Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1863-11-04
STARTLING DEVELOP
MEN rs.
The Greatest Treason OF the Age.
C0PPERHEADISM RIPENED.
The Vallandigham Plot Revealed.
Ohio, Illinois and Indiana to be Ar
rayed against the U. S. Govern
ment.
State Officers at Columbus Implica-
ted and the Ringleaders of the
conspiracy Arrested.
George E. Pugh appears as Counsel
for the Traitors.
[From the Cincinnati Gazette. ID

l.
For some time past little intimations
have been leaking out from day to day,
indicating the existence of a deep and
widely spread scheme of villainy in our
midst, by which treason in the South
was to be followed by treason in the North
and by which the party styling itself the
peace party of the North was to carry the
war up to the very extreme Northern
border. But the intimations were few,
and by many, the apprehensions of civil
eommotion were considered as ill-found-
ed; and when on Saturday night,
the first blow fell, and several of the par
ties implicated were arrested in this city,
it was a matter of surprise to all, and so
sudden and tremendous were the devel-
opements which were then for the first
time made public, that even yet it is diff
ficult to believe in the revelations which
every hour is bringing forth.
On Saturday night, U. s. Marshal, A.
c. Sands, who has for some time past
been acting in conjunction with Provost
Marshal Major Reany, and the other
military authorities of the District of the
Ohio, in sitting out the affair, received
information that led him to believe that
the right time for action had arrived, and
he accordingly dispatched Deputy Mar
shall James Sands with assistants, on a
special train to Columbus, at 10 o oclock,
to procure the arrest of Charles W. 81.
Cathcart, Schoo Commissioner of the
State of Ohio, and J. D. Cresap, former
ly suttler of the 18th Regulars, but then
a resident of the Capital City. AS soon
as the deputation to Columbus had
started, Marshal Sands proceeded to ar
rest Samuel D. Thomas, Mary A. Thom-
as, his wife, and Catherine Parmenter,
of this city; while the military authori-
ties arrested James P. Patton, of Gov
ington, and Ruth Mcdonald, ofNewport.
and they also were handed over to the
custody of the Marshal.
The plot has been brewing ior many
months past, and has only been discov-
cred by the continual and watchfnl yigi-
lapon of tho datactivae- 1ri-ri---i.~L
had been concerted was nearly as fol-
lows On a certain night, which had
not been definitely fixed, sufficient
number of the conspirators were to as
semble in the vicinity of Camp Chase,
and at a given signal were to overpower
the guard, (Which is far from being q
| strong one, and at the same time the
| prisoners, who were to be apprised of
what was going on, and who number
about four thousand, were to make a
rush from the inside and thus secure
their freedom. Having armed them
selves with the weapons of the guard,
! they were then to march on Columbus,
! led by Cathcart, and seize the arsenal,
arming themselves completely with the
United States arms stored there. From
| thence their next attack was to be on
the Penitentiary for the release of John
Morgan and his men, by whom the rebeI
army in Ohio was to be officered Then
the rebel campaign in Ohio was to be
commenced, and the first proceeding OF
the part of the traitors was to be thu
cutting of the telegraph wires and th'
burning of the railroad bridges, in orde
to prevent the arrival of National troops
g So much for the plans of the traitors il
Ohio. The sketch was perhaps rougl
in several points, and in carrying it on
might have needed several alteration:
but this was the general plan, and had
not been discovered in time it is hard t
tell how far it might have proved SUE
cessful
The parties involved in the matter ar
very numerous, and are to be found i
almost every part of the State, some {
them occupying positions under the Un
ted States, and State Government, whic
rendered it a somewhat easier task fl
the detectives to gain access to the ne
of traitors. The leading man in the co
spiracy, Charles W. r. Catheart, W;
elected by the Vallandigham democrat
in the last fall election, to fill the off
of School Commissioner for the State
Ohio. He sent in his resignation asho
time since, which was to take effect {
the eleventh of the month. He stat
to one of the detectives, Mr.. Slade, w
: had been introduced to him as reh
y spy, that he should proceed to Riehmol
as soon as it was possible, and he shou
then obtain an appointment as brigadi
general in the Confederate service.
also furnished him with splendid pist
which he was to use in the attack
Camp Chase, for the purpose of kill
the guard, and Cathcart himself was
assist in the undertaking. He (Ca
cart) arrived in the city last night und
the charge of Deputy Marshal Jan
Sands, and was placed in the county j
until Wednesday morning, when he v
be taken before Commissioner Hallid
for an examination.
When arrested yesterday morning,
was at the house of Sabin Hough, "
had only Just returned from consul
ton with Vallandigham 1t will be
membered that not long since, Hot
? was arrested in Cincinnati, on cha
- of treason, and was then discharged
mere legal quibbles. ,ais ~
]. d. Cresap, who was arrested in
: lumbus with Cathcart, was also brou
down in the same special train,
- lodged in the County Jail until Wedl
{ day morning, when he viii be exami
before Commissioner Halliday.
charges against him will be precii
nm similar to those brought against
ave School Commissioners.
srs. James P. Patton was residen
'Fge aEe Covington, and brother of the rebel
ex- Patton, who escaped some five we
re re- since from the Kemper Barracks,
;ood had often supplied detective Slade
money and other things with whic
most most carry out the designs of the party.
old cording to previous agreement, he
hlch Mr.. Slade at Camp Chase and recon
%. tered around the place, maturing