The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-10-29

with certain sham dignity; but when il
IS understood that the order comprises
within itself large army of well armed
men, constantly drilled and exercised rs
! soldiers, and that this army is held ready
at any time for such forcible resistance to
our military authorities, and such active
cooperation with the public enemy. as It
may be called upon to engage in by its COM
manders, 1t will be received that the
titles OF the latter are not assumed for a
mere purpose of display, but that they are
the chiefs ofan actual and formidable force
OF cOnspiratOrs against the life Of the Coy
eminent, and that their military system
is, as 1t has been remarked by Col. Sander
SON, THE grand lever used by the rebel
Government for its army operations
| 111.-ExTENT AND NUMBERS.
The Temples or Lodges of the order
are numerously scattered through the
States of Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Missouri
and Kentucky. They are also officially
reported as established, to less extent, in
Michigan and other Western States, as
well as in New York, and also in Penn
sylvania, New Hampshire, Rhode Island,
Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, Del
eware and Tennessee. Dodd, the grand
commander Of Indiana, in an address to
the members in that State, Of February
last, claims that at the next annual meet
"
1885, every State in the Union will be rep
resented, and adds:
This is the first and only true national
organization the democratic and conserv-
ative men Of the country have ever at
tempted"
A provision made in the constitution of
the council for representation from the
extension of the order il contemplated,
In the States first mentioned the order is
most strongly centered at the following
places, where are situated it's principle
temples" In Indiana, at Indiapolis and
vincennes; in Illinois, at Chicago, Spring
field and Quincy Ia large portion of the
lodges in and about the latter place having
been founded by the notorious guerrilla
chief, Jackson); in Ohio, at CINCINNATI,
| Dayton, and in Hamilton county (which is
proudly termed by members "the South
Carolina Of the North"); in Missouri, at
st. Louis; in Kentucky, at Louisville; !;
and in Michigan at Detroit whence conf
munication was freely had by the leaders
ofthe order with Vallandigham during his
banishment, either by letters addressed to
him through two prominent citizens and
members of the order, or by personal in
terviews at Windsor, C. W. It is to be
added that the regular places of meeting,
as well as the principal rendezvous and
haunts of the members in these and less
to the Government.
| The actual numbers of the order have. it
is believed, never been Offisially reported,
and cannot, therefore be accurately ascer-
tanned. Various estimates have been made
by leading members, some Of which are no
doubt considerably exaggerated. 1t has
been asserted by delegates to the supreme
, council of February last, that the number
was there represented to be from S0O, GOO to
| 1,OO0, 600; but 'Vallandigham, in his speech
last summer at Dayton, Ohio, placed it at
500, 900, which is probably much nearer the
| true total. The number of its members in
the several States has been differently es-
timated in the reports and statements Of
| its officers. Thus the force of the Order in
Indiana is stated to be from 1900 to l2O,-
600; in Illinois, from lOO, coo to 10000: in
Ohio from $4,000 to los, 600; in Kentucky,
| from 40, 600 to 10000; in Missouri from 90 :
600 to 10000; and in Michigan and New
York, about 10000 each. Its representa-
tion in the States above mentioned does
no, specifically appear from the testimony;
but, allowing for every exaggeration in
the figures reported, they may be deemed
to present a tolerably faithful view of what.
at least, is regarded by the Order as its
true force in the States designated.
1t is 10 be noted that the Order, or its
counterpart, is probably much more wide.
IL extended at the South even than the
North, and that . large proportion of the
officers Of the rebel army are represented
by most reliable witnesses to be members,
In Kentucky and Missouri, the Order has
not hesitated to admit ~ members, not
only officers Of that army, but also q con-
siderable number Of guerrillas, q class who
readily its aims and purposes. It 10 fully
shown that - lately an in July last several
of these ruf1ans were initiated into the
first degree by DR.. Kalfus, in Kentucky.
WITS ARMED FORCE.
A review Of the testimony in regard to
the armed force of the Order will materi.
ally aid in determining its real strength
and numbers.
Although the Order has from the outset
not till the summer or fall of 1863 that it
began to be generally organized as an arm
ed body. Since that date its officers and
leaders have been busily engaged in pla-
cling it upon q military basis, and in pre-
pairing it for . revolutionary movement.
A general system Of drilling has been in
stituted and secretly carried out. Men,
bers have been instructed to be constantly
provided with hweapons, and in some local.
tiles it has been absolutely required that
leach member should keep at his residence.
at all times, certain arms and specified
quantity Of ammunition.
In March last, the entire armed force of
t00 OIOeT, CApdUle Ol UelDS mODlllZeQ Tor
effective service, was represented to be
three hundred and forty thousand men,
The details, however, upon which this state
ment was based are imperfectly set forth in
testimony, and it is not known how far this
number may be exaggerated. It is abun.
dainty shown, however, that the order, by
means OF tax levied upon its members.
has accumulated considerable funds for the
purchase of arms and ammunition, and that
these have been procured in large quanti-
ties for its use. The witness Clayton. on
the trial Of Dodd, estimated that tsco thirds
OF the order are furnished with arms.
Green B. Smith, Grand Secretary Of the
order in Missouri, states in his confession
Of July last: 81 know that arms, mostly
revolvers, and ammunition have been pur.
chased by members in st. Louis to send to
members in the country where they could
not be had !" and he subsequently adds
that he himself alone clandestinely pur-
chased and forwarded, between April 18th
and 10th last, inst, about two hundred re-
volvers, with about i've Thousand percus-
sion caps and other ammunition. A muster |