Civil War Confederate Guerrilla. After receiving a law degree from the University of Virginia, he existed as a farmer in Jefferson County, Virginia (now West Virginia) until the outbreak of the Civil War. He enlisted in Company G. 2nd Virginia Infantry after the fall of Fort Sumter, and was wounded at the Battle of First Manassas. Upon recovery he went west and later moved to Canada. In Canada, he developed a plan to liberate the Confederate prisoners on Johnson's Island. He returned south and tried to obtain approval of his plan by the Confederate authorities. He was commissioned as acting master in the Confederate Navy, but was never assigned a command. Singularly, he began a series of privateering enterprises along the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay. He was captured in November of 1863, and imprisoned at Fort McHenry in Baltimore, which led to reprisals by the Confederate government. On May 5, 1864, he was formally exchanged. On his own initiative and without government support, he returned to Canada with his original aim of liberating the prisoners on Johnson's Island. On September 18, 1864, Beall and a small group of men captured the steamers "Philo Parsons" and the "Island Queen". However, he was unable to reach Johnson's Island due to a mutiny within his crew. He was captured in civilian clothing at Niagara, New York on December 16, 1864. He was tried as a guerrilla and hung on Governor's Island, New York on December 24, 1864.
Civil War Confederate Guerrilla. After receiving a law degree from the University of Virginia, he existed as a farmer in Jefferson County, Virginia (now West Virginia) until the outbreak of the Civil War. He enlisted in Company G. 2nd Virginia Infantry after the fall of Fort Sumter, and was wounded at the Battle of First Manassas. Upon recovery he went west and later moved to Canada. In Canada, he developed a plan to liberate the Confederate prisoners on Johnson's Island. He returned south and tried to obtain approval of his plan by the Confederate authorities. He was commissioned as acting master in the Confederate Navy, but was never assigned a command. Singularly, he began a series of privateering enterprises along the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay. He was captured in November of 1863, and imprisoned at Fort McHenry in Baltimore, which led to reprisals by the Confederate government. On May 5, 1864, he was formally exchanged. On his own initiative and without government support, he returned to Canada with his original aim of liberating the prisoners on Johnson's Island. On September 18, 1864, Beall and a small group of men captured the steamers "Philo Parsons" and the "Island Queen". However, he was unable to reach Johnson's Island due to a mutiny within his crew. He was captured in civilian clothing at Niagara, New York on December 16, 1864. He was tried as a guerrilla and hung on Governor's Island, New York on December 24, 1864.
Bio by: Steve Corley
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