the lake, and that the Parsons, crowding all steam, had steered for the month of Detroit River.

At 7 a. m. of the 20th Captain John Brown, Jr., son of John Brown, of Harper's Ferry fame, with three others, reached my headquarters from Put-in-Bay. In a heavy sea and at great risk they had rowed a boat across from Put-in-Bay to Ottawa City, on the northerly side of the peninsula, and had traveled thence to a point on the peninsula opposite this island and crossed over.

They were heavily armed, intending to be with us here, if there was any fighting to be done, but the chief object of their trip was to bring notice to this post of the seizure of the two steamers. Affidavits of two of the party were immediately taken. Captain Brown and his party are entitled to great commendation.

To advise my immediate commander and to guard the commerce of the lake and the lake towns, I took the earliest opportunity to reach the telegraph office at Sandusky with two telegrams, copies of which among the exhibits are numbered 15 and 16. *

My impression was that the pirates had moved off down the lake or across to Canada, to receive re-enforcements of men and to obtain ordnance and ordnance stores, and that with perhaps additional captured boats sufficient to transport the prisoners here they might come in upon me at almost any hour. I therefore moved four 2-pounder Parrotts, manned with my infantry, and placed them in position so as easily to command the entrance to the harbor. A target practice, which had been interrupted by a storm some days before, was resumed, to be more sure of the range and more efficient in case of necessity.

Not expecting the Michigan would return so long as her commander might find reason to believe that there was any pirate out on the lake that he might expect to reach, I deemed it necessary to have some portion of my force afloat. I therefore ordered the quartermaster to take into the service the small steamer General Grant, the only boat upon these waters fit for such a use. She was expected from the upper part of the bay about noon. I intended to place on board of her one or two 20-pounder Parrotts and a 12-pounder howitzer, with a small infantry force. Her deck was shored up to guard against damage from the guns, and she was lying at the dock ready to take them on board when the Michigan re-entered the bay and kept on her course for Sandusky. I went over in the Grant to get information and take such further action as might be necessary.

After arriving at Sandusky, upon consultation with Captain Carter it was deemed advisable to arrest Robinson, which was accordingly done. I spent some time examining him on the Michigan, and during the examination received some letters and telegrams, among which was one from Colonel Hoffman, Commissary-General of Prisoners (Numbers 19+), and one from the Secretary of War (Numbers 21+), addressed to Colonel Pierson. I did not know at the time from whom it came. Nor did I know that there was in additional part to the address, "Commander, &c.," being covered up. I supposed it was a private affair of Colonel Pierson's, sent to me by mistake. On arriving at the island I discovered my error and immediately answered the Secretary of War. (See Numbers 22+) I had previously telegraphed to Major-General Heintzelman, giving results as far as they had been developed.

To go back to the facts as to Cole's guilt and the nature and extent of his crime. He claims to be a native of Pennsylvania, that his

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* See September 20, p. 850.

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+ Omitted.

+ See Series I, Vol. XXXIX, Part II, p. 427.