 Among the keepers hired to maintain the light was William Johnston, a man once known as "The Pirate of the Thousand Islands" for his actions as an American sympathizer during the Patriot War.In May 1838, Johnston and a small force overwhelmed the crew of the British mail steamer "Sir Robert Peel"; not having enough men to man the steamer, he set it on fire and ran it against a small island in the Saint Lawrence River, henceforth known as Peel Island.Johnston was declared an outlaw by the U.S. government, and was captured and tried several times before finally receiving a pardon.