Papers Relating to Foreign Affairs, Accompanying the Annual Message of the President to the First Session Thirty-ninth Congress
Mr. Burnley to Mr. Hunter
Sir: With reference to my note to Mr. Seward, of the 3d instant, I have the honor to transmit copies of a despatch, and of its enclosure, which I have received from the governor general of Canada, from which it would appear that there is no foundation for Mr.——‘s statements.
I have the honor to be, with high consideration, sir, your most obedient, humble servant,
Hon. W. Hunter, &c., &c., &c.
Viscount Monck to Mr. Burnley
SIR: In my despatch of the 28th March I informed you that I had taken measures for investigating the truth of the statements made by —— respecting the organization at Amprior, in Canada West, of persons alleged to contemplate hostile incursions into the United States. The reports by the officers instructed to make inquiries on the subject lead me to believe that there was no foundation for ——‘s statements, and that no such designs as he mentioned had any existence.
I have the honor to transmit to you copies of these reports.
I have, &c., &c,
J. H. Burnley, &c., &c., &c.
Mr. Kemp to Lieutenant Colonel Ermatiargur and Mr. Clarke
General: I have the honor to report, in accordance with instructions, that on the 25th of March last I proceeded to ——, in the county of Carleton, Upper Canada, to confer with Mr. —— on the subject of the raid said to have been in progress of organization at Amprior or a descent upon Ogdensburg and Rochester, in the State of New York.
The honorable T. F. Potter, consul general of the United States of America, furnished me with the copy of a letter from —— to the Hon. W. H. Seward, Secretary of State of the United States of America, and copy of a despatch from the Secretary of State, Mr. Seward, to Consul General Mr. Potter. Mr. Potter gave me a letter of introduction to Mr. ——. After interview with Mr. —— I then proceeded to investigate the matter of the contemplated raid. Mr. —— gave me a statement in his handwriting, which I hereunto annex, marked A. I then made arrangements with him to go to Amprior on Saturday, the 1st April, instant. I then returned to Montreal, and reported that from all appearance there might possibly be some truth in the projected raid. On Thursday, March 30 last, I received a telegraph from the said ——, intimating to me to await a letter he had sent by mail. Having received no letter from him, as intimated to me, I left Montreal for Amprior on Friday, the 31 st of March last, and on my arrival at the station, as it had been previously agreed upon, I there met with ——. I should say that from the appearance of ——, I am satisfied that he did not expect me.
I then proceeded to Amprior with him. After the interview with John R. Fitzsimmons, he (Fitzsimmons) made the statement hereunto annexed, marked B, which was written by ——.
Since my return to Montreal I have received a letter from ——, of which I subjoin a copy.
From the information I have been able to gather, I have great reason to doubt the truth of the statement made by ——, who, I learn, is not a reliable person.
What —— said of Goodall with reference to his having been paymaster to the refugees was greatly exaggerated. All Goodall ever paid, I find, was $5 to one McFayden, to meet him at Kingston, at one Jobnson’s, whenever hewould write to himtocome there; but he never wrote, and of course McFayden did not go. —— statement with regard to the Rev. O. S. Hackett is also very unreliable, for I ascertained that that gentleman had no relations with Goodall whatever. On the whole, I do not see that any credence should be given —— to statements.
——, Fitzsimmons, and McFayden are spoken of, from all I could learn, as three persons of the worst possible character; and I would add that —— was looked upon in his neighborhood as a troublesome and dangerous person—so much so, that having lately given great offence, he was, on the 1st of March, tarred and feathered.
I sincerely believe that in giving information as to the meditated raid, he expected to bring the parties he suspected of having maltreated him to trouble and annoyance, and hoped besides to obtain favors and some notoriety.
The whole respectfully submitted:
Lieutenant Colonel W. Ermatterger and Eleazer Clarke, Esq., Police Magistrates.
A.
Mr. — to Mr. Kemp.
STATEMENT OF PLOT AS IT CAME TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE UNDERSIGNED.
About the 1st of March I was informed that a plot was being concocted at Amprior for the purpose of making a raid simultaneously with persons from Kingston, Gananogue, and Die-breuson’s Landing, to cross over the St. Lawrence, attack Ogdensburg, and unite at that point, seize the railroad, proceed to Rochester, take that city, and if endangered, to recross the St. Lawrence and disperse and bring all the plunder (especially that of the banks) to the Canada side. I did, on the 12th of March, write to the Hon. W. H. Seward, stating the existence of a plot for that purpose, at the head of which is the Rev. O. S. Hackett, a refugee from the State of Arkansas, and one F. S. Goodall, from Tennessee. This F. S. Goodall is cashier.
On the 24th of March a letter was written to me from Amprior by F. R. Fitzsimmons, wishing me to go there and influence some parties to join the raid, offering money to do so.(A [Page 129] nearly verbatim copy of this letter I herewith subjoin.) This letter I sent on Saturday last to the State Department at Washington.
On the 27th I met with Messrs. Galloway and Kemp, who were sent by the United States government, or rather the United States consnlar general, to confer with me on the subject, and by mutual arrangement I agreed to go to Amprior on Saturday, the 30th, and obtain sufficient proof to convict the attempted perpetrators of a gross outrage.
I must say that I did expect a communication from the Secretary of State acknowledging the receipt of my communication and making arrangements according to my expressed desire; but as they have thought it more conducive to the general good to act otherwise, I bow to their decision and will do everything in my power to have this contemplated raid frustrated and its concoctors punished.
Mr. Kemp.
B.
County of Renfrew, (one of the united counties of Lancaster and Renfrew.)
