Confederate Pirates on Lake Erie: John Yates Beall and the Capture of the Philo Parsons Part II

Sunday, September 18^th, at six o’clock in the evening, while Lt. Col. Hill waited in his apartment for his informer to come back, down at the Detroit river docks, Walter Ashley, 28 year old clerk of and part owner of the steamer Philo Parson, was working “in the cabin” of the boat “alone” when he heard his named called.19 

“Mr. Ashley?”

Ashley “observed a young man about twenty five years old” who he believed was English or Scotch. The man was “stout, thick-set, a little below medium height, dressed in English clothes,” with “very light hair, very thin” hair, and “light colored beard.”

   After Ashley acknowledge the man, the man continued; I “and a party of friends” will be “going on a pleasure trip to Kelly’s Island in the morning, and wish the boat to stop at Sandwich” to take on some of my “friends.”  The man explained that one of his friends was “lame” and “did not like to come up” to Detroit.  

Ashley responded:

“If” you’re “at Detroit in morning” and “let me know if the men are going the boat will stop and take them.” Since Kelly Island was in Canada, Ashley informed the man that his friends “could take no baggage, as there is no custom-house on Kelly’s Island.” The Man arranging this harmless pleasure excursion was most likely “Mr. Bennett G. Burley, John Beall’s second in command. 20   

Monday Morning September 19^th, Lt. Col. Hill had made his decision an hour and a half before the Philo Parsons was due to sale.  At some point during the morning, most likely after the Philo Parsons left the dock, Captain Carter telegraphed Lt. Col. Hill of his actions,  “I have Cole and a fair prospect of bagging the party.” Captain Carter had taken action as soon as he received Lt. Col. Hill’s telegram.  He sent a shore party to Cole’s Hotel and arrested him.21   There was no time for Cole to warn his fellow conspirators. There would be no signal from Cole indicating that the U.S.S. Michigan was under his control. With no signal from Cole the rebel pirates would not attempt to take the Michigan. Hill’s plan of capturing all the plotters was unraveling.   

 By Seven Thirty A.m. the dock beside which the Philo Parsons had moored was busy. Passengers were boarding on the forward gangway while the freight was being brought on board at the aft gangplank. With approximately thirty passengers on board and shortly after Eight A.m. the Philo Parsons shipped her mooring lines and pulled away from the dock. As the boat was pulling away from the dock, Mr. Burley approached Mr. Ashley.

“Mr. Ashley, will you still stop the boat at Sandwich?”22  

Before answering, Mr. Ashley went to Captain S.F. Atwood to tell him that they would be making an unscheduled stop at Sandwich. After ascertaining that Burley had a legitimate reason for his request, Captain Atwood agreed to stop the boat at Sandwich. Sandwich is approximately fifteen miles down river on the Canadian side of the Detroit River. It was here that the leader of the plotters John Beall and two other men, ”gentlemanly in appearance,” boarded the Philo Parsons. Burley greeted Beall with a question, where are the others? Beall gave a simple reply, “They did not come.”23

  Captain Atwood navigated the Philo Parsons to its next regular stop at Malden Canada West. It was at this stop that twenty to twenty-five men boarded the boat with luggage and a large pine box tied up with rope.  The men were not typical excursion passengers. They were “roughly dressed in citizens clothes.”  The Parsons then proceeded to Amherstburgh, Canada continuing it regular services picking up and discharging passenger and cargo. Around 9:15 A.m., The Philo Parsons left Amherstburgh and headed” out into Lake Eire for Sandusky.”24

Lake Eire is approximately oval in shape. Its axis runs from Buffalo, New York in the east to Toledo, Ohio in the west. The entrance to the Detroit River is in the upper western end of Lake Eire at Amherstburgh, Canada. It is approximately fifty miles on a diagonal crossing to the Harbor and the Islands around Sandusky Ohio.

The Philo Parsons was a side wheel Great Lakes ferry steamer with a main deck and an upper deck with the wheelhouse in front of the enclosed cabins on the upper deck. On a clear sunny day, the passengers would have a pleasant cruise.  

The weather was clear and enjoyable. Around noontime, the Passengers ate their dinner in the comfort of the salon. After their meal, some of the passengers would have strolled on deck perhaps chatting with fellow passengers about the weather, how relaxing the boat trip was, or some other innocuous subject. 

