The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-08-13
BURLINGTON WEEKLY HAWK-EYE

~oISs U0SAueS, tuS10 ~, SnAN ASs ~ -A~N
sity for such step; there are no specin'
charges against you, but merely suspi
cion;" informed Mr.. Hunt that shoule
take care of myself-that the order nae
failed to protect me, and had no one Du
myself to reply upon. Mr.. Dunn agreec
with me in adopting this plan.
:. Q. Have you Withdrawn from said or
der? A. have not.
Q. Was not Charles L. Hunts once the
headquarters of this order in Missouri
A. To all intentS and purposes, yes, nr.
@. Did YOU. while q member Of said or.
der, give aid and assistance to rebel spies,
mail curriers' and emissaries from the reoel
States9 A. In only one instance. l gave
Newcomer, alias Thompson, q small sum
of money, knowing him to be rebel mai!
carrier. Rebel spies, mail carriers and
emissaries have been carefully protected Dy
this order ever since have been member:
Previous to my arrest heard, 6y ano am,
through this order, that the mail to ana
from the rebel army was very regular,
with semi monthly dispatches to the Grand
Commander. A man by the name of Dor
ris, formerly of Jefferson City-a son OF the
Doctor-is used by this order in carrying
mails. He was here when I was arrested,
the 10th day of May last. One Of the es-
pecial objects of this order was to place
members on steamboats,, ferry boats, tele-
provost marshal Offices, and In fact In eve-
~ position where they could render valu'
able service. 69ne
y @. Is there any member in any or either
of the positions above enumerated. A. In
the express Offices and one IN the telegraph
Office, over the American Express Office
There are plenty of them on the river.
- @. Have you ever heard any threats
made by members Of said order against
~~~v -I~0 shO,r11 61vn1Uo tho "a.
crets of said order. A. Yes, sir.
@ What were these threats? A. That
they would upon proof Of the fact kill the
man. @s1
@. What are the duties Of the Grand
Commander? A. Presiding officer over the
lower degrees, and the ranking officer Of
20. what, If any, knowledge have you Of
. meeting Of the supreme Council In the
city of New York last winter3 A. / know
that the Supreme Council met in New York
city last February, on the 22d, believe,
to elect q Supreme Commander. ~
@. Was Missouri represented in that
Council? A. Yes, sir.
q. By how many delegates? A. Posi-
lively three, and / think i've.
Q. Who was elected Supreme Command
or by that Council' A. Mr.. Vallandig-
@. Was the order in this State satisfied
with that election3 A. No, sir.
@. Who was the choice Of Missouri? A.
am unable to state.
@. Do YOU know whether or not spes
cial meeting was held at Windsor, Canada,
aud If 20, when and by whom! A. Yea,
such q meeting took place In the vicinity
Of Detroit.
@. What business was transacted at that
meeting. A. A conference with Vallan-
digham, changing the name Of the order
and signs and grips.
@. Was Missouri represented at that
meeting? A. Yes, sir.
@. BY whom7 A. BY the Grand Com
mander of the State Of Missouri.
@. IL not the order of American Knights
eminent, and friendly to the so-called con-
federate government? A. Yes, sir.
@. Have any contributions been made OF
proposed BY this order with the design OF
assisting the Confederate army in any
way?
position to raise money to purchase gun
Gaps for the Confederate army was made
and talked of among the mem bers, but
whether carried out or not, am not ad.
vised.
List of members Of the order is here
given by the witness. This list of names is
for wise and prudential considerations
withheld from the public at the present
time by the Provost Marshal General, and
we are unable, therefore to publish it'll
@. State what the prominent members o.
the order Of American Knights have uni.
versally saidin reference to the objects and
purposes Of said order In your presence
A. When first Joined in the spring o
1863. S. l.. MosOs, then instructor Of the
order, informed me that it was a Demo.
cratic organization, gotten up for the ben.
eft of those engaged in rebellion, and t.
unite the Democratic party. proper, with
the view of cooperation with the rebe
army
q. When and where was said organi.
zation expected to cooperate with the 10
called Confederate army. !
A. In the event Of invasion by the rebel
army in Missouri. s
@. Were you not led to believe, after
joining said order; by. conversion with
members thereof. that its objects and pur.
poses were directly opposite or those Of the
General Government, and in direct hostil.
ity to said government? 80 % :
\ @. Were not the members Of this order
secretly plotting and conniving at the de.
atrnction of the General Government, and
assisting through the agents OF said order
with the view Of establishing the indepen.
dence of the so-called Confederate States +?
- a. eS. SII. IL a.45a@ ,
o. From the knowledge you have Of
said organization, do you not believe It e
be thoroughly disloyal, and inaugurated
for the purpose of defeating the objects Of
the present administration in suppressing
the present rebellion? "A. Yes, sir.
@. Was it not generally understood by
members of said order, thatsteps had beer
taken to inform the Confederate authOri.
tiles that this order was friendly to the in.
terests and policy Of the so-called Confed
crate States, and ready and willing at any
time to render any and all assistance il
it's power IN the overthrow OF the general
oovernmentf A.. That was believed to b<
the object Of those wtrs gave direction tc
said order.
O. Did not the members of this ordel
secretly exult over the reverses of the
Federal army, and At Tia success Of thu
so-called Coufederates? A. Yes. sir.
G. We're you ever present at any Tenn
pie or Council in this city where congratu
latory speeches were made by member
Of the order at the success Of the so-csllec
Confederate army? Yes, sir.
@. Please state when, where. and by
whom such speeches were made. A. At al
times in ali councils and temples, ant
principally by , of st. Louis.
@. How were such speeches usually re
ceived by members Of such councils ant
| temples3 A. With general satisfaction.