The Richmond climax. (Richmond, Ky.) 1897-1914, 1911-08-02

officers named we're conducted almost
sniirely By John H. Waller and
A. n. Cockfin.
At that time there existed in Illinois
and in some Of the neighboring States a
secret political society. known as The
Sons Of Liberty" hostile to the Federal
Government and in sympathy with the
South. Il claimed a membership Of
about 800. 900. but this, perhaps. was an
overestimate of its strength. By some
Of the members Of the prisoners organ
ization the cooperation of the Sons o.
Liberty was expected. In This prob
ably. they would have been disapoint-
ed though there is good reason for the
belief that their active, Overt assistance
was definitely promised It is how
ever. not improbable that the Sons OF
Liberty would have given valuable
aid In procuring supplies and in destroy
ing Federal lines of communication. Il
is also probable hat many of them
would have been drawn into some de-
nonstration exciting such general
distrust. panic and confusion as would
have been of the greatest service to the
escaped prisoners in making their way
TO the Confederate lines.
One Of the Sons of Liberty, or young
man seeming to act under their direct
ion was employed as a clerk at the
garrison headquarters and was permitted
TO have unrestricted access TO the prison
From time to time he reported to John
Waller, going to him in his bunk late at
night. In this manner Waller received
promptly all information obtainable at
the garrison headquarters that could
be of interest to the conspirators. 1t
was natural that the prison authorities
would suspect the probability Of Rttem-
pts to organize some means OF escape.
Hence they always had some spies
among the prisoners. Every spy thus
employed was known TO Waller, to the
committe of seven and TO regimental
commanders within a few hours after
his employment, and he was ever after
under rigid, ceaseless surveillance.
That reports came to Waller direct
from garrison headquarters was known
to only a few Of the officers in the prison
ers' organization. Not one instance
was known of a spy having been en-
ployed who was not previously known
to some officer in the organization as
utterly unworthy of confidence. Hence
this busy espionage within the prison
was, of course, entirely without results.
The creatures employed. fortunately for
themselves, could obtain no information.
There had been in Morgan's command
a man named S -, who had come to
it from Texas IL was afterward re-
ported that he had been indicted in that
State for forgery and escaped while out
on bail Soon after arrived at Camp
Douglass he took the cath of allegiance
to the United States and. having unusu-
al abilities for Office work, soon obtain
ed a clerkship in one of the garrison
offices. Many months later he came
back amongIIthS prisoners, prof, ssing
profound regret for the course be had
taken and tried hard to gain the con.
fidence ofthe leading men of Morgan
command. OF course, he was Stunned
and distrusted 10y all. At that time a
Texan, trusted member of the organ
ization, became seriously i'll and often
delirious. He had with him a valuable
i diamond and s., knowing of it
managed 10 sometimes assist in nursing
him. II is known that the diamond dis
appeard. Much more unfortunate was
it that the sick man in his delirium cal
led the name of Mrs. Morris, a Kentuc-
ky lady then living in Chicago. There
was other delirious talk, TOO disjointed
to form the basis of any definite sus-
picion. s., returned to garrison
headquarters and was detailed for de-
tective work in Chicago. Other de-
tectives were placed under his orders,
but he himself was always under their
surveillance.
The committee of seven, by agree
ment with those who were to cooperate
outside the prison, fixed upon a night in
November, 1864, for the assault upon
the garrison. As a signal rocket was
to be sent up on the outside. As before,
, it was planned that the patrol should be
suddenly seized and gagged by a detail
strong enough to insure instant and
entire success and in all other important
details the plans were similar to those
of the July preceding. The statement
has been made that it was intended
to burn Chicago. This is entirely un-
true. AS before, there we're stringent
orders intended to protect all citizens
from wanton injury in person or pro.
perty. Arms. horses and supplies were
to be taken only by men detailed for
tiat purpose. but no wanton wrong was
TO be permitted or par1oned. This
was fully understood by every officer in
the organization.
During the evening preceding the
night selected for the outbreak each
officer received instructions as to the
signal and orders as TO his own particu-
, lar duties. Il would be difficult to tell
how exultant were the hopes Of those
who watched through the long hours Of
night for the signal to be given by
friends outside, or how sickening the
di q appointment when at last the long
night had passed without signal being
given. No man shared the vigil who
did not know that the enterprise in
which he expected to engage was so full
of peril as TO be almost desperate, yet
there was not one of all the member:
who did not grieve that the chance, des-
perate as it was had been forbidden.
The spy s., had presented himself
to Mrs Morris as an escaped prisoner
from Camp Douglas. aud by his ac-