Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1864-10-27

principles of truth which have first sworn in
| the ", and now in this presence do swear, to
| maintain inviolate, and defend with my life;
this do promise, without reservation or eva
sion ofmind without regard TO the name, station,
! condition or designation of power, whether IL
shall arise from within or come from without; all
| this do solemnly pronounce and swear sacred
| ly, to observe, perform and keep with a full
| knowledge and understanding and with my
full assent that the penalty which will follow
violation of any or either of these solemn vows,
| will be a sudden and shameful death, while my
name shall be consigned to iufamy, while this
sublime Order shall survive the wreck of time,
and even until the last faithful brother shall
| have passed from earth, to his service in the
temple not made with hands,"
| Q. Was this the obligation of the members
| OF. the Order of American Knights2
| A. Yes, sir; of the first degree.
| Q. Did you take any further degree in the
| Order, if 80 when2
| A. | took the second degree some time dur
ing the fall or winter.
Q. When did you take the third degree2
| A. In the spring of "a, believe.
Q. Into what Order were you initiated?
| A. first took one degree In the Order of
| American Knights, and also the second degree,
| and before | took the third degree it was
changed to the Order of the Sons of Liberty.
@. When and by whom was that change
made2
| A was informed by the officers of the Or
| der that the change was made in New York,
about the 22i of last February.
Q. Did ysu learn at whose iustigation the
| change was madeR
A. The ancient Brother of the Grand Tenn
Pile stated to me that it was made by Mr.. VAL
landigham, rather that it was made in con-
sequence of a suggestion from hirr.
Q. Were you then Initiated into the Order
| of the Sons of Liberty2
1 n,lx into I'd Tha fhar
| vows in the Order of American Knights were
considered binding in the Order of the Sons of
| Liberty.
| o. Did all these members who belonged to
the Order of American Knights, become men,
bers of the Order of Sons of Liberty, by virtue
| of taking the obligations OF the former Order?
| A. Yes, sir All who had taken the third
| degree. They moved right along with the
same officers, and were controlled by the same
| orders.
| O. When did you take the third degree and
become a member of the Sons of Liberty2
A. 1t was in the spring; about March.
Q. Have you continued, up TO the time OF
! receiving the summons to attend this Commits
| sion, to be member of good standing?
4. Yes, cir, am socOnsidered have never
| been expelled.
Q. When and where did you meet?
A. We had tolerably poor temple; we met
in the woods generally; we had meetings once a
| month.
Q. When did you last meet with them2
A. guess it was two weeks ago tomorrow.
| O. What meeting was that?
| "A. 1t was a meeting of the Township Tenn
pie.
Q. Did you ever meet in the Grand Council2
O. Did you ever hold any Office in the Or
ganization?
A was Lecturer of the vestibule
e. What was the general principle and aim
OF the organization
A. In the first place it was organized-at
| least il so reported to us-for the purpose
of bringing the Democratic party together
shoulder TO shoulder, so that By such al organ
| ization they might defeat the other party if
possible. II was at first reported TO be polti-
cal organization. Afterwards We were in
formed by the officers that it wcs a military CT
ganizstion.
@. What service were they going to per-
form7
| A. They mentioned great many different
| purposes-one of them was that the authorities
| who have control of our Government were
| tyrannical; that we were being tranpled under
foot; and that we should have to stand in de-
| tense of our rights.
Q Was it in contemplation to resist the
| Government authorities?
A. No time was set to my knowledge.
| q. Was it not talked of?
A. 1t was reported frequently by the off,
GERS that if they did not work right, when we
| got regularly organized that there would be
time set to rise and maintain our rights.
| q. What was the plan?
A. cannot say that the plan was ever de-
| veloped to me, but 30 far as it was developed to
me, and l understood it, it was that force of
arms was to be resorted to, and that We should
| have to fight for our rights.
| O. Did not these rights contemplate the
overthrow of the Government by force of arms?
A. would rather consider it that way.
O. Did the Order have any drilling?
A. Yes sir.
O. Did you ever drill?
A. Frequently, sir.
Q. How often7
A. could not state the number Of times.
O. How many times in a month did they
drill?
A. Sometimes once, sometimes twice a
month.
Q How long is it since you commenced to
dril1
A. About q year ago, in June. We have
been drilling on and off for year.
O. Did you get pretty well drilled2
A. Pretty well, sir; but we had no great
drill master.
Q. To what extent was this organization
that you belonged to armed?
A. | could not tell exactly. Most of the
arms were pistols.
@. In your township, to what extent were
the members of the organization armed?
A. guess about two-thirds were armed.
q. Was that fair average Of the arming
of the organization, as far as you know?
A. think it is, sir.
Q. How many members were there in your
township?
A. The muster-roll numbered one hundred
and odd Two-thirds of that number were
armed with revolvers, shot-guns or rifles.
@. Do you know how extensive the organi-
zstion in Ilino!s was?
A. could only learn through the officers of
the Grand Lodge in their returns to the Grand
Conncil, and according to their reports it was
| over 100, 900 in that State.
@ Did you learn how many could be relied
upon. in military pointof view, in case of in
surrection2
A. Mr.. Mccartney, who was the Grand Sig
| neur, informed me that there were40, 600 in the
State well armed, and they could depend upon
80, 900 in the State of Illinois.
Q. Did you learn the strength of the organ
izarion in this State?
| A. learned from the reports of officers of
| our Temple that there were about $4,000 in the
| State of Indiana, but did not learn how many
were armed here.
@. Did you learn the strength of the Order
| in Missouri?
A. That was between 10000 and 40, 600.
20,090 of them were in st. Louis and the vicin-
ity.
| Q. Did you ever hear of any plans or dis
cussiens of any plans among members OF the
| Order or of the officers to assist the rebels IN
case of the invasion of Missouri, or of assisting
them by moving into Kentucky?
| A. | heard some talk of that kind. We
were informed in that vicinity where | live,
that sometime between May and June proba-