps, be doing this person an injustice in applying this harsh name to him; but if he was not a wilful traitor, he was a fool, and too weak and cowardly to have been intrusted with such responsible and, weighty duties as he was.
Arrangements had been made to secure the attendance of all, or nearly all, the officers of the Michigan at an entertainment, and during their absence the vessel was to have been seized. Before this entertainment could come off, however, the man to whom I have alluded was either recognized as a Confederate, or else he made some drunken utterances that excited suspicion. At all events, he was arrested, and on a search being made, papers were found in his possession which gave the Federal government full information with regard to the plot, and enabled them to take means to meet it. All this might have happened, and yet no one been seriously to blame; but this man, on the papers being found on him, confessed everything, and revealed, not merely the particulars of the scheme, but who his associates were.
He should have permitted himself to have been torn limb from limb before doing this, as I would have done, had I been captured, sooner than I would have revealed anything to the enemy.
The failure of this raid caused much disappointment at the South; and the Confederates in Canada, by whom it had been planned, and to whom its execution was intrusted, were greatly censured, and were accused both of treachery and lack of courage. These censures and accusations were unjust, for they did all they could do; and if they were to blame for any-
