The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1865-06-30
The Chicago C0nspiracy.---4 Bit
of History.

In the atlantic Monthly for July is an &C
count of the Chicago conspiracy, as it is
called The writer goes very fully into
the details of that horrid attempt of the
rebellion to inaugurate a reign of arson,
rapine and murder on Northern SOIL
And even at this distance from the pro-
posed scene of bloodshed, and after the re-
bellion itself is dead, one can hardly read
of the carefully matured plans of these
arch fiends without shudder
This paper above referred 10 gives a
much fuller history of this whole hellish
plot than anything else published From
it we learn that there was carefully ma
tured plan at Richmond-of which jeff
Davis was the head and front-to secretly
organize a party throughout the states of
Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and
Missouri, to secretly arm them, and then
at given time and signal to assault Camp
Douglas at Chicago, where eight thous-
and rebel soldiers were confined, release
them and put arms in their hands, and
then rob and burn the city. This organi-
cation was the " knights of the Golden
Circle" and while part Of the force was
destroying Chicago and libcrating rebel
prisoners there, this was to be the signal
for a general uprising throughout the
West, and simultaneous advance of the
rebel armies upon Nashville, Louisville and
St. Louis. Prominent Union citizens
throughout the West were either to be
seized and sent South, or assassinated, and
reign of terror and rapine inauguratcd
f such as the world never saw
All the details Of this horrid conspira-
cy were arranged at Richmond through
Jacob Thompson, Geo. n. Sanders. and
, few other of those consrmmate villains
: in Canada The time chosen was the day
of the democratic national convention tC
be held at Chicago in August. The plans
were so we'll matured that the " Knights
e sworn into this service by the most sacred
2 oaths numbered 100000; $4,000 o.
whom were armed. A force of 1900 Ca
a madam refugees and bushwhackers from
It Southern Illinois and Missouri were to en-
ter Chicago in small squads, and organize
y and head the attack on Camp Douglas
h BY accident-or rather by the hand O
v Providence-the commandment at Cam,
e Douglas became aware Of the threatening
: storm, and prepared for it. Reinforce
J ments poured in upon him until the camp
y brist!ed with bayonets, and every side wa
). guarded with cannon. Forewarned wa
: forearmed. We copy paragraph from
the article:
# cat last the loyal democrats came to
gether to the great convention, and will
them came satan also. Bands of ill-favor
, ed men, in bushy hair, bad whiskey
n and seedy homespun, staggered from til
# railway stations, and hung about tn
street corners. A reader of Dante O
G Swedenborg would have taken them 70
r. delegates from the lower regions, had no
y their clothing been plainly perishable
n while the devils wear everlasting garments
They had come, they announced, to max
a peace President, but they brandishe
y bowie knives and beloved for war eve
" in the sacred precincts of the peace con
~, ~, vention. 1.-The conspirators were there
- two thousand strong, with five thousan
knights to back them. From ever
point of the composition Canada, Mis-
l. souri,, Southern Illinois, Indiana, Ohio
l. New York, and eren loyal Vermont, blood
l. minded men had come to give the peac
Ell candidate red baptism. 80. The conspir
J. ators saw the preparations and disband
IS ed"
The commandment at Camp Dougls
al supposed the plot had blown over, br
N three days before the November electio
'e he was informed that the mine was to /
IT sprung that day. There was no time t
Ie procure reinforcements-he was who'll
," unprepared to meet so formidable an emf
lie my. But he acted like a bold, resolut
of man as he was-he arrested most of til
leaders at the dead of night, and took pos