The press., October 17, 1864, Image 1

t OUTEY & CO.,
goutb ISitthth Stxeet,
PAT, Sept. 26th,
t, BS FOUND THB MOST BEAUTIFUL
* ASSORTMENT OF
)HY GOODS,
I, AND SHAWLS
IN THB CITY.
Vfß HATE JUST OPENED
t>OS SILKS,
fcAIN AND FANCY.
Uerinos,
[lain and figured.
i'EENCH POPLINS,
UP AND FIGURED.
WOOL DE LAINES,
OUBLB AND SINGLE WIDTH. PLAIN
IND FIGURED.
kfOHAIR ALPACAS,
LAIN and figured,
3NGLISH MERINO,
k LSO. A LARGS STOCK 07
moy and Staple
ESS GOODS.
ER & CONARD,
and market streets,
VS FULL ASSORTMENTS OF
!S’ CLOAKINGS,
[NGS AND OVERCOATINGS,
r OASSIMERES,
NEL SHIRTINGS,
ikets and flannels,
TINGS AND SHIRTINGS,
LS AND MAUDS,
:s* FALL CLOAKS.
"in G 1
VT. EVA.IVS Sc CO.
WILL OPEN TO-DAY A
SH INVOICE OF
XD BEAUTIFUL SILKS,
;H, IK CONNECTION WITH THE
balance of their stock of
NCY SILKS,
111 OFPBR AT 30 TO 40 PER CENT,
THEIR PRESENT VALUE.
ill 820 CHESTNUT STREET.
TER HOSIERY
L, AND WHOLESALE,
M. HAFLEIGH,
902 CHESTNUT STREET,
stole ft lull assortment of the celebrated
INGLISH HOSIERY,
SCAN HOSE AI*D BAM? HOSE,
E’S HOSZ, SHIHTS, ASD DRAWEES,
HSAYT SILK SHIRTS AHD DRAWERS,
ILL sizes, for gentlemen.
[BE REDUCTION IN THE
PRICES
dry goods.
B. CAMPBELL & CO.,
7 CEBBTUUT STREET,
ISIS ENTIRE STOCK OP
DRY GOOD 9,
ONSISTING IN PART OP
3ES,
INS AND REPS,
IGLINES,
AN PLAIDS,
LPAOAS AND MOHAIRS,
BLACK AND FANCY SILKS,
SHAWLS, GLOVES,
LINENS, WHITE GOODS,
FLANNELS, BLANKETS,
LINEN AND COTTON
SHEETINGS,
REPELLANTS AND
CLOAKING CLOTHS,
IXTREMELY LOW RATES,
[ leave to assure the. public that we have
lowa every article In our stock, and now have
werlo offer
RARE BARGAINS.
10*4 OHEBTSUT STREET.
MBROIDERIES,
laces,
WHITE GOODS,
VEILS,
ANDKEBCHIEFe.
E. M. NEEDLES.
10*4 CHESTNUT BTKEBT.
WINDOW
SHADES. SHADES.
HEW STTLES FOE FALL TRADB..
HEW STILES FOR FALL TRADE.
WstantlyjreceivSn» from onr Factory _ >
~ NEW STYLES ( F WINDOW SHADES,
tte new colors—Brown, Leather, Stone, tie.
KELTY, CARRTNGT9N, A CO.,
“Wufactnrerß of Window Bhades and
Importers of :
Cortaln Materials,
No. 783 CHEBTNOT Street.
J GOODS DEDUCED.
„ p SOT AUCTION GOODS.
'lPppllaa at H1.37X.
rsucfi Mgrino« B at $1 .82X.
VOL. B.—NO. 67.
SEWING machines.
THE FLORENCE
A THE FLORENCE
THE FLORENCE
THE FLORENCE
THE FLORENCE
THE FLORENCE
THE FLORENCE
THE FLORENCE
SEWING MACHINES.
sewing machines,
sewing machines,
sewing machines,
sewing machines,
SEWING MACHINES,
SEWING MACHINES,
SEWING MACHINES.
6SO CHESTNUT STREET.
630 CHESTNUT STREET.
630 CHESTNUT STREET.
■ 630 CHESTNUT STREET.
630 CHESTNUT STREET.
630 CHESTNUT STREET.
030 CHESTNUT 6TBEBT.
630 CHESTNUT STREET.
CUB,TAIN Gtf#®*.
QARD.
i m, oFFrat
MY ENTIRE STOCK
LACE ciIRTAIM
FORTY PER CENT.
LESS THAN COST OF IMPORTATION.
I. E. WALRAVEN,
SUCCESSOR TO W. H. CARRYL,
MASONIC HALL,
719 CHESTNUT STREET.
-
BILK «. DBI GOOJttSJJO BBKRB .
FRIT 15 ™ 0 ” f F&LL,
ISG4.) HOW IS BTOBE. (IStM..
mwm FASO & go.,
8»s. 817 Chestnut and 614 Jayne Streets*
; IMPORTERS AND JOBBERS OP
SILKS AND FANG'S DBS GOODS,
SHAWLS, LINENS,
AND WHITE GOODS.
A LARGB AND HANDSOME STOCK Of
DRESS GOODS.
ffULL LINE OP TORSION AND DOMESTIC
BALMORALS,
OTCLUDINO BRUNER’S AND OTHER MAKES.
auSO-8m ■
£JHEAF GOODS FROM AUCTION.
EDMUND YARD & €O.,
BIT CHESTNUT AND 614 JAYNE STREETS,
Have In store a full line of
MERINOES,
POPLINS,
DE LAINES,
BALMORALS,
boufht at the late auction sales, which they offer at a
, email advance on cost. ■ . ■. ,»eTI-tf
COMMISSION MOUSES.
ATTENTION OP THE TRADE
Is called to our stock of
CAMDEN WOOLEN MILLS
APPELLANTS, LADIES’ CLOTHS, SACKINGS,
SHIETINGS, and FLANNELS.
SAXONY WOOLEN COMPANY
ALL-WOOL FLANNELS.
STEVENS A CO., N. STEVENS & SONS’,
and other makes GAAY, SCAALET, and BLUB
TWILLED FLANNELS.
“BLACKWOOD” and “HINSDALE” MILLS
6-4 COTTON WAKP and ALL-WOOL CLOTfiS
and BEAVEKB,
GKEYLOOK MILLS (Dean & Lamonte),
CAROLINA MILLS (T. K. Hyde & Co.),
WEST EATON MILLS (M. & H.),
and other makes of
FANCY CASSIMERES.
SAXONY MILL
PLAIN and PLAID SATINETS.
» FLORENCE” and “SFKIN&VILLE” MILLS
PLAIN and MIXED MELTONS.
PITTSFIELD, BERKSHIRE,'
and other makes BALMOBAL SKIRTS, In sreat
•variety.
LEVKINGTON MILLS
PLAIN and FANCY KENTUCKY JEANS.
GLENHAM GINGHAMS, DENIMS, STRIPES, TICKS,
SHEETINGS, &e.,
of tffe moat desirable styles.
BE COURSE!, HAMILTON, & EYAYS,,
33 LETITIA Street, and
33 Sonih FRONT Street.
*e2l-Wfm3m
JJAZA.RD & HUTCHINSON,
Ho. 11» CHESTNUT STREET,
COMMISSION MERCHANTS,
FOB TUB BALE OF
Clyl-fim] PHILADELPHIA-MADE GOODB.
- MIFITAR!_J[xOOOS.
J'LAGS! FLAGS I!
CAMPAIGN FLAGS,
BUNTING AND SILK,
OF EVERY DESCRIPTION.
SWORDS,
SASHES,
BELTS,
Together with a full assortment of
MILITARY GOODS.
EVANS «fe lIASSALL,
ocll-lm fp 418 ARCH Street,
GENTS’ FIMISHLYC COOPS.
§25 *kch street. 825
REMOVAL.
8. A. HOFFMAN,
WIST PREMIUM SHIRT AND WRAPPER
MANUFACTORY, AND GENTLEMEN’S
FURNISHING emporium.
REMOVED FROM 606 ARCH STREET
TO THB NEW STORE.
B^.f,m^ ROH street/
WAIL PAPERS.
Vl^
HOWELL * BOURKE,
S. K. CORKER FOURTH AND MARKET STREETS,
Manufacturers of
PAPER HANGINGS,
WINDOW CURTAIN PAPERS,
LINEN SHADES AND HOLLANDS,
SOLID GREEN AND BUFF,
' CHOCOLATE GROUNDS, FIGURED, AND PLAIW
SHADES,
To which we invite the attention of
STOREKEEPERS, 8612-IBWB 2m
ROOKING GLASSES.
JAMES B. EARLE A SON.
81ft CHESTNUT STREET. PHILA.,
i»t« bow !a ikore & Tory Em assortment of
L O OKI N GO LAS 8 E 8.
■ ofevery eharacter, of the
TUT BEST MANUFACTURE AMD LATEST BTYM
on. PAINTINGS, ENGRAVINGS,
«»« wrcmni in THOTOOnwnitllM
ARD AND FANCY JOB PRINTING
r •* rnwuMkmm, m^FousTfittl
f ress.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1864.
THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
Address of Ibe National Union Execu
tive committee to tlie People of tbe
United Stntes. ....
astor House, New York, Oot. 14, 1864.
Fellow-Citizens : Tho elections of Tuesday
last give splendid auguries of the result of the Pre
sidential contest, now so near at hand. The great
Central States of the Union have pronounced. In
unmistakable tones, their condemnation of the prin
ciples, the purposes, and the candidates of the Chi
cago Convention. Although the groat Issue was
presented only Indirectly for their action, they
have branded as false the declaration of that
assemblage-that the war for the restoration-of i
the Union has proved a “failure”—and have stig
matized, as unpatriotic and cowardly, Its demand,
made in the midst of our moat splendid triumphs,
for a “ cessation of hostilities,” and a compromise
with the men who aro assailing, in armed rebellion,
the nation’s life.
In Pennsylvania, the old Keystone State, al
though there was no State tioket to arouse enthusi
asm or stimulate exertion, the Union men have
eleoted sixteen out of the twenty-four members of
Congress, securod a large majority In both branahes
of the Legislature, and carried the State by a popu
lar majority of not loss than fifteen thousand. ,
In Ohio, without any special effort, the. Union
men havo elected sixteen members of Congress out
of nineteen; the Ohioago candidate for the Vice
Presidency, George ; H. Pendleton, has hoen over
whelmed In his own district; all the prominent
leaders of the Ohioago movement who dared to pro-;
sent themselves for public judgment have been con
demned by decisive verdicts; the Legislature has a,
large Union majority in both branohes, and in the,
State at large the Union cause has a popular ma
jority of not less than eighty thousand.