After the Noon meal was finished the boat would begin preparing for its first stop at North Bass Island were a few passengers boarded. After North Bass Island, the Boat then proceeded to Put-in-Bay were a few more passengers boarded the boat.  As the Philo Parsons was getting closer and closer to Kelly’s Island an astute passenger may have notice small groups of men keeping to themselves talking in low tones while furtively looking about the boat. Slowly and surreptitiously these men moved in to position.

 “Two” conspirators “were on the pilot-house, two on the wheel-house and two aft on the hurricane-deck.”25   Throughout the trip “ten to twelve man kept constantly on the upper deck.”26   This did not arise any suspicions in Captain Atwood, the master of the Philo Parsons, as he prepared to leave his ship at the next stop Middle Bass Island.  It was Captain Atwood’s custom to leave the boat at Middle Bass Island at least once a week to spend time at his home.  As Captain Atwood headed towards his home, the Philo Parsons headed out into the lake to the next stop, Kelly’s Island.

The Philo Parsons left Kelly’s Island at approximately four P.m. steaming towards Sandusky harbor about twenty-eight miles away. 27   At Kelly’s Island a few more passengers boarded the ship. Two of those passengers were a Mr. Fredrick Hukill and Mr. Alfred Skinner. Two businessmen on their way back from Niagara, New York. They had decided to “take things easily and follow a around about route” home to Cincinnati, Ohio. After Boarding, Mr. Hukill and Skinner found their way to the upper deck forward of the pilot-house where deck chairs were available for the passengers comfort. Messer. Hukill and Skinner sat back in their chairs and were ready to enjoy “their small cruise.”28

As the Philo Parsons began its journey to Sandusky harbor, Walter Ashley stood in front of his office on the main deck observing the regular routine of his passengers settling down for the crossing.  DeWitt Nicholas, mate and pilot of the Philo Parsons, in charge the navigation of the Parsons when captain Atwood was not on board, was in the pilot- house manning the wheel. James Denison engineer of the Parson was in the fire-room maintaining the boilers and the engine. Twenty-one year old Michael Campbell was off duty “standing in the saloon” passing time until he had to go back to work. It was a routine trip nothing out of the ordinary had happened except the earlier unscheduled stops. The passengers where happy and content an uneventful trip. One more hour and they would be in Sandusky harbor. 

 Fifteen to twenty minutes out from the Kelly’s Island The Philo Parsons passed the Island Queen a smaller inter-island steamer. As soon as the Island Queen had passed aft of the Philo Parsons events happened rapidly. A passenger entered the Pilot-House looked at Nichols and demanded, “Are you the Captain of this boat?”

“No sir; I am mate.”

“You have charge of her at present, have you not?”

“Yes sir.”

  The passenger then said, “ Will you step back here for a minute? I want to talk to you.”

Though it was an unusual request Nicholas acquiesced.  When they reached the smoke stack, the passenger stated: “I am a Confederate officer there are thirty of us, well armed. I seize this boat, and take you prisoner. You must pilot the boat as I direct you, and … here are the tools to make you.” With that statement the conspirator pulled out his revolver and commanded Nichols to; “Run down and lie off the harbor.”29

Mr. Hukill and Mr. Skinner were enjoying their cigars on the open deck when something caused Mr. Hukill to look up. What he saw was unimaginable, but with in an instant he realized it was actually happening.  There was a man holding a pistol to the pilot’s head.  In a situation such as this, a person’s first reaction is disbelief. They say to themselves: ‘I’m not seeing what I’m seeing.’ However reality came swiftly to the two businessmen.  One of the conspirators quickly approached. As the plotter “came forward” he hastily withdrew two revolvers from the inside of his coat and leveled them at Hukill and Skinner.  “Stand Back, Stand Back” came the terse order from the conspirator.30

 Both men’s command of the English language vanished momentarily. Skinner spoke up in as much of an authoritative voice as he could muster under the circumstances. “What does this mean?”31

“It means, it means that we’ve captured this boat in the name of the Southern Confederacy. You are our prisoners.”32 

At the time that Nichols was captured, Walter Ashley, standing outside his office next to the passenger cabin, was approached by four men.  In an adroit manner without breaking stride, the four men withdrew their revolvers from under their coats and pointed them directly at Walter Ashley.

