Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1894-05-31

COLONEL JOHN B. CAsTLEMAN.
thorough comprehe rsion of the subject,
1T might be as we'll to relegate to OBJ
livion forever. The histories of great
campaigns usually center in some mill
tary leader. The story of our own war
could not be written without full rec
ognition of the civil and executive au-
thorities, of which Lincoln was the head
and the soul. If we could gather and
set down in proper form the expert
ence of every private soldier from his
enlistment to his leaving the service
through death or discharge, we should
have an entirely full and accurate his
tory of the civil war so far as its mo-
tives, its defeats and its victories were
cont srned. But even with this before
us there would he deficiency in the
unrecorded story of intringue, conspir-
acy and plot, through which agencies
sought to accompli ii the purpose for
which armies were brought into the
field.
There were no less than four conspir-
acies to seize and take Richmond with
out the intervention of the Army of
the Potomac, all of which failed, either
through the inefficiency of the design
or the weakness of the execution. Be-
fore Lincoln was inaugurated, and
while he was yet on his way to Wash
lngton, a conspiracy was formed to kill
him as he passed through Baltimore,
and after he became president there
were five additiona plots against his
life, the last of which, unfortunately
for the nation, proved successful. OF
these conspiracies may write at some
future time; indeed, there is enough
material to make more than one vol
ume, but for the present I must content
myself with looking into the great plot
of 1864, which had for its purpose the
freeing of the Confederate prisoners at
Johnston's Island, Fort Douglass and
other points near the Canadian frontier.
This plot must not be confused with
that of Colonel George st. Leger Gren-
fel, General John Morgan's chief of
staff, which had for its purpose the
freeing of the thousands of prisoners
near Chicago, the sacking of the city
and their escape into Canada.
In looking at the records of those
days, even the non-military reader is
amazed at the facility with which peo-
pie of all classes we're permitted to pass
bl10 WlUuOub III
vestigation or passport, and to settle
down in any community without license.
In the summer of 1864 Confederate SOL
diers, under skillful officers, were per-
mitted to doff their gray uniforms, put
on the attire of citizens and to make
their homes in New York, Chicago and
Detroit, without exciting the suspicion
or comment of those with whom they
we're brought into contact. In study
ing these records one is startled to find
that Confederate officers, their posi-
tions in the Southern Confederacy be-
ing concealed, boldly entered the states
of Indiana, Illinois, and the Northwest,
and established organizations known as
the ''Sons of Liberty" and knights of
the Golden Circle" which had for their
ayowed purpose the perpetuation of
slavery, the aid of the South and the
overthrow OF the republic: yetsuch was
the case. These societies were secret
and oath-bound. and such Of the records
as yet remain show the names OF many
citizens honored and respected at the
time, some OF whom are still living
with regulations If not for patriotism,
at least without having attached to
them any suspicion Of treason or dis
loyalty.
While Confederate emissaries wara