Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1913-03-05
OriginatOrS of
The Kuklux
John Booker Kennedy, Late Of
LawrenCeburg, Last OF the
Original Organizers.

Original Organizers.
Confederate Veterans Statement.
Capt. T. H. Meredith, himself, de.
voted follower of the stars and bars, a
man OF true southern eenlility, submits
the following data concerning the weird
brotherhood, that at first startled, then
aided and won the love and respect OF
The south, devastated and desolated by
civil war-the Ku Klux Klan Of which
the lamented JnO. B. Kennedy was the
last original member;
Original Ku Klux Klan
J Cal Jones,
RR Reed
70 McCord,
&c Lester
James R Grove,
John Booker Kennedy.
Cal Jones died in Pulaski many
years ago. RR Reed died in Giles
County, F o McCord died in Fayette-
vile ten years ago, J c Lester died in
Sheffield few years ago, James R
Grove died in Sheffield last year, John
B Kennedy died in Lawrencebur9 Feb
ruarV Is, 1913. Thus the last Of that
memorable Nan has passed inio the
great beyond. | knew every man OI
them and loYed them for their courage
their high sense Of honor, their sterling
qualities as soldiers and as citizens. AL
were Confederates, and types Of thu
true southern gentlemen, and no prsis'
could be greater Often have / hearC
from their own lips the story of the brit
of the Klan, its rise to power, its grea
work of protection and reconstruction
and finally its disbanding at the call o
its Grand Wizard, the great southerne
Nathan Bedford Forrest.
No bigger or better idea to meet an,
solve peoples perplexities was eve
conceived, or more ably executed, tina
this. Ia unselfsh service and effective
ness it is without parallel in history
, Let us, the living, not cease to homo
the memory of these old heroes, the lai
of which was our own loved fellow citi
zen Jno Booker Kennedy.
As has been correctly said, the deaf
of John Booker Kennedy at Lawrenc,
burg recently removed the last Of Il
, six original organizers Of the OnC
: dreaded Kuklux Klan, which did
!, mnch 10 preserve order and protect Ii
and property in the days Of recOnsiru
tion following the civil war. MAJ
: former members OF the Kuklux XII
are vet living, and interest in th
ehostly secret order will continue
long as they and Southern history ex
Organized in 1865.
1t was on the night of December Z
1865, that John B. Kennedy, ].
Grove, Richard r. Reed, Frank o. N
Cord John c. Lester and Calvin Jor
8 organized the Ku-Klux Klan in the i
office Of the latter's father, Judge Tho
as N. Jones Its organization was
accident; its purpose joke, but wi
it was disc severed that
y moral effect, coupled with i
= mystery, was wholesome aud beneiic
it assumed definite purpose, and
great good. II the Ku'Klux ever
sorted 10 extreme measures il was o
when extreme measures were deer
necessary. Theirs was mission
protection and peace.
The six young men before meutiO
had been soldiers in the COnfeder
n army. Each was a business or
fcssional man, and alter business ht
would meet with first one and anO
Of the sextette to recount war stC
and discuss current news and evI
Each was a musician and this acC
81 plishment added to their pOssibil
- for enjoyment
" Mission Was Peaceful.
As The Ku-Klux we're malisnel
limepd were cha.
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