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


wrote half score OF them.
Such patriotism seemed altogether too wordy
to be genuine. 1t told nothing but it darkly
limited at dark events to come The Command
ant bethought him that the Democratic COnven-
ton would assemble on the fourth of July; that
vast multitude of people would coDgregate at
Chicago on that occasion; and that in SO great
| throng it would be easy for the clans to gath
er, attack the camp, and Iiberate the prisoners.
eternal vigilance is the price of liberty" and
the young OOmmandant was vigilant. Soon
Prison Square received fresh installment of
prisoners. They were genuine "Butternuts, -
out at the toes, out at the knees, out at the ell
bows, out every where, in fact and of every thing
but their senses. These they had snugly about
them. They fraternized with Corporal Snooks,
Sergeant Blower, and others of their comrades,
and soon learned that grand pyrotechnic dis
play was arranged to come off on Independence
day. A huge bonfire was to be built outside,
and the prisoners were to salute the old flag, but
not with blank cartridges.
But who was to light the outside bOnfre2-
That the improvised "Butternuts" failed to dis
cover, and the Commandant set his own wits to
working. He soon asceltained that singular
organization existed in Chicago. II was called
"The Society of the Him." and its object as set
forth by its printed constitution, was "the more
perfect development of the literary, scientific
moral, physical, and social welfare of the con-
servative citizens of Chicago" The Command
( ant knew a conservative citizen whose devel-
Opment was not altogether perfect and he rec
commended him to Join the organization. The
society needed recruits and initiation fees, and
received the new member with open arms
Soon he was deep in the outer secrets Of the
order; but he could not penetrate its inner mys-
teries. Those were open to only an elect few
who had already attained tOa perfect develop
ment" of villiahy. He learned enough, how
ever, to verify the dark hints thrown out by
the prisoners. The society numbered some
thousands of members, all fully armed, thor
oughly drilled, and impatiently waiting to ex-
plode mine deeper than that in front of Peters
burg.
| But the assembling of the Chicago Conven-
ttOn was postponed to the 25th of August, and
the 4th fully passed away without the bon
fire and fireworks.
The Commandant, however, did not sleep
He still kept his wits a-working; the bogus
"Butternuts" still ate prisoners Tations; and
the red flame still brought out black thoughts
on the white letter-paper. Quietly the garrison
was re-enforced, quietly increased vigilance was
| enioined upon the sentinels; and the tranquil
assured look of the Commandant told no one
that he was playing with hot Goals on barre
of guDPowder.
So July rolled away into August, and the
CommandaUt sent a letter giving bis view O
the state of things to his eOmmsnding-ge general
This letter has fallen into my hands, and, ai
might sometimes makes fight | shall copy
portion of it. 1t is dated August II, and in the
formal phrase customary among military men
begins:
al have the honor respectfully to report in relation Il
the supposed organization at Toronto Canada whicl
was to come here in squads, then combine and attenp
there armed organization in this city Of 5000
and that the Of prisoners would be the sigma
for general insurreetiop in Indiana and Illinois.
There is ittle if any doubt that organization hos
tile to the Government and secret in its workings
character ests in the States of Indiana and Illinois,
that this organization is strong IN numbers. 1t Woul
be easy perhaps crisis in public affairs to pusl
this organization into acts of open disoyay its lead
ers should so will.
Except in cases of considerable emergency, shal
make ali Recommendations to your headquarters thi
subject by mail"
These extracts show that, IL days before tn
assembling ofthe Chicago Convention, the Com
mandant had become convinced that mailbag
were safer vehicles of communication than tel
| Iegraph- wires; that 5000 armed traitors wer
then domiciled in Chicago; that they expectet
to be Joined by body of Rebels from Canada
that the object of the combination was the res
cue of the prisoners at Camp Douglas; and tha
success in that enterprise would be the sigma
for general uprising throughout Indiana anC
Illinois. Certainly, this was no little knOwl
edge to gain by two months burrOwiRg in tn,
dark. But the conspiratOrs were not FOOLS
They had necks which they valued, they woulC
not plunge into open dislOyalty until some "cri
sis in public affairs should engage the atten
tiOn ofthe authorities, and afford fair chanc,
Ofsuccess. Would the assembling of the Con
ventiOn be such crisis? was now the question
The question was soon answered. Abou
this time Lieut. Col. B. H. Hill commanding
the Military District of Michigan, received
missiVe from person in Canada who represent
ed himself to be Major in the Confederate ser.
vice. He expressed a readiness TO disclose
dangerous plot against the Government prOvid
ed he were allowed to take the oath of allegiance
and rewarded according to the value of his in.
formation. The Lieutenant Colonel read tn,
letter, tossed it aside, and went about his bust
ness. No good, he had heard, ever came out o
| Nazareth. Soon another missive of the sam,
purpOrt, and from the same person, came to him
He tossed this aside also, and went again abou
his business. But the Major was a Southern
lYankee-the ''cutest" sort Of Yankee. He haC
something to sell, and was bound to sell it, ever
| if he had to throw his neck into the bargain.-
Taking his life in his hand, he crossed the from
tier; and SO it came about, that late one night
a tall man, in slOuched hat rusty regimentals
and immense Jack boots, was ushered into the
lprivate apartment of the Lieutenant Colonel al
Detroit 1t was the Major. He had brought
his wares with him. They had cost him moth.
ing, except some small sacrifice of such trivia
matters as honor fraternsl feeling and good faitl
towards brother cOnspiratOrs, whom they nigh
send to the gallows; but they were of immens,
Ivalue-wOuld save millions of money and riv
ers of loyal blood. So the Major said, and 81
,or,f-f lOlo
his cigar in his mouth, and his leg over the arm
of his chair, he drew the important secrets from
the Rebel officer. Something good might, aftel
lall come out OF N azaretb. The Lieutenant Colo.
mel would trust the fellOw-trust him, but pay
him nothing, and send him back to Toronto tc
worm out the whole plan from the Rebel lead
ers, and to gather the whole details of the pro-
ljected expedition. But the Major knew with
whom he was dealing. He had faith in Uncle
Sam, and he was right in having it; for, truth
to tell, if Uncle Sam does not always pay, he
can always be trusted
IL was not long before the Major reappeared
with his budget, which he duly opened TO the
Lieutenant Colonel. Its contents were inter-
esting, and l will give them to the reader
as the Union officer gave them to the General
commanding the Northern Department. His
Communication is dated August I6 1t says:
81 have the honor TO report that had anoth-
er interview last evening with Major -, whose
disclosures in relation to a Rebel plot for the
release of the prisoners at Camp Douglas gave
you in my letter of the 9Th instant. j have
caused inquiries to be made in Canada about
Major -, and understand that be does possess
the confidence of the Rebel agent, and that his
statements are entitled to respect.
| "He now informs me that be proceeded tC
Toronto as he stated he would when last saw
him; that about 200 picked men, of the Rebe
refugees in Canada, are assembled at that place
who are armed with revOlvers and supplied will
funds and transpOrtstion-ti tickets to Chicago
and that already $50 have proceeded to Chica-
Igo. That he major ~ and the balance o.
the men are waiting for instructions from Capt
Hines, who is the commander of the expedition
that Captain Hines left Toronto last Thursday
for Chicago and at this time is doubtless at Nj
agara Falls, making the final arrangements with
the chief Rebel agents.
'MaiOr- states that Saunders, HOlbrook
and Col Hicks were at Toronto while he wal
there, engaged in making preparations, etc
The general plan is to accomplish the release o