Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1865-07-07

The Major ''did not put up at the corner Of
Lake and State-sts., and that fact relieved the
Government from the trouble Of estimating the
value of bis services, and, what's more to be de-
plOred, rendered it impossible for the Com
mandant to recognize and arrest the Rebel lead
ers during the sitting of the Chicago Convention.
What became of the Major Is not known. he
may have repented of his good deeds, or his
treachery may have been detected and he put
out of the way by bis aecomplices.
1t will be noticed how closely the Rebel off,
GERS disclosures accorded with the information
gathered from indirect channels by the astuts
Commandant. When the report was conveyed
TO him, he may have smiled at this proof Of his
own sagacIty; but he made no change in mis-
arrangements. Quietly and steadily he went
on strengthening the camp, sngmenting the
garrison, and shadowing the footsteps of all sus-
piclous newcomers. ~
At last the loyal Democrats came together 70
the great Convention, and with them came Sa-
tan also Bands of ill-favored men, in bushv
hair, bad whisky, and seedy homespun, stag
gered from the railway stations and hung about
the street corners A reader Of Dante or Swe-
denborg would have taken them for delegates
from the lower regions, had not their clothing
been plainly perishable, while the devils wear
everlasting garments. They had come, they
announced, to make Peace President but
they brandished Bowie knives, and beloved
for war even in the sacred precincts Of the
Peace Convention. But war or peace the Com
mandant was ready for IT.
For days endorsements had poured into the
camp, until it actually bristled with bayonets
On every side it was guarded with cannon. and
day and night mounted men patTolled the ave-
nues to give notice of the first hostile gather
ing. But there was no gathering. The con-
spirators were there 2, 900 strong, with 5000
Illini to back them. From every point of the
compass,-from Canada Missouri, Southern Il
hnOis, Indiana, Ohio, New-YOrk, and even loy-
al Vermont, bloody minded men had come TO
give the Peace candidate a red baptism But
"discretion is the better part of valor" The
conspiratOrs saw the preparations and disband-
ed. Not long afterwards one of the leaders said
to me, I'VE had spies in every public place, =
in the telegraph Office the camp itself and even
close by the Commandant' headquarters, and
knew hourly all that was passing. From the
observatory, opposite the camp, i myself saw
the arrangements for our reception. We out
numbered you two to one but our force was
badly disciplined. Success in such ciTcum-
stances was impossible, and on the third daY of
the Convention we announced from headquar-
ters that an attack at that time was impractiea-
Ole. ItwOuld have cost the lives of hundreds
of the prisoners, and perhaps thecapture or de-
struction of the whole of us" So the storm
blew over, without the leaden rain and its usu-
al accompaniment of thunder and lightning
dead calm followed, during which the Illini
skunk back TO their holes; the prisoners took to
honest INK; the bogus ''Butternuts' walked
the streets clad like Christians, and the Com
mandant went to sleep with one eye Open So
the world rolled around into November
The Presidential election was near at hand
the great contest on which hung the fate of the
Republic. The Commandant was convinced
of this and wanted to marshal his old eonstit-
uents for the final struggle between Freedom
and DespOtism. He obtained fuTlough to 90
home and mount the stump for the Union. He
was about TO set out his private Secretary was
ready, and the carriage waiting at the gateway,
when an lndehuable feeling took possession of
him, holding him back and warning him of
coming danger. 1t would not be shaken of,
and reluctantly he postponed the Journey till
the morrow. Before the morrow facts were de-
velOped which made his presence in Chicago
essential to the safety of the city and the lives
of the citizens The snake was scotehed, not
killed. 1t was preparing for another and a
deadlier spring.
On the second of November, well known
citizen of St. Louis, openly Secessionist, but
secretly loyal man, acting as detective for
the Government, left that city in pursuit Of
criminal He followed him to Springfield
| morning of November A. about the hour the
Commandent had the singular impression have
| spoken OF, arrived in the latter city. He soon
learned that the bird had again flown.
''While passing along the street Il now quote
from his report to the Provost Marshal General
| of Missouri) land trying to decide what course
| to pursue-whethert to follow this man to New
York, or to return to st. Louis-I met an old
acquaintance member of the order of Amer
| lean Knights, who informed me that Marina
| duke was in Chicago. After eonversing with
him awhile, / started up the street. and about
one block further on met Dr. E. W. Edwards,
a practising physician in Chicago, (another old
/ acquaintance who asked me if | knew of
| Southern soldiers being in town. | told him ]
did; that Marmaduke was there. He seemed
very much astOnished, and asked how l knew.
| ] told him. He laughed. and then said that
Marmaduke was at hishouse, under the assum-
ed name of Burling, and mentioned, as a good
joke that he had British passport, Uised by the
| United States consul under that name I gave
| Edwards my card to hand to Marmaduke who
was another old acquaintance, and told him
was stopping at the Briggs House.
"The same evening 1 again met Dr. Edwards
on the street, going to my hotel. He said Mar
| maduke desired TO see me and 1 accompanied
| him to his house" There, in the course of a
/ long
he aud several Rebel officers were in Chicago to
cooperate with other parties in releasing the
prisoners of Camp Douglas and other prisons,
and inauguratiDga a rebellion at the North. he
said the movement was under the auspices of
the Order Of American Knights Ito which or
der the Society Of the Illini belonged, and was
| to begin operations by attack on Camp Doug
las on election day
The detective did not know the Commandant,
but he soon made his acquaintance and told him
the story. "The young man" he says rested
| his head upon his hand and looked as if he had
| lost his mother" And well he might A mine
had opened at his feet with but 800 men in the
garrison it was to. be sprung upon him. Only
seventy hours were left himl What would he
! not give for twiceas many? Then he might Sc
| cure reinforcemeDts. He walked the room foI
time in silence, then, turning to the detective,
| said @Do you know where the other leaders
are?' II do not" Cant you find out from
Marmaduke?" 81 think not He-said what he
did say voluntarily. 1t / were to question him
be would suspect me-" That was true, and
Marmaduke was not OF the stuff that betrays s
comrade on cOmpulsion. His arrest, therefore
would profit nothing, and might hasten the at
| tack for which the Commandant was so poorly
prepared. He sat down and wrote hurried
| dispatch to his General. Troops trOo1sl ion
| God's sake, troopsl was its burden. Sending il
| off by courier-the telegraph told talss-he
| rose, and again walked the room in silence
After while, with heavy heart, the detective
| said "Good night" and left him.
Whatpassed with the Commandant during
| the next two hours l did not know. He may
have prayed-he is praying man-and there
was need of prayer, for the torch was ready to
bura millions of property, the knife whetted to
take thousands Of lives. At the end of the two
hours, stranger was ushered into the apart
ment where the Commandant was still pacing
the floor. From the lips and pen ofthisstraDg
er have what followed and think it may be
relied on.
He was a slim, light-hared young man. with
fine, regular features and that inde6nable air
which denote good breeding. Recognizing the
Commandant by the eagle on his shoulder, he
said, 'Can see you alone, sir?" Certainly, .
answered the Union officer, motioning to his sec
retary to leave the room. 81 am Colonel il
the Rebel army" said the stranger, "sRd have
put my life into your hands. to warn you of the
most hellish plot in history" "Your life is safe