, 1862-08-26
TREASON IN ILLINOIS,
The Knights ofthe Golden
Circle.
FULL AND AUTHENTIC EX-
POSE,
A Congressional Traitor Smoked
Out.
THE ORDER BROUGHT TO GRIEF.
CEREMONIES, SIGNS, GRIPS, &c,
AFoWed Objects Of the Order.
ARRESTS, DISPOSITIONS,
INCIDENTS, ETC.
THE ORDER BROUGHT TO GRIEF.
cEREhoN1Es, SIGNS, GRIPS, &c,

From Our Own Reporter.1

Inc general charge of treason, and aiding an
giving comfort to the enemy. At the tim
that intelligence was made public, the fri
particulars OF the crime with which the mi;
oners were charged, were placed at nv dis
Posal; out at the request Of Major Merri
provost marshal, who had the matter j
charge, and from conviction that the end
of justice would be defeated if q prematnr
pubhcatlon was made, have been entireI
feucent. That consideration no longer exists
and in the hope that this disclosure will nre
vent we'll Intentioned and honest men fron
becoming the dupes of designing men an,
traitors, shall proceed to unma:k this order
| aho snow 1t to the world in all It's hiaeousnas
and deformity.
II Was generally supposed that an oryaa;za
| tion, known Us the knights of the Golde,
Circle" was in existence in Southern Illinois
and that within its embraces wcra eatberci
many OF our citizens, but I imagine til,
country were not prepared to believe that IL:
fanlncatlons were go extensive, as shall bt
abie IN this communication to show. The
evidence sha@l produce, wil1, trust, oper
thc eyes Of our rulers. and lead them seriousl,
to discuss the question, whether in attempt,
ing to suppress rebellion and punish traitor:
abroad, it is not their duty to look little mors
closely to the roofing out of treason at home.
Recent investigations have led to the discovers
OF en organized plan to fo1nent insurrect;an
and rebellion in our midst aud armed resist.
ance to the enforcement of the laws and the
government Of our constituted authorities,
The offenders are known, their plans are re.
vealed, and though some Of them OCCUPY hizb
political positions in cur state aud national
councils, let the power Of the government in
this emergency be used to the utmost, crush ont
tie traitors, root and branch, and let it not he
said Of our people that they raised vast armies
to crush out rebellion in the South while tbnv
nourished nest Of vipers in their midst. a
Thousand times more dangerous because Of
seeming harmlessness and LOYALTY.
THE OBJECTS oF TIE ORDER.
The order is established both North and
South upon the same basis-resistauce to the
authority Of the government. 1 shall be able
to show that its members are pledged 10
throw every possible obstacle in the Wav
OF loyal men and measures, and that
they openly give aid and comfort to
traitors. 1t is certain from the follow
my testimony that leading men Of the
greer arc IN direct communication With tie lad
fss Of The retclz;on, and that arms aye ,,.,1s5
IRON the South to forward the object of rhn
oIganizn1on; that men are being recruited ia
Inc different lodges, who, when armed viii
sl!her iorce their way in q body to tne coafeu
crate lines and Join the traitors, or b. fsisn;ne
PahsNe submission to the lawa, will join tn:
army Gf.fy+ rEo fSr-t
desert in nodg- Having made J!tcs4 cerSai1
csarges, infopose to suostantia!e them BY the
introduction Of the following
TESTIMONY.
The party whose evidence IS given below ia
trustworthy gentleman Of Illinois whose
trutttulntss is undoubted. For obvious rel
sons 90 not give bis name, but his deposi-
llon Is on nIe at tie provost marshal's, and
can be produced at any moment:
- was formerly citizen Of Illinois INIT lat.
terly OF the State Of Alabama WAS enrolled intn
the service Of the eo-callel confederate &
nome guard, for the term OF three months: st tho
olt and ordered to enter the regular service "a
the war, but. on the p1etense. # settling snma
private bus1nses, procured d pass to leave the
confederate lines, and BY the assistance Of the
secrct s1gns Of the Knights OF the Golden Circle
&with which was then, and am now, acquainted1
l reached the federal lines at Cairo in rhe mnnth
G1 May, let'2 l then went to Perry co1uty. Yhere
stopped 10 Obtain work.