One of the men announced, “If you offer any resistance you are a dead man.”33 Being taken by surprise Ashley could do nothing but comply with the orders. As one of the conspirators held Ashley prisoner, the other three opened the pine box and began handing out revolvers and hatchets to the rest of conspirators.

 Now armed, the conspirators went about rounding up the passengers and crew. While two men guarded Ashley the “remainder rushed into the cabin and threaten to shoot anyone who resisted. The cabin was occupied by a “large number of ladies… “who were very much frightened” and overwhelmed due to the situation. 34

Michael Campbell, standing in the Saloon, “heard a shot, and then a yell, and then another shot.” Running out onto the main deck he saw a passenger running “after the fireman with a cocked revolver in his hand.

“GET DOWN THE MAIN HATCH OR I’LL SHOOT YOU!” shouted the armed passenger. 

The fireman was able to escape without injury; however the conspirator turned and saw Campbell standing there.”

“You, Get down the main hatch or I’ll shoot you.”

Campbell had a choice to make. He could comply with the order or run for his life. In a split second he choose, “ Go to hell!”35

 Campbell turned and headed for the ladder to the upper deck. As Campbell was “ascending the ladder” the conspirator made good on his threat and pulled the trigger. Fortunately the “ball passed between” Campbell’s legs. As Campbell reached the upper deck he must have fallen for Mr. Hukill stated that, “There was a report of a revolver, and we saw him coming up the stairs. As he reached the top step he fell, and lay there almost at our feet…” 36

Hearing “a noise on the boat” that was unusual, engineer James Denison came out onto the deck from the firemen’s room just in time to see Campbell running up the latter. He saw a man armed with a revolver shoot at Campbell. Before Denison knew what was happening eight or nine men armed with revolvers where yelling at the passengers and driving them from the main deck down into the fire hold. Before he was driven down into the fire-hold, with the rest of the passengers and crew, Denison and a fireman were pulled out of the group and order to run the engines.   

Laying on the upper deck, Campbell saw five of the conspirators driving   passengers into the cabin. He was quickly picked up and added to the group. Once in the cabin a search for arms among the passengers was conducted.

Beall’s second in command Bennett Burly brought his prisoners from the upper weather deck to the passenger cabin.  As Burley approached Ashley, who was still standing by his office under guard, he barked out an order. “Get into that cabin or you’re a dead man. ”37                            

Once the conspirators secured the passengers, in the fire-hold and in the upper deck ladies salon, a search for arms was conducted.  Beall, the leader of the conspirators, search the passengers in the ladies salon. “Are you armed?” Beall would ask each passenger.  The answers came back “No” one after another.  A quick pat-down revealed whether or not the prisoner was telling the truth. In the case of the ladies Beall took their word that they were not armed.

The search was progressing with out incident until Mr. Hukill’s turn. Beall motioned Hukill to step forward: “Are you armed?”

Hukill responded in a “mighty ugly tone ….No, sir. I am not.”

Beall’s authority was being challenged, he had to do something to impress upon these people that he meant business. Surprisingly, what Beall did was not what the captured passengers expected.

“I asked that in a gentlemanly way and it deserves a gentlemanly answer.” 38

Sternly and in a forceful tone, Beall had made his point Hukill did not answer. Beall completed his search of Hukill then pushed him back into line as if he was pushing a plate of rancid food away while sitting at the diner table.  After searching the rest of the passengers, Beall had the captives moved to the aft saloon were they would remain under guard until released. They sat in a semi circle next to the piano waiting and wondering what was going to happen to them.39   

The Philo Parsons had been running towards Sandusky harbor, “about twelve miles away,” when Beall and his men took control of the boat. By the time and Beall’s men had secured the boat, they were outside of Sandusky harbor with a clear view of the U.S. Michigan.  Beall waited for the signal from Charles Cole. Unfortunately for Beall, Cole was in custody on the Michigan unable to send any signal.  By five P.m. Beall realized that the signal from Cole would not be forth coming. He had to change plans.