In Indiana, where the Copperheads made the,
most desperate and determined struggle, they have
met the most signal defeat and overthrow. Their
organization was;perfect, their means abundant,
and thelT effortß marked by the utmost vigor and de
termination.- But they have'beon utterly routed by
the most decided majority the State has given for
many years. Although she had more than.. 40,000
soldiers In the field from whom the Opposition party
withheld the right to vote, the Union men In that
gallant State have gained three members of Con
gress; sent- Schuyler Colfax back, In spite of the
most desperate efforts to defeat him, to the seat he
has so long adorned, chosen a Union Legislature,
re-elected the gallant and patriotic Gov. Morton by
fifteen thousand majority, and overwhelmed, with
the lasting stigma of popular condemnation, the
conspirators who had dared, in aid of the rebellion,
to organize upon her soil a movement of armed re
sistance. to the constitutional authority of the
United States.
Fellow-citizens, these results may well fill your
hearts with confidence that in November the popu
lar voice will demand that the rebellion be crushed
by “force of arms,” and that there be no cessa
tion of hostilities until the integrity of tho Union is
restored and the supremacy of the Constitution re
established over every foot of the national domain.
They leave no room for deubt as to the settled senti
ment and purpose of the American people. The
Union victories of September in Vermont and Maine
indicated unmistakably the feelings of New Eng
r land. New York has never failed to sympathize in,
political sentiment with Pennsylvania. Illinois
always votes with Ohio, and the overwhelming
majority in Indiana renders certain the verdict of
the mighty West.
But take cake that the . very splendor of
THESE ."VICTORIES DOES NOT BETRAY YOU INTO
fatal inactivity ! Lot them stimulate you to
fresh exertions—not lull you inio a false security !
These contests are only the preliminary skirmishes
of the grand engagement. Thebattlo is but just
begun j ft will not be closed until the last vote
drops into tho ballot-box at sunset on the Bth of
November next. Our opponents now will not
abandon the contest;’ they will only fight with the ‘
greater desperation on account of the oheck they'
have sustained. ,
Besides this, it is not enough that we secure a
victory. ■ The Union cause deserves and demands at
our hands an overwhelming triumph. We owe it
to the flag we serve ; to the memory of the noble
hearts who have "died in its defence ; to -the
who are even now rallying, in Mood and fire, to the
rescue of Its starry folds, to put such a brand of
popular condemnation upon its foes as Ehall -leave
them neither heart nor strength to assail it from -
this time forward forever !
Signs, moreover, are not wanting that tho allies
i of the rebellion, represented at Chicago, aei pre
pared, if the contest be close, to resist the verdict of
the people now, as it was resisted four years _ago by
armed rebellion. Threats of such a purpose have
I .been freely-uttered. Secret organizations, looking
to such a movement, have been perfected. Arms
i and ammunition have been secretly accumulated
i in the Western States., And the Chicago Conven
! tion Itself- refused to adjourn sine die after Its legiti
mate business had been-transacted, but, on motion
I of Wicklifle of Kentucky, an open ally of the re-
I bellioß, and In imitation of the Jacobin dubs of
Kevolutionary France, resolved Itself Into a perma
nent body for the avowed purpose -of taking: such
steps as emergencies might require between now
and the 4th of'March next. To what do these pre
parations look if not to a repetition oh Northern
soil of the ln tho Southern
States; to fresh attempts to arouse rebellion against
the will of the ■ peoplo, If that will should be pro
nounced against them'!,
For these reasons, fellow-citizens,*nd for every
reason connected with the welfare, the honor, tho
salvation of our beloved country, it is of the utmost
importance that you should give Id November an
overwhelming majority for the Union cause. With
PROPER EXERTION YOU CAN CARRY EVERY LOYAL
State in the. Union fob the’ Union Candi
dates. Let that be the aim of your efforts ! Bo
content with nothing less. JRemomber that the oon- i
test Is not one for party ascendancy. You are not
fighting for a party victory.
The stake for which you are contending is nothing
less than the honor and the life of your country.
Kememher that failure now is failure forever; that
a triumph of the cessation and surrender policy of
the Chicago Convention leads Inevitably to a recog
nition of the Kebel Confederacy, with slavery as
its corner- stone—to the disruption of this glorious
Union, and the overthrow of democratic and repub
lican principles all over the world. Give not such
a triumph to the foes of freedom abroad and the
enemies of equal rights at home. Lot not England
and France thus glory In the destruction of this im
perial Republic. Let the world understand that the
American people still olingto the principles of their
lathers—that they will still maintain against all
j hostility the integrity of their Union, the authority
of their Constitution, and the honor and supremacy
of their glorious flag.
Wo cali upon Union Committees, Loyal LBaguesi
I and all other organizations formed for tho purpose
I of vindicating and maintaining the Union cause, to
1 redouble thoir efforts. Lot them perfect their or
ganization, Instantly, every whore. Let thorn send
to this committee for such documents as will en
lighten the people In their respective localities upon
the great issues involved in the canvass—they will
be furnished gratuitously, on the sole condition that
they are faithfully used. Let speakers in every
town and every district address the judgment and
the patriotic sentiment of the people, and rally them
to the support and the defence of our principles and
candidates. Let full and prompt provision bo made,
in advance, for bringing voters to thg polls, for pre
venting frauds, and for securing, in this, sharp
crisis of the country’s fate, the vote of every citizen
who has an interest in the preservation of the na
tion’s life.
Let special care be taken to secure, for every sol.
dier and every sailor, who 1b fighting in the field or
on the sea in dofence of tho country and It s-ftag, the
exeroise of his right to vote. If any man’s right of
suffrage is sacred it is his. See to it that he is no 4
deprived of it by negligence, or cheated in its exer
cise by fraud. Send agents to the army to secure it
for him. Where the action of hostile Legislatures
has refused him thb'right to vote in the field, pro
ourefPl fifth a, furlough, 'if military necessity wil 1
allow, that fie may voie at home.
Fellow-Citizens : But one month more reui?ini>
for effort. If that month, be properly employed the
vote of every loyal State can be Eeourod for the
representatives and candidates of the Union cause.
There is not one among ffiem all that, upon any j ust :
and fair canvass, will deliberately pronounce- the
war in- which so many of our sons and brothers have
laid down their lives a “failure,” or echo the de
mand of the Chicago Convention for a cessation of
hostilities just on the eve of victory, and for a dis
graceful surrender to an exhausted and beaten foe.
On behalf of the National Union Executive Com
mittee. Henry J. Kaymond, Chairman.
F. D. Sperry, Secretary.
PEBSOJTAL,
Henry Clay Dean, of lowa, who is going to
vote for McClellan, in a speech. made at Chicago,
stigmatized the President as “a felon, usurper,
'*™ ltor > I®. 3 „ tyla “ t; ” an “incompetent and itnbe-.
clle wretch; and the soldiers he denounced as the
“slaves of the despot" and the “banditti of the
robber chief,” , -
Gen. Heintzleman seid, at a Unfon meeting in
■Wheeling, on the sth; “I can see but two Issues in
this contest—an honorable peace, accomplished by
a vigorous war, or an armistice, a convention of
States, and a final dissolution of the Union and
eternal war.” ;
i —■ Edward Everett, having been invited by Goy.
Andrew and others to make an address of a politi
cal nature, has accepted, and will speak In Boston
on the afternoon of the 19th inst. -
Ex-Senator Browning, of Illiaoifl, who has
been-extensively claimed as a supporter of McClel
lan, has written a letter denouncing the Chicago
platform and the whole Copperhead'party. He
comes out squarely and fairly .for Lincoln and >
Johnson. ,
Governor Andrew, of Massachusetts, and Gov.
Brough, of Ohio, are both to take part In the poli
tical canvass in the State of New York.
; The Kev. W. H. Boole is speaking at'TJnlon
meetings in New York. His brother is the Copper
head City Inspector.
Gon. Albert L. Leo, who has been nominated
for Congress by one wing of the Union party of Kan
sas, is now doing duty as a oavalry commander In
the Department of the Gull, .
t .j
PHILADELPHIA, MONDAY, OCTOBER IT, 1864,
THE WESTERN CONSPIRACY.
OFFICIAL EXPOSITION BY JUBSBT* AIL
TO6ATE GENERAL IIOIX.
LATE TRIALS OF THE CONSPIRATORS'!?*
MISSOURI AND ILLINOIS
History of the Secret Orders of tho Golden
Circle, American Knights, and the
Sons of- Liberty.
THE PAW-PAWS, FwArT-FEET, AND BUT-
TERNUTS'OP THE WEST
VaUsndiglisin I’riree fommaniler of the
Army of'JwJwses.
THE EDITOR OF THE' NEW YORK DAILY
NEWS A RINGLEADER.
How Deserters from, the United States Army were
Encouraged and Protcetedsand bow-the
Draft was Violently Resisted.
The Great northern. Spy and Recruiting
and Supply Agency for the Rebels.
TBS DOCTRINE AMD RITUAL OF OATH-BOUND PER
FIDT, TREASON, AND ASSASSINATION.
Temples and Lodges of the Order'Throughout
the 'West and Norths
Covert Villainy Armed, Eqnip)ted, Orga<
nixed and Commanded!
PROPOSED REVOLUTION FOR A* NORTH-
WESTERN CONFEDERACY
An Overwhelming Mass of Testimony from: Mem
bers of the Order, Soldiers, and Go
vernment Detectives.
War Department;
BtrKßA.tr OF .MrUTARV JuSTrOB,
Washington, D. 0., Oct; 8; 1864.
Hon. E. M, Stanton, Secretary of War:
Sir: Having been instructed by you to prepare a
detailed report upon the mass of testimony furnished
mo from . diilerent sources In regard to the secret
associations and conspiracies against the Government
formed, principally in tho Western States, by trai
tors and disloyal persons, I have now the honor to
submit as follows:
During more than a year past it has been gene
rally known to our military autkorltits shat a secret
treasonable organization, affiliated with the South
ern rebellion, and chiefly military in its character,
has been'rapidly extending itself throughout tho
West. A variety of agencies, which will-be specified
herein, have been employed, and successfully, to
ascertain its nature and extent, as well as its aims
and Its results: and, as this investigation has led to
the arrest, in several States, of a numberof Its pro
minent members as dangerous Gnomics- to their
country, it has been deemed proper to set forth in-’
full the acts and purposes oi this organization, and
thus to mako known to the oommunity at large its
intensely treasonable and revolutionary-spirit,
The subject will be presented under the .following,
heads: , . .
