, 1864-10-20

l "---~-"S*'A10
eye, Sovesnpent, p formed pri1cdpsl1Y in the waste
Statee. By traitors and uislogai persons, haye M
Inc honor 10 submit ~ fullowe: ~
During more than year paet II b.s hcen ,a, g
alty known to our authorities that aecret trssso;
able Org lnizatloo. afl,i1ted with the eonther
1s1;dIH tna ene military n its +.
a santty OF agencies. which viii be specified hsr
nase -. neen empio5ed and successfa!y, to asce
lte tesus; and. rs this tnqes isation has led +
the Arrest In several States Of 4 number of II
premloent members as dangerous enemies to thej
eon6ntf5. !! bag been deened proper to set iorth
1aA toe hcts a1d purpoees OF this qtcau.zsttoI
! and thus to make known to The commanitv
iaTse @ Its 1nten.el5 treasolab!e and re1olationar
The sebject will be presented under the follcv
Ing heads: ''A'"
i rs origin, history, names, &c.
II. It's organization and otHcsrs,
ILL., Its tXtcnt and urm5tSs
~. Its armed force.
y. It's ritual, oaths and interior forms,
~ It's written principles.
f1L Ia specific puFpeeea and pperntiols
VII. The witnesses ard their testimony.
1-1Ts ORIGIN. HISTORY, NAMES, ETC.
IEie secret association first developed ltsor ii
e. II ,he ytaF at ths period d
ssruet aud resist Ogiuas Known IL eeetsn ~ W ~
sa1ies 'ie, as =, tne Mutual Pnoteeou socisty th
1ss %a92 & aeqoI hos9 The sat
~hni his Of the Golden clrclr, it was aImnly Al
inspiration ef the rebe noa being little oIasr ihae
~ ~ aMonE Tug dfstoyal aud 6teatec:ed III
tnt Npf'a .! Inc association Of the lattsf name
! Nncn tan existed Tor some yeara at the South
ana from which it de1vsa ali lie Chief 1e.turea o.
| lite 0rEah1zat1cn. "
l,urtrs the tummer AID fall Of 1853 the Order
both at The Norta aud Soulh, uuuer vent SOM,
mocihcaaon', - well 81 change of name. il
ae o. partial exposure which hxa been
maoc o. tne esnf and secret forms OF the
OF the Colleen Clcle,n Sterling Price bai fusIftnted
a. s sns9ehsof t III Missouri scEes political asso
eaaSn. xhien be cal ea the Corps dc Keeique,' ~
/ N nil inhI =
lrg ch,tles L. Hunt, Of St. Louis, then Ber,an
Gonanl a. that e1ty, but whose ereQuatur was sub
Corps de Beisique appears to h1ye been to nnite
Iae senei eymp.to1xesa OF Missouri, with a view
his proposed cfsEd nTsston Of thst state sn IN
1he1l recruiting for his army in the interim.
Mean" hile aiso there bad been Instituted at tho
! pereon+, prominent amotg whom were talland1c.
hsm am r. G. Wright, OF New York, Becret Ordsf.
tpteIded 10 &c general throughout the coQnsry'
@ ana ai,a1ng At an extended influence aol po wi.
and a. more positive resuts thsu it, predecessor
ana witch Eas ttrmed and has etucs been Tvl,1ejr
knqHn =; the Q. A. l.. Or ''0tder Of American
The opinion ts expressed by Colonel ssnderaop.
FfoIoet Marshal General ofthe Department Of n, IL.
nraa, y M 1se1ai rspoH upon the pro ress ofthe
MS banis6ment, and upon Consultation a. Rlchs
n mono With Davis aud otner Prominent traitors. it
1hs 1h o99st 3 81 ths Order n Indiana and
himself; and Mary Ann Pistnan. formerly atlscaed
70 .ns comma. Of the Etbe Forrest, aud most
after = ferred to, states positively iaat D4y,y is
member or the Order. 80 "
,,d5 gGp The T. as.ss,sa ., the or.n!z.
Eiqne" WIS nodifed BY P1cs and became 4
Southern section ot the U. 4. Il aud til It the new
Las "a ~ geneEslly adop1eo for the Order 18th a
nc recfet signs und character OF the order hay-
ins it, become known to our military au:horifles,
tntroo uced, and ite name wa tin1IIy changed to
tnat Q, the O. $. Il Or "Order Of the Sons Of
~ zlery or ,he ~Knshts Of ,he orier of tie
tsp.su to hare been hrst l1Alsuted, aud tbs new
ritual Compiled. in the State oi 1otiana, IN Nav
sae ws tsoasS q S9sf sssss
entities the ASSOCIATION Is sill better kuosu asthe
"OfdeE OF American Knights"
local esnauons. Ia psss Of linos # hss cn hs4n
called Al times rbe Peace Organization. IN Ken.
Iae.y :he .stat osran1zs.ion,h T. and In Missouri as
being apparently names used outside o?the Lodged
OF the order. lts member bare also been fsmif.
na azy "eIasea = ~ Rnternuts by The countly
sfate lodges have also frequently Received tsies
,ntencsa fot the putlc ea. that u Chicago Tor
uyDebs n1a9 srGs h r. H. nfnbss.
