MORAN, Assistant Secretary of Legation to William H. Seward, February 20, 1864

Mr. Moran to Mr. Seward.

Sir: By direction of Mr. Adams, I have the honor to forward herewith, out of the regular course, a copy of The Index, of the 18th instant, a paper in the interest of the rebels, published in London. At page 107 will be found a narrative of the recent attempt on the part of a number of the insurgents to invade the United States from Canada. To this Mr. Adams requests me to call your special attention.

I have the honor to be, sir, with great respect, your obedient servant,

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The Canadian Expedition.—A gentleman who was engaged in the frustrated attempt to rescue the confederate prisoners confined on Johnson’s island, near the Canadian frontier, writes to us to correct some misstatements which have obtained currency through the federal press. He says: “You are aware of the leading facts of this affair, and know that our object was defeated by the authorities of the province. Perhaps you have already learned the secrets of the plan, but if you have not, a few words might be of service. The prisoners who had been released from Johnson’s island, the federal prison in Lake Erie, conceived a plan to capture the island and release the large number of officers confined there. The assent of the confederate government was asked, but long refused, from a doubt whether it could be effected without violating the neutrality of British territory. This objection was at last so far overcome that a certain number of officers received leave to attempt the hazardous experiment, but under strict orders to do or permit no act directly or indirectly liable to be construed into such violation, to buy no materials of war and enlist no assistance on British soil, but only to exercise the right of passage as individuals. Accordingly, upon arriving in Canada, arms and cannon were purchased in New York, and were sent by parties there up to the lake, where we could get them. Not an article was obtained in Canada. Even medicines and surgical instruments were furnished from New York, and all correspondence with the prisoners was carried on through the personal column of the New York Herald. Several British officers wished to join, but they, as also the assistance of many Canadian gentlemen, were refused. The basis of our operations was to be on. Yankee territory, the means for carrying out our object, viz: to release the prisoners, were to be obtained there alone. This principle was adhered to in perfect good faith, in spirit as well as in letter, though not without some difficulty. Success would have been certain, had not an unexpected obstacle caused delay. The Michigan, a federal gunboat, had anchored off the island, and it then became necessary to capture her before releasing the prisoners. To do this, more men were necessary, and some confederates, who had recently escaped from camps Chase and Douglas, were taken as volunteers. There was no one of the party owing allegiance to Great Britain, or who had ‘found an asylum on her soil,’ as the papers had it. But when we had completed our preparations, with the and of friends in the federal States, the very day before it was to have been executed it reached the ears of the governor general, and the Yankees, being immediately warned by him, it became impossible.

“Such is the whole affair in a nutshell. You will see that all we asked of the Canadian authorities was the right of passage to Yankeedom, individually and unarmed, we having neither the means nor the intention to commit a belligerent act before reaching Yankee jurisdiction. You can draw your own inference from the facts. Some of the Canadian and even some of the English papers, I am told, have taken a different, and, as it appears to me, a wholly erroneous view of the matter.”