The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-10-18
KU-KLUX-KLAN
Br JAMES ,. CLAIR. Nsu@fAiia. AiA.

1t was the writer's pleasure to read in one of last January issues or The Advertiser quite an interesting uttle article which had been clipped from The Florence Times.
 This article gave an account or sne recent meeting, in the onice or The Times. of two honored Confederate soldiers. Major James R. Grove, of Shefield and Hon. John B. Kennedy. or IAwrenceburg, Tenn. While together accounting incidences of former times, the historical fact was developed that these two men. together with four other. organized the first order Of the Ku Rlux Klan of the South, in De- ' cember, 1865.
 Of those six, only two. whose names have been given, remain to give a true account of the organization of the order which checked lawlessness and whose name was awe-insptrtng to the negroes and treacherous scala wags in many sections of the South during the decade following the war between the States.
 The Times article says: These men met and formed club for social and educational championship. and called its name Kurklos. Greek word meaning circle. The members later called 1t Kuklux; and still later. at the suggestion of one of their number. they became known as the Ku Klux KIan."
 quoting further. '"rhe circle was a close one: none outside of it Knew it's membership, and while still only a so- ciaI club, parades were sometimes made through the town in all sorts of scary and outlandish costumes and dis- guises. The effect on the ignorant and superstitious was surprising. and 1t stopped, in a measure. those charac- ters from night proving; Later on when in those disorganiZed times Iawiess persons commenced to show defiance to the authorities and mis- deneanors and outbreaks becaine numerous, the terrifying effects of the K. K. K were brought into play with good results.
 The Kurilos. an innocent circle. harming the hair of any ones head. had grown to be a silent power, in- timidating the lawless and restoring order where before the law and its officers had been set at defiance. The fame of the Klan went abroad through out the South-it spread like wiId-fire to meet condition that placed the women and children; and the men as well, at the mercy of thieves and robbers and vagabonds. Klans were organized everywhere--they accomp- 1ished their purpose and as law and order were re-established, they re- tired from active service and their name and works remained only as a memory"
 The writer's already very great in- terest in the Klan and its workings. and his desire for some definite knowledge of the order was doubly intensified after reading the above article. He then took occasion to white Hon. John B. Kennedy. of Law renceburg, Tenn, who Is one Of the two surviving founders of the organ ization and who, as Is readily evident from his kindness in replying to my inquiries and from the neat. paintstak- ing character of his letters, is Q true representative of the Ofd South's chivairic manhoodr-asking for iufor- mation relative to the Klan. Through his kindness the following interest ing. as well as instructive, letter, with permission to publish same. was received:
 'LAwrenceburg. Tenn.
 January 30. 1908.
 ~In answer to your inquiries about the organization of the 'Ku Klux Klan." will say, the Klan was organ izea in Pulaski. Tenn. in December
 'srhs following young men viz: Calvin Jones. Frank o. Mccord. Richard R Reed. Captain John c, Les ter, Major James R. Grove, and John B. Kennedy met at the office of Judge T. M. Jones in Pulaski, Tam, and ors ganized the Klan. When name for the order was under consideration. R R. Reed sug Gfested the name of HSu klux, which name was adopted. Then John B. Kennedy made a motion that the word Klan be added. which mo- ton was adopted, thus giving us tho ''Ku Klux Klan."
 The six original organizers were natives of Giles county, Tennessee. and also rebels. who had returned from the rebel army to find all lost save honor.
 They had secured employment in Pulaski, and met together at first for amusement and recreation. Many oth- CTS were initiated into the orRantza- tion and rapidly the Ku KIux Klan spread. When we learned that the grotesque costumes and weired mys- tery Of the Klan operated upon the minds of the Ignorant and vicious negroes and the undesirable whites. we turned the object of the Kan into more useful channels, and since then the doings of the K. K. K, are a mat. ter of history
 large majority of the Ku Klux in Tennessee were old rebel soldiers, General N. B. Forrest, John W. Mort OHs ttlSN A4eSt ShAeA OL Artillery, now Secretary of State of Tennessee. General George W. Gordon, and Major H. c. Bates. of Nashville, Tenn, be- came connected with the Klan in diff ferent capacities
 When General Forest became inter ested in the workings of the Klan, he took Captain John W. Morton to one side and found out that the order was all right before he would be initiated. General Forrest, who was the Grand Wtzzard of the Empire. when he as- |certained that the misFion of the Klan was fulfilled. ordered .hat 1t disband.