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I'll IIRIU^ABLE NECRE! NOCIETIES.STARTLING EXPOSURE,Report of Judge Advocate Holt,New York, Oct. 15.—-Judge ' Advocate lt;ien. Holt has published an elaborate report of the ocret political societies ot the West, prepare ! under tin* orders ol the V\ ar Department. Oft heir origin he says :In 1862, about the time of the first draft, mutual protection societies, Circlesol Honor, Knights of the Mighty Host, anti Knights of the Golden Circle, began to resist it. The last order being partially exposed, Sterling Price organized another in its place, called the Corps de Belgique, which' was maintained in Missouri, and took its name from the Belgian Consul at St. Louis, since discharged. In the autumn of 1863, under the leadership of P. C. Wright, of New York, and Vallandigham, the 0. A. K/s, an Order of the American Knights, was organized. With the organization, originally, Jeff. Davis seems to have had something to do. Sterling Price then changed his Corps de Belgique into this, and it spread both North and South.— Changes were made in it as its features were discovered, and new names were given to it in different parts of the country. The McClellan minute guard, of New York, is a branch of it.The report next details the nature of these organizations, dwelling particularly on their military features and the military strength they were designated to control, which he regards as intended to facilitate a guerilla warfare in case of an outbreak against the Government, P. C. Wright,Ahe editor of the News, nowlt;in Fort Lafayette, was first Supreme Commander. In February last, at the annual meeting of the Supreme Council, Val-landigham was elected as his successor. Robert Holloway, of Illinois, acted as Lieutenant General, or Deputy Grand Commander during Vallandigham's absence from the country. The Secretary of the Society chosen at the last election was Dr. Massey of Ohio. In Missouri,the principal officers were Charles L. Hunt, Grand Commander; Charles E. Dunn, Deputy Grand Commander; and Green B. Smith, Grand Secretary. Sincethe arrest of these three persons, all ofwhom have made confessions, Barrett lias officiated as Grand Commander. The Grand Commander in Indiana is H. H. Dodd, the Deputy Grand Commander Horace Heffren. The Grand Secretary, W. W. Harrison ; Major Generals, W. A. Bowles, John C. Waller, L. P. Milligan, and Andrew Humphreys. Among the other leading members of the Order in that State are Dr. Athon, State Secretary. and Joseph Ristine, State Auditor. The Grand Commanders in Illinois*are S. O. Judd, ot Lewiston, and B. B. Piper, of Springfield, who is titled Grand Missionary of the State, and designated also as a member of Vallandigham’s *tafT He is one of the most active members, having been busily ..engaged throughout the summer in establishing temples and initiating members in Kentucky. Judge Bid!- 1. of the Court, of Appeals, is Grand Commander, and with Dr. A. L. Kalin* and Wm. R. Thomas, Jailer in Louisville,uv.o.filter of tiie most prominent mera-be*s have been arreted.In New York, Dr. R. F. Stevens, ('Id- j S ‘Cieturv of the McOl dlfm MinuteVCnurd, is tic most active ostenrilde vcp-res -illative. The greater part of the chief and subordinate officer* of the Order am! its branches, a- well as the principal members thereof, are known to the Government, and, where not alrea'ly, nmv regard themselve.*. as under a constant military surveillance. So complete has been the exposure of this sect or league, that however frequently the conspirators may change its name, forms, pass-words, and signals, its true purposes and operations cannot longer be concealed from the military authorities.The Supreme Council which annually meets on February 22d* convened this year at New York, and a special meeting was then appointed to he held at Chicago, July 4th, or just prior to the Democratic Convention. This* having been postponed to August 29, the special meeting of the Supreme Council was also postponed to August 27, at the same place, and was only convened accordingly. It will be remembered that a leading member of the. Convention, in the course of a speech made before that body, alluded approvingly to the session of theSons of Liberty at Chicago at the same time, as that of an organization in harmony with the sentiments and projects of the Convention. The lodges are numerously scattered through Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Missouri and Kentucky. It is also officially reported as established to a less extent in Michigan than the other Western States as well as in NewYork, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, and Tennessee. In the States jnst mentioned the* Order is most strongly centered in the following places: In Indiana; at Indianapolis and Vincennes ; in Illinois at Chicago, Springfield and Quincy. A large proportion of lodges in and about the latter place have been founded by the notorious guerrilla thief, Jackson.In Ohio, at Cincinnati, Dayton, and in Hamilton county, which is proudly termed by Members “The South Carolina of the North/' In Missouri in’ St. Louis. In Kentucky at Louisville, and iq Michigan at Detroit, whence communication was freely had by leaders of the order with Vallandigham during his banishment, either by letter addressed to him through two promincntoitiaena, and members of the order,, or by personal in* terviews at Windtor,G. W. It waa asserted by delegatee -to the Supreme Circle of February last, that the number waa then represented - to be