Book description
Since the terrorist attacks of 9/11, a myth has persisted that the
hijackers entered the United States from Canada. This is completely
untrue. Nevertheless, there was a time the U. S. Civil War when
attacks on America were launched from Canada, but the aggressors were
mostly fellow Americans engaged in a secessionist struggle. Among the
attacks were three daring naval-commando expeditions against a
prisoner-of-war camp on Johnsons Island in Lake Erie.
These Confederate operations on the Great Lakes remain largely
unknown. However, some of the people involved did make more indelible
marks in history, including a future Canadian prime minister, a
renowned Victorian war correspondent, a beloved Catholic poet, a
notorious presidential assassin, and a son of the abolitionist John
Brown.
The improbable events linking these figures constitute a story worth
telling and remembering. Rebels on the Great Lakes offers the
first full account of the Confederate naval operations launched from
Canada in 18631864, describing forgotten military actions that
ultimately had an unexpected impact on North Americas future.
John Bell was born in Montreal and grew up in Halifax. A senior
archivist at Library and Archives Canada, he has written extensively on
various aspects of Canadian history and culture. His most recent books
are
Confederate Seadog: John Taylor Wood in War and Exile
and
Invaders from the North: How Canada Conquered the Comic Book Universe
. He lives in Ottawa.
