John Yates Beall
Encyclopedia
John Yates Beall was a Confederate
privateer
in the American Civil War
who was arrested as a spy in New York and executed at Governors Island
, New York
.
He was born in Jefferson County, Virginia
, now West Virginia
, on his father's farm, Walnut Grove. He attended the University of Virginia
to study law but on the death of his father he left his studies to take up farming in 1855. At the start of the war he joined Bott's Grays, Company G, in the 2nd Virginia Infantry
. He received a wound in the lungs which left him incapable of active service.
Inspired by John Hunt Morgan
, he conceived a plan to launch privateers on the Great Lakes
. He presented his plan to Confederate authorities, who were interested but declined to act since it might endanger the neutral relations with England. However, Beall was commissioned as acting master in the Confederate States Navy
, though not given a command. He then proceeded on his own as a privateer, active in the areas of the Potomac River
and Chesapeake Bay
. He assembled a crew of 18 men, and commanded 2 boats called The Raven and The Swan. His second in command was a 22-year old Scotsman named Bennett G. Burley. Beall was captured in November, 1863, and was jailed at Fort McHenry
, in Baltimore
until he was exchanged on May 5, 1864.
On his release he returned to Canada in order to implement a plan to release Confederate prisoners on Johnson's Island
. On September 18, 1864, with a small group of volunteers he captured the ship Philo Parsons, and then the Island Queen, which was scuttled. However, at this point the crew refused to act further on the mission without outside assistance. Beall reluctantly agreed and together they sailed for Sandwich, Canada, (the former name of and now a neighborhood of Windsor, Ontario
) where they scuttled the Philo Parsons and separated, all escaping arrest except for Bennett G. Burley, whose extradition was demanded by U.S. authorities.
Beall then decided to free some captured Confederate officers by derailing a passenger train, but he and a companion, George S. Anderson were arrested in Niagara, New York
on December 16, 1864. They were imprisoned at Fort Lafayette
, New York. Anderson agreed to testify against Beall in return for leniency, and General John Adams Dix
ordered a military commission for Beall's trial, which began on January 17, 1865. He was represented by James T. Brady. The arrest of Beall had not been published in any of the newspapers, and Confederate authorities were unaware of his status. On February 8 the commission found him guilty on all charges and sentenced him to death.
The story of Beall's arrest and trial then appeared in the newspapers, and efforts were made to save him. Appeals were made by many prominent people, including six U.S. Senators and ninety-one members of Congress, but President Lincoln refused to intervene and Beall was executed on February 24, 1865.
There is a legend discussed by Lloyd Lewis that Lincoln was approached by John Wilkes Booth
who was a friend of Beall's to save his life, and that the President agreed to do so. But Lincoln changed his mind (the legend goes) when he was approached by his friend and Secretary of State William Henry Seward, who insisted that Beall's activities had been dangerous to the citizen's of New York State (Seward's state). Supposedly a furious Booth determined to kill Lincoln and Seward for this betrayal after Beall was executed.
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
who was arrested as a spy in New York and executed at Governors Island
Governors Island
Governors Island is a island in Upper New York Bay, approximately one-half mile from the southern tip of Manhattan Island and separated from Brooklyn by Buttermilk Channel. It is legally part of the borough of Manhattan in New York City...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
He was born in Jefferson County, Virginia
Jefferson County, West Virginia
Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 53,498. Its county seat is Charles Town...
, now West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, on his father's farm, Walnut Grove. He attended the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
to study law but on the death of his father he left his studies to take up farming in 1855. At the start of the war he joined Bott's Grays, Company G, in the 2nd Virginia Infantry
2nd Virginia Infantry
The 2nd Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment raised in today’s West Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought as part of the Stonewall Brigade, mostly with the Army of Northern Virginia....
. He received a wound in the lungs which left him incapable of active service.