Not wanting to desert his comrades on Johnson’s Island, Beall was not ready to abandon the plan.  Beall went to mate Nichols and asked if there was enough fuel on board to run “very far.” Nicholas explained they only carried enough to go from Middle Bass Island and back again. Beall sent a man down to the engine room to confirm Nicholas estimate.40    

In the engine room, engineer Denison was operating the engine when one of the conspirators asked him if there was enough “wood to run seven or eight hours.”  Denison confirmed Nicholas estimate. They did not have enough fuel to go anywhere but Middle Bass Island. Before he could help the prisoners on Johnson’s Island, Beall had to get wood.   With the mate Nichols piloting the boat and Campbell at the wheel,  Beall ordered the Philo Parsons back to Middle Bass Island to pick up fuel.41    

The Parsons reached Middle Bass Island as darkness enveloped the island around 7 pm. Upon tying up to the wharf, Beall’s men try to force the owner of the wood, used to power the steamship, and his two workmen to load the wood on board the Philo Parsons. The men refused. Shots were fire.  Beall had no choice but to order the release of “some of the deck hands to” load the wood.42       

Captain Atwood, who had left the Philo Parson approximately four hours earlier, did not expect to see his boat again until the following day. Atwood realized something serious had happen when a little boy ran up to Atwood’s house scared, frightened, and hysterical say: “they” are “shooting, there and killing my father; the Parson had come.” Atwood “immediately started for the docks” expecting god only knows what.”43

When Atwood reached the dock, he “saw a number of men running about.” Approaching one of the men Atwood demanded to know, “What the hell is up?” Before Atwood realized he was in danger  “three or four pistols” were pointed directly at him. Atwood was order on to the boat. He refused stating “I am the captain of ” this boat… “Two of them shoved” him up the plank.” Once on board he was put into the aft cabin with the rest passengers. Atwood, sitting next to Ashley asked what’s the meaning of all this?44    

Ashley responded “the boat was seized by the rebels, and there was no use in resisting.”45  

Shortly after the Philo Parsons landed at Middle Bass Island, the Steamer Island Queen came in and tied up along side the Philo Parsons. Beall had his men “rush” the Island Queen.      

Henry Haines the engineer for the Island Queen was at his station when the Queen tied off along side the Parsons. He had no reason to believe anything was out of the ordinary until he heard someone say, “Shot the son of a bitch.” The next thing he heard was the report of a revolver and the feeling of a burning pain as the ball went through his left check and exited his ear.” Right after the shot the engine telegraph signaled for the engines to be stopped. Not knowing what was happening or who was shooting, Haines stopped the engines and went out on deck.46

On deck Haines saw the passengers of Island Queen, being struck with the butt end of pistols if they did not comply fast enough to the gunman’s orders. Before Haines could do anything, he was quickly captured and sent over too the Parsons along with the rest of the prisoners from the Island Queen.  Among the passengers Beall’s men captured were a company of 100 day union soldiers from Ohio. These men had completed their enlistment and were on their way home. Fortunately for Beall and his men, these soldiers were not under arms. 

By now Beall’s original plan had to be scuttled.  As far as he knew the U.S. Michigan had not been taken. Beall did not want to give up. He still had hopes of freeing his comrades from the prison on Johnson’s Island. However before he could continue with a new plan, Beall had to deal with hostages. He had to many hostages.  It was too dangerous to keep them on board.  At any moment the unarmed Union soldiers could rush Beall and his men.  Beall decided to release his prisoners on Middle Bass Island. He called for captain Atwood and asked him to give his word that he would not leave the island for twenty –four hours. Atwood agreed to the terms.  The prisoners were released except for wheelman Campbell, mate Nichols, and the Parson’s engineer Denison.

With the Island Queen in tow Beall order the Philo Parson out into Lake Eire. Before leaving the dock, Beall order the inlet pipes on the Queen to be cut and the seacocks open. The Queen was to be scuttled out in the lake. Once they scuttled the Queen,  Beall wanted to make for Sandusky harbor, most likely to try and take the Michigan at night, but Campbell informed him it was too dangerous to enter the harbor at night.

It was at this point Beall received a written declaration from his men stating that they were no longer willing to continue with the operation.  The men felt that capturing two steamers was enough; the only man that wanted to continue the operation was Beall’s second in command, Bennett Burly. Faced with a mutiny from his men Beall had no choice but to abandon his mission.  He order Campbell to head for Malden Canada where the Philo Parsons could be scuttled and Beall along with his men could escape into neutral Canada to fight another day.

