Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1872-01-19
Tne Ku-Klux The Story OF CAPT.
B)ona.


community since the close Of the war, arrived
here some two weeks since, direct from South
Carolina. portion of Mr.. BooNE's history du
ring the war is famili, to the readers of the
JoURNAL. He was interviewed by one Of the
editors of The Toledo Blade on last Friday and
that paper thus speaks of Mr.. BIS. late expert
ence in the South
"The facts about the ku-Klux ard their out
rageous doings startle US most when they come
to u in the shape Of a personal narrative. When
a reliable man can say, al have seen these
things" and eau give every incident Of events
that have only been outlined in the newspapers,
his evidence becomes interesting to the people.
Perhaps no man is better qualified to speak Of
the secret societies of the South, their nature,
their aims and their dOings, than Capt. Robert
W. coone, now in this. city. This will appear il
we glance at his career, certainly one of Il e
most remarkable shaped by the war and by the
events which followed in the South.
Capt Boone is native North Carolnian, and
a great grandson OF Daniel Boone. He was
about fifteen years of age when the CarOlinas
seeded. and he made his mark by tearing down
Il rebel flag which had been raised by his broth
er a captain in the Confederate service. En-
couraged by his mother, he stood firm in his
course as Union man, left the State and made
his way to Kentucky and in few weeks entert
the secret service of the United States Army-a
department that became so famous and so use
ful 10 the army operations in Kentucky aud Ten
nessee.
The old Boone instinct made this boy good
scout, a good pilot and a good spy. So efficient
wns he that after the siege Of Knoxville be was
made Captain with headquarters at Knoxville.
lie operated with his organization or command, {,
in East Tennessee, Western North Carolina +,
Northern Georgia and South Carolina.
He was captured seven times, and was SEN
fenced tn be SHIT at Salisbury, n. C., in 1862.
| He scaled the walls Of the prison, however, and
| though shot through the body escaped. In 1853
he was captured by Wheeled and was sentenced
| to be hung at AshyiIlle, n. G. Again he es
| capped.
| During these years of service he belonged to
| eight different Confederate regiments, strying
| u part of the time as private and part of tie
| time as A commissioned officer, and gai ing much
! va,,,.,sle inlormalion lie, of course, had many
| adventures and CAM out with many wounds.
He was known then as Charley DAVIS, su,. hn"'
dreds of Union officers, ploted by him tn the
Union lines, rescued by his command from rebel
guards or prison, to remember him With grateful
feelings.
After tie war Capt Davis tBoone) came north
! but went to South Carolina in 1869 to organize
the detective force Of the State. II becoming evil
dent that there was Il secret Organization Of reb-
| ell sympathizers, against which the legitimate
! q government could make LITTLE hcadwav. Capt.
Boone disappeared from South Carolina and
appeared in Georgia as coitnn buyer from
| North Carolina, rebel in sympathy, and violent
| in his talk against the tyranny Of the Federal
Government. lie j1ined the order then known
as the White Brotherhood, whoss declared OBJ
ject was the protection OF the widows aud or
phans OF deceased rebel soldiers, aud whose plat
form included the banding together Of all SYM
patti izerS Of the lost cause tor the adyaucem nj
| OF personal and political interest. This society
which it was said had originated in Washington
numbered at that time S3i 600 members, luclu'
dug all the rebel sympathzer5 in the south -
merchants, lawyers, farmers, traders, mechan
les. ii stilitY to negroes showed itself in vo
lunce and outrage and even the leaders Of the or
ganizaliOn admitted that in this way only could
they lntimidate the blacks. Possessing himself
OF all the signs, passwords etc, Cap. Bnone re-
turned to South Carolina to put the denials o
such an organization in that State 10 the est. Ht
Travelled extensively, was recognized every ywherI
a a member Oi the order, aud saw all their plans
aird aims from behind the scenes. Tbs Society
adopted the name ku klux tOirghten the ne
grut S, and the reckless m of the order perpe
traled outrages that were never mentioned il
print. During the years '69 and 10, ninety
thrae cold blo0ded murders were perpetrated il
South Caro!ina alone. Hundreds of negrne,
and many whites were brutally whipped anC
otherwise abused At Lawrence Court lOusI
eighteen men were killed in one day, and thi
} struggle at Newberry was what would have beer
a wholesale slaughter Of Union men, bad no
Capt. Boone managed to have troops put in an
opportune appearance. In all his observations
he collected facts names, dates. lie thorough
understood the animus Of the order, and under
| stood their mode Of acliun. Finally, when his
report tu the State officers had caused action tht
signs and pass words Of the order were changed
aud suspicion being directed against himself, hi;
useiulntss ceased.
His statement made under oath before tAe In-
vestigatng Committee at Washington and sub
slauiiated bY the records and by The eirsum-
stances of the many cases, and by the testimony
OF others emiuently hostile to him, is a strange
| chapter III the history of the Southern States
| The whole thing ia a nut she'll is, that the out
! RACES have not been exaggerated. but on the con-
| trary, that 1T ons.half have been reported, aud
| that when reported many of the acts lost some
Thing OF the brutality because of the absence Of
! the particulars that could net be made public
! ia : newspaper"