The story of Detroit / by George B. Catlin.

"THE FIRE IN THE REAR"

53I

were to co-operate with him from the outside. They were to
come from Detroit on the steamer Philo Parsons, which, with
the Island Queen, furnished service between Detroit, Put-inBay and Sandusky. Walter O. Ashley was clerk on the Philo
Parsons and also part owner.
On the morning of the appointed day of the banquet the
Parsons left Detroit as usual. She stopped at Sandwich, where
several strangers came aboard. She stopped again at Amherstburg, where about 25 more men boarded her and with them came
a huge trunk. Nothing unusual occurred until after the Parsons
left Kelley's Island, about 4 o'clock. Then the strangers grouped
about the big trunk, one of them opened it and the entire band
proceeded to arm themselves with revolvers and axes taken
from the trunk. They took possession of the boat, shutting the
officers in the cabin. At Middle Bass Island they met the
Island Queen, which had been seized by another group of conspirators. On that boat some 25 Union soldiers had been taken
by surprise and made prisoners, together with the passengers
and crew.
All the conspirators and prisoners were transferred to the
Parsons, and the Island Oueen was turned adrift. The Parsons
then headed for Sandusky. When it arrived a short distance
from the steamer Michigan, Cole put off from the shore in a small
boat to keep his dinner engagement. The plan was that a
waiter on board the Michigan was to drug the wine of the officers
and as soon as they were disabled the conspirators on the
Parsons were to obey a signal and come to take possession of
the ship. Then they were to use the Michigan for the capture
of Johnson's Island and afterward to carry the released prisoners ashore.
But the plan had been betrayed. An officer from Johnson's
Island came aboard the Michigan as Cole was having a glass
of wine with one of the officers, and touching Cole on the shoulder
he informed him that he was under arrest as a Confederate spy.
Cole laughed lightly and attempted to joke, but he discovered
that his case was serious. Beall and Burley on the Philo Parsons
waited for a signal that never came so, after a while, they