• ^^'\ • N 'v^^-;y V^''*y^ "v'^^*'/' %/^"-*.#^ p-Ti 5^°- vV.:i;j^ .^\*:iikr-V .v>^:4.*i^/> .v\.;i^.,V ^-.4 ^^vnc.^" • t • -•i^^ /% ;• . <^ .-e* • • » • o* f^t ^it^^H^ J.A.^ COPPERHEAD CONSPIRACY IsTOETH-^VEST. AN EXPOS]^ OF THE TREASONABLE OEDER OF THE " SONS OF LIBERTY." AT-^ILLiXi^AJSTDIG-il^iyr, Suprenie Coirinaaiicier. forts Democratic party in tlie JN ori , ^ efforts, determined to form secret, outhboi.;^- ciatious throughout the Northern States to :. dfert wilir*""^ those ah-eady existing in the States iu rebellioii. i^, ', In 1863 this order existed in the State of lud .ana, under the name of " Knights of the Goklen Circle," and became subject to judicial investigation, as is shown in th6 following statement of the Clerk of the United States Disti'ict Court for that State : T, Watt J. Smith, Clerk of the United States District Court for the Dis- trict of Indiana, do hereby certify that the records of said Court establish the following facts : On the eleventh of February, 1863, the follo'.ving persons of iMoi-gan County were indicted for conspiracy to resist by force of arms the arrest of deserters, namely : Samuel Dillmau, William Dillman, Jacob Groscclose, Andrew J. Perry, John Coldwill, Madi?on Flake, Mitchel Porry, were tried at the March term, 18G3, by jury, convicted, and ea,ch fined five hundred dollars. The proof established the feet that the defendants were members of a secret, oath- bound organization, then known as the Knights of the Golden Circle ; that they tired upon United States soldiers who had in charge two deserters who were members of the same order. Co the seventh of July, 1863, the following persons of Boone County wore indicted for obstructing the di'aft, namely : Patrick Lee, Patrick White, Jeremiah Nichols, John Nichols, Jacob Hill. Jeremiah Gleeson, John Dog- lass, EH Goodwin, Conrad Hill, Nathan Curtis, James M. Lucus, Wright Sims, William George. Each ji^eaded guiltj^ and were fined. July eleventh, 18G3, the following persons of Putnam County were mdicted for conspiracy, to oppose the draft, namely : William llandel), John Ford, George Ford, Isaac Ford, Alexander Siddons, William Hornmill, Printed by the Union Conc/ressional Committee. ■>- v^^.^t.^^^ '^^^^■- George Hanks, George N. Coffman. These men alleged that they were a committee appointed at a meeting to wait upon the enrolling commissioner and demand that he proceed no further. The District Attorney dismissed the charge of conspiracy, and a verdict of guilty was returned on the charge of obstructing the draft, and each were fined. Also the following persons, of the same county were indicted on same chaige : Joseph Ellis, William Ellis, Isaac Day, William McNary, Francis Allen, Conrad Cook. Joseph Ellis was tried on the charge of conspiracy, found guilty, and fined five hundred dollars. Verdicts of guilty were ren- dered against the others on charge of obstructing the draft. The proof clearly established the fact that between seventy-five and one hundred armed men (many of them blackened their faces) went to the house of the Enrolling Commissioner about midnight and demanded his enrollment papers, and obtained and destroyed them. The following persons of Monroe County were indicted for obstructing the draft: Elmore J. Walker, Joel Morgan, John Graves, John Morgan, Sen., Richard J. Walker, Elijah Conder, Henry Crumb, Washington Sares, John Butcher, John Morgan, Jr., Abraham May, Peter Fossett, Alexander Smith, Drury Kirk, ^lichael Kirk, Lemuel Sexton, William Whitaker, Preston May, "Wesley Carter, Thomas Oliphant, John Whitaker ; a verdict ef guilty was retur^ftd aarains} agrb. T^^' uefendants, in connection with others, n;iet and surroundedthe En- rolling Officer, and by ^rce obtained possession of the en^pllmer^4 papers. There have been " great pisyjy other convictions and pleas of guilty of porsons residing in irious parts of the State on charges of obstructing the Draft. The p^oof, in imost every instance, connected the defendants with a secret organizat' n whose objects were shown on the trials to be opposition to the executio.i of the laws of the United States, to the prosecution of the war, and friendly to the cause of the rebeUion. The records of the Court further show that three witnesses who were taken before the Grand Jury and refusing to testify, a presentment of the facts in each case was made to the Court signed by the foreman of the Jury. In answer to a rule entered against each to show cause why they did not answer the questions propounded to them by the Grand Jury, they and each of them testified before the Court that they could not answer the questions proposed without criminating themselves and rendering them- selves liable to a criminal prosecution for a violation of the laws of the United States, that they were members of this secret order, and could not disclose its objects and purposes for the above reasons, and were