Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1897-11-04


newell, like they wern't no wirk to do
The rider grinned. Its too late to
husk corn, anyhow. You know South
Carolinans are always about two
months late" Suddenly his voice
changed to tone of joyous excitement,
and he bent over the pommel of his sad
die:
''Say, the knights meet tonight"
''Where do we meet?"
:'Jim Lyons barn.
''Well, I'll tell you this: we've got to
have lot O pickets out, for the niggers
are excited. They have an idea that
something is going on that would inter-
est Them
"Jim'll watch out for that. Well
SO long. Be on hand"
well be there"
The country about st. Louis was at
that time more secession than Union in
feeling, and, though the farmers of the
creek were pursuing their ways quiet
ly, they We're ready at any moment
for an enterprise in aid of the South.
BY swift and decided stroke of mill
tary foresight, Frank ?. Blair had cap
tured Camp Jackson and it's arsenal in
May, thus saving the city its NUM-
tons to the Union, but there had
sprung up all over the country secret
society in sympathy with the South:
These societies were branches of the
Knights Of the Golden Circle, and it
was their hope that at some time they
might be able to do some decisive work
in aid of secession.
BY 1870 o'clock that night Jim Lyons
barn held a score of men Of all ages
and sizes, and outside circle of pick
cts kept watch that no prying negro
came within hearing distance of the
loft in which the meeting was held. In
the center of the group, and doing most
of the talking, was a big, black-whis-
kered man of alert and vigorous man
ner. The members were launched or
sprawling about on the hay listening
in silence. At last the chairman wrap
ped for order and said in a low voice:
brothers of the circle, you are called
together tonight because there's work
to be done. You've all been just achin'
to do something for the cause, and
now's yo' chance. We've had to keep
our mouths shet. We've had to submit
to these Yankee scrubs, who hold our
fo't. Fo't Jackson should never have
been surrendered. Wehave been helpless
under the heels of these Northern van
dals ever since. Now we have chance
to make them pay. Brother Nose Brau-
mer has a word to say" Braumer was
a peddler who carried drugs from st.
Louis to the Confederate armies in the
southern part of the State. He carried
also whatever news of military move
ments he could secure. He now stepped
out onto the floor, the excitement of the
big project in his visage. He plunged
into the plan at once:
Brothers. we have a chance to rob
the Northern armies of a big brigadier
general Gen. Z. S. Grant, Of Cairo, is
home on a leave of absence. He drove
out to-day without a guard. Nobody
with him. He's at old man Dents,
which is not more than two miles from
here. You all know the place. He will
be there all night. My plan is to sur
round the house and seize him while he
is asleep. The Union cause will have
one brigadier general less
Two or three of the younger hotheads
leapcd up white with excitement.
''Good. That's the plan. Well make
him pay for Belmont"
The holiness of the scheme took the
cooler men at disadvantage Before
they could gather theirlimbs under them
another belligerent was in the middle
of the floor, blazing with excitement,
his words volley. 1T is a glorious OPP
portunity to serve the cause of the
South. We have been organized for
just such work as this. Now is our
chance. I will be one to do this work
tonight"
$50 will l." said one at his side.
"And I''' shouted several more.
The chairman uttered a warning hiss
-"Sh.-don't YELL" For an instant it
seemed as if the whole lodge was
ready for this bold plan, but dissent
ing voice made itself heard at last. Some
one shouted, Hold on a minute"' and
when the rest had time to look about
and see who had spoken, Abner Taylor
was seen standing in the background.
The big corn husker looked grim and
threatening as he stepped forward and
flung his hat on the floor.
II vote no! Now, see here. know
this Gen. Grant. I've cut wood and
hauled props with him. He has ate
dinner in our house many time. You
all know him, and you know that bet
ter man never lived in this town. He's
d gentleman and an honorable soldier,
and l don't propose to kidnap man
| Nike that under such circumstances.