I. Its origin, history, names, &e.
11. Itsorgan Izatfon and officers.
111. Its extent and numbers.
IY. Its armed force. .
V. Its ritual, oaths, and interior forms.
VI. Its written principles.
VII. Its specific purposes and operations.
V 111. The witnesses and their testimony.
- .I.—ITS OKGIN, HISTOBY, H.feHBS, BTC. -,
This seoret association first developed itsolf irutlio-:
West in the year 1862, about the period of the first
conscription oi troops, which It aimed to obstruct
and resist. Originally known in certain localities
as the “ Mutual Protection Society,”-the. ,t 'olrole
of Honor,” or the ‘'Circle” or “Knights of the
Mighty-Host,” but; more widebpas the f ‘ Knights
ol' the Golden Circle,” it was simply an inspiration
of the rebellion, being little other than an exten
sion among the disloyal and disaffected at the North .
of the association of the latter name, which had.,
existed for some years at the South, and from which
it derived all the chiel featureb- of its organization.
During the summer and fail. of 1863. .the Order, ,
both at the North and South, underwent some modi
fications, as well-as a Chang? of name. In conse
quence of a partial exposure-which-had been made
of the signs and sooret forms of.the “ Knights of the
Golden Circle,” Sterling Price had instituted as its
successor in Missouri a seoret political; association,
which he called the “Gorp 3. de. Belgique” or
“ Southern Leaguehis principal coadjutor being
Charles L. Hunt, oi St. Louis, then Belgian Consul
at that city, but whose exequatur .w as. subsequently
revolted by the President on' account.of, his disloyal
practices. The special object of the- Corps de Bel
gloue appears to have been to unite the rebel sym
pathizers of Missouri, with a views to their taking
up arms and joining Price.upon his proposed grand
invasion of that Stats, and to their recruiting.for
his army in the interim-
Meanwhile, also, there had been instituted at the
North, in the autumn of 1863, by sundry disloyal ,
persons, prominent among whom, wore Vallandig- ,
ham and P. C. Wright, of New Y.ork, a seoret order,
intended to be general throughout the country, and.
aiming, at an extended influence and,power, and at
more positive, results than its predeoossor, and
which was termed, and has since been widely known
as the O. A. 1C,,0r “ Order of: American Knights.”
. The opinion is expressed by Colonel Sanderson,
Provost Marshal General of tho Department of Mis
souri, in hiß official report upon tho progress of the
order, that it was founded by Vallandigham during
his banishment, and upon consultation at Rich
mond with Davis and other prominent traitors. It
is, indeed, the boast of the order in Indiana and else
where,.that Its “ritual” came direct from' Davis
himself; and Mary Ann Pitman, formerly attached
to tha command oi the rebel Forrest, and a most ln
telllgent'wltress, whose testimony will be hereafter
referred to, states positively that Davis is a member
ot 1 he order.
Upon the institution of the principal organiza
tion, It is represented that the “Corps de Belgique”
was modified by Price, and became a Southern sec
tion of the O. A. R., and that the new name was ge
nerally adopted for the order, both, at tha North and
South.
The secret signs and character of the order hav
ing become known to our military authorities, fur
ther-modifications in the ritual and forms were in
troduced, and its name was Anally changed to that
of the O. S. L., or “Order of the Sons of Liberty,”
or the “ Knights of the Order of the Sons of Liber
ty.” These later changes are represented to have
been first Instituted, and the now ritual compiled, in
the State of In dian a in May last, but the ne w name
was at once generally adopted throughout the West,
though In some localities the association is still bet
ter known as the “ Order of American Knights.”
Meanwhile, also, the order has received certain
local designations. In parts of Illinois it has been
called at times the “ Peace Organization,” In Ken
tucky the “ Star Organization,’? and in Missouri as
the “American Organization;” these, however,
being apparently names used outside of the lodges 1
of the order. Its members have also been familiarly
designated as “ Butternuts” by. the country people
01 Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, and. Its separate
lodges have also frequently received titles Intended
lor the public ear; that In Chicago, for Instance, be
ing termed by its mombers the “ Democratic Invin
cible Club,” that in Louisville the “Democratic
Heading Room,” 1&0. ...
It is to be added that In the State of Now Tork,'
and other parts-of the North, the secret political as
sociation, known as the ’ “McClellan Minute Guard ”
would seem to bo a branch of the O. A. K., having
substantially the same objects, to be accomplished,
however, by means expressly suited to the locali
ties in- which it 'is established. - For, as the OhiSf
Secretary of this association, Dr. R. F. Stevons,
stated in June last to a reliable witness, whose tes
timony has been .furnished, those who represent
the McClellan interest are compelled to preach a
vigorous prosecution of the war, in order to secure
. the popular, sentiment and allure voters.”
lI.—ITS OBOAHIZiTION AND OFFICERS. ...
From printed copies, heretofore seized by the Go
vernment, of the constitutions of the Supreme
Council, Grand Council, and County. Parent Tem
ples, respectively, of the Order of Sons of Liberty,
in connection with, other and abundant testimony,
the organization of the order, in its latest form, is
ascertained to be as follows ;
1. The government of the order throughout: the
United States is vested In a supreme council, of
which the officers are a supreme commander, secre
tary of, state, and treasurer. These officers s'"
elected for one year, at the annual , , *?
oS^“- UDCU ’ W : iok -• - maue ;up of the grand
comma io or several states, v eS aha
two delegates elected from each State in which the
order is established. ' - ■
2. The government of the. order in a State is vested
in a Grand Couocil, the officers of which are a Grand
Deputy Grand Commander, Grand
Secretary, WanCTreasurer- and a certain number
ofijlajor dis
trict. These officers also are elected anu~ al u 9?
“representatives ll from the County Temples, eaeu
Temple being entitled to two representatives; and
one additional for each thousand members. This
body of representatives is also invested with certain
legislative functions. - - ■;
r 3. The Parent Temple is the organization of the
Older for a county, each Temple being formally in
stituted by authority of the Supreme Council, or of
the Grand Council or Grand Commander of the
State. ,-By the same authority, or by that of the
officers of the Parent Temple, branch or subordi
nate temples may* be established for townships in
the county.' ' ■■■■-.• ■■■ ;. -,
?But the strength and significance of this organi
zation lie halts imhtary character. The secret con
stitmion of the Supreme Council provides that the
Supreme Commander ‘ 1 shall be commander-in-chief
of all military forces belonging to the order in the
various States when called into, actual service /». and
further, that the Grand Commanders “ shall be
commanders-in-chief of the military forces of their re
spective Stales,’' Subordinate to the Grand Com
mander in the State are the “Mayor Generals
each bf-whom - commands his separate district and
army. In Indiana the Major Generals are four In
. number, . In liiinois, where the organization of the
Order is considered most perfect, the members in:
each Congressional District compose a “ brigade,”
which is commanded by a “Brigadier General."
The members of each county constitute a ! -regiment,”
with a “coionePt in command, and those of each
township form a “company.'” A somewhat similar
system prevails in Indiana, where also eachcompanv
1£ divided into “squads,” each with its chief—an ar
rangement intended to- iacilitate the guerilla mode
Of warfare in case of a general outbreak Or local
disorder.
i The f< McClellan Minute Guardi 11 as appears from
a circular issued by the Chief Secretary in Mow
Yorkin March last, is organized upon a military
basis similar to that of the order proper. It is
composed of compaEies, one for eaoh election dis
irict, ten of which constitute a “ brigade, ll with a
f brigadier general ll at its head. The whole is
placed under the authority of a “commander-in
chief. 'A strict obedience on the part of members
to the orders of their superiors is enjoined.
' The first “ Supreme Commander 11 of the order
was P. C. Wright, of New York, editor of-the
Mew York News, who was in May last placed in
arrest and confined in Port Lafayette. His successor
in office was Yallandigham, who was elected at the
annual meeting of the Supreme Council In Febrn.
ary last. Kobert Holloway, of Illinois, is repre
sented to have acted as Lieutenant General; or
Deputy 'Supreme Commander, during: the absence
ory*U»adigh*m the country. The SWiMtary,
'■ i ' ' ‘ : " - s ~ l'l 55'- ; : -...i j,.
of State ehosen at the last election was Dr. Maßsey,
of Ohio. „ : ■ ■
In Missouri, theprincipal oflioors were Charles'L,-
Hunt, grand commander, Charles E. Dunn, deputy
grand commander,; and Green B. Smith, grand
" secretary. Since the arrest of these three person's
fall of whom have made confession!!, which will be’
presently alluded to),; James A'. Barrett has, as it is
understood, officiated as grand commander. He is
stated to ocoupy also the position of chief of Staff to
the Supreme Commander..i ...
The Grand Commander In Indiana, H. H; Dodd,
has just been trled. at Indianapolis by a , military
commission. for conspiracy against the Govern
ment,” “ violation of the laws of war,” and other
charges. The Deputy Grand Commander in. that
, State fs Horace Heflren, and the Grand Secretary,
.W. M. Harrison. The Major Generals are W. A.
ißowios, John C. Walker,. L. P; Milligan, and An
:drcw Humphreys.; Among thcother leading tnem
' hers of the orderin that state are Dt. Athon, State
Secretary, and Joseph Rlstlne, State Auditor.
The G rand Commander in lllinofs Is—— .TiEdd,
op Lewistown ; and IS. 15. Piper, of Springfield,
who is entitled “Grand Missionary” of the State,
and designated also aB a member of Vallandig
hura’s staff, is one of . the most active members,
having been busily engaged throughout the summer
in establishing tcrnplesandlnltlatlug members.
■ In Kentucky, Judge Bullitt, of "the Court of Ap
peals, is grand commander, and, with Dr. TJ. F.
Kallnsand W. It. Thomas, jailor in-Louisville, two
other of the most prominent members, has-been ar
rested and oonfined by the military authorities. In
New York, Dr. K, F. Stevens, the chierf'secretary of
■ the McClellan Minute Guard; is thcr most aotive
ostensible representative of the secret order.