. Den.oelat!e Rcsaine Room" &c &c De''As' 'hs
It II added, that IN the State Of New York. and
81 'os t6s ts
~ould setn to be branch vi the o. A. &. having
ntias'y the same objects to be accomplished
f'es o. y eans eIp,esy suited to
Secretary Of this association, DR.. h +. Stevens
stated IN june lat to rliaoe witness whoss les.
t3mol , has been furnished. "those who repfussns
the Mcclellan interest are compelled to nrea.h
vigorous prosecution Of the war in order tn az !
effe 'ne popular sentiment and allure vo:ers.'' /
Its onGAsizA11oS AND OFFICERS. !
From printed copies, heretofore seized bv the
Government. n Inn Hrf% hat
Cuut.it, Gland Council, aEd County Parent ren. !
R!es. repssassly Of the Order OF Sous Of Liberty,
II cuahsction with other and abundant tes4mony j
1br ortanizatiou of the order In its lasest fasm
atcertsihed TO be az follows: 1' :"
L. lbe government ofthe order tbruugho the
which the officers are eu1.cmr rummandar scc.
fe1aIJ of state and treasurer. Thcee odlcers ara
elected ior O. ,car, at tie annual meeting OF tue
Of the several SUITES, "a oae;o and
ctlthstes elected from eac. State il which ths
order il Established. ''~' 'A7
E. The government Of the ORDER in a STATE Ia
sets* j in a Grand Council, the officers Of w.rh
Ere Gtand Commander, Deputy Grand ContnarI.
=; ofano see1o;asy4 G.aao Treasurer, and ces-
M,li'ary District The:s officers also ars el,ctsa
9hnua1ly bY ''repreeentst1vt ~ from tie Conntv |
Temples. each Temple hing emitted to two rxp.
Lenbere This body Of representative /. also in-
rested with certain teeisl1,irc functions.
8. Tho Parent Temple Il the org IN z ltion of the
't1tn'ed By authority Of The supreme Coonr;I. nr
y ttc GraLd Council Of Grapd Commander Of the
'!ate. ~ the eame authority. OF py that OF the
'Ae4is o. me FArent Temple, branch OF subofdt-
be cUAutY,
Bat TIC strength and significance OF thi4 o~ra,.
zanon les IN its military character. The secret
Eat the Supreme Commander "ehalt b. cornrnand.
rim. Chief If sll military foeeea BELONGING to 1hr
'o,f e IL the = xsnogs @ States when called into SC.
anters 'tehall be Commander-1n-Chfer al the mi,
hr5 forces OF their respective states" subordin {
Z T. the Grand Commsbder In the State are The
psrste district aud army. In Iad1sna the M,ior
enetats are four In number. In illinois, where | :
e orsantz1t 1tion OF the Order is considered most !
: 'Bdgadier General" The members of each j.,
unity constitute 'reetment,"' " with "colonel''
command, and those or each township f2rm
company" a somewhat sitnflar system prevails |
~ lIa'a.a, Whsre also each company Is divided
ept intended to facilitate The guerilla mode of
5fnse IN case OF general outbreak or local dis
The ''McC!elsu Minute Guard.r a. anoe,-. !
ctn cttcnlEt issued by the Chief secretary At :
Is foIk 1n March l.,t. !. organized upon nil.
composed Of companies, oae fos each eiecr,on !
b1issdier G. nsral' At In head: The Whole Is :
uief.r A strict obedience On the DAT Of tnc E
embers to the orders Of 1hei1 snpetior Is en-. I
The first "sup,ere Commander" Of the order 2
aS F. C.. wright OF New YorK, editor Of fhe |
ew York Nttcs, wbo was in May last placed In :
ret and confined n Fort lafayette. His success. :
the snEual meeting Of the supreme Council in :
ebruary laet.. Robert Holo *av. Of Illinois, is =
presented to haye acted s. Lieutenant Genera. .
Deputy Supreme Commander, during the 80. = =
nre OF Val3andleham from ths country. The J
scrsat, Of State, chosen At the last election, nas :
IL Missouri. the principal officers were Cha's l.,
Commander, and Gseea B. Smith, Grand 9
scst1afy. since the arrest Of these three psraocs
~ VI wt9m nave Made conftssloua, which will !,
p,ssentiy alluded io3 james 4. BA!st ha", as t q
= s'sted to occupy aleo the position OF Chief
~ 70 lie SUPREME Commander. +
: re Gfano tomm.naer IN Indiana, q. Il. Doi6, =
'e jnsf nfen tried ut Indianapolis By military \
'umistton for "eor.pIra.y against The govern. =
Flolat1on Of, the Laws Of war; and other +
srses' me a11 oepu,y Grand Commander in that i
:. n. Harrison. The Msjor ;iene1als aTe ". i, q
Nv le. .SJoln =. Walker, +. F. MilIi7sn' and An
ew humphrey, Among the other leading q
etnpels " e o!ass N that stats are Or. Athon,
ats see7eeafs' anu Joseph Rtstane, State Aadi.
The Grand Commander In illinois is-Jodd,
e'tiuei .ns.,s a9o = =: rlper, 1f setnsde!d.
ID desisuatt also as member OF Ta!andiaham's !
~. Il one Of me mcht active members. having | 4
's1 hqsily engaged tAronshout the snm ner ID =
tahlishlnR temples snd initiating meober6.
In Kentucky Jndee Bua,ttt, of the Court or An. 4
als. u Grand Commander, Aud. With Dr. o. F. n
biius and y. r. Thomas. 3a.]or in Loulayilie. i
g, 70 oshsr s 81 tos & nc. prominent members h4vs
ofttlss. In New YORK. Dr.. & T ste1eas.- the =
90 ...--. !. .:r,,.
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