shielded by the Court on the ground that they could not be required to criminate themselves. * The existence of a wide-spread secret order whose purposes are disloyal, and at war with the peaceful execution of the law, has been established beyond all question by the trials and convictions in this Court, as conclu- sively shown by the records. In witness of the truth of which, I, as Clerk of the said Court, have here- unto set my hand and the seal of the said Court, at Indianapolis, this twelfth day of September, a.d. 1864. Watt J. Smith, Clerk. It became the duty of General Carrington, the Commander of the District of Indiana, to find out the doings of this treasonable association ; and, for that purpose, resort was had to the detective Kystem, so eifectual in the discovery of crime. The result of his investigation is given in the following report made by him to Governor Morton : t3n^ 3 Headquaiiteks District of Indiana, 1 NoKTiiEUN Department, > Indianapolis, Ind., June 28th, 1864. ) GovERNOK : In compliance with your request, I jilace in j'our hands a partial outline of the nature, work, and extent of a disloyal society or order now operating in the State of Indiana, under the name of " Sons of Lib- EKTY." I. NATUIIE OP THE OKDEU. 1st. It is both civil and military. In its first relation, it declares prin- ciples of ethics and politics, for adoption and dissemination, that are hostile to the Government of the United States. In the latter relation, it assumes to organize armies for " actual service " in support of those principles, treat- ing the United States Government as their e>ic?ni/, and that of the rebellion as their friend. 2d. It is secret and oath-hound. 8d. It is despotic and absolute. The penalties of disobedience to its offi- cers are unlimited, including the death-penalty itself. ir. rRINCIPLES OF THE OKDKu. Lbsolute, inherent, StwPP^^^^nty. -^^ . atL rVi« uintr Ji the Stsltes as but voluntary ahu" ceuipo»*u.')". an3 revo- ■ "•'' f any' individual S&|||kj|P far as conceriiB tHat State. (■' Ml r.il riovcnf^W the powcrt6'tflifol-ce its laws, if .„ ij^ .;.'- ^.i'j.__ 'ji u ^IliUj to reject them. " " 4th. Recognizes the existing rebellion as legitimate, legal, and just. 5th. Holds revolution against the present Government as not only a right, but a duty. Cth. Holds obligations to the order as paramount, to those due a single State, or the United States. 7th. Declares its purpose to stop this war, treat with rebels, and make a treatj"- based upon the recognition of grades of civilization and race. 8th. Declares a law of races, one of Caucasia^n supremacy, and one of African servitude. 9th. Pledges a crusade in favor of all peoples attempting to establish new governments of their own choice, as against e'xisting rulers or authori- ties. 10th. Accepts the creed of the rebellion, its logic, its plans, and its prin- ciples, as the normal theory of Democracy, and its own bond of coherence and ultimate success. III. EXTENT OF THE ORDER, Exhibits are furnished as follows : E.xhibit A. "Constitution of Supreme Council of the States," that i.s, of all States that may join, recognizing the primary independence of each State. " The Supreme Commander of this Council," is " Commander-in- Chief of all military forces belonging to the order, in the various States, when called into actual service." — See Sec. 8. OFFICERS FOR 18G4 AS REPORTED. C. L. Vallandigham, of Ohio, Supreme Commander. Robert IloUoway, of Illinois, Deputy Supreme Commander, Dr. Massey, of Ohio, Secretary of State. Exhibit B. Constitution of Grand Council of S. L. of Indiana. • OFFICERS. II. II. Dodd, Indianapolis, Grand Commander. H. Heffi-en, Salem, Deputy Grand Commander. W. M. Harrison, Indianapolis, Grand Secretary *' i * "* * "The members of this Counci], additional to the regular officers, include, €X officio^ the Grand Commander's staff, and all military ofScers above tho ranic of Colonel."— Sec 3, Art. 2. ' E.\-hil)it C. Constitution of the County Parent Temples, subordinate to Mdiich Branch County Temples may be organized. This order, during 1863, was variously named, but popularly known as " K. G. C," KsiGHTS OF THE GoLDEN CiHCLE, with whose ritual, oaths, etc., I furnished j'-ou in the spring of 1863. The penalty of disclosure was then death, and this penalty was specified in their obligations. During the fall of 1863, the order changed name and ritual, and became the " O. A. K.," Order of American Knights ; the ritual, signs, pass- words, etc., of which are in my possession. At the meeting of this Order, February 16th and 17th, 18G4, the Grand Commander for the State of Indiana communicated the purposes of the Order, as well as the views of C. L. Vallandigham, claimed by the Order as its Head and Supreme Commander. For said address, the proceedings of the Indiana Grand Council, and so much of tile i.lhcial pioceediiigs as it was deej^d"best to publish for