The .'greater ■ part of the chief and' subordinate
officers of the order.'and its branches, as weil as the
principal members thereof, ,ire _ known' to the (Jo
vernmout, and, where not already arrestedymay re
gard themselves its under a constant military- sur
veillance ■So complete has been the exposure of
’ this secret league that, howover frequently the coti
' Spiratois may change its name, forms, passwords,
and signals,, its true purposes and - operations can
not longer be concealed from the military authorfr
■ ties. ’ r -ft "
It is to be remarked that the Supreme Council of
the Urder, which annually meets on February- 22d, ’
convened this year at New York city, and a special
meeting was then appointed to be held at Chicago,
on July 1, or just prior to tho day thon fixed for the
convention oi the Democratic -party. This conven
tion having been postponed to August 29, thxrßpev
oial moctlng of the»Supremo Council was also post
poned to August 27, at the same place, and 1 was
duly convened accordingly. It will bo remembered
that a leading member of the convention, in-the
cour'se of a speech made before , that body, alluded
approvingly to the session of the Sons of-Liberty at
Chicago at the same time, as that ol an organiza
tion in harmony wlththe sentiment and projects of
tho convention. ‘ - !
It'may be observed, in conclusion, that one not
fully acquainted - with the true character: and in
tern ion of tbe order, might well suppose that; in
designating its officers. by high military titles, and
in imitating in its organization that established,in'
our armies, it was designed merely to render Itself
more popular and attractive with the masses, and'
to Invest its chief with a certain sham dignity ; but
when it is- understood that the. order comprises
wlthin Itself a large army of well-armed men, con
stantly drilled and -exercised as soldiers, and that
this army is held ready at anytime lor such forcible
resistance to our .-military authorities, and suoh
active co-operation- with the public enemy as it
may be palled upon to engage in by its commanders,
it will be perceived that the titles of/the latter, are
not assumed for a mere purposo of display, but that
they are the chiefs of.anactual and formidable force
of conspirators against the liteffif the Government,
- „ and that their military system-is, as it has been re
-marked by Colonel Sanderson; “the grand lever
used by the rebel Government for. its’ army ope
rations.” . - . ■ ‘ . :
in.—ITS EXT2HT AJTD KUMUBRS.
The “Temples”, or “ Lodges” of the ordsr are
numerously scattered through" the States of Indiana, .
Illinois; Ohio, Missouri, and Ken tucky. They are
also officially reported :as established, to a Jess ex
tent; in Michigan and the other Western States, as
well as in Now York, and also in Pennsylvania,
New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New .
Jeisey, Maryland, Delaware, and Tennessee. Dodd,-
tbe Grand Commander of Indiana, in an address to
tbe members of.that State in February last, claims
that at the' next annual meeting of the Supreme!
Connell (In February, 1805,). every State In. the
Union will be represented, and acds,.“this is the
first and only true national-organization the Demo
cratic and Conservative men of the country have ;
ever attempted.” A provision made in the Uonsti- •
tution ot the Councillor a representation' from the •
Territories shows, indeed, that the widest extension -
of the order is contemplated.. , ,
In the States first mentioned the,order is most.
strongly centred at the following places, where aTO -
situated Its principal “temples.” In Indiana, at
Indianapolis and Vincennes: in. Illinois, at Chica
go, Springfield, and,Quincy (a large proportion of
the lodges in and abouhthe latter place having been •
founded by tho notorious guerilla chief, Jackman);
in Ohio, at Cincinnati, Dayton, - and In liamil ton
county (which is proudly termed by members “the.-
South Carolina oi the North”); in Missouri, at St.
Louis; in Kentucky, at Louisville; and in Michi
gan, at Detroit (whence communication was freely,
bad by the leaders ot the order with Yallandinghat&>
during his banishment, either by letters addressed'
to him through two prominent citizens and mem.
bers of the order, or by personal interviews-at
."Windsor, C. W.)- It is to be : added that the regular
plseesot meeting, as well aa.the principal rendez
vous and haunts of the members in these and less
important places, are generally well known to the
Government.
The actual numbers of the order- have, It is be
lieved, never been officially reported; and cannot,
therefore, be accurately ascertained.. .Various astir
mates have been made by leading members, some
of which are no . doubt considerably exaggerated.
It has been asserted by delegates to the Supreme
Council of February last, that the -number ,was
there represented to be from 800,000 to 1,000,003; but
Vallandigham, in his speech last summer at Day
ton,- Ohio, placed it at .600,000, whioh is probably
much nearer the true total. The number- of its
members in ,the several States haß been differently
estimated'- in.-the.-, reports and statements of itS l offi
cers. ..Thus., thoiiorce of the order in Indiana is
stated to be from'7s,ooo'to 125,000 ; In Illinois^'from
100,000 to 140,000 ; in Ohio, from 80.000 to 108,000; In
Kentucky, from. 40,800 to TC.OOO ; in-Missouri, from
20,000 to 40,000 i and in Michigan and Naw York,
about 20,000 each. Its representation in the other
State'E above mentioned does not specifically appear
Irom the testimony: but, allowing for every exag
geration imthe-figureß reported,-they may be deem
ed to present a tolorably faithful view of. what, "at
least, Is regarded by the order as Its trsa force In the
States designated., - - / , .
It Is to be noted that the order, or its counterpart,-
is probably'much more widely extended atthe South
even than atthe North, and that a large proportion
of the officers of the rebel army are represented by
most reliable witnesses to be members. -In Ken
tucky and Missouri the order has not hesitated to
admit as members not only officers of that army,
but also a considerable number of guerillas, a class
who might be supposed to appreciate most readily.
Its alms' and purposes. It Is fully shown that as
lately as In July last several of these ruffians were
Initiated Into the first degree by Ur. Kalfus, in Ken
tucky,
IV.—ITS ABMBB POKC2,
' A review of tie testimony in regard to the'armed .
force of the order will materially aid in determining
its real Btrenglh and numbers. •
Although the order has, from the outset, partaken
of the military character, it was hot till tne summer
or fall of 1863 that it began to be generally organized ; :
as an atmed-body. Since that date Its officers and
leaders have been busily engaged inplaoinglt upon
a military basis, and In preparing it for a revolu-.
tlonary movement. ; A general system, of drilling;,
has been'instituted and secretly carried out. Mem- ;
bers have been Instructed to be constantly provided
with weapons, and in'some localities it has been'ab
sclutely required that each member should keep at
his residence, at all times, certain arms and aspocl
fied quantity of ammunition;’
In fVlarcblast, the entire armed force of tbe order,
capable of. belng.niobHlzed for,edecUve service, was.
represented to ;.ba'340,000 men. The detallsj howv
e ver: upon which this statement was based are Im
perfectly Set forth in the tostimony, and it Is not
known" how' far this number fmay be exaggerated.
It Is abundantly shown, however, that the-order, by
means of a tax levied upon its members, has accu
mulated considerable funds: for the purchase of
arms and ammunition, and that these have bean
procured lnlarge quantities for its use.; The wit
ness Clayton, on the: trial of Dodd, estimated that
two-thirds of the order are furnished with arms.,
Green .B. Smith, grand secretary of the .order in
Missouri, states la his confession of July last: “ I
know that arms, mostly revolvers, and ammunition
have been purebred by members in St. Louis to
send to members li the country whera they.could;
not be had;”,and he subsequently adds that he
himself alone clandestinely for
warded. between April IStli and 19th last, about ■
£OO revolvers, with 6,000 percussion caps and other
'ammunition. A muster roll of one of the country.
. lodges of that State is exhibited, in .whieh,opposite
the name of- each member, are noted certain num
bors.underthe heads of “ Missouri 'Hepubllean,”
« St. Louis iTTnlon,” iffAuzaiger,” ‘‘ Miscellaneous
Periodicals,” “Books,” “Speeches,” and “ Re
ports titles which, when interpreted,: severally
signify single-barrelled guns, double-barrelled gum,
revolvers, private ammunition, private lead, company
powder,company lead ; the roll thus actually setting
forth the amount of arms and ammunition in the
possession of the lodge and its members,
i In the States of Ohio, and, Illinois the order is
claimed by its members to be unusually well-armed,
with revolvers, carbines, &c.; but It Is in regard to
arming of the order in Indiana that the principal
: statistics have been presented, and these may serve
to illustrate the system which. has probably b- e _
pursued in most Of the States.; "One lnteP^ 6 d|. wit
’ ness, who has beena member or the ' rder | atlma tes
that to March last there _ wer»; ln i p Oßges J lon 0 f the
prder. in that State £ and 60,000 re
private arms. Another member
'a&S*?a single-lodge meetinmsrf,-two-bun-;
Xfr- Lai fifty-two persons, which he attended early
La the present year, the sum o( $4,000 was subscribed
for arms. Other members present statements in re
gard to the number of arms In their respeottve conn-,
ties, and all agree in representing that these have
been constantly forwarded from. Indianapolis Into
ihe Interior Beck St Brothers ifd'iignaled as-the
firm in tHac'cHy tb whieh-’ most Of the srms .were
consigned. These were 'shipped principally from
'the East; some packages, however, were*sent;from
Cincinnati, and some from Kentucky, and the'Bttss*
were generally marked “pick-axes,” “hardware,”
“nails,” “Ihouseholdgoods,”&e.
: General Carrington estimates that in February
and Marchlast nearly 30,000 guns and revolvers en
tereu State, and this estimate is Based upon an
actual inspect,invoices. The true number la*
troduced was therefor 6 proui!?J' r considerable great
er. That officer adds that on the day on which-the
sale-of arms was stopped by his order, in Indiana
polis, nearly; I,Odfl additional revolvers had been
contracted lor, and that the trade could not supply
the demand. He further repo;tsthat after the Intro
duction of arms into the Department 6’f the North ;
had prohibited in General Orders of March -
last,-a seizure was made by the Government of a
Is rgo quantity of revolvers and I36,ooo:rounds of am-’
munition, 1 which had been shipped tothe firm in In
dianapolis, of which H. H. Dodd, Grand Command- .
er, was a member; that other arms about to be
shipped to the same destination were seized in New
York city, and that all these were claimed as the
private property of John C. Walker, one of the
major generals of the order in Indiana, and were
represented to have been “purchased for a few
friends lt is to be added that atthe office of Hon,
D. w. Voorhees, M. C., at Terre Haute, wore-dls
covered letters which disclosed a correspondence
between him and ex-Senator Wall, of Hew Jersey,:
in regard to the purchase of 20,000 Garibaldi rifles,
to be forwarded to the West.
i It appears, in the course of the testimony, that a
"considerable quantity of, arms and ammunition
were brought into? the State of Illinois from Bur
lington, lowa, and that ammunition' was shipped
from New Albany, Indiana, into Kentucky; it is
also-represented that, had ,Vallandlghain been ar
rested on his return to Ohio, it was contemplated
furnishing the order with armß from a point in Ca
nada near ’Windsor, where they were stored and
ready for-use. 5. '.
