William Johnson
Born in Trois Rivieres, Quebec in 1793. His early years are unknown, and it is unknown when he started pirating. It is known, however, that he had a daughter, who was a major part of his crew.
His pirating style was to attack steamers, steal belongings, maybe some cargo, from crew and passenger. He would then take the robbed ashore and sink the steamer.
When the War of 1812 broke out, he helped the Americans whenever he got the chance. American General Winfield Scott claimed that Johnson was worth 1000 men.
When the Canadian Rebellian of 1837 kicked off, he took the oppurtunity to capture a British steamer at Wells Island. Other times, he would charade as a Canadian. He would also bring American vollunteers, called Hunter's Lodges, to aid in the rebellian.
He was eventually arrested in New York on charges of piracy. However, he produced a document stating he was Commander in Cheif of the Patriot Naval Forces of Canada, none-the-less signed by himself. Even so, the jury didnt wan't to get mixed up in the Rebelian.
For a while, he went back to robbing ships near Thousand Island. However, it seems that he retired in 1838 because he was appointed keeper of a lighthouse near Clayton, New York. He did this duty for 8 years. In 1842 he received a Presedential pardon from President John Tyler. He passed away during his sleep in 1870.
This site created by Jon Lamphere, October 10, 2006
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