the private informationof^M^Mfcr, pi --—._. This EuM^Mfll^^^^ft Sta degrees, the same being a. slight modiflcation of The work of '^0. A. K.j" which was abandoned only in May last. These consist of the " V.," Vestibule of the Temple, and first, second and third Temple Degi'ees or Conclaves. The organization of the "Society of the Illini," or Democratic Clubs, does not involve full member.ship in the Order; for thus for comparatively few in each Temple are advanced to the Chapters or Councils of the higher degrees, but the lower and subordinate bodie.s, and that of the " Illini," is educational and probationary, looking to full acceptance of the general prin- ciples of the order, before the advancement of the "Neophyte," to the higher degrees. As aijpcars from the official report of February 17th, there were, then, only twelve thousand members in tliis State, and a recent report from a portion of the State would hardly triple this number, that is, of initiates, though tliey claim for some counties full battalions, and in a few cases full regiments. E.xiiiHiTS F, F, G, AND II give the Ritual of said degrees. It will be observed that the fundamental password is CAi.noiiN, trans- posed for use thus — Nu-oh-lac The unwritten work and lectures of this Order vary in different States and counties, and in Temples of the same county, though not in essentials. This is accounted for from the fact that organizing agents, in installing ofDccrs, could not take time to fully post and instruct tiicm, and the work was im])crfcctly committed to memory. While the penalties of disclosure are formally declared to be such as the officers of tbis Order shall direct, these penalties are specifically given in the verbal lectures and instructions. The oaths of 1863 specifically affixed the death-penalty. The same is enjoined in the present Order. Instruc- lioi^ to exciite this penalty upon at least one supposed informer have been isst"d within the last two months. Injunctions to arm, and much of the • letail of subordinate military features of tlie Order are also given in verbal lectures. Concurrent testimony from diliercnt sources confirms the above. Many of the documents you have already seen, and they are not necessary in this report. lY. OPERATION'S OF THE ORDER. A few facts, derived from many concurrent sources, give significance to passages in tlie Constitutions and Rituals. Of some you were advised at the time — thus : • 1st. The outbrealvS in Eastern Illinois were mainly checked by leaders of this Order, on the ground that. such outbreaks were preniatiu'e. This in- formation comes from Canada, Michigan, Illinois, and other quarters. 2d. A lews da3-s before the attack of Forrest upon Paducah, I was in- formed that the Temples of the 0. A. K. in Northwestern Illinois expected such an attack, and that Forrest would cross into Illinois, and raise the standai-d of revolt. He came to Paducah, but was repulsed. 3d. On the day that Morgan flrst entered Pound Gap, I was informed at Indianapolis, in the morning, that Morgan was about to enter Kentuck}"^, of which you were at once advised. At three p.m. you showed me a telegram from General Burbridge, that Morgan was in the Gap. This information, derived from yon, was communicatedio the secret Order with my permis- .sion. Upon this, two members of the Order, both prominent — one Colonel iriety. and the other Jud:;e J. F. Ibillitt ted tu have ped. The incuTcnts' , --.J . i _...iJsay from' Kentucky j-ou are ftimilitir wTT circumstances under which Morgan threw part of his force into Kentucky, wlien General Burbridge moved toward Virginia. 4th. Information was given you of the visit of Vallanuigham to Detroit, hi-i projected trip to Chicago, of the meeting of the Grand Council of Indi- ana, June 13, of the proposed adjournment and meeting at Hamilton, June 15, and that Vallandigham's immediate recall was subject of debate, and the prospect of his being at that time at Hamilton. At least one rebel offi- cer left Windsor, C. W., and visited Hamilton four weeks before, in the conlidence of dislo3'al persons, of which I was advised at that time by telegraph through General Noble. , 5th. Five days before Morgan attacked Mount Sterling, and the L. and L. R. R. was severed, written report was sent by disloyal persons, of which I have the originals, that the road was quiet, that "no mules" (U. S. soldiers) were on the line, and that a glorious work would begin the coming week. Cth. A courier intercepted between Frankfort and Louisville, who reported t© me at Louisville, as I was starting for Indianapolis, claimed that Forrest was moving upon Southwesterti Kentuck}'', and that a portion of Buckner's command would join the fragments of Morgan in Western Virginia. Two days after, Forrest defeated Sturgis ; Buckner, however, was west of the Mississippi. I give these among many facts to show that there is a close correspondence of design and feeling betw'een traitors North and the rebels South. The whole plot of the Order herein referred to is in harmony with forcible interruption of the war. W. A. Bowles, before referred to, has made no close secret of his disloyal purposes, and his sympathy with the South. lie is reported as one of the four Major-Generals of the Order in Indiana. The remaining three are L. P. Jlilli^n, of Huntington, M.