THE KLAN IN TENNESSEE.
Misgovernment in Tennessee--The Loyal League and the State
Administration--The K. K. K. an Outgrowth of the Conditions which the
former Inspired--Rapid Development of the Order on Tennessee
Soil--Its Purposes of Revenge--Legislation on the Subject--A
Governor's Proclamation--Militia called out and Detectives