' There remains further to be noticed, In this con
nection,.the testimony of Clayton upon the trial of
Dodd, to the'.effect that arms were to he'Turnishett
the order ; from Massau, N.’P., by way of Canada;
that, to defray the expense of these arms or their
transportation, a formal assessment was levied upon
the lodges, hut that the transportation into Canada
was actually, to be furnished by tho Confederate au
thorities.- 1
• i A statement was made by Hunt, Grand Comman •
der of-Missouri, .before his arrest, to a fellow-mem
ber, that'shells and all kinds of munitions of war, as
well as infernal machines, were manufactured for
the order at Indianapolis; and the late;diseovery in
Cincinnati< of. samples of hand-grenades,;conical
shells, .and rockets, of which, one thousand were
about to be manufactured; under a special contract,
for the/). S- L., goes dlreotly to verify such a state
ment. , . ,
j xhwe details TfUlwayey wue idea 91 the attempt
which have'b*e).i made to place the order upon a
war footing and prepare It for aggressive move
ments. ButT notwithstanding all the efforts that
have been put’forth, and with considerable success,
to arm arid eqtftp Its. members as fighting men, the
leaders ot. the-' order have felt themselves still
very deficft’nt irr their - armament, and numerous
; schemes for increasing their armed strength have
; been devised; Thus, at the time of the issuing of
-the general'order la- Missouri, requiring tho enrol
ment ot all citizens, It wbb,proposed In the'lodges of
the O. A. K;, »t St. liouls, that certain mefnbers
should ralso cort'panSos in tho militia, In their re
spective wards, and thus get’eommand of as many
Government arms and equipments as possible for
tho’future use of tthe order. • Again It was proposed
lhat all the membors should enroll themselves in
themilltla instead .of paying" commutation,lu this
way obtaining pos*t'ssionrof United States arms, and
having tho advantage of the drill and military in
struction. in- the councils- of the order in ICon
tucky.ln Jnae last, h scheme was devised for dis
arming-all ta» negro-.troops, .which it was thought
could lxs-done- without .much difficulty, and appro
priating their arms fov.the purposes of the order.
- The despicable troaclnory of these proposed plans,
as evincing the aMjmwrt'f tho conspiracy, need not
he commented upon. • ■■■-.
It is to bo- observed thavt tho order in tho State of
Missouri has' counted grratlv Upon support from
the enrolled’militia, in caso ofan lnvaslon by Price,
as containing many moanbors and- friends of the
O. A. K.; anerthaitthe “ Fa w-Paw'-'Mißtla,” a mili
tary organisation-@f Buchanan, eounty, as well as
the militia of Platt* and Ciity counties, known as
“Flat: Foots,’’haves been relied upon-, almost to a
man, to join thh revolutionary movoment.
V ITS EITUiX, OiiTHS, ANL 1 rNTHRIOU WORMS.
The ritual of tbff'or-Ser, as wall as IKfrsecret signs,
passwords, itc., has besn iully wade- known to the
military authorities-. -In August last ono hundred
and twelve copics-of tfc» ritual of theO.-A. K. were
seized in the office‘of- Hon. Ds W.. Voorfaees, M. 0.,
at Terre Haute, and a large number ol’ rituals of
the O. S; L.-j togetKerwithcopies of the- constitu
tions of the councils, &c.» already .referred 1 tOj were
found in,the building at Indlanapi )lls, occupied by
Dodd, the Grand 'Commander ol Indiana, as had
been indicated by the-' Government 'witness - and de
teotive, Stldgor. Copies were also 'discovered at
Louisville, at the residence of Dr. Ksilfus,.oonoßaled
within the mattress of his bed, wheris, also,-Stidger
had ascertained that they were kept. -
The ritual of the O. A\ K. has been furnished-by
the authorities at St. Louis. - From th is ritual, that
of the O. S. L. does nofmaterially differ. Eotharo ,
termed “progressive,” in-that they !
separate degrees of membership', , and contemplate 1
the admission of a member of a lower degree Into a i
higher one only upon certain vouchers and; proofs- ■
of fitness, which, with eaoh, ascending .degree,, are ;
required to be stronger and more imposing.
Each degree has- its oommander or head f. the - .
Fourth or “ Grand” is the highest in. a State,; the- :
Fifth or “Supreme,” the- highost'in the United
States ;;bnt to the first or.dower degree- onlydothe -
great majority of members'attain. " A large pro- 1 .
. portion ot these enter the order,' supposing it to be "
a “ Demoeratlc” and political association merely
and 'the hlßtory of the order • furnishes fa ?
most striking Illustration of, the , gross and t
criminal deception which- may 6a praot J •
tlsed upon -the ignorant- masses by unscrupu
lous and unprincipled leaders, The members of tbe - ‘
lower degree are often tor a considerable period- -
kept qulie unaware of the true purposes of their- ;
ohlels. But to the latter they are bound by their 1
obligation “to yield prompt and Implicit obedience--- i
to the utmost ol their ability, without,remonstrance, ■
hesitation, or delay,” and meanwhile‘their minds,
under the' discipline and teachings "to which they i -
are subjected, become educated- and accustomed to
contemplate with- comparative, unconcern the trea- -
son ior which they are preparing. •
Theoatbs, “invocations,” “charges,” &0., oftho
ritual, expressed as they are in-bombastic- and ex
travagant phraseology, would- excite in the mind of
an educated person only ridicule or contempt, but
upon the-Illiterate they are calculated to make a
deep impression, the eilect and Importance of which,
were doubtless fully studied by the framers of the
Just.'iraient. ■
The oath which Is administered upon the introduc
tion of a member into anv degree is -especially lm-■
posing In its language, it prescribes as a penalty
for a violation ot the obligation assumed, “ asharne
ful death ;”acd further, that the body of the person
guilty of such violation shall be divided In four
narts and cast out at the four “gates” of the tem
ple.- -Not only, as has been said, does it enjoin a .
blind obedience to the orders of the superiors of
the order, but it is required to be held of para
mount obligation to any oath which may be ad
- ministered to a member In a court of justice or
elsewhere. Thus, In cases where members have
been sworn, by officers empowered to administer :
oaths, to speak the whole truth In answer .to ques
tions that may be put to them, and have then been -
examined in reference to the order and their connec
tion therewith, they have not only refused to give
any inlormatlon in regard to its character, but have -
denied that they were members, or even that they ;
knewol its existence. A conspicuous instance of
this is presented-in the cases-of Hunt, Dunn, and-
Smith, the ohlef officers of the order In Missouri.:
who, upon their first examination under oath, after
their anest, denied all connection with' the order,,
but confessed, 1 also under-oath,: at a subsequent
period, that this denlal was wholly false,, although:,
in accordance with their obligations as memhers of '
the order. a'deliberate systemof deception -
in regard to the details of the conspiracy is incul
cated upon the members, and-studiously--pursued,;: ;
acdlt may be mentioned in this connection, as- a -
similarly despicable feature of the organization,
that it is held bound to Injure the Administration ■
and offioers of the - Government,, in every,possible
manner, by misrepresentation n-nd falsehood..
Members are also Instructed that their-oath:of.
membership,is to be hold paramount to an .oath.of
allegiance, or any other'oath which may-Impose
obligations inconsistent with those which, are- as
sumed upon entering the order. Thus, if a.member,
when in danger, or for the purpose' of facilitating
some traitorous design, has taken.tho oath,of alie
gianceto the United States, he is held atllborty to
violate ikon 'the first occasion, his obligation to the.
order being deemed superior to any consideration of
duty or loyalty prompted by such'oath,
It is- to be added: that .where, members, are
threatened - with the penalties of perjury, in. case
of theic answering falsely to questions propounded
to them in' regard,to the order before, a-, court or
grand jury, they are Instructed to refuse to answer
such questions; alleging. as a ,grcund: for-their re
refusal that their answers may criminate -themselves.
-The testimony shows that this course has-habltually
been pursued by .members, 4 especially in : Indiana,
when placed in such a situation. , -
Beside theoaths and other forms and-ceremonies
which have been alluded • to* the. ritual contains
wlat are termed “Declarations'of Principles.”
These declarations, which are-most important as |
exhibiting the creed and character of the order, as
inspired by the principles of the reboSlion, will be
fully presented under the next, branch oftho subject, -
The signs, signals, passwords, ho., oi the order are
set forth at length In the-testimony,.but need only
be briefly alluded to. It.ifl.amost significant fact,
as showing the intimate relations between the
northern and southern sections of, the secret oonspi
rticy, that a member from a Northern- State Is ena
bled to pass without risk through the Son th by the
use of the signs of recognition which have been es
tablished throughout the order, and by moans of
which members Iroadistant points, though meeting
as strangers, are at once made known to each other
as “brothers.” Mary Ann Pitman expressly states
In her testimony that whenever Important despatch
es are required to.be sent by rebel generals beyond
their lines, memhersof the order are ala ays selected,
to convey them. Certain passwords are also uaodj
in common In both sections, and of these none ap
pears to he more familiar than the word “Nu-oli
lac,” or the name “Calhoun” spelt backward, and
which- is employed upon entering a temple of the
first degree of the O. A. IC.—certainly a iltting pass
word to such dens of treason.
Beside the signs of recognition thefb are sights of
warning and danger, for use at night as well as by
day; as, for instance, signs to warn members of the
approach of United States officials seeking to make
ariestß.' The order has also established what are
called bailie-signals, by means of which, as it-ia as
serted, a member serving in-'the army.may, commu?
nlcate,with the enemy in , the field, and thus escape
personal harm In case of attack or capture.. The
most recent of these signals represented to have
■ been-: adopted bytheordoris a five-pointed copper
star, worn under the coat, which is to, be disclosed
upon meeting an enemy, who will thus recognize in
the wearer a sympathizer and an ally. A similar
star of German sliver, hung in a frame, is said to.be
numerously displayed by members or their families
in private houses in Indiana, for the pnjoose. of in
suring protection to their propertyJn case of a.raid ;
or other attack; and it is. stated that in many
dwellings In that State a portrait of John Morgan
is exhibited for a similar purpose.
Other signs are used by members, and especially
the officers of the order, in their correspondence.
Their letters, when of an'official character, are
generally conveyed by special messengers, but
when transmitted through the mail, are usually in
cypher. When written in the ordinary mannor, a
character at the foot of the letter, consisting of a
circle with a line drawn across: the centre,' signifies
to the member who receives it that the statements
as written are to be understood in a sense directly
the opposite to that which-would ordlnarily .bo con
veyed. .......