-yor AVall#er, of northwestern part of Indiana, vice Yeagle removed, and Andrew Hum- phreys, of Green county. The Grand Conunander has already been named. Although the new work, S. L., was obtained at Indianapolis, by R. , Bar- rett, for Missouri, it is understood that the Order is so far organized in that State as to run a risk of disappointment by a change, and that the work of the 0. A. K. will retain its usage, as it differs onl}' in non-essentials. Among the persons reported as at tlie conference with Judge Bullitt and Barrett, were J. J. Bingham, Dr. Antlion, and Mr. Ristine, of Indianapolis. I will also give the names of a few other members for your information, to enable you to watch the movement of this Order in Indiana, namely, Dr. Gat- ling, (associated with the Catling Gun,) Mr. Evert, of Vanderburgh, Mr. L. Leach, Mr. Otey, Myers of Laporte, Dr. Lemons, A. D. Raga, Mr. McBride, of Evansville, John G. Davis, and Lassell, of Cass county. Several of the above are delegates to the State Grand Council of Missouri ; and besides, n. 11. Dodd, to the Supreme Grand Council, to be held at Chicago, the first of July next, preparatory to the political convention of July 4. V. PURPOSES OF THE ORDER. It seems that the main pui-pose is political power, by union with the South, regardless of men or measures. The Eastern and Western Council leaders differ as to means to this end ; and, again, the radicals and conserv- atives differ, at the West. Men like Dr. W. A. Bowles seem indifferent to any presidential canvass, and to prefer an early armed rupture and positive union of the Northwest with the South. . •_ Such men vxz ^ItTJay 'alii ?.Ti^ious ior such an avmei \?.y^'?,\on as will give * utiii a nucleus for open deflancOjOf the United States. This is not specu- lation ; but proof is ample. IJutJ^ adverffeff'td ^me f:\ctsalreadjJl^nd*Vrill advise you, as I have the Government and General Heintzelman, as events progress. Very respectfully yours, Henry B. Carkington, Brigadier-General, Com'd'g Dist. Indiana. His Excellency Gov. 0. P. Mortox, Indianapolis, Indiana. Two months after the above report was made, Governor Mor- ton Avas advised that a number of arras and a quantity of fixed ammunition had been shipped from New-York to the head of the Order at Indianapolis. Notice of the fact was given to the public authorities. Mj. Russell, the Deputy Marslial for the city of Indianapolis, discloses, in the following affidavit, what afterwards took place in relation to the matter : State of Indiana,) Marion County. \ ^^' Before me, James N. Swcetser, a Notary Public within and for the county of Marion, State of Indiana, personally appeared John S. Russell, who, being first duly sworn, upon his oath, says he is now, and has been for more than two years last past, the Deputy Marshal of the city of Indian- apolis, State of Indiana ; and further saj^s, that on the twentieth day of August, A.D, 1864, he was sent for by 0. P. Morton, Governor of the State of Indiana, and was informed that there was a lot of arms and am- munition on the road to Indianapolis addressed to the care of J. J. Parsons, whose place of business is in tlie building occupied by H. II. Dodd, and known as the l^entinel Office ; that upon tlie request of the Governor, he Iirocoeded to search, and went to two railroad depots and the office of the Merchants' Despatch, and learned that on the fifth day of August, ten boxes, marked Hardware by Merchants' Despatch, addressed to Parsons, had al- ready been taken away from the Bellefontaine Depot, and chai'ges paid ; the gross weight was two thousand four hundred and five pounds ; they were receipted for on August the twelfth ; on further investigation he learned that twentj^-two boxes, addressed to the same party, weighing four thousand two hundred and sixty pounds, marked Hardware, were then in the Eellefont;iine Depot, which fact was immediately reported to the Gov- ernor, and'tlie Governor reported to Col. Warner, commanding the Veteran Reserve Corps at this place, who thereupon detailed one company to go with said Russell and seize said boxes ; in pursuance of which the boxes were taken by Russell and said company from the building in which said II. 11. Dodd & Co. and Parsons were doing business. We proceeded first to the Bellefontaine Depot, but the boxes were gone; but on finding the drayman, whose name is Henry Ankenbrook, he stated that the boxes were delivered at the house above mentioned. We found the twenty-two boxes in the press-room ; four more in the same room, supposed to be of the first lot, in one corner of the room, covered up with old tables and boards ; and six boxes were found in the second story, piled up behind a lot of other boxes filled with waste-paper and books thrown over them, and Parsons name scratched off the boxes. There were three hundred and jiinety nvolvt-rs and one hundred and forty thousand rounds fixed ammu- JiJUuiiJj; '»?J.d.}.iC"j»S;. w'','"H were taken tn militn^-v heaflo'inrters at the Sol- Subscriped and swoiii to before me, this tenU: day or jjf: ■ ^^^'^ James *iT. Swbetsek, Notary Public. ^Flv«-cent Revenue-stMnp affixed.] The above shipment was made as "Stationery," as shown on the bill of lading, in order to conceal the true contents ol the boxes Twenty-two additional boxes of arras, addressed to the same person, were subsequently seized in New-York. . ^ v^ .» These arms were to have been used by the oath-bound traitoiB for the purpose of driving Union men from the polls at the approaching election in Indiana. How far similar desperate ar- rangement^ have been made to control the election in other States, is yet unknown. . ^ , . That the deliberations of the Chicago Convention were con- trolled by the Order of the "Sons of Liberty" no well-inlorraed man will deny. During its session. Dr. Olds, a leading member of the Order, an out-spoken traitor, boldly announced that the "Sons of Liberty" were in session in the city, and might have a communication to present to the Convention before its adjourn- "" Vallandingham wrote the platform, which was adopted almost unammouslyT and it was upon his motion that McClellan was declared the nominee of the Convention. T^e essential portions of the platform had been previously adopted by the Grand Coun- cil of the Order at a meeting held at Indianapolis on the sixteenth of February, 1864, as is shown by the followmg resolution found on the secrei recoi'ds of that Order, in the safe of Dodd, the Grand Commander for Indiana : 8 5 That whatever the theory of the powers of the Federal Government to coerce a State to remain in the Union may be, war as a means of restor- ing the Union is a delusion, involving a fearfnl wa^ste of hmnan life hope- less bankruptcy, and the speedy downfall of the Republic. Therefore we recommend a cessation of liostilities upon existing facts, and a convention of the sotereiqn States to adjust the terms of a peace with a mere to the restoration of the Union, entire if possible ; if not, so much and such parts as the affinities of interest and civilization may attract. Now read tlie following corresponding portion of the Chicago Platform : Besohed, That this Convention does explicitly declare, as the sense of thf American people, that after four years of failure to restore the Umon by the experiment of war, during which, under the pretence of a mill ary necessit'^ or war power higher than the Constitution, the Constitution itself S.S been dsregarded in every part, and public liberty and private right a ke tiodden down, and the material prosperity <^f .^J^^ i«^S^''^S tS imnaired iuV.i,o humanity, liberty, aM 'tlie' poMiC vrSfi^'^ftnandtli^ impanetl, ji. . .-.^.J^\. ^ ^^^Uon of LstiWics with- a vino to an ;..'••. ■^rS*''^ •■----. c/r other peu;6.Jji^'^a'ris to the end Zest pra'cUcaNe moment peace may ie reitored on the hasis Tpare these resolutions, and no man can doubt their pater- nity — tliey each emanated from the brain of Vallandingham, the Grand Commander of tlie secret and oath-bound conspirators. Sliould the nominee of this secret Order be elected to the Presi- dency, his administration will be controlled by the men who controlled the Convention, as a conseqiience certain to follo-w. They will demand, in the language of the platform of their Order, " a cessation of hostilities u^^on existing facts, and a convention of all the sovereign States to adjust the terms of peace, with a view to the restoration of the Union, entire if possible ; if not^ so much and such jyctrts as the affinities of interest and civilization may attract.'''' The demand will be acceded to by their President, notwithstanding the fustian about " a preservation of the Union at all hazards," j^ut into his letter of acceptance for the jnirj^ose of catching votes. That is well understood, or else the oath-boxmd traitors would not now be making every possible effort to attain power through his election. Are the people willing that such a result, so revolting to every feeling of manliood and patriotism, shall thus be accomplished ? Every, })atiiot is against it. Every soldier in the field is against it. . Tlie blood of the thousands slain by rebel hands cries from tlie ground against it, and, we fervently believe, the Great Ruler of the Universe is aojaiust it. Printed by Johin A. Gray & Green, New- York. \ ?- .••• v' ..iil' ipr, ^^0^ ^^-n* !?r^*o^^ V^^-*.*-^' .^ - o • • ^ "^