The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-05-17
! Distinguished Richmond
Man Unfolds the Great
Conspiracy of Sons of
! Liberty" in State.
CASE TODAY READS
JUST LIKE FICTION
General Bennett of This City
Was Member of Military
Commission which Tried
Plotters. &

A conspiracy to kidnap and murder
Governor Morton, In order that the
Democratic Secretary of State. next in
succession In our form OF government.
might become the head OF this com.
monwealth and thus throw Indiana in
the columns Of the Secession states.
sounds, to the present day. more like
fiction than fact. but this little known
incident In the history OF the civil war,
N II affected this state. Is wildly re-
called by the Hon. Isaac Jenkinson, of
this city. although then resident Of
IT. Wayne where he published and ed
lted the Gazette.
The trials for treason" an they were
called which were held In IndianapO-
liz before Military Commission. spec
tally convened by the military author
files OF the District OF Indiana. for the
purpose Of bringing Harrison II. Dodd.
Of indianapolis. and other men high In
the councils OF the Order of American
Knights or Sons OF Liberty before the
bar for reasonable acts, created a
great ftlrore at the time. although rec
objection of this phase OF civil war his
tory AZ related to Indiana IL but vague.
The knights OF the Golden Circle"
q perhaps the best known to the pres
emit generation OF, the secret societies
IN the North formed to aid the Re-
bsllion, but the "Sons Of Liberty" was
equally az powerful and It was to the
members of this order In Indiana that
was accredited the plot to make
way" with Governor Morton and put
Indiana In the ranks OF the supporters
Of the lost cause"
Gen. Oennett . Judge.
General Thomas w. Bennett. one of
the picturesque figures of that and a
later day-General Bennett then ltv'
ing In Liberty having afterward be-
come Q citizen OF Richmond where he
wuD several times Mayor and where he
ana bis charming wife were conspicu-
cue politically and socially-was a
uomber OF the commission which ar
yaiened Dodd and other principals who
Included william A. Bowles. Of Ind.
lana. Joshua r. Bullitt. OF Kentucky.
Richard Barrett, OF Missouri. and An.
drew Humphreys. Horace Heffren.
Lambdin p. Milligan and Stephen
Horsey. also of Indiana. on the general
charge Of conspiracy against the Unit.
Cd States government with number
Of minor specific charges.
II might be interesting to state that
Brevet Brigadier General Silas Col
grove, the United States Volunteers.
and whose home was in Winchester.
was also q member Of the commission
appointed to try the prisoners, and
that the commission was detailed by
order of Brevet Major General Alvin p.
Hcvey, afterwards Governor, the per-
sonnet Of the body. in addition to Gen.
erals Colgrove and Bennett being
made up Of: Colonel william E. Nc
Lean. 43rd Infantry: Colonel John T..
Wilder, 18th Infantry; Colonel Thomas
]. Lucas. 10th Infantry; Colonel
Charles n. Murray. seth Infantry;
Colonel BENJAMIN Spooner. s3rd In
fantry: Colonel Richard p. DeHart,
1cSth Infantry: Colonel Reuben Will
liams. 18TH Infantry; and Colonel Al
bert Heash, Tooth Infantry. all OF the
brose A. Stevens. OF the Veteran Re-
serve Corps: Colonel Ansel d. Wass,
6Oth Infantry, Massachusetts Volun-
teers. and Major Henry l.. Burnett.
Judge Advocate Of the Ohio and North
ern Department. as Judge Advocate.
Not least interesting was the ap-
pointment OF the celebrated Ben Pit
o~~w - otour~~o ,,hor ~ orhOuCuro mn
r. reporter" as he was called to take
down the proceedings. Mr.. Pitman be.
Ing able to apply the rules of his own
celebrated system OF shorthand to the
recording OF this famous case.
New historical Fact.
That the Southerners expected and
did form Q coalition OF their own un.
der the name OF the Confederacy. is.
Of course. matter of world history.
plan Of these secret orders to form a
''North. Western Confederacy." which
would he friendly to the Southern
Confederacy, but inimical to New Eng.
land and the Eastern states, is not one
with which the public Mt large il &C.
Quainted.
Such. however. was the purpose OF
the leaders Of these reasonable ord
era. although the rank and file were
not Invariably aware Of the ultimate
purpose OF their organization. A great
mass Of evidence was brought out in
these trials. which ended in the con-
viction OF the principals and their SEN
t0nce 10 be hanged.
Great pressure being brought to bear
upon Andrew Johnson for commuta-
ton 10 imprisonment for life. was sue
ceasful to the latter end. but at the
moment of Johnson's act the Supreme
Court Of the United States to which
the case had been appealed. decided
that the Military Commission had no
power TO act legally and the case and
prisoners were dismissed.
The most interesting phase OF these
trials was, however. that relating to
Tho design Of the Indiana contingent
20 take the life Of Governor Morton.
vttA IA details q Which Mr. Jenkin-
-.