It is to be added that the meetings of the order,
especially In the country, are generally held at
night and in secluded places, and that the approach
to them is carefully guarded by a line of sentinels,
who are passed only by means of a special counter*
sign, which is termed the “ picket,”'
YI.—ITS- WPj'TTEN PRINCIPLES. : :, V
The; “DecWaiion of 'Principles, ”which is set
Va the ritual of the order; has already been
alluded to.. >This declaration,, which is specially
framed lor the instruction of the great mass ol mem
bers; commences with the following specious propo-
Sl “ < Ali meh are endowed by the Creator with cer
tain rights, equal as far as thera is equality in the,
capacity for the appreciation, enjoyment, and exer
cise of those rights'.” And subsequently ’.here ig;
added: “In the Divine ; ecppemv jc *; m&viduil of
the human race must be JP to ehoumber the
S %cts of transcendent beauty,.
? or * t o/ - progress of the physleal-or intel
lectual man, neither In himself nor the race to which
he belong, Hence, a people, upon whatever-plane
they u^yjoe found in the ascending, scale of huma
nity, whom neither the divinity within them nor the
inspirations of - divine and beautiful nature around
them can impel to virtuous action and progress on
ward and should be suhieeted td a just and;
hiiffiafieg&ryitude’ and tutelage
until they shall be able to appreciate the benefits
and advantagesbf civilization.” , (k .
, Here is the whole theory; of humaif
right of the strong, because they are Strong, - ®V
spoil and enslave the weak,: because they are wo»-_ '
The languages of the earth can add nothfng to tho
cowardly and loathsome baseness of the doctrine, as?
thus announced. , Itis/hc robber’s creed, sought to
be nationalized, and would push back the hand of
the dial plate of- onr civilization to the darkest peri
ods of human history. It must be admitted, how
ever, that it furnishes a fitting “ corner stone 11 for
the government of a rebellion; every fibre of whose
body and every throb,of whose soul is bom of the
traitorous ambition and slave-pen inspirations of the
South. ■
t To these detestable tenets Is added that other per
nicious political-theory of State sovereignty, With
its necessary frnit, the monstrous doctrine of seces
sion—-a doctrine which, In asserting that in onr
federative system a part is greater than the whole,*
would compel the General Government, like' a
Japanese slave, to commit “ hari-kari” whenever a
faithless or insolent State ; should command'it to
do so.-,
!' Thus, the ritual; after reciting that the States of
the Union are “free, independent, and sovereign,”
proceeds as follows: ;
t -“The Government designated’* The United States
of America 1 has no sovereignty, because that is an
attribute with which the people, in their severs/and -
distinct political organizations, are endowed,.and is -
inalienable.. It was constituted by the .terms of the
compact, by all the States; through the express will?
of,the people thereof, respectively— a common agent,
to use and "exercise certain named, specified, do- *
fined, and limited powers which are inherent of the
sovereignties within those States. It Is permitted,
so far as regards its status and relations, as common
agent in the. exercise of the powers carefully and
jealously delegated to It, to call, itself .‘supreme, l
out not * sovereign. l In accordance with the prihcl-
S' les upon whiohis founded the American theory,
sovernment oan exercise only' delegated power;
hence, if those who shall -have* been chosen to ad
minister the Government shall assume to exercise
powers not delegated, they should be regarded ana
treated “ as usurpers. .Thes reference to .‘inherent;
power, 1 ‘war power,! ,or,‘ military necessity, 1 on the
part of the'.functionary for the sanction of an arbi
trary exercise oft power by him, we will not accept
In palliation or excuse. 1 ! , . , ,
j To this is adde'd, as a corollary, “It Is moom
natlbie with the history and nature,of our system
ofgovenmießt that Federal authority should coerce !
iby arms asoverelgn State.’’;
1 Tho declaration of principles,, however, does not
’stop here; but proceeds one step further, as follows
: “ WheaeTer
FOUR CENTS.'
in strict
accordance with the letter of the accented flnnsf.l.
“> h iB ?? «***
Imperative duty of the people to resist the function
aries, and, If need be, to expel them by force of arms'
-Such resistance Is not revolution, but Is sofelr th 4
assertion; of right—-the exercise of all the noble at
tributes which Impart honor and dignity to man
hood.”' . -
, To the same effect, though in a milder tone, is
the platform of ) the order in -Indiana, put forth by
the Grand Council at- their-meeting in February
last, which declares that “the right to alter or
abolish their Government, whenever It fails to se
cure the blessingß of liberty, is one of the toaliena
.ble fights of the people that can never be surren
dered.’? ■' ,'i .).' ■■ .
.. : Such, then, are the principles which thenew mem
ber swears to observe and abide by In his obliga
tion, set forth in the ritual,-where he says: “I do*
solemnly promise that I will' ever cherish in my
heart oljiearts the sublime creed of the E, K. (Ex
cellent Knights), and will, so far as in me lira, illus
trate tie' same, in'my Intercourse with men and
will deiend the principles thereof, if need be, with
my life, whensoever assailed, in my own country
first of all: I da further, solemnly aeolare that I
will never,take up arms In. behalf of ; any Govern
ment which does act acknowledge the ;sole autho
rity or power to be the will of the governed.”
In the samafvconnection may Be quoted the a>l
lowing extracts ft-oas the ritual, asallustrating fas
principle of the right of revolution- and resist
ance to constituted authority insisted 1 upon by the
order: 1 :
. “Our swords shall be unsheathed' whenever the*
great principles VriJlc&we aim totacaleate>andhave'
sworn to maintain and defend are assailed 1 ./’ '■■■"'■
Again: “I do solemoly promise thait,-whenso
ever the principles whiefe our order inculcates shall
be assailed in my own State or country; FwllMefend
these principles with’my aword and my life; its what
soever capacity may* be assigned mo by- the com
petent authority of our order.’’
And further: “I; do*premise that I will;-at all '
times, if needs be, take up arms In the cause of the
oppressed—ln my owmoouatry first of ail—against
any power or Government usurped, which; may be
found In arms-and waging war against apeopla or.
peoples who are endeavoring to establish? or have
inaugurated,■a'governaseni? for themselves-ofitheir
own free choice.” ' -
Moreover, it is to bo noted that all the addresses
and speeches of its leadefs-breathe the same-princi*
pie, of the right of forcible resistance to- the;Go
vernment, as one ofthe tenets-c? the order.
, Thus P. O. Wright, Snpreme-Comman<ler;'.in.We
gener al address ol Deoember;TBoB, after urging-that
the spirit of , the fathers- may animate the- free
minds, the brave hearts, and still unshaokledTitnbs
of the true democracy ” (meaning the -members -of
the order), adds-as follower:**To* be prepared'for
the crisis nowapproaohlng, we must catch from-afar
the earliest and faintest breathings .of the spirit of
the storm-; to be successful when* the storm comes;
we must ! be watchful, patibntjbraTe, confident} ob*»
ganized, armed” * , ;-■.< .
Thus, too, Dodd, Gramd Commander of the order
in Indiana','quoting; In his address of February last;
the viowß of his.chlßf, Vallandighamy and adopting
them as his own;days: - '
“ He (Tailandigham) judgoa-thatthe Washington,
power will not yield up Its power;until It is taken
irom them by an indignant people, by force off
arms.” ..... ...
;sheb, then, are the written principles ofthe order:
in which the neophyte ill, interacted, and which, he-
Ib sworn to cherish and dbaervaiws his-nule of aoilon,'
when, withdrmsplacediiniMs-handsihe is: called:
upon to engage in the...overthrow*, of his Govern
ment. This (leclaratlon--first,.of the absolute right
of slavery j second," of State® sovereignty and .the
right of secession ; third; of the-right of armed re
sistance to constituted amthority on the.part of the *
disaffected and the, d Islc’yai, whenever their ambl-,
tion may prompt them to- revolution—ls but an as
sertion ofthat abominable 'theory which,-from* its
first enunciation,served ;as a pretext for conspiracy,
after conspiracy 1 against: the' Government on-the
part of Southern tralto.rs, until thete, - detestable,
plotting culminated in fl'pen rebellion: and bloody
: civil war. What more appropriate name, there
; fore,.to be communleateGas a. password to the -new
member upon his first ad mission to the secrets of the
order could have been conceived than that which
i was 'actually adopted—that of “paliioun!”—a man,
(who, baffled In' his 'lust;, for power, with? gnashing
: teeth, turned upon the(,3-ove?nment that had lifted
: him to Its highest honor s, and-upon the Country that
; had borne him; and, down to the very close of his fe-;
ivered life,..labored inibessaatty to scatter far and
; wlde the seeds of that jioisoamf death now upon our
lips. ! The thorns whic h now«pierce and tear us-are!
oi the tree he planted.
VII.—ITS BMSOIPIC P'UItrCSSS AND operations.
From (heprinciples of tliaorder, as thus- set forth,
its general purpose o<f co-operating with the rebel
: lion may readlly.be Inferred, and, in fact, those prin
ciples could logically/ lead to no other result, 1 This ;
: general purpose, fnd;eed,is-distinctly. set forth In the
personal Btatementsiand confessions of its members, .
and particularly of'!its promlhent'offieersj who have
beeii;induoed to malkedisokisures to the Government, r
Among the most significant of these confessions are
those already aliuijded Hunt, Dunn; and Smith,!
