The Great North-Western Conspiracy in All Its Startling DetailsAyer, I. Winslow
History
The Great North-Western Conspiracy in All Its Startling Details
Ayer, I. Winslow
Knights of the Golden Circle; Northwestern Conspiracy, 1864
was the greatest inducement held out by the rebel leaders before leaving
Canada, to their desperadoes, in order to excite their cupidity and
zeal, and inflame their minds to such a pitch, that they would render a
strict obedience to their officers, and hesitate at no act of violence.
These were the plans of the conspirators, and although they may seem
almost ideal and improbable, yet are very possible even to the most
minute details, when one will take time to stop and consider the great
chances of success the pirates had in having a portion of the crew
bribed, and their prospects of having the remainder too excited by
liquor, to make any effectual opposition--the surprise, the chaos and
confusion of the crew at finding those whom they supposed their friends,
as well as their own comrades and fellow-soldiers, fighting them hand to
hand. Under such circumstances as these, it is very easy to conceive of
the capture of a vessel by a band of desperadoes, who would hesitate at
no act of bloodshed or villainy to accomplish their objects. In addition
to this, they were rendered more desperate, if such a thing could be,
by the certainty that if they failed and were captured, a speedy and
disgraceful death awaited them. The Michigan being captured, it is also
easy to conceive that all the other portions of their plans could have
been carried out, perhaps to a greater extent than already mentioned,
that contributions could have been levied and exacted from the people,
and especially that the Sons of Liberty and other secret societies would
joyously seize such an opportunity as the protection of this man-of-war
afforded them, to throw off the mantle of secrecy and darkness from
their hell-born principles, and parade them to the view of the public
in all their hideousness. We will now follow up the plans of the
conspirators, and mention the facts as they occurred. On Sunday the --th
of September, just preceding the attempt, although it was a rainy
and very disagreeable day, in accordance with orders, the Scotia was
chartered and conveyed her part of the pirates, together with some arms
to Maiden, C.W. It is due to the citizens who were with the pirates, to
say here, that they had no idea that the piracy was contemplated, and
thought that it was only a fishing excursion, which at that time was a
very common occurrence with the Southeners at Windsor. That evening when
the Scotia returned, they alleged that it was so unpleasant that they
would wait until the next day before going back to Windsor, in this way
lulling everything like suspicion in the minds of those who had only
been invited to go with them, the more effectually to conceal the real
objects of the pirates. On Monday, on the arrival of the Steamer
_Philo Parsons_ at Malden, those who had taken passage from Detroit and
Sandwich, were seen in very conspicuous places on the decks, by those on
the wharf, who immediately boarded her in the capacity of passengers. It
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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