Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1883-03-22
SONS OF LIsERTY."
What lake Thompson Says Of
the Organization. and What Il
Was to. % at Chicago In 1854

Was lOsu0 az ciiC99O " 1904,
Col. r. A. Barr, IF the Phila'
delphia Press, has recently had
an irterview, at Memphis, with
Jacob Thompson, President Bu.
chaDan's Secretary 0f the fnte,
rior, and subsequently, Confctie-
rate Agent in 4 0sptIs, on SUBJ
jects connected With Secession
and the Rebellion. Following
is an extract from Col. Burr's
report Of tho eonsefss iaelE
Early Ia 1861 Mr.. Thompson
was called by Mr.. Davis to go
to the North and establish not
only diplomatic, but a civil
and military station on the Dor.
ders of che United States. His
powers were almost UNLIMITED,
and he undertook to do any
thing that was in accordance
with the laws of war that his
Judgment dictated.
II ran the blockade,n said he,
"and reached Canada In May,
1864, think. Tho first, and, as
| thought, the most important,
duty that confronted me was
the organization Of the Sons of
Liberty, and a conference Of, or
communication with, leading
men who first suggested tho ex-
istence Of % feeling in the North
west against the methous of the
Government, that might be turn.
ed to our account. I must con
fess that / had great hopes OF
the Sons of Liberty, from the
prominence and high character
OF the men who were ~ It'll
head. It was thoroughly ant
systematically organized, and
was furnished with regular mus
ter rolls containing the name
of nearly 100000 men in Oh
7
States of Indiana, Illinois,Ia ,Iab
Ohio, regularly enrolled in tn
different societies. The inten
ton was 10 take q vast numbe
-turrrryrmpn tn f'E4segv
time of the Democratic Nationa
Convention OF 1864, and durins
the sittings release the prison
ers at Camp Douglas, Roal
Island, aud the other eampsdl
the Northwest. Judge Kinds
of the Supreme Court OF APP
peals of Kentucky, and Col
Castleman of Louisville, were
my principal representatives al
| Chicago. / furnished the money
aud it was distributed to tho
| Sons of Liberty. They took i
4 and went to Chicago, but, wher
there could not be got up to thu
point of making the assault. u
was very mach disappointed
for some of the best men in thu
j Northwest stood sponsor fo'
the earnestness and reliabilit.
a.. of the organization.
"L organized another move
ment, however, in that sectiol
for the release of the Confede
rate officers held as prisoner
, on Johnson's Island, that CAV
the Federal Governmentno EN-
9 of trouble, and, had it not bee
for an accident, would have bee
entirely successful. 1t was 3
capture the gunboat Michiga
that guarded the island.
Confederate soldier by the nam
}, Of Cole was intrusted with tb
. details of getting the boat ou
! of the way and release the prs
oners. We had a perfect sy'
TEN OF communication with tn
e prisoners on the island, an
> they were informed of the da
a upon which the attempt to &c
d the. gunboat away and reieas
f them would be made. In pu
|, suance with this arrangemef
;. the Philo Parsons and the Islan
a Queen, two steamboats,, wei
:, captured by our men, but at
critical moment those who wei
. to do the hazardous work veal
!. ened. Cole was left aboard IL
% Michigan, was taken prisone
and came near losing his life
l. Mrs. Vail; of New York, hi
r brought suit to recover cas-
Is and avoid payment Of not
4 given, amounting in all to sl6'
% 500, which she says she was