The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1865-08-10

inS Pei PaideiouS, OC. ue Seuefdl pla
: is to accomplish the release of the pris
, oners at Camp Douglas, and in doing 8
they will be assisted by an armed organ
izatiou at Chicago. After being released
the prisoners will be armed, and being
joined by the organization in Chicago
will be mounted and proceed to Cam
Morton, at indianapolis, and there ac
complish similar object in releasing
prisoners. That for some months rebe
emissaries have been travelling through
the North West; that their arrangements
nre fully matured, and that they expect
to receive large accessions of force from
Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. They expect
to destroy the works at Morton.
"Major--says further that he is in
hourly expectation of receiving instruc-
tions to proceed to Chicago with the bal
ance of the party that he shall put up
at the City Hotel, corner of Lake and
State streets, and register his name as
George and that he will then
! place himself in communication with Col.
Sweet, commanding at Chicago"
The Major did not "put up at the cor
ner of Lake and State Streets" and that
fact relieved the Government from the
trouble of estimating the value of his servi-
ces, and what is more to be deplored, rem
dered it impossible for the commandant
to recognize and arrest the rebel leaders
during the sitting of the Chicago Conven-
tion. 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 his accomplices.
1t will be noticed how closely the rebel
officers disclosures accorded with the in
formation gathered through indirect chan
nels by the astute Commandant When
the report was conveyed to him, he may
have smiled at this proof of his own sa-
gacity; but he made no change in his ar
rangements. Quietly and steadily he
went on Strengthening the camp, augmen-
| ting the garrison, and shadowing the
footsteps of all suspicious new -comers.
At last the loyal Democrats came to-
gether to The great Convention, and with
them came Satan also. Bands of ill-fa-
vored men, in bushy hair, bad whisky,
and seedy homespun, staggered from the
railway stations and hung about the street
corners A reader of Danta or Sweden
| burg would have taken them for the del
egates from the lower regions, had not
their clothing been plainly perishable,
while devils wear everlasting garments.
They had come they announced, to make
a Peace President, but they brandished
BOWED knives, and beloved for war in
the sacred precincts Of the Peace Conven-
ton. But war or peace, the Command
ant was ready for it.
For days re- endorsements poured into
camp, until it actually bristled with bay
oncts On every side it was guarded with
cannon, and day and night mounted men
patroled the avenues to give notice of the
first hostile gathering. But there was
no gathering. The conspirators were
there, 1000 strong, with 5000 Illini to
back them. From every point of the
compass-from Canada, Missouri, South
ern Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, New York,
and even loyal Vermont, bloody minded
men had come to give the Peace candi-
date red baptism. But "discretion is
the better part of valor." The conspira-
tors saw the preparation and disbanded.
Not long afterwards one of the leaders
said to me, awe had spies in every pub
lie place-in the telegraph Office, the
camp itself, and even close by the Com
mandan'ts headquarters, and knew hour
ly all that was passing. From the obser-
vatory, opposite the camp, | myself saw
the arrangements for our reception. We
outnumbered you two to one, but our force
was badly disciplined. Success in such
circumstances was impossible and on the
third day of the Convention we announ-
ced from headquarters that an attack at
that time was impracticable. 1t would
have cost the lifcs of hundreds of the
prisoners, and perhaps the capture or de-
struction of the whole of u.s." So the
storm blew over without the leaden rain,
and without the accompaniment OF thun-
der and lightning.
A dead calm followed, during which
the Illni skunk back to their holes the
prisoners took to honest ink the bogus
tButternuts" walked the streets clad
like Christians, and the Commandant
went to sleep with only one eye OPEN
So the world rolled around into Novem
Der.
The Presidential election was near al
hand-the great contest on which hung
the fate of the Republic. The Comman
dant was convinced of this, and wanted tt
marshal his old constituents for the final
struggle between Freedom and Despotlsm
He obtained furlough to go home and
mount the stump for the Union. He was
about to set out, his private secretary wa:
ready, and the carriage waiting at the
gateway, when an indefnable feeling took
possession of him, holding him back, ant
warning him of coming danger. 1t woulc
not be shaken off, and reluctantly he post
poned the journey until the morrow; Be
fore the morrow facts were developed
which made his presence in Chicago essen
tial to the safety of the city and the lives
r of the citizens. The snake was scotched, mo
kl,or mr.