from eight hundred thousandop# million* butw igtmlr fnitat Dayton, Ohio, placed it at five hundred thousand, which is probably much nearer the true total.The number in the several States has been differently estimated in the reports and statements of its officers. Thus the force of the order in Indiana is stated tobe from 75,000 to 125,000, in Illinois from 100,000 to 140,000, in Ohio from80.000 to 108,000, in Kentucky from40.000 to 70,000, in Missouri from 20,-000 to 40,000, and in Michigan and New York about 20,000 each.Judge Holt then goes on to show what efforts have been made to arm this force, and the various little embarrassments the Order has labored under in this particular. He then gives a statement of their specific operations in several particulars, of encouraging desertions, discouraging enlistments, resisting the dratt, giving intelligence to the enemy, recruiting for the enemy within our lines, furnishing the rebels arms and ammunition, and vo operating in raids and invasions.The document concludes with a resume of the indispntable evidence on which the exposure is based. It is throughout a startling document and its effect on the country cannot but be great.Death ot Solomon Ntnrgew.Mr. Solomon S targets, of Chicago, diet! at Zanesville, Ohio, on the 14th inst.— He was born in Fairfield, Conn., on the9th of April, 1796, and was therefore inhis sixty-ninth year. Mr. Sturges wasa soldier in the war of 1812. In 1814 he moved to Ohio, and about ten yearsago to Chicago, where he built the great warehouses of the Illinois Central Railroad. He led a life of the most extraordinary activity. Before steamers navigated the Mississippi, he built and took flat-boats to New-Orleans, walking home, a distance of twenty-two hundred miles.In 1849, he built the Wabash «fe ErieCanal, from Terre Haute to the Ohio, advancing the money for the work, which was afterwards reimbursed by the State. All his children—nine in number—survive him, and he leaves an immense fortune that can only be told in millions. Although he was emphatically a man of peace, he entered heart and soul into the war for the Uoion, organizing a company of Rifles,” involving an expenditure of 020,000. He was also exceedingly ^eral in his contributions. He was sowroch interested in the success of our. . ...arms that he made repeated journeys to the front and was present at the siege of Fort Donelson. He was an excellent citizen and highly respected. His death is a great loss to the community.iHaryland Free.Maryland is a free State ! Her soldiers, whose ballots are as true as their bullets, have given a majority sufficielu to cany the new Constitution by a decisive vote. The home vote stood as follows :Fw......................*.........11,246Against....... ..12,820Majority against .......... 1,574Majority on soldiers’ vote..............*2,463^ .Majority for the Constitution........ 869The luii vote ol the soldiers has not yet been received, and further returns will swell the majority considerably.This is one of tho grandest result* 1-this eventful period, and the fact that th •soldiers vviio^ie enduring tiie harddiiptof tins war, and are risking their liv **for their country, have turned the scale infavor of freedom, magnifies the significance of the. result, and seals, as it were with blood, this memorable act of the people of Maryland.Where our ddenernlM Stttiad.All the Generals who have proved failures during the war, and been dismissed the service, are for the great failure, McClellan ; but the live Generals are not there. The (Copperheads have been claiming Hooker anti Rosecraits. The former spoke for himself at Chicago, on Saturday. and if there is anything Copperish or McClellan about that little speech which is printed in another place, we can't see it. A« for Gen. Rosecrans, be w about as much of a Copperhead as fighting Joe Hooker. To claim that he i* lor McClellan is a slander upon his rep utation for bravery and loyalty. We have, moreover, the very highest authority for saying he is .with the Union party,and will vote for Lincoln and Johnson. Don't talk about Union Generals and Union soldiers being for the Chicago candidates. No - n*e. See how they rote in the Ohio. Pennsylvania, and Maryland elections I -“Hangman Foote/’ o in his late letter on Northern polities, ex presses his confidence in McClellan inthis unqualified manner: '• •♦“As to the nominees at Chicago, 1 shall say nothing but* this : McClelland geuerai availability; is undoubted ; bit willingness to run upon a genuine peaclt; platform commits him folly as to TilA future action in the event of his election, and his association with Mri Pert die ton,prodivitios are so well known, 'make assurance doubly sure/ i#regard to tle course of any administration at the head ot whichhe might be placed.”A soldier was bnitally murder** ia few days ago in Wabash county, by 4i company of copperheads, simply for .hurrahing, foj Lincoln. The officers of jus tice were yesterday in pursuit of thi murderers, and hopes were entertained that they would be wrested. The mur deters are mombamof the, ValbmdtghamDlt;*ld ooupinejt wd uthe legitimate result of the teachings o that copperhead ids* Ta-.'idam .SigfctMO tkoriftad intiiH utaom’ ' »lt;•- : .a 1.1
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Huntington Indiana Herald
Huntington, Indiana, US
Wed, Oct 26, 1864
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Full Page
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USA 11 Jul 2020
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