Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1897-10-28
Why Grant Was Not Kidnapped.


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q man on a mul drew rein in a
Missouri lane with speaking dis
tance of two youn men huskine
corn in company Y b several adult
negroes. 1t was al bnt 4 O'Clock OF
a cold gray day. II hate to see
men work so hard 1.-THE rider call.
ea, with intent to sarcastic.
Hello, JEFF ths yonng fellows
Icalled as they rose rom the piles OF
stalks before which they sat snd
sauntered toward the fence.
You're a likely chap to talk
about work. ridin' around the coun-
try on a mewel, like they weren't
no work to do
The rider grinned. It's too late
toshusk corn anyhow. You South
Oar 'linians are always about two
months late. Suddenly his voice
Changed to a tone of joyous excite
ment, and he bent over the pommel
ofJhis saddle:
Say, the Knights meet tonight
Shut mp, you fool, said one of
the huskers. Don't you see the
niggers listening. Whats going
on?'
The riders voice sank into a
humble. Il don't know. Jim
met me and told me the dutch ped
dler had brought some news, and
said he wanted all the knights to
be OIL hand
Where do we meet?'
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 on
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 thongh the
farmers of the creek we're pursuing
thei< ways quietly, they were ready
at any snoment for an enterprise in
aid of the South. BY a swift and
decided stroke of military fore
sight, 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
a 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 a lodge or circle at
Gravois, to which all the Confeder-
ate sympathizers were gathered, but
thus far the Southern cause owed
them little. There was something
in the sudden call for meeting
this November 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 broth
ers, Abner and Zimri Taylor. They
were both stalsart, bearded, and
quiet in manner. At supper they
uttered no word of the news
brought to them, for black ears,
keen as a hare's, we're open to hear
the lowest word. The blacks were
already tremulous with excitement
over the news of battles in the
South, which some of them COM
pretended to mean that certain
white men were fighting for them.
Others merely felt sYmpathetically
the tense anxiety of the time which
portended tragic deeds. There was
q restraint in the silence which Alb.
ner's wife perceived. AS he rose
from the table that night he said
to his wife:
I'm going to the postofiice to
hear the news.
The young wife seized the mo.
ment to say
30, Abner, i hope it isn't any
projects of the Knights
BE quiet, he said sharply. 'Yor
needn't worry if it is. i promised
you / wouldn't 20 into the service
and | won't-at least, not now