CSN Beall, John Yates

John Yates Beall​

Born: January 1, 1835

Birthplace: Charles Town, Virginia

Father: George B. Beall 1802 – 1855

(Buried: Zion Episcopal Churchyard, Charles Town, West Virginia)​

Mother: Janet Yates 1801 – 1875

(Buried: Zion Episcopal Churchyard, Charles Town, West Virginia)​

Education:

Graduated from University of Virginia Law School​

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Occupation before War:

Farmer in Jefferson County, Virginia​

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Civil War Career:

1861: Private Company G, 2nd​ Virginia Infantry Regiment​

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1861: Wounded during the First Battle of Manassas, Virginia​

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Went to Canada after regaining his health back after wounding

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Developed a plan to liberate Prisoners held at Johnson's Island​

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Acting Master in the Confederate States Navy​

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Privateer along the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay​

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1863: Captured and Imprisoned at Fort McHenry, Baltimore, Maryland​

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1863 – 1864: Prisoner of War held at Fort McHenry, Baltimore, Maryland​

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1864: Formally Exchanged in Prisoner of War Exchange on Sept. 18th​​

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Captured the steamers Philo Parsons and Island Queen​

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1864: Captured in civilian clothing on Dec. 16 in Niagara, New York​

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1865: Tried and Hung as a guerrilla on Governor's Island, New York​

Died: February 24, 1865

Place of Death: Governors Island, New York

Cause of Death: Execution by Hanging

Age at time of Death: 30 years old

Burial Place: Zion Episcopal Churchyard, Charles Town, West Virginia

 

[Pollaco]

When He was captured On Dec. 16th, 1864 He was just a few hundred yards from the Canadian border. But He stopped to attend to one of his men. And it was this same man whose later testimony against Beall helped send him to the gallows.

 

[Pollaco]

He was attempting to capture the USS Michigan with the seized Philo Parsons when his crew mutinied on him. The USS Michigan was the only warship on the Great Lakes at this time.

 

[Gary Morgan]

After he was captured in 1863, the US government sentenced him to death for piracy. The Confederate government protested, arguing that he was a member of the Confederacy, and thus his actions burning ships on the Rappahannock were war crimes, not piracy. To ensure that he wasn't hanged, the Rebels selected 17 Navy POWs from the North and held them as hostages against the lives of Bealls and his crew - 2 officers and 15 sailors. Although Beall was eventually released and lived to raid again, the sailors were not until much later. The sailors had been held at Salisbury Prison (one of them, Victor Bartlett, died there), and in January they were sent to Andersonville, where more of them died, including the only sailor known to have kept a diary at Andersonville, Frederic James. One of the officers held, Benjamin Porter, was released in December, 1864 and died a month later at Fort Fisher.

I've been trying to several years to identify the 15 sailors who were hostages, but so far can only name 8 of them, one of whom ended up being hanged as a Raider at Andersonville.

 

[Pollaco]

Right after His escapade on the Great Lakes with the unsuccssful attempt on the USS Michigan He was going to try rescuing prisoners from rail cars. I think this is what He was attempting when He got himself caught.