• the heads of thD ,ordea»in Missouri.. The .latter,
whose statement isfull and explicit, says: -“At the
time;l joined;the,'.order,tl understood" that its.object
waß to aid andrissist the Confederate Government,'
and endeavor tb/ffesto'rathe Union asit was prior to- '
this rebellion.’,’‘i;He adds : “The order is hostile in
every respect to the-General Government;' and
frlendly.'tolthei! so-called Confederate'-Government;
It, Is exclusive ly mado.up of disloyal-parsons—of all
Democrats who are desirous of securing the inde
pendence of (the Confederate States, with a view.of; ■
restoring r thf j Union as it: was.” - , - . ,
Itwould b;e idietebeomment on Such gibberish as :
'the etatema’flt. thatthe independence of .the Goo.-,
federate States” was to be used as the means of re
storing “ tiie Union as it wasand yet, under the
manipulations of these .traitorous-jugglers, doubt-'
less the biraing of niany have been so-far muddled as :
to accept the shameless declaration as true,
' : But to proceed to the speci/Scpurposes of the 'order,
which its )eadera>iaveba<l In view from the begin- ,
-ning, and- which, as yrill be seen,H has been able, in,
many eases? to Carry out with-very considerable -
success, the following, are found to be most pointedly
presented by,.the testimony:, . ;
l:. Aiding- Soldiers to Des&rt, and. Harboring and
Protecting Early in’ its hlstory the order
essayed to undermine such' portions of the army
sb were exposed to’ Its Insidious approaches. :
/Agents yjerasent by the E.G; C: intothe.eampsto
introduce the?order among the soldiers, and those
who becamainsmbers iwere' instructed to induce as
many ,of .thete companions, as possible to.desert,
and for 5 this purpose the latter were furnished
by ;the; Aider, with money, and oitizens’. clothing-
Soldiers „who hesitated ah desertion,.but desired
toTeave triie .< army,: were introduced to lawyers -
• who engaged to furnish them some quasi legal
f retext for so doing, and- a certain attorney of
ndlanapolis, named Walpole, who was. particu
larly conspicuous in furnishing facilities of this?
character to- soldiers, who applied to him, has ■
boasted, that he has thus aided five hundred en-.
listed men to escape from their contracts. Through
the schemes of the order in Indiana, whole compa
nies were broken up; a large detachment of a bat.
tery company, for instance, deserting on one occa
sion to the enemy, with two of its guns, and the
camps were imbued with a spirit of dfeoontent and
dissatisfaction with the service. Some estimate of
the number of deserters at this time may be derived
rlsrom a report of the Adjutant General of Indiana, of
January, 1863, setting forth that the number Of deser
ters and absentees returned to the army through the,
post of Indianapolis alone, during the month of De
cember; 1862; was nearly two thousand six hundred,
■As soon. as arrests of these desertera began to be.
generally mad®, writs of habeas corpus were Issued
in their cases by disloyal judges, and a considerable
number were discharged thereon. In one instance
ini Indiana, where an officer in charge of a deserter
• properly,refused to obey the writ, after It had been
suspended In such cases by the President; his at
tachment for. contempt was ordered.by the chief
justice of the State, who declared that “the streets
of Indianapolis might run with blood, but that ho
would;enforce his authority, against the President’s,
order.” ,On another occasion certain United States,
officers, who . had made the arrest : of deserters in
Illinois, were themselves arrested .for kidnapping,
and held'to trial by a disloyal judge, who at'tfee
same, time discharged the deserters, though acknow
ledging them to be such, „
5 Soldiers, upon deserting, were assured of im
; munlty irom punishment, and protection, on the
part of the order, and were instructed to bring away
withfhem their arms, and, if mounted, their horses;
Details sent to arrest them by the military authori
ties were in several cases forcibly resisted, and,
wherehot unusually strong in numbers, were driven
back by large bodies of men, subsequently generally
ascertained to be members of theordw. where ar-:
rests.were effected, our troops were,openly attacked
and fired upon on their return. Instances of such
'-attacks occurring In? Morgan and Bush counties,
Indiana, are especially noticed by General Car
rington. In "the ease of the outbreak in'
Morgan county, J. S. Bingham, editor? of the
Indianapolis Sentinel, a member or friend of
li the ' order, sought to forward to the disloyal
newspapers of the. West s false and inflammatory?
telegraphic despatches in regard to the affair, to
the effect-that cavalry had been sent to arrest all
the Democrats In. the county, that they had com
mitted gross outrages, and that several oitizens had
beeni shot; and: adding;, “Ten thousand solved
cannot hold the men arrested this night. war
and? bloodshed are Inevitable.” ln
t’ne'despatoh were .entirely false, serve to
Illustrate the fact heretofore n-’ ts a“ t hat a studious
misrepresentafion in to m acts of the Go
vernment and Its offi' oera , j 8 a part of the prescribed
.dtloy of members , 0 j t he order. If is to be added
that seven qvafe partyMMorgah county-whomade
upon our troops bpctb convicted-of ■ their,
offence by.a State court. upon their trial it was
uvoved that the party was composed of members of:
theK.G.q; . •’ f./. ...■?% ' .
One of the most pointed' Instances of protection
furnished 1 to deserters occurred in a'case in Indiana,
- where, seventeen deserters entrenched themselves In
a log'cabin wit-ha ditch and palisade, and were fur
nished with! provisions, and sustained, In their de
fence against our military authorities for a cohside
rahle period by the order or its friends. ; >;;
2, 'Discouraging Enlistments and .Resisting the
Draft.— lt is especially Inculcated by the order tonp
j pole tEe reinforcement oi our armies, either by vo
j lunteefs or drafted men. . In 1862, the Knights of the
Gidlden Circle organized generally to' resist-the
draft in the Wcstern States, aiidwera strong enough,
in, certain localities to greatly embarrass the Go
vernment, In this' y ear, and early in’lBBS,ia num
ber? of. enrolling officers were shot In Indiana
and .Illinois.ln Blackford county, Indiana, an
attack-was made upon the court house; and* the
books connected with the draft were destroyed.
In several counties of the State a considerable mili
tary force was required for the protection of the
United States officials, and.a large number of ar- : lt is, however,'tbe'inabillty of the public enemy,
rest's were made; including that of one Reynolds, in the now declining days of the rebellion, to initiate
an ex-Senator of the Legislature,-for publicly the desired movements which has prevented'the
< -ying upon the populace to resist the conscription orderfrom engsglng in open warfare; and ,lt has
u»>. "-(fence of the same character, in fact, as that lately been seriously considered in their councils,,
—'-ich Vallandigham was apprehended in whetherthey shonld not proceed with their revolt,
upon Wa. -e outbreaks were, no doubt, in most relying alone upon the guerilla bands of Syphert,
Ohio. ? , - the order, and engaged In by its Jesse, and others, for support and assistance, _
eases, fsefted b>.. 'tua nearly two hundred persons With'these guerillas tne order Las always most
members; ; i|g -ftacy against the Govern- readily acted along the border. .The latter,- In' cases
were Indicfrffi»/cfiaiw &0., and? about,sixty of of the capture by the Union forces of Sorthem
ment, resisting the drtsft, . ; .- members of the order engaged in co-operating with
those were convicted.- , , '-e forced into the them, have frequently retaliated by seizing promt-
S Where members of the'MdBf Ws. 'cted. in, case Pent Union citizens, and holdtag them as hostages
army by the draft, they were metov. -ujng, and for the release of«*heir allies. At other UmesToiir
tbey were prevented from presently -L ,s j„ Government has been officially notified bv therebel
were obligedto goto the field, to use'their the authorities that if the members of the order can
battle against their fellow-soldiers rather' mm ». tured were not treated by us as ordinary
enemy,or,if possible, to' desert to the r war, retaliation would be resorted
whem, through the* signs of the order, they wotfla t ■ plan of concert between members or
be recognizeff and received as friends. It is to be : f i n Indiana and certain of
added that whenever a member volunteered in the ■jJjLPJP*-'" agreed upon, last v ah(?Sra
army he was at once expelled from the order. - in thiPdonnef
; Z.-Circulation of Disloyal and Treasonable. Rublicttr . marked ff. e •-
Homs —Th« nraftr in Hissottri. has se- 3*ooo guerillas. tfirown into tne oorasr ..
exetiv clrculated’thi'ouafcout the country a great counties, and were the character of re- .
quanlity oftaeMonable publications, as a means fugees seeking employment, Brfng armed, they
of extending Its own power and Influence; as well were secretly to destroy G £. T ® T ?? ie °L.P,™ p c er h?
as- of grtinl encouragement to the? disloyal and; wherever prlcticablefto
inciting to treason. Of these, some .of force, prevent enlistments, aid? B^
the ' principal are the following: .“Pollard’s strife betweenthe olvil and military authortyes. ,
Southern History of the War,” “Official Reports of f A singular feature of the raids P,.^®
the confederate Government,” “Life of Stonewall “atos only to he adverted to, vft--that thepfflMK
Jackson,” toamphlets containing articles from! the conducting these raids wre tonishea by rebel,
“Metropolitan Record,” “Abraham African®, or Government with quantitiespf UMted ,
Mysteries of the White House,” « The Lincoln Ca- sury notes for use! f :
techism, or a Guide to the Presidential; electton of are probably “P 8 ‘ d g th *
1864,’11‘ Indestfuctlble Organics,” by Tirga. ‘ Thbse agency . 0 { wfiieved to he a true-and •
asßSS3Sf®®gaffi&»®SigßSt
sasaaaswa^w-*??^
aistoyafpuMication^to^Wfurnfehed l*■ JJejfruettpn, ojf ‘Gtiiernmcnt Property —There taj;
SSSf '■ lii “ a w< “-
-»sBaK»a6®sssas«s»
in’ “ Rebel spies,' on the Mississippi, rlyef,-steamers belonging .to fth»,;
pratentßdhT tbS ordSTever*sinim I have been, a r generally whenloaded'with-Government:
.'SSSSSS^ Itds BhSwn in thftasUmony to'«•* Shortly^6,^.Bo:6Bl
- in the rebel service to employ .members the major gepetaliof tiff; order in
r, A -f •' •••■•; ... i ‘ *, - -
;Si / ■ t, V - V* * i rrm ' r V- '**s GW'' <»' ‘ JvS.O.ai/ftt
THK WAIt FBDW,
U'OJJIiISHJiD WKSKLY.I
- Tb* Wax raise will be sent to nUMerlben By
■ull(perannaaln advaneel *t—os
Three copies.—-------- 5 OO
five eoples. —iwn I —B (*C
Teneoples.— —. ■...—IS OB
barter club* than T« villi Hi''-•* ,®o ,*mk.
, rate, (1.50 per copy.
The money mvet always acmtnpemy the order, amt
J* no instance can these terms be deviated froirk <**
they afford very little more than ,
4a~Fostoa«ter» are regueated to Sit aa ansi* OS'
Th*Wa*Pxbss,
48P- To the tetter-ny of the Club of t« or twisty, UT
extra COPT of the Paper will b« tlven.
nlshed with forloughs to visit their homes within OUT
lines. ; On coming within the territory occupied hi
four forces, theyforeharbored and supplied with ago \
fiirroatlon by. the order, .another, class of riders
cl.nlm to bo .‘deserters from the enemy, and. at oncsr
see* an opportunity td take the oath of allegiance;-
wbvrh, however, though voluntarily taken, they*'
elain? to be administered’ while they are under»'
Ppeciea of duress* audi therefore, j not to be
upon swearing allegiance' to the Government, thr.
pretended deserter engagesy-wlth the'assistance of -
The order, in collecting contraband goods or pro
i curing intelligence* to be conveyed to the enemv, or
tin some other treasonable enterprise.' In his official
report of June 12th* last; 001. Sanderson remarks:
“This department iasiled wilfc rebel spies, all of
whom belong to the order.”
