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

Al. LOU ulO SIT. lelt cOnSlueraDly euUaI-
raised, and when saw you at your Office, you
spoke to me as you did here.
=. Was there anything said except as to the
desire of the Government to get.at the clear un-
vanished truth?
A. That was all, sir.
Q. Aud what brought you here to-day?
A. The subpoena from this Commission was
served upon me. and had to come and testify
as have done.
TESTIMONY OF WILLIAM TRASTER.
Wesley Tranter, a witness for the Govern
ment, was then introduced into Court, and be-
ing duly sworn by the Judge Advocate, testi-
fed follows
Question by the Judge Advocate. State your
name, residence and occupation.
Answer. Wesley Tranter. live at Shoals
Station, Martin comfy, and am a miller by
trade.
q. Do you work there now?
A. No, sir; not since informed on this but
ternut organization in March last.
Q. Have you not been in the army?
\. was a private in the 18th Indiana Vol
unteers, and was with Sherman's army.
@. State to the Commission what, If any
thing, you know about any secret society, or
organization, and the name of such organiza-
ton, and what you know Of it.
A. 1joined q secret society called the Circle
of Honor. Ijoined in 1868, directly after was
discharged from the army for disability. This
was in the spring of 1868.
Order? '''' '''' 'N ''' JUN 'H''
A. A man by the name of Stephen Horsey.
Q. How many were there in the organiza-
ton at the time you Joined?
A. | cannot state exactly, but know there
We're between forty and fifty in the township.
Q. Who was the chief of the Order at that
place.
A. The head man at that time who came
round to make speeches to the Order was John
W. Stone. Stephen Horsey assisted him.
Q. Where it this man Stone?
A. He has not been heard from since. Ste
phen Horsey resides there still. Stone was
said to have been hustled off by the bows of the
l7th. Four of his fingers were shot off, He is
said to got off to Kentucky, and his wife went
with him.
O. State what this organization was, and
hat was the obligation you took.
A. Mr.. Horsey came round to me and asked
me if I did not want TO go into a secret order
and if l went in he would show me the ele-
plant, and if | lid not like it after was in he
would get me out. He gave the name of the
Order as the Circle of Honor. The first wanted
to find out he said, how strong the Democratic
party was, and as had been Democrat all my
lie, and there seemed nothing more in the Or
der that what be said, | Joined it. They kept
on thus for two months. Then they gave Us the
Morgan Sign. the reason for which was, they
said, that if we went to the army and were
taken prisoners we would by making our
selves known, be better treated that if we had
not got the sign.
Q What was this Morgan sign?
4. II wss that the members of the Order
might know each other
= Show the Commission what they are.
The witness here gave the positions, signs,
aud coloquies as described by the witness Std
ger, as belonging to the Vestibule degree of the
Order of the Sons of Liberty.
Q. Had you any book or Ritual?
A. Yes sir. This little fellow who said he
had been backward and forward to Richmond
twice, brought them there.
O. How long did they continue to call it the
Circle OF Honor?
\. About two months after joined them
Then Hcrsey, about January, 1864, came 10 me
and said they were going to have a very i'm
portant meeting, and a man by the name of
j. Baker asked me to GO
Q. Had their Society been in existence from
May Of 1863 TO January of '64.
A. Yes, sir
O. d you attend this meeting?
A. Yes, sir; and they swore us into JEFF.
Davis's service, and taught US more Of the signs
of recognition used among members of the
Order
Q. What do you mean by being sworn into
JEFF. Deviss service?
A. II was that we were to support him North
or South at all hszardS.
Q. Was that in the oath?
A. No. sir; but we were TO support the Or
der or suffer our hearts TO be torn out, our
bodies TO he cut in pieces, and the four quarters
to be scattered North, South, East and West if
We revealed the Secrets of the Order.
Q Were any remarks made by members of
the Order as to its intents and purposes?
A. Yes, sir. Stone made speech as have
said, and told us what to expect.
Q Was it stated by any member that Dr.
Bowles or III. n. Dodd had anything TO do with
the organization?
A. Yes sir Bowles was sail to be in New
York, and would meet Stone here in Indanapo-
lis about the 26th of March.
Q. What was said in the Order about Mr..
Harrison II Dodd?
A. IL was said that he was to De Governor
of the Stste, in Morton's place, and that Gov
ernor Morton was to he put out of the way
and Dodd was TO be set up in his place. Stone
said great deal as to what they were going to
do. They were to have arms, and were to re-
sist the draft Lincoln, he said, had been
scared once and put off the draft but now they
would show him something that would scare
him more than that, and that be (LincoD) was
afraid of the arming gsing on here in the
North.
O. When was this said and where?
A. Ii was in the meeting OF the Order of
the Temple OF Honor, as they called it, and the
meeting was held about a mile east OF the
Shoals, at house belonging to a man by the
name of Gaddis. The meeting commenced at
seven or eight and was kept up until eleven
O'Clock. This was on Saturday night, about
the 10Th or 9th of January, 1864.
Q. Was anything said at this meeting about
aru,ing or drilling the organization?
\. Yes sir
.. Did they drill?
A. Not in my presence; / never drilled
with them. An old man by the name of
Woody asked me to drill them, ~ had been
in the army and was supposed TO know some
thing about it. but | told them that could not
Q. What was said about arming the Or
A. They said that we must have our old
rifles and shot-gups fixed up rs best we could
and that they would have reyolvers shipped to
them. Two boxes of revolvers came there, and
a man by the name of Coffin helped to carry
them. TIE boxes were passed off as containing
jsgeiry. Coffin was blacksmith by trade. |
was told this By Horsey, who was a member of
the Order.
Q. What we're they to do with these arms?
A. They were to he used 10 assist tie rebels,
and against the blue-coats, as they called the
United States soldiers, and they said VIC would
show them how to fight.
Q. Did they svow their inteation to resist
the United States Government?
A. Yes, cir, and to support the South.
Q. Was anything said about the invasion of
the North. that is the States Of Indiana, Ohio,
Illinois, &C.?
A. Yes sir. Stone said in his speech at
that time that about FIVE days from the frst of
April that they ware to take this place Qndian-
apolis) those of Illinois were TO take Spring
field, and the members Of the Order in Missouri