The Great North-Western Conspiracy in All Its Startling DetailsAyer, I. Winslow
History
The Great North-Western Conspiracy in All Its Startling Details
Ayer, I. Winslow
Knights of the Golden Circle; Northwestern Conspiracy, 1864
The next weekly meeting similar events occur, but
_new faces_ appear at every meeting, that is to say, the greater number
of members who were present last week are absent this week, and others
take their places. The Chicago _Times_, however, is well represented at
most of the important meetings. There were about two thousand members of
the Sons of Liberty in "good and regular standing" in Chicago alone,
at the time they were let down. By careful arrangements we were able to
have reports from the different temples throughout the most important
points in the Northwest, and carefully noted the chief business and
obtained the list of members, all of which has been as carefully placed
in the hands of the authorities of the War Department, and months ago
much of the information was imparted to Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker, in
command of the Northern Department, who was pleased to express his
highest appreciation of the services rendered, and a desire to have
the investigation thoroughly made, that indisputable facts might be
obtained, that truth and justice might be promoted and the interest of
the country thereby protected. So thorough and searching has been the
investigation that _every_ man of any note in this order, in almost
every locality where this moral cancer has existed, is known and may
consider himself in future upon his good behavior. It was the policy of
the Sons of Liberty, which they observed as far as it was possible for
them to do, to obtain positions of trust in the army, upon the police,
in the courts, in railway offices and telegraph stations, in the office
of Provost Marshals, post-offices, departments of government, both local
and general, indeed, so completely did they carry out this plan, that
they made their boasts that they were represented upon all the railroads
running out of Chicago, and it was not an unusual thing for them to
report matters of the various departments just mentioned. One member
of the Chicago Order, as appeared in evidence before the military
commission, traveled over the North wherever he desired, on the pass
of a Provost Marshal in Indiana, his business being to aid in the
organization of Temples in the different sections of the West. So
rapidly did they increase in numbers, that Judge Morris estimated the
number in Illinois alone at 80,000 members.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account