The Plan to rescue confederate prisoners of war was scuttled along with the Philo Parsons. John Y. Beall was captured later that December trying to blow up a railroad suspension bridge over the Niagara River. Beall was tried before a military commission on charges of being a spy and guerrillero (sic). He was found guilty and sentence to death by hanging. The sentence was carried out at Governors Island, New York City, February 24, 1865.  Eventually Commissioner Thompson was captured and imprisoned, along with Cole and Burley; however Beall was the only one of all the conspirators who was tried and put to death.

Source Page

1.                    Moody, John S., Calvin D. Cowles, Frederick C. Ainsworth, Robert N. Scott, and Henry M. Lazelle. United States of America War of the Rebellion: a compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate armies. ; Series 1 - Volume 43 (Part II). Washington D.C.: Board of Publication , 1893. Print (OR)

2.        Remo, . "USS Michigan ." NAVAL WARFARE . Google , 31 December, 2007 . Web. 6 Jan 2011. <http://navalwarfare.blogspot.com/2007/12/uss-michigan.html>.

3.   OR Vol.43, Pt II p. 233

4.   OR Vol.43, Pt II p. 235

5.   OR Vol.43, Pt II p. 223

6.         Hamersly, Lewis. The records of Living Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps . 3rd . Philadelphi : J.P Lippincott and Company, 1870. 88-89. Print.

7.         Headley , John . Confederate Operations in Canada and New York . Neale Publishing company , 1906. 233. Print. 

8.   OR Vol. 43, Pt II p. 233

9.   OR Vol.43 Pt II p. 233

10. Brandt, Nat. The man Who tried to Burn New York . 1st ed. . Syracuse University Press , 1986. 65-66. Print. 

11.       White, James. The Builders of the Nation:National cyclopaedia of American Biography. New York : Stanly-Bradley Publishing Company , 1892. 268. Print 

12. (Brandt 65-66) (Castleman, John . Active Service . Louisville : Courier-Journal Job Printing Co., 1917. 161. Print)   

13. Knauss, William . The Story of camp Chase: A history of its Cemeterytogether with other Cemeteries where Confederate Prisoners are Buried,ETC.. Nashville, Tenn and Dallas, Tx : Publishing House of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 1906. 207. Print   As told in the Sandusky register, Wednesday September 21,1864  

14.     Headley p. 233

15.     Headley p. 233

16.     Crawford , J.H. "John Yates Beall ." Southern Historical Society Papers . 33.January-December (1905): 73. Print.

17.     S.H.S.P 73 

18.     Beymer, William . On hazardous Service: Scots and SpiesNorth and South . New York : Harper & Brothers , 1912. 243. Print.  Trial of John Y. Beall, as a Spy and Guerrillero, By Millitary Commission . New York : D. Appleton and Company , 1865. Print.

19.     (OR Vol. 43 pt II p. 242) ( Trial of John Y. Beall p. 8 )

20.     OR Vol. 43 pt II p. 242

21.     OR Vol. 43 Pt II P. 235

22.     Trial of John Y. Beall p. 8

23.     OR Vol. 43 Pt II p 237

24.     (Trial of Beall p. 9) (OR Vol 43 Pt II p. 235)

25.     OR Vol 43. Pt II p. 237

26.     OR Vol 43. Pt II p. 238

27.     OR Vol43 Pt II p.226

28.     An Incident of Wartimes, NY Times, August 11, 1895)

29.     OR VOL. 43 pt II p 240

30.     An Incident of Wartimes, NY Times, August 11, 1895 

31.     Ny. Times, Aug. 11, 1895) 

32.     Ny. Times 1895

33.     (OR Vol. 43 PT II p. 243) ( Trial of John Y. Beall)

34.     OR Vol. 43 PT II p. 243

35.     OR Vol. 43 Pt II p. 237

36.     OR Vol. 43 Pt II p. 237) (Ny. Times Aug. 11 1895)

37.     OR Vol. 43 PT II p. 243)

38.     Ny. Times 1895 

39.     Ny. Times 1895 

40.     OR Vol. 43 Pt. II p. 240    

41.     OR Vol. 43 Pt. II p. 236 

42.     OR Vol. 43 Pt. II p. 237    

43.     OR Vol. 43 Pt. II p. 238-239    

44.     OR Vol. 43 Pt. II p. 239    

45.     OR Vol. 43 Pt. II p. 239    

46.     OR Vol. 43 Pt. II p. 227,237, 244-245