Inspired by John Hunt Morgan
John Hunt Morgan
John Hunt Morgan was a Confederate general and cavalry officer in the American Civil War.Morgan is best known for Morgan's Raid when, in 1863, he and his men rode over 1,000 miles covering a region from Tennessee, up through Kentucky, into Indiana and on to southern Ohio...
, he conceived a plan to launch privateers on the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
. He presented his plan to Confederate authorities, who were interested but declined to act since it might endanger the neutral relations with England. However, Beall was commissioned as acting master in the Confederate States Navy
Confederate States Navy
The Confederate States Navy was the naval branch of the Confederate States armed forces established by an act of the Confederate Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the American Civil War...
, though not given a command. He then proceeded on his own as a privateer, active in the areas of the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
and Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
. He assembled a crew of 18 men, and commanded 2 boats called The Raven and The Swan. His second in command was a 22-year old Scotsman named Bennett G. Burley. Beall was captured in November, 1863, and was jailed at Fort McHenry
Fort McHenry
Fort McHenry, in Baltimore, Maryland, is a star-shaped fort best known for its role in the War of 1812, when it successfully defended Baltimore Harbor from an attack by the British navy in Chesapeake Bay...
, in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
until he was exchanged on May 5, 1864.
On his release he returned to Canada in order to implement a plan to release Confederate prisoners on Johnson's Island
Johnson's Island
Johnson's Island is a island in Sandusky Bay, located on the coast of Lake Erie, 3 miles from the city of Sandusky, Ohio. It was the site of a prisoner-of-war camp for Confederate officers captured during the American Civil War. Johnson's Island was the only Union prison exclusively for Southern...
. On September 18, 1864, with a small group of volunteers he captured the ship Philo Parsons, and then the Island Queen, which was scuttled. However, at this point the crew refused to act further on the mission without outside assistance. Beall reluctantly agreed and together they sailed for Sandwich, Canada, (the former name of and now a neighborhood of Windsor, Ontario
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
) where they scuttled the Philo Parsons and separated, all escaping arrest except for Bennett G. Burley, whose extradition was demanded by U.S. authorities.
Beall then decided to free some captured Confederate officers by derailing a passenger train, but he and a companion, George S. Anderson were arrested in Niagara, New York
Niagara, New York
Niagara is a town in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 8,378. The town is named after the famous waterfall Niagara Falls....
on December 16, 1864. They were imprisoned at Fort Lafayette
Fort Lafayette
Fort Lafayette was an island coastal fortification in the Narrows of New York Harbor, built offshore from Fort Hamilton at the southern tip of what is now Bay Ridge in the New York City borough of Brooklyn...
, New York. Anderson agreed to testify against Beall in return for leniency, and General John Adams Dix
John Adams Dix
John Adams Dix was an American politician from New York. He served as Secretary of the Treasury, U.S. Senator, and the 24th Governor of New York. He was also a Union major general during the Civil War.-Early life and career:...
ordered a military commission for Beall's trial, which began on January 17, 1865. He was represented by James T. Brady. The arrest of Beall had not been published in any of the newspapers, and Confederate authorities were unaware of his status. On February 8 the commission found him guilty on all charges and sentenced him to death.
The story of Beall's arrest and trial then appeared in the newspapers, and efforts were made to save him. Appeals were made by many prominent people, including six U.S. Senators and ninety-one members of Congress, but President Lincoln refused to intervene and Beall was executed on February 24, 1865.
There is a legend discussed by Lloyd Lewis that Lincoln was approached by John Wilkes Booth
John Wilkes Booth
John Wilkes Booth was an American stage actor who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre, in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865. Booth was a member of the prominent 19th century Booth theatrical family from Maryland and, by the 1860s, was a well-known actor...
who was a friend of Beall's to save his life, and that the President agreed to do so. But Lincoln changed his mind (the legend goes) when he was approached by his friend and Secretary of State William Henry Seward, who insisted that Beall's activities had been dangerous to the citizen's of New York State (Seward's state). Supposedly a furious Booth determined to kill Lincoln and Seward for this betrayal after Beall was executed.