RECOGNITION.
On tae 18th OF June Ect Bedford Turman
Stephen Duncan Jonas Eaton and PsnaiInn
JGnea, who Informed MT that they were mtmt-rs
of the ofder Of the knights Of the Golden .irsJe
!i !nas tnsy were very numerous in this county,
.nat N some localities very few Union men Wcr.
70 70 be funa, and that meetings were held eyerv
1hl1Eday evening Oh Paradise Pfairie
MEETING or PARADISE PRAIRIE,
N THURSDAY evening July 24,h, visited the
sasu ieoge meeting and found assembled on the
tla!f1e On an uncull1vatcd field near the residence
OF ". u: 4. uaines, in Paradise PrairIe. tIeracv
county, Illinois. with an asme guard Etationed .
distance OF LOO yards around the held,
CALLING THE ROLL,
There we're seventy. one men present acknou1-
ece16s fhcu1seiTes members Of the order by an
eRe1tng 10 their names. among whom we're VIM
=: IalEes, Be9ford Turnen, James Tarman.
banks, Penaiton Jones and Bennett Browning, -A
THEY PROCEED TO 8us1.Bss.
The Tnembers dress themselves in a chean
unltornl which they had prepared consie,fnp If
Mm1e ,s 1p pants NJ Msh red s1ripe up the outside of
over the arm and b.ck.
IMPORTANT coAMCNlCAT1oN.
= letter was produced by Eodel Jones nn,.
porting to te Indirectly from JEFF Davis and
from her different lodges Of the L. d "a 9Ma,
men M 1e1 the confedeiate army, thu coufederste
1ates saa You'd pc iuly able to succeed in their In
~ 1Tkpx L
number coEle in squads Of two to four uotfl tnrr
tnouid g.t ACROSS the federal lines when tbeT3
cenlu De formed INTO full companies Sew ~
lhemoefe OF the lodge here eSpEeseed their will
!nenees and discrimination to 60 eouth whenever
IN opportunity was offered; others sJa,ed inv
could not leave their tamtli s, Or they sould 90
DRAFTING. e~
The subject Of drafting then came mn. and s11
expressed their drtcrmi. aIion to resist + ~ th
ceath. EedfoTd Tnrman eaid if It VIVA at.eT1n*.d
fedcxstes N,,1,c of +ha 1.h as % auo Jon Inc con.
from this posl1ions 0'"e4 n1enaoets olesented
49,. ....-
um,n -" FEDERAL TAX.
federal ia1-eyen if cessary to ra;se ~, arn,a5
feslsi ance. II was stated that they had M arnns
out they hoped to procure them soon, NN-Ne'
DRILL.
"Ai,er this discussion The members nzocesdca
to d1i in which exercise ii oined oSe
arms and cxeIc,sed ,hem ,hen th.ongh 1he manual Of
non1, a1'ef Which the ledge adjourned, ~- 1N
MEETING At TANARoA.
also attended meeting On The e5 davoe.u
ggst n the vicinity Of Tamaroa Perry conntV UI nV
T. smith. Samuel A. beard. s,1 E,n ns1eli, Wm.
George, Lewis E1:tton. 8. Il Wcf,a1ra. yas; M,. =.
$ Bahks, Bedford Tue1nan and dnw15Ser, mans walter
Terry county and William Grifla Of J.1fss .2sIssn OF
iJ St1n1 Of 0,,ss =, ,,ls ~ IT,. t1e L. Y. y mad
der in Perry G. INV rvid ana me Or
ber they xold nsse similar num-
xsr71,.o .rs ~ .,l,p...sHi @rp.ssasion
On Saturday the 9th Of august l ,raa 5nfa-,rc;,
by hr. JEmes Heed OF pinckls,ylI,e. rhaf n,1.a.
lrs Of the Il. G. G. would be held an th., ~ -
August. two lies north or PIacineyviI;e 'tn ~ W
three and fon: hu1drt men asssn,hIt q ~ oe1%esn @
rarine With an armed euard esrahlisbr5 Ill uesp
the place. '''ueo