In Missouri regular maH communication was for
a long period maintained tbrotwti the agency of ■.
tbe.order frons-St. Imule tb Pricc'x armv, by means
of Which private letters, as ,well as* official de
spatches between him and'the Grand i Coa»mander of ■
Missouri, were regularly transmitted: The mail
oarrlers started Irom a point on the-Fkelfio Kali
road, near Kirkwood Station, about fourteen miiee
I'iom , St. Louis, i, travelling' only by- night, pro»
needed (toquote from Colonel Sahderson’areportl
to“ Mattox Mills, on the Maramee riVer, thence
past Mineral Point?to; Webstbr, thence tb a- point
fifteen crlles below Van Bures, whbfe they crossed,
the Black river, and thence toj the rebeHtnes.” it
Is, probably, also by this route shat the! socret oor
respondenoe: stated by the wltnsss .Pltman to have
been constantly kept up between - Price and V-alixn
digbam, tbe* heads of Sae.. order at the Hbrth* and
■ South respectively, was* subcessfaSy maintalced.
A similar oommunloaiSon-' has been continuously
he*ld with the-enemy from Louis ville, Kentucky; ■ A'
considerable number of vramen In that State, many
of them in high'ppsition to rebel society, amPsomer
of tl)em outwardly profeselag l to be loyal, werefdlEi
eovared to have been actively engaged- in recSlVfngr
and forwarding-* malls;wlt& the assistanoe of the
order and as Its instruments. Two of the most no—
torlons and successful of tSmse, -Mrs.* Woods aadi -
Miss Cassell, have been apprehended- and im**-
prisonad. - ■ - ■
* By'meass of tMo correspondence with the enemy,.
the members of the order were*promptly apprised of"
aU raids to be madeby the forces of the former, and l
were ahle to hold themselves prepared to render aUU
and com fort to theralders. To*ahow how efficient
for this purpose yras the system thus established, it*
is to*be added that onr milltsTy authorltles have, to
a number x>f cages, teen informed, through members
of tbe order, employed to the Interest of the Go
vernment, t>f Impending raids, and important army .
movements of the rebels; not only days, but some
times weeks'; sooner than the same intelligence*
could have roackcd them through the ordinary chan— ,
-niels. -i -.-.-i:-.
, On the othei- hand, the system* of espionage. kept
lip by the ordav, for the purpose of obtaining, infor
mation of the movements-of our own forces,- &c., to
be imparted to the enemy, seems to have been as*
perfect as it wa'S secret. The Grand Secretary oF
the order to ft llesourl states, In his confession:
“ One of the esp-eclsb objects of. this order was to*
place mernberßln steamboats, ferrsboats, telegraph..
offloeß, express; offices, department headquarters,
provost marshal’ .'s office, and, imfact, to every posi
tion where they osould do valuable serviceand he*
prooeeds to specl lfy certain members who, at the*
data pf his confea iion (August 2d last), were em
ployed at the express and-telegraph offices to St.
LOUIS. . . I'. ...
5. Aiding the En emy, by recruiting for them, or As
sisting- ihemidSed’mit within our I-ines.—This ha»
also.been extensivl sly Carried on by members of the
order, particularly. - in Kentucky and Missouri. It
is estimated that',: two thousand men were sent
South, from Louis’vllle alone, during a rew: weeks'
in April and May, 1864. ; The order and Its friends*
at tbat city have a permanent! fund, to which there*
are, many subscribe! "S, for the purpose of fitting out
with . pistols, clothing, money; dec., men desir
ing to join the S outhern service;- and; In -the
lodges oi the order in St. Louis and northern Mis
souri, money has often- been'raised to purchase
horses, arms, and equipments for soldiers about to
be forwarded to the Southern army. In the latter
State partleE empowered by Brice, or by Grand
Commander Hunt as his representative, to recruit 1
for the rebel service, were, nominally authorized,
to ‘'locate lands,” as it was expressed, and in their
reports, which! were formally made, the number of
acres. &o;, located, represented :the number of l men :
recruited. At Louisville, those desiring to join the
Southern, forces were kept hidden, and supplied
with food and lodging until a : convenient occasion
waß presentd lor their transportation South. They
were then; collected, and conducted at night to a
safe rendezvous of the order; whence they were for
warded to tlieir destination, In some cases stealing* >
horses from the United States corrals on their way.
Whlle'awaitlng an occasion to be sent South, the
men, to avoid the suspicion which might be excited
by their being seen together In any considerable-■
number,' were often employed on farms.ln the
vicinity of Louisville, and. thb farmof one Moore,to
that neighborhood (at whose house also meetings off
-the order were held,) Is indicated in the testimony
as one!of the localities where such recruits were so -
rendezvoused and employed. <
* The same facilities whieh were afforded to recrulto..
ifor the Southern army were also furnished by the*
order to persons desiring to .proceed beyond i our *
lines for-any illegal purpose. By these Louisville,
.was generally, preferred' as a, point of departure, ...
and; on the Mississippi river, a - particular steamer,
■the Graham, was selected as thesafest convenience.
. : 6..Furnishing the Rebels mith Arms, Ammunition,.
§-c.—ln this, too; the order, and especially its fere ale:
members and alliee;has been sedulously engaged. .
The rebel women of Loaisvlife and Kentucky are*.,.
represented as having rendered the.; most
aid ,to the Southern army, by transporting, very
large quantities of percussion naps,- powder, toe.,
concealed upon their, persons, to." some convenient:
locality near the lines, whenfee they could he readily
conveyed to those* for whom they were-tofended;
It ,is estimated that at Louisville, up to. May. T
last, the sum of fiv.oooihad ! been invested, by the, -
order in ammunition and arms, to be forwarded,,
principally In tbis manner, to the rebels. In St.
Louis, several firms;who are well known to the.
Government, the principal of which la Beauvais to
Co., have been.engaged:-in supplying, arnw and,
ammunition to members ofthe order to be conveyed
to their Southern: allies, j.-Mary, Ann-,Pitman,,a re
liable witness, and a member of the O. A. K-, wk».
wilt hereafter be specially alluded to, states- to
her testimony that .she visited Beauvais &. Co
three! times, and procured from them, oh: eaohs
; occasion about $BO worth of caps, besides- a num
ber of pistols and cartridges, which she carried 1n...
person to Forrest’B command; besides! a muck,
larger quantity of similar articles which site,
caused to be forwarded by other agents. The,
guerillas in Missouri also received arms firom St. ,
Louis, and one Douglas; one of the most active con- ...
splrators of the O. A. K. In Missouri,and u spooiat"
emissary of Price;waß! arrested while. In the act ef“
transporting a box.of forty.revolvers by railroad to>
a guerilla camp.ln tbe interior of tho State. Medi
cal stores In Targe quantities-were also, by the aid..
' ofthe order, furnished to tho enamy ; and a sur
geon In Louisville Is'mentioned as having made;
$75,000 by smuggling “medicines” through the lines
of our army. Supplies, were la some eases con
veyed to the enemy through the medium of pro
fessed loyalists, who having received permits for
that purpose from the United States military au
thorities, would forward their goods, as if for ordi
nary purposes of tiade, to a eertaln point near'tha -
.'rebel lines', where, by the connivance of the owners,
the enemy would be enabled to seize them.
1. Co-operating u-ith the, F-nerriy in Raids and.lnva
sions.—wWa it is clearthatthe order has given aid,
both direetly and indirectly, to the forces of the re-.
bels, and to guerilla bands, when engaged inmaktog
Incursicns into the border States; yet because, on
the oae hand, of the constant restraint upon its
action exercised by * our military authorities, and,
on the other hand, of the general success of our
armies in the field over those of the enemy, their
allies at the North have never thus far been able ?:
to carry out their grand plan of a general armed
rising of the order, and its co-operation on an ex-,
tended scale with the Southern forces. This plana
; has: been two-fold, and consisted—first, of a rtslnsp
£of the order In Missouri, aided by a strong detao'a
" ment-from Ultoois, and a. co-operation with a rebel,
army under Price; second, of a similar rising to,
Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky, and a co-operation,
with a force under Breckinridge, Buckner, Morgpn*
or some other rebel commander,'who waste toyade; :
the latter State. In this case the order was. first to,
1 cut the railroads and telegraph wires, In crdor.thah »-
intelligence of the movement might not be. Bents
abroad and the transportation of Federal, troopss
might be delayed, and then' to seize upon, the ar~-
senals at Indianapolis, Columbus, Springfield, Lou
isville, and Frankfort; and furnishing such of their
number as were without arms, to kjlb-or make pri
soners of department, district, and post command
ers, release the rebel prisoners at Kook Island , and
at Camps Morton, Douglas, and, Chase, and there
upon join the Southern artsy at Louisville or some
other point In Kentucky, which State was to be per
. manentlv occupied by the combined force. At the
period of the movement It was also proposed that
an attack should be made upon. Chicago by ‘means
of; steam-tugs mounted with cannon. A similar
course was to be taken in Maesonrl, and was to re
sult in the permanent occupation of the State.
This plan has long bccupledthe minds of members
of-the 'jtdar, and kas been continually discussed by
them, to their, lodges., A rising somewhat of the,
CnaiaotM ’ ieseribedi was intended to haye taken
place IXi the spring of tliis year, simultaneously
with an expected advance of the army of Lee upon
Washington, but the plans of the enemy having been
anticipated by the movements of our own generals,
the rising of the cons pirators was necessarily post
poced. Again, a general movomsiit of the £>outii~ !
enforces was anticipated to take place about July
14, and with this the order was to co-operate. A
speech to be made hy "Vallandigham at the Chicago
Convention was, It Is said, to be the signal for the
rising: bnt thwpostponement of the Convention, as
: well as the failure Of the rebel armies to engaga.
In the anticipated movement, again operatou to
disturb the schemes .of the order,- Curing tba
: summer, however, the grand plan or action above
get forth has been more than ever discussed through
out the order, and Its success most confidently, pre
aided, while at the same time an extensive or
ganization and preparation for Carrying their.
spiracy into effect have been actively going on.
But, up to this time,notwithstanding the late raids.
Of the enemy In Kento-jcy. an <i the invasion of Mis
souri by pries* no such general action -on’, the part
of the order as was contemplated has tak enplace—
a result,'in great part, dwingto the activity of our
military authorities In strengthening the detach
ments at the prisonsVarsenals, &e., and in eauslng
the anest of the leading conspirators in the several
States, and especially in the seizure of large quan
tities of arms which had been shipped for the use of
the order in their intended outbreak. It was,
doubtless, on account of these precautions that the .
day last appointed for the rising of the order j n In
diana. and Kentucky ( &ug ustlO) passed by litth bat
slight disorder. ‘ .