I, John Robert Fitzsimmons, of the incorporated village of Amprior, in the county of Renfrew, &c., inn-keeper, do declare and say, that there was an attempt made to induce certain shantymen, by a person calling himself J. S. Goodall, to join what the said John S. Goodall said was intended to be a raid to plunder certain of the towns on the front; that he wished me to join his party, which I declined; that he heard that a report had been sent to the United States government of the intended raid, and that he left for Kingston, saying that all his plans were “burst up.” I further say, that certain parties here, hostile to ——, whom I will not mention, offered me a handsome sum of money to induce him to use his influence with certain parties in the township of —— to join the said raiding party, for the purpose of inveigling him into a trap, so that they could prosecute him for breach of the neutrality law; that I consented to it at first, but when Mr. —— came to Amprior to-day I repeated and told him the whole conspiracy on condition that I should not be prose cuted. J. S. Goodall, aforesaid, before he had heard of the plot being discovered, said he could furnish arms, ammunition and money, if he could get some to join; but when he dis covered, about a fortnight ago, that information had been given to the United States government, he said all was burst up, and they would make no attempt this year. Had the enterprise gone on I believe I would have assisted. I make this declaration solely upon the condition that I shall not be prosecuted, and Mr. —— has promised that I should not. I further state that I have often seen the said J. S. Goodall (who while he was here called himself Henry Smith) in frequent and earnest conversation with the Rev. O. S. Hackett, who is a confederate refugee. The letter I wrote to Mr. ——, on the 24th March, is also to be included in this exemption from the prosecution aforesaid, as it was written for the purpose of inveigling the said —— in a trap, as before mentioned.
JOHN R. FITZSIMMONS.
Signed in presence of us, this 1st day of April, A. D. 1865.
Copy of a letter from J. R. Fitzsimmons to ——, as well as I can recollect,
Sir: We are getting on prosperously. We are to make the attempt after the 10th or 12th of April. Goodall furnishes plenty of money, and is gone to Kingston to get the boys ready there. We met in Hackett’s house, and in my place there are a great many who would join if you would come here and press them. If you do come we will pay you well for your trouble. I know you would not join us, but a great many say if you were here they would abide by what you would say; so do come. We will pay all your expenses and more too. If you say the word, forty or fifty of the young men of the township would join us. I will let you know all the scheme, if you come down, when I see you.
Yours truly,
—— ——,
[Untitled]
Dear Sir: I have made all the arrangements necessary. I have hired a conveyance to take me to Franktown on Friday evening, so that I shall be in Amprior by the 11 o’clock [Page 130] train on Saturday. I shall have to remain at Amprior all day Saturday, and must return on Sunday, and for this purpose I have engaged another conveyance to come to Amprior from here and take me home on Sunday. From the bad state of the roads I had to pay $3 to take me to Franktown, and $8 for the conveyance to go to Amprior and take me home on Sunday.
I have also made arrangements to take me to Ottawa Monday evening, when I shall telegraph to you.
There is some great movement going on in the Orange body. I saw a letter to-day calling a special meeting of the county lodge of Carleton, to meet on Saturday next on the most urgent business, “as the very existence of the order is threatened.” However, I shall ascertain this when I return, and repeat it to you. It is, I am sure, something in connexion with a contemplated raid. The Orangemen were loyal to a man, but I believe the sympathies of most of them are enlisted with the south, more especially as they imagine the Fenian movement in countenanced by the federal government. There is something important in the wind, and we are on the eve of great events.
Now, I beg of you to show this letter to no person but the consul general. If it was known that I revealed to you or any one else the movements of the order, my life is not worth a month’s purchase. Take no further steps till you receive my despatch after I return from Amprior.
Yours, very truly,
Galloway L. Kemp, Esq., Ottawa Hotel, Montreal.
[Untitled]
Sir: In reference to your telegram of the 3d instant, stating that information had been given that raiders’ conspiracies were on foot in this neighborhood, and requiring me to make investigations, &c., I have the honor to report that immediately upon its receipt I instituted inquiries in every direction where I thought it likely information could be obtained upon the subject. From the result, as well as from my own observations, I am at present of opinion that no such conspiracies are on foot in this vicinity. There are very few strangers about this city who appear liable to any suspicion of such conduct.
I made my inquiries, however, so privately as not to alarm the conspirators, if any there be, or put them upon their guard; and I have still reliable parties on the alert. Should any discovery be made I will not fail to keep you informed, and, if necessary, to take steps to bring the offenders to justice.
I have, &c.,
Hon. James Cockburn, Solicitor General, Quebec.
[Untitled]
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 3d instant, enclosing a copy of a statement alleging the existence of arrangements for a raid from Dickenson’s landing and other places, and requesting me to ascertain whether there was any truth in the report.
Immediately on receipt of your letter I called on the collector of custom, R. K. Bullock, esq., who went the same day to Dickenson’s landing, and made inquiries there as to the truth of the report; he informs me that he is satisfied from his inquiries that there is nothing of the kind in progress there.
I am of opinion, from my own knowledge of the position of Dickenson’s landing, that it is not a place from which a raid could be attempted, as the crossing of the river there is difficult, and can only be effected in canoes or small boats. There is no town or village on the the American side of the river within some miles of it. There is no railway on that side nearer than Pottsdam, which is some miles in the interior, and no steamboats are at present going up or down the river.
I have instructed one or two persons at Dickenson’s landing to be on the lookout, and to inform me of any suspicious circumstances that may occur there.
In reference to ——, the informant of the government, I may state that I saw on the first page of the Montreal Gazette, of the —— instant, a paragraph to the effect that ——, principal of the —— Grammar School, had been tarred and feathered at Amprior. An investigation into this outrage may throw some light upon the subject.
I have, &c.
H. Bernard, Esq., Attorney General, Department Canada West, Quebec.