Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1864-08-18

Exhibit b. Constitution of Crane
Council of 5. l.. of Indiana.
/ OFFICERS.
( II. II. Dold, indianapolis, Grand Com
mandcr.
II. Helfren, Salem. Deputy Grand Com
mander
w. NJ. Harrison, indianapolis, Crane
Secretary.
THE members Of this Council, addi
tional to the regular officers include
er-o6icio. the Grand Commanders staff
and all military officers above the rank o
Colonel. Sec 3, Art. p
J Exhibit G.. Constitution Of the County
Parent Temples, subordinate to which
Branch County Temples may be organized
This order. during 1868, was valiousIy
named, but popularity known as "K. G.
c." KNIGHTS OF THE GOLDEN CIRCLE, with
whose ritual, oaths. &c. furnished you
in the spring of 1868 The penalty oil
disclosure was then death, and this penalty
was specified in their obligations.
During the fall of 1868, the order
changed name. and ritual, and became the
80. 4. X" ORDER OF AMERICAN
KNIGHTS; the ritual, signs, passwords,
&c, Of which are in my possession.
At the meeting Of this Order, February
10th anil 18th, 1861 the Grand Com
manlcr for the State of Indiana. com
municatcd the purposes of the Order. as
we'll as the views of C. t. Vallandigham.
claimed by the Order as its Head and 5u-
preme Commander.
For said address, the proceedings Of .he
Indiana Grand Council, AMI so much OF
the official proceedings as it was deemed
best to publish for the private information
of the Order, please see Exhibit d. here
unto annexed. This Report gives the
following States as organized:
New York. New Jersey, Pennsylvania.
New Hampshire, Connecticut. Ohio,
Indiana. Illinois, Michigan, Delaware,
Maryland and Missouri.
Besiles the Constitutions Of the as. L. 4"
referred to. there is formal Ritual for the
Degrees. the same being a slight modifca-
tion of the work OF the go. A. K. 4"
ehich was abandoned only in May last
These consist of the "V.," 4" Vestibule of
the Temple, AMI first. second and third
Temple Degrees or ConclaveS.
The organization of the Society Of the
Him" or Democratic Clubs, does not
involve full membership in the ORDER for
thus far, omparatively few in each Tenn
pie, are advanced to the Chapters or
Councils of the higher degrees. but the
lower and subordinate bodies, and that of
the "Illini," is educational and
probationary. looking to full acceptance Of
the general principles of the order, before
the Advancement of the "Neophyte," to
the higher degrees.
As appears from the official report of
February 18th. there were, then, only
twelve thousand members in this State.
and a recent report from a portion of the
State wonli hardly triple this number.
that is, of initiates. though ihey claim for
some counties full Battalions, anil in few
cases full Regiments.
ExHnifs +. +. G.. AND Ii. give the
Ritual of said degrees.
1t will be observed that the fundamental
password is CALHOUN, transposed for use
-Nuoh lac.
The unwritten work and lectures of this
Order, vary in different States aud coun-
ties. and in Temples of the same COUNTY,
though not in essentials. This is account
ell for from the fact that organizing agents,
ia installing officers, could not take time
to fully post and instruct them, and the
work was impertectly committed TO
n,emory.
While the peanllies OF disclosure are
formally declared to be such as the officers
of this Order shall direct, these penalties
are specifically given in the verbal lectures
and instructions. The oaths of 1868
specifically affixed the death penalty
The same is enjoined in the present Order.
Instructions to execute this penalty upon
at least one supposed informer, have been
issn,d within the last two months. Injunc-
tons to arm, AMI much of the detail of
subordinate military features of the Order
are also given in verbal lectures. Con-
current testimony from different sources
confirms the above. Many of the docu
ments you have already seen, and they are
not necessary in this report.
a few facts, derived from many
concurrent sources, give significance to
passages in the Constitutions and Rituals.
OF some you were advised at the time
thus:
1st The outbreaks in Eastern Illinios
were mainly checked by leaders of this
Order, on the ground that such outbreaks
were premature. This information comes
from Canada. Michigan, Illinois, and
other quarters.
81. A few DAYS before the attack of
Forrest upon Paducah, l was informed
that the Temples of the o. a. K. in
Northwestern Illinois expecte such an
attack and that Forrest would cross into
Illinois, and raise the standard Of revolt.
He came to Pa1ncah, but was repulsed.
81. On the day that Morgan first en-
tered Pounl Gap, | was informed at
indianapolis, in the morning. that Nor
gan was about to enter kentucky, OF
which you were at once advised. At 8 p.
NJ. YOU showed me telegram from Gencr-
al Burbridge. that Morgan was in the
Gap This information. derived from
You, was communicated to the secret Or
der with my permission. Upon this, two
members Of the Order, both prominent
one Colonel w. A. Bowles. of Buena
Vista nctoriety, an6 the other Judge j. T.