Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1864-11-18
NUMBER TWENTY ONE.
The Chicago Plot.

hS >hAsa-o II iots
The rebel plot discovered last week in Chi
sagO has been fully confessed by Charles
Walsh, one of the captured ringleaders.-
Colonel Vincent Marmaduke, brother of the
rebel general of shat name, has also made ad-
missions which substantiate Walsh's state
ments. The report Of the whole j as fol-
lows, according to the Chicago Tribune
TIE PLOT
force " about four hundred men-K G
C.'s-0ushwhackers and guerrillas, were to be
assembled at Chicago, and with them an attack
WAS to have been made on Camp Douglas on
Monday evening, for the purpose Of lberating
the rebels confined there Walsh, with one hun
dred and fifty men, was to assault the east side
Of the camp. and another man, whose name we
may not now furnish, with two hundred was 10
take the west side. The operation to be super
intended by Marmaduke, who was to have the
remaining fifty men as a reserve corps ready 20
act where wanted. The programme was TO
break down the fence and stampede the twelve
thousand prisoners who were all ready for the
work, having been informed Of it in some way
best known TO themselves. The prisoners were
to be armed as rapidly as possible, the garrison
OyerpOwered. their arms and artillery secured,
and the garrison made prisoners. This, 1t was
believed, could be easily done if the attack was
made as concerted and, indeed. there Is little
room to hope that it would have been otherwise
than successful had it not been nipped in the
bud by premature exposure Of the whole
scheme.
With Marmaduke at their head, the rebels
were 10 march into the city, and take possession
Of the Court House and square as the base Of OF
fensiye operations. They weie then to take pos
session of the polls voting in each precinct, and
preventing the deposition in the ballot-boxes Of
any other than the Mcclellan ticket. This be-
ing accomplished and majority IN the State
thus secured, they were TO prOceedat once TO the
work Of destruction. Al the banks were 10 be
robbed, the stores gutted, and then fire set to
the principal buildings for the purpose Of con-
trolling this latter phase Of the business the wa
ter plugs had all been marked, and a force de-
tailed to set the water running so as TO empty
the mains and exhaust the water supply. The
telegraph wires were 10 be cut On the first onset.
and then fire set to the railroad depots, the ele-
yators, the shipping, &c. The persons of the
leading Union men in the city were to be seized.
and they, with the plumber, marched Oft South
ward
1t was believed that with this force Of nearly
thirteen lu0ustLu men Auc Clll htuAA uc 81
quickly overwhelmed as that effective opposition
would be impossible and that they could then,
under their leader, Marmaduke, march in any
direction with perfect impunity.
The scheme was well c0ncocted. 1t lacked
only one essential successful issue. Thank
Providence that it was denied them. They had
assembled here as per programme, and had the
arrests been delayed a single day, it would have
been too late-the oft-repeated threat would
have been executed, and rivers Of blood would
have run in the streets Of Chicago. No one can
doubt that, had they once commenced active
operations, they would have been joined by suf-
fciently large number of Chicago disloyalists to
have made a clean sweep Of the city, and reduce
It 10 a heap Of ashes
Walsh is completely unmanned-broken down
by his sudden arrest, the complete exposure Of
the treasonable conspiracy into which he has
been led made the dupe OF persons more design
ing than himself who have manufactured out Of
him genuine cat's-paw. lie evidently feels
that his only chance Of safety is to make a clean
breast OF the whole matter, and expose the vii
lans who have over-persuaied him into this net.
He now sees the deep guilt Of the whole trans
action, and the depth Of the gulf on whose brink
he has been toying.
Marmaduke has made partial confession, OF
rather a series Of admissions. which So far as
they 20 fully substantiate MIR. Walsh's state
ments, and leave no doubt that the conspiracy
was fully as dabolical in its character as is re-
presented above. lie has made these statements
10 a man who formerly served under him, and
whom he still supposes to be IN the rebel inter-
est
Prominent citizens Of Chicago have been
arrested for completely in this plot.