After his arrival in Canada, 29 year old John Y. Beall, a law graduate of the University of Virginia, was assigned to disrupt Northern trade on Lake Erie. Specifically, Beall was to free Confederate prisoners of war being held on Johnson's Island, off Sandusky in Lake Erie, as well as those at Camp Chase at Columbus, Ohio. If successful, the enterprise was suppose to result in the establishment of a Confederate Department of the Army on Lake Erie. With the aid of Charles H. Cole, fresh from Nathan Bedford Forrest's cavalry, Beall made plans to capture two Union ships. He hoped to use the ships to over power the "USS Michigan", which was protecting the area, free the Rebel prisoners on Johnson Island, and begin an overland route to Columbus by a commandeered train. Meanwhile, in preparation, Cole had endeared himself to some Union officers and became a guest aboard the "Michigan", from which he intended to send important signals to guide Beall's attack. On September 19, 1864, Beall and his men captured the passenger ship "Philo Parsons", which was on a trip from Detroit to Sandusky, Ohio. Then, Beall and his crew quickly took the "Island Queen" and moved into position near the "Michigan", close to Johnson's Island, to await the signals from Cole. As night fell, Beall's crew peered through the darkness, looking for Cole's messages, but none came. Unknown to the raiders, Cole had been discovered and word had been sent to the "Michigan's" captain, who arrested Cole. As time passed, Beall's crew became increasing concerned, until they mutinied and forced Beall to pull back and to destroy the "Philo Parsons" at Sandwich, Canada. While Beall's plan had failed, his mere attempt, along with his reputation, sent shock waves through Lincoln's cabinet and left Secretary of War Edwin Stanton in a state of "excited panic." News traveled to Buffalo, where the locals were expecting "piratical craft sailing boldly in and firing upon [their] defenseless houses." A. M. Gambone Atlas Editions, USA