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
United States much credit to mention them,) that General John H. Morgan
"_was bribed out_." It was absolutely necessary however for General
Morgan to make some report of his escape to the public, that would
hoodwink the United States Government and save the officers, whom his
friends in the North had bribed to let him out, from punishment by
the authorities, and therefore a very romantic tale was made up, and
Morgan's pet _Capt. Hines_, was made the hero of it; and it was the
object of the rebel government in sending Hines to Canada to give an air
of truth to this romantic tale, to secure the United States officials
who have failed in their duty to their country. Hines was assisted in
his efforts by Col. St. Leger Grenfel an English adventurer of great
military experience, personal bravery and daring, who has had a romantic
connection with nearly every important war in America, Europe, Asia and
Africa for the past thirty years, and served in the Southern army with
the rank of Col., as Adjt.-Gen. to Morgan, and afterwards on General
Bragg's staff; but who pretended to have resigned his commission in the
rebel army and was living quietly in Canada; also by one Capt. Castleman
of Morgan's command, from Kentucky, who acted as Quartermaster of the
party, and about seventy-five, rank and file, (nearly all of whom were
officers) of the rebel army from Canada. These men were to be met here
in Chicago by parties from nearly all the middle, western and border
States, who came armed like themselves and for the same purpose. Of
those citizens who came to Chicago, armed and ready like the rebels,
there were over a thousand persons organized and officered, camped in
this city, just waiting for the command, and there were in the vast
throng then assembled in Chicago five or six thousand, who, while they
would not attach themselves to any organization, and were afraid to risk
the first attempt, yet if the first attempt had been successful
they would have joined the others in their work of devastation and
destruction. The above is most too low an estimate of the number of
these malcontents who did not join any military organization, but would
have eventually joined if it had been successful; for rebel officers
have been heard to say in Canada, after the Convention was over, that if
they could have "_started the thing right,_" they would have had an army
of twenty-five thousand in a week. With such a force, or even a force
of ten thousand, in possession of the city of Chicago, almost every city
and large town where there were many Democrats, and where the Sons of
Liberty, the Illinois Societies, Illini, &c., had full sway in Missouri,
Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio and Illinois, were to raise the insurrectionary
cry, and endeavor to bring all peace men and Democrats under their
banners. They were also to endeavor to maintain themselves in their
respective neighborhoods, districts, States, etc., were to seize upon
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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