Canada, Confederate Activities in
CANADA, CONFEDERATE ACTIVITIES IN
CANADA, CONFEDERATE ACTIVITIES IN. Confederate plots against northern ships, prison camps, and cities were coordinated from Canada in May 1864 by Jacob Thompson, J. P. Holcombe, and C. C. Clay. Efforts to seize federal ships on Lake Erie, a raid on Saint Albans, Vermont, in October, a train-wrecking effort near Buffalo in December, and schemes to release Confederate prisoners in northern prison camps uniformly failed. Fires meant to burn northern cities, including New York and Cincinnati, were similarly unsuccessful. Hoping to depress federal currency values, Confederates in Canada bought nearly $2 million in gold and sold it in England, with no permanent result. About $300,000 was spent by Confederates in Canada in promoting these various futile schemes.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Headley, John W. Confederate Operations in Canada and New York. Alexandria, Va.: Time-Life, 1984.
Kinchen, Oscar A. Confederate Operations in Canada and the North. North Quincy, Mass.: Christopher, 1970.
Wilson, Dennis K. Justice under Pressure: The Saint Albans Raid and Its Aftermath. Lanham, Md.: University Press of America, 1992.
Charles H.Coleman/a. r.
See alsoCivil War ; Confederate Agents ; Northwest Conspiracy ; Saint Albans Raid .