Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1864-10-14
THE EVENING STAR
THE GREAT Conspiracy.

tary UrganIzatios-A..as Toie-
Ia'en-'ofiusIon with Rebels
Judge Advocate General Holt W no was d.
rectsd TO iuve> ttya,s the alleged conspiracies
In the West, has submitted report to the Sec
retarv of Wa, IN which ne says:
"HaviEp been instructed by you to prepare
q otlaIpu rerort upon the msss OF testI-
mony soInisbed me from different sources in
regard 70 he Secret Associations ard ConSpirs-
etes oe1fasf me Government. formed Principally
in the Yves tern States by traitors and disloyal
persons have now the honor 70 submit as fol-
lows:
generals known to our military authorities
that a secret REASONABLE organization affili tied
win the Southern rebellion aud chiefly mill
tary in its cha ractar, has been rapidly extend
ing itself throughout the West variety of
agencies, which VIII be specified herein, have
been employed, and successfully, To ascertain
lfs nature and extent, as well As its aims and
1ts results and, as this In vestg alton has led TO
the ares in several States of a number of It's
prominent members as dangerous enemies 10
SheE country, 1t has been deemed proper to Get
forth in full the acts and purposes OF tnts Or
Ganizaton, and thus to make known to the
community at large it's intensely reasonable
and revolutionary spirit .
-"This secret association first de veloped IT.
self in the West ia the year 1862, about the
period of the first CONSUMPTION or troops, winch
aimed to instruct and resist originally
known in certain localities as the "M utual
PROJECTION Society,"" the "Circle of Honor or
the uCircle'' or s'Knights of the Mighty Host"
but more widely as the "Knights OF the Gold
en- Circle" it was simply an aspiration of the
rebellion, being little other than an extension
among the disloyal and dlsaffected at the North
Of the association OF the latter name, which
had existed for some years at the South, and
from which IL derived ali the chief features of
its organization.
"Durine the summer and fall of 1863, the
Order, both at the North and South, under went
some notifications as well as a change Of
name. In consequence of aparual exposure
which had been made of the signs and secret
forms Of the "Knights of the Golden Circle"
Sterling Price had Instituted as Its successor
in Missouri secret political association.
which he called The "Corps de Belgique,' or
..SoutherH Leas ne' his principal coad jutor
teIEg Charles l.. Hunt. OF st LOUIS. then B a.
g an Consul at that city, but whose eDe4uator
was subsequently revoked by the President on
count of hIs dlsloyal practices. The special
object OF The Corps de Belgique appears to
have been to mite the rebel sympathizers of
Missouri, with q view 10 their taking up arms
ano joining Price upon his proposed grand in
yasioL OF that Stale, and 10 their recruiting for
his Amy in the interim.
Mean bile, also, there had been instituted
at the North, IN the autumn of 1853, by suudry
drsloyal persons, prominent among whom were
Vail Ian CHAM and z. q. Wright, Of New York
secret order, intended to be general through
ont the country, and aiming al an extended in
fueDCe al d power, and at more positive results
than It's predecessor, and which was termed
and has since been widely known as the o. A
f., OF "Order of american Knight"
81 he opinion is express d by Colonel San
dersor. Pr vost Marshal General of the De-
par tment OF Missouri,in his official report upon
III. progress of the order, that it was founded
by Vallandigham during his Punishment, and
upon consultation at Richmond with DAVIS
AND other prominent traitors. 1t is, indeed, the
horst OF the order in Indiana and else where,
thai its "r'tual" came direct from Davis him
self; and Mary Anr Pitman, formerly attached
to the command OF the rebel Forrest, and a
n Ost intelligent witness, whose testimony
will be hereafter referred to, states positively
that Davis is mem her of the order.
upon the institution of the principal orga-
nization, tits represented that the "Corps de
Beleique" was modified by Price, and became
a Southern section OF the 0. A. K, and that
the ne~ name was generally adopted tor the
order bon at the North and South.
"The secret signs and character of the order
having be come known to our military authori-
ties, further notifications in the ritual and
forms were introduced, and its name was
finally changed to that of the o. S. L., or
"OTder of the Sons of Liberty" or the "Knights
of The order OF the Sons OF Liberty These
later changes are represented to have been first
instituted, and the new ritual compiled, in the
State pf lnGiaRa, in May lasr, but the new
name vas at once generally adopted through
out the West. though in some localities the as
sociation is still better known as the "Order of
American Knights"
"Mean " lille, also, the order has received
certain local designations. In parts OF Illinois
II has been called at times the "Peace Organi.
tion," in Kentucky the "Star Organizations"
these, however, being apparently names used
outside OF the lodges of the order Its members
ternuts'' but the country people OF Illinois,
Indiana, and Ohio, and its separate lodges have
also frequently received titles blended for the
public ear; that in Chicago, for instance, being
tel med by its members the democratic Irwin
chile Club thatin Louis yile the democratic
Reading Room" &c.
NIs is to be added that in the State of New
Y ork, and o her parts of the North, the secret
poii tic1i association known as the mcclellan
Minute Gaard' would seem 10 be branch of
the O. A. &, having substantially the same ob.
nr,li eha hn hu
expressly stsited to the localities in which it is
established. For, as the Chief Secretary of this
association, Dr. r. +. Stevens, stated In June
laat TO q reliable witness whose testimony has
been furnished, ssttlose who represent the Nc
Clellan interest are compelled to preach Wig
orous prosecution OF the war, in order TO Sc
cure the popular sentiment and allure voters"
With regard to sits organization and Of
ficers,~ from printed copies of the constitution
heretofore seized by the Government, u mas
keen ascertained that the government OF the
order throughout the United States Is vestso
In q supreme council, of which the o.leels are
Treasurer, who are elected for one year. In
State, the government Of the order Is vested in
q Grand Council, the officers Of which are
Grand Commander, Deputy Grand Com
mander, Grand Secretary. Grand Treasurer.
and certain number of Major Generals, or
one for each military district, also elected an
nually by representatives from what are called
County Temples.
But the strength and significance Of this or.
gapization lie in its military character. The
secret constitution of the Supreme Council
provides that the Supreme Commander " shall
he COMMUNICATIVE chief Of all military forces be-
longing to the order IN the vdriOus States aDhen
called into actual service" and, further that the
Grand Commanders "shaH be commandments
chief of the military forces Of their respective
STATES Subordinate To the Grand Com mander
in the State are the Major Generals each of
whom commands his separate district and
army. In Indiana the Major Generals are
four in number. In Illinois, where the organ.
iZation of the order is considered most perfect
the members In each Congressional district
compose a " brigade" which is commanded by
BTigddier General The mem bers OF each
county constitute a s'regiment," with s.colonel"
In command, and those Of each township form
accompany" A somewhat similar system
prevails In Indiana, where, also, each COM
paDy is divided into squads" each with its
chief-an arrangement intended to facilitate
the guerrilla mode of warfare in case OF gen.
eral outbreak or local disorder.
The " Mcclellan Minute Guard" as appears
from circular issued by the Chief Secretary