The aegis & intelligencer., 1897-09-24
4AiSCrllanco1a
Why Grant Was Not Kidnapped.

One winter afternoon of 1S61--62 a
man on mule drew rein in a
Missouri lane within speaking dis
tance of two young men husking corn
in company with several adult negroes.
1t was about o'clock of a cold gray
day. Il hate to see men work so
hard, - the rider called, with intent to
be sarcastic.
Hello, jeff" the young fellows
called rs they rose from the piles OF
stalks before which they sat and
sauntered toward the fence.
You're a likely chap to talk about
work, ridin' around the country on a
mewel, like they weren't no work to
do
The rider grinned. It's too late
to husk corn anyhow. You South
Car'linians are always about two
months late" Suddenly his voice
changed to tone of joyous excite
ment, and he bent over the pommel
of his saddle:
Say, the Knights meet tonight"
shut up, you fool, said one of the
huskers. Don't you see the niggers
listening. What's going on?'
The riders voice sank to humble
II don't know. Jim met me and told
me the Dutch peddler had brought
some news, and said he wanted all the
Knights to be on hand.n
Where do we meet?n
Jim Lyons barn"
well, I'll tell you this-we've got
to have lot O. pickets out, for these
niggers are excited. They have an
idea something is going Oh that would
interest them
"Jim'll watch out for that. Well
so long. Be on hand"
We'll 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
quietly, they were ready at any
moment for an enterprise in aid of the
South. BY u swift and decided stroke
of military foresight, Frank p. Blair
had captured Camp Jackson and its
arsenal in May, thus saving the city
and its munitions 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.
There WAS lodge or circle at Ora
vols, into which all the Confederate
sympathiZers were gathered, but thus
far the Southern cause owed them
little. There was something in the
sudden call for a meeting this Novem-
ber day, however, which convinced
every eager Knight that the time for
action had come at last. Some deed
was to do-what it was, no one could
tell, save the peddler; but as the night
grew thick, from every direction, on
foot and on horseback, the men began
to move through the cold, bleak air,
toward the rendezvous. The two
Young men of the cornshocks were
brothers, Abner and Zimri Taylor
They were both stalwart, bearded,
and quiet in manner. At supper they
uttered no word of the news brought
to them, for black ears, keen as
hare's, were open to hear the lowest
word. The blacks were already trein-
ulous with excitement over the news
of battles in the South, which some of
them comprehended TO mean that GER
tain white men were fighting for them.
Others merely felt sympathetical-
ly the tense anxiety of the time, which
portended tragic deeds. There was
restraint in the silence which Abner's
wife perceived AS he rose from the
table that night he said to his wife:
Pm going to the postotfice to hear
the news"
The young wife seized the moment
to say:
20, Abner, hope it isn't any project
of the knights"
BE quiet, he said sharply. you
needn't worry if it is. | promised
YOU | wouldn't go into the service,
and won't-at least. not now"
Promise me not to do anything
rash, ARner."
He smiled little. Il don't have
that reputation among the circle" he
said
The younger brother grew impa
tient. "Oh, come along, Abner; we'll
be late"
Abner had already been under ar
rest for a rebelious act while on a
visit to st. Louis, and his wife was
easily alarmed now. By 40 the barn
held a score of men of all ages and
sizes, and outside circle of pickets
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 Il big, black whisk
cred man of alert and vigorous man
ner. The members were hunched or
sprawling about on the hay listening
in silence. At last the chairman rap
ped for order and said in low voice:
Brothers of the circle, you are call
ed together tonight because there is
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. We
Lave been helpless under the heel of
these Northern vandals ever since.
Now we have a chance to make them
pay. Brothes Nose Banner has II
word to say.
Banner, was a peddler vino carried
drugs from st. Louis to the Confede-
rate armies i'll the Southern part of
the State. He carried also whatever
news of military movements he could
secure. He now stepped out into the
floor, the excitement of the project in