238 Series I Volume XLIII-II Serial 91 - Shenandoah Valley Campaign Part II
Page 238 | OPERATIONS IN N. VA., W. VA., MD., AND PA. Chapter LV. |
ashore. They told me to keep as near as possible to the British shore. They took all their plunder, piled it aft, sent ashore all the crew and the captain and engineer of the Queen at Fighting Island, and kept on toward Detroit. We stopped at Sandwich; made fast to the dock. The rebels put ashore their plunder, including piano, morrows, chairs, and trunks and bed clothes. Heard one of them say that if no one else would go he would take the boat across the river and burn her. They would not do this; but took the engineer below and made him cut the injection pipes for the purpose of sinking the boat. One of them then told me to come over that evening to Windsor, as they were going to have a great spree there. I said probably I would, but did not go. The colonel then came to me, remarked that I had been faithful to them, and he would make me a present. He handed me a half dozen spoons and eight silver forks. Said he had no money. The engineer and I started for Windsor; some of the party were before and some behind us, each with his load of booty. They were all young men, between twenty and thirty, and all armed with two revolvers and an ax.
MICHAEL CAMPBELL.
Subscribed and sworn to this 23rd day of September, A. D. 1864, before me.
HENRY B. BROWN,
Notary Public, Wayne County, Mich.
B 3.
STATE OF MICHIGAN,
County of Wayne, ss:
Sylvester F. Atwood, being duly sworn, saith, that he is fifty-eight years of age, a sailor by occupation, and master of the steamer Philo Parsons; was on board on her trip from Detroit to Sandusky on Monday last. Just after we left the dock the clerk informed me there was a man on board who wonted me to stop at Sandwich to take on some of his friends there. I saw this man, and asked him why he did not bring his friends to Detroit. He replied that one was lame, and could not well cross the ferry, and remarked it was not out of my way to stop. I stooped there, saw six or eight persons on the dock, and should judge four or five men came on board. One of them, a young man, walked lame, but soon revolved from it. The man who spoke to me about stopping at Sandwich was a stout, thick-set man, about twenty-five years old, a little under medium height; wore British clothes, and was apparently Scotch or English. In going down the river he spoke to me about stopping at Malden; said that there would be some men to get on there; that there was a party going to Kelly's Island to fish and have a time. I touched at Malden, and I should think twenty men got on board, all young men except one, who told me afterward he was a surgeon. I could not see whether they brought anything with them or not, as I was on the upper deck. I thought most of them appeared to be Southerners or Northern refugees.
Nothing particular occurred to my knowledge going down, except that ten or twelve of them kept constantly on the upper deck. I left the boat at Middle Bass Island, where I reside. I do so as often as once a week. The boat went on, and I saw nothing more of her until a little after 7. I did not see her coming in, but a little boy came running up very much frightened; said that they were shooting there and killing his father; and said the Parsons had come. I immediately
Page 238 | OPERATIONS IN N. VA., W. VA., MD., AND PA. Chapter LV. |