Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1865-03-29

under my Oatn. Henry AuranQt was IN the
party. He was an officer of the Castle. >
1t was the object of the organization, and
therefore | believed it my duty to go. The
party was armed. had a gun.
Cross Ecdmiaed The Constitution was
printed The Bylaws were written. 4
think the object of the Castle was not set
forth In the Constitution. 1t was read to
me. [ am poor scholar, | did not under
stand it very we'll The Bylaws were made
after the meeting was organized Bloom
talked good deal. | can give the words
He said If any man gave US the signs 1t was
our duty to release him.
Lieut.. Gro. W. RAwLINs, was the next
witness. He testified as follows Il am in
the Military service of the U. S. [ am First
Lieutenant, Company c, 10th Regt. V. II. G.
[ know Bloom by sight. He was arrested
about the ID or Sd of January 1865. [ was
acting Provost Marshal of the townof Phil
ipsburg He made a statement before me
on oath. | think it was on the 4th of Jan
uary, [ was in the office when Bloom came
in, accoampnied by the Deputy Provost
Marshal, who told me he wanted to make a
statement, and asked me if [ would take it
down, which [ did There were no induce
ments Of any kind held out to him to my
knowledge. l think | saw him shedding
tears. | told him [ did not want hin to saw
anything but the truth, and nothing but
what he could conscie2.ttiiously stand up in
Court, and swear to before the accused
Ha replied that he knew what he was doing
as he was Justice of the Peace
(The Judge Advocate now proposed to
prove what Bloom said, to hich the De-
feHdant's Counsel objected that the state
ment was made when the Defendant was
under duress and in an excited frame of
mind, and was therefore inadmissible. The
Court was cleared, and the objection oyer
ruled.
The witness proceeded as follows; He
stated to me that there was an organization
formed in Bloom township, sometime in
August 1854, called The Democratic Castle,
of which he was President, and man nam
ed NJ Bride Secretary-that John Hoover
came to his fathers house and requested
him and others to form the organization, as
it was just the thing they wanted, and every
body was going into it-that John Hoover
furnished him with the papers, the Consti-
tuition and the By-laws-that the object of
the organization was to resist the draft
and that its members were sworn-that they
were bound to keep secret everything con-
nected with the order, and to stand by each
other and resist every attempt on the part
Of the authorities to enforce the draft-that
they were furnished with signs and pass
words so that they could recognize one an
Other-that they were bound to keep fire
arms and ammunition to make resistance when
it should become necessary. He told me
that he understood that the members did
keep on hand firearms and ammunition as
they were directed to do-that the members
who were drafted were instructed not to re-
port, each being bound to stand by the 9th
er and resist the officers who should attempt
to arrest them. He said he thought four of
the drafted men in his township we're mem
bers of the order He said that they had
met about six times--that it was about the
third meeting when the signs and pass words
were given-that he received them from
Abel Hickock, who was President of the
Castle in Knox township, where he was
sworn in. He described the pass words
signs &c.-and the working Of the system
1t is all contained in his written Statement,
signed and sworn to by himself-I took it
down just as he told it-as nearly as posi-
bic III his own words.
Paper shown the witness. Is or is not
this the document?
Answer-It is He signed it in my pres
ence, and swore to it by the up-lifted hand.
Centre County, Pennsylvania
Gainor p Bloom, of Bloom township,
Clearfield county, Pennsylvania, personally
came and deposes as follows: was thirty
years old the Sth day of June, 1864. [
have been living in the aforesaid township
the past thirteen years. Some time In Aug
ust, 1864, there was an organization formed
in the aforesaid township and county under
the name of Democratic Castle, of which
| was President, Frank Mcbride, Secretary
John Hoover came to my father and urg-
ed me and others to form this organization,
and said that it was just what we wanted
that everybody was going into it. He furn-
Ished me two papers, one the Constitution
of the Democratic Castle, the other the By
laws Of the same. These papers were franz
ed for the purpose of resisting the draft and
the officers enforcing the same. Each mem
Der was sworn in by me. This oath bound
each member to keep secret everything con-
nected with the order, and also bound each
one to stand by the other and resist every at
tempt on the part of the authorities to en-
force the draft Each member was furnish
cd with certain signs, grips and passwords,
whereby they might know each other.
Each man was bound by the order to have
some kind of firearms, and TO be prepared
to make any resistance that should become
necessary to take from the Marshal or other
officer, any membero of said order, should one
Of the members be arrested by said Marshal
or other officer.
l understand that each member kept on
hand the required amount of ammunition
and firearms, as directed by the Order.
Each member Of the Order in the aforesaid
township that should be or was drafted was
instructed not to report, each being bound to
stand by such members and resist the Of
fcers who should attempt the arrest. There
were fourteen drafted in the township, of
whom [ think four belonged to the Order