Uncle Daniel's Story Of "Tom" Anderson, and Twenty Great Battles

by John McElroy

“'I have called the leading men of our organization to meet again at St. Catharines, on the first Tuesday in February, and at that time there must be some scheme devised and agreed upon that will turn the scale, or all will be lost, and we will all be wandering vagabonds over the face of the earth.'

“Henry inquired if Mr. Carey was in the city. Thomlin-son said no; that he was in Richmond, but would be at their meeting if he could get through the lines, in doing which they had met with no trouble heretofore. Winter-green said that the people where he had been, who were friendly, were now very despondent and greatly alarmed for the safety of Richmond, as well as the Confederacy; that everything seemed to be against them of late.

“'Yes,' replied Thomlinson, 'we have much to discourage us, and at the same time all can be regained that we have lost if our friends will settle upon some good plan and carry it out. But it does seem that all our plans and schemes so far have been abortive. Our first great scheme of burning the Northern cities failed by the burning of the Will-o'-the-Wisp and the loss of Dr. Mears and Prof. McCul-lough; and also of the material accumulated by Dr. Black-man. We stirred up riots in New York city and elsewhere in opposition to the draft, with a promise from Valamburg, Strider, McMasterson, and B. Wudd that our friends would come to the rescue and make resistance everywhere.. But these men failed to stand by their promises. The inaugurating of riots and the employment of men to engage in them cost the Confederacy $500,000. We undertook to release prisoners from all the Northern prisons, We purchased arms and smuggled them to our friends sufficient to have armed all the prisoners. This was all that was wanting, our friends North stated to me; but when the time came, which was the last night before the Presidential election, at Camp Chase the effort was too feeble to be recognized, and at Chicago, where we were assured that the prisoners would be released and the city burned and destroyed, what was the result? They cut one or two water-pipes, and Wall, Greenfel and Buckner were arrested. All our arms were found in Wall's cellar, and taken possession of by our enemies. Mr. Eagle and Mr. N. Judy Corn-ington were not on hand, neither as actors nor advisers; and so it is. The arms, ammunition and hire for smuggling them through cost a half million dollars. This kind of work will not do. It is not only expensive, but fruitless.'

“He then stated to those present that he wished them all to attend the next meeting, as mentioned, and to study up in the meantime, some well-defined plan for successful operations. Henry and Wintergreen left for other points, and returned to St. Catharines on the day appointed for the meeting, where they met with many additional persons, strangers to both of them. The delegates assembled in the same hall, in the rear of the Victoria Hotel, as before. They were called to order by the Grand Commander of the Sons of Liberty, Mr. Valamburg, of Dayburg, O. All were seated and the roll was then called by Wintergreen, who was the Secretary.

“Illinois was first called. Wm. Spangler and John Richardson answered; from Indiana, Messrs. Dorsing and Bowlin; Ohio, Valamburg and Massey; Pennsylvania, Wovelson and Moore; New York, McMasterson and B. Wudd; Missouri, Col. Burnett and Marmalade; Kansas, Stringfelter; Iowa, Neal Downing; Wisconsin, Domblazer; Nebraska, Martin; Arkansas, Walters; Connecticut, Eastman; Vermont, Phillips; Massachusetts, Perry; Maine, Pillbox; Rhode Island, no answer; New Jersey, Rogers. Prom Richmond, for the South, there were Thomlinson and C. C. Carey, the latter having just arrived. Other names, not remembered, save those of Messrs. Wilkes and Page, who were admitted as representing the District of Columbia.

“After the necessary examinations were made by a committee, the persons mentioned, with several others, were admitted to seats in the assembly. Henry was selected by Wintergreen to assist him in his duties as Secretary. The preliminaries being settled, the Chairman (Valamburg) was quite severe in his strictures against Dan Bowen, Thos. A. Strider, C. H. Eagle and N. Judy Cornington for not attending, saying he had letters from each of those gentlemen promising to be present. He characterized their conduct as cowardly and they as sunshine friends, which was loudly applauded by all.

“After remarks by quite a number of delegates on the situation and probabilities of the success of the Confederacy, which were generally tinged with ill-forebodings, a committee of five was appointed to take into consideration and report to the assembly ways and means by which the rebellion could be materially assisted. This report was to be submitted the next day at 12 o'clock. The meeting then adjourned until that time.

“During the evening a variety of discussions were indulged in by various delegates in favor of different schemes. Some went so far as to favor the assassination of many of our leading men. Wilkes, Page, and quite a number of persons from the South were in favor of assassinating the President and Gen. Silent, with such others as the necessity of the case demanded. And so the conversation and discussions ran until the meeting of delegates the next day.

“At 12 o'clock the assembly was called to order by Valamburg. When the roll had been called and all were quiet, the Chairman inquired of the committee if they were ready to report. The Chairman, Mr. Carey, arose with great dignity and responded that the committee, after due consideration of the many suggestions submitted to them, were now ready to report. He was invited to take the stand, which he did.

“He said that, preliminary to reporting, he desired to make an explanation, which was as follows: That on his return from Montreal to Richmond, since the Presidential election, in viewing the many disasters that had recently befallen the Confederacy, the authorities at Richmond suggested to him to ascertain if he could communicate in some way with the newly elected Vice-President, and discover his attitude towards the people of the South. This was accomplished by sending one of the Vice-President's old friends from North Carolina to Nashua, who being a citizen, and not in any way connected with the Confederate army, easily passed through the Union lines to Nashua, where the Vice-President-elect was residing at the time. There was no difficulty in agreeing to an interview between himself and Carey, it being understood that Carey was to pass into Nashua in disguise and let the Vice-President know in some way where he was stopping, and the interview was then to be arranged. In pursuance of this agreement, Carey made the trip to Nashua disguised as a Louis City merchant, and passing by the name of Thos. E. Hope. He had no difficulty in getting into Nashua, but for fear of recognition, went directly to the house of a rebel friend by the name of Hanson, and remained in a room in the rear of the second story of the house. Through the lady of the house the Vice-President elect was informed of the presence of Mr. Carey.