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
At a meeting of the Chicago Temple Sons of Liberty, on the eve of the
Convention, we heard for the first time (and that from the mouth of L.A.
Doolittle), a definite plan for the attack of Camp Douglas. Doolittle
told how the camp was situated, and that it was accessible on two sides;
that guns were in position on only one side, and the west side was
referred to by him as being the weakest; he spoke of the common board
fence which formed the enclosure, and of the ease with which the camp
could be taken, and the vast importance of liberating the prisoners
the first thing upon an uprising. The speech of Doolittle was variously
received; many of the members were much interested; others who were in
the higher degrees of the order were vexed beyond measure that Doolittle
should be so stupid as to proclaim, in this public manner, a matter
which really belonged to higher degrees of the organization to decide.
One of the number, James Geary, a second-hand clothes dealer and broker
on Wells street, who will receive further mention by and by, became so
much incensed that he ordered Mr. Doolittle to his seat, declaring, with
an oath, that Doolittle was telling too much.
At a meeting about this time, several of the members spoke upon the
subject of releasing the prisoners at Camp Douglas. A map of Camp
Douglas was exhibited by an individual present, who seemed to be a
soldier. The map was a fine piece of work and had been made by a hand
accustomed to such labor. Upon this map the precise position of the
various departments, headquarters, cannon, &c., were laid down. There
could be no shadow of doubt in the mind of any man not stupefied with
whiskey, and possessed of common sense, that the details of the attack
had been carefully considered by those who were most interested in
leading it on.
It had for some time been the policy of the Sons of Liberty to unite
with the Invincible Democratic Club and the various McClellan escorts in
the city and elsewhere, and seek to become its officers, that in case of
an outbreak it would be far better to be the controlling power, than to
be controlled. This plan worked admirably, and the Democratic Invincible
Club of Chicago became one of the most corrupt organizations outside
the order of Sons of Liberty. Its secretary at one time was Charles W.
Patten, who had been a Grand Seignior of the Chicago Temple, was also
a member of the Grand Council, and had taken a very active part in the
prosperity of the order, and was chairman of the committee to see that
all the Sons of Liberty were armed. One of the officers of the above
named Club was Capt. P.D. Parks, whose devotion to Jeff. Davis and good
whiskey were noticeable features in his character. This Capt. Parks was
captain of the Invincible Club and often made speeches in the Sons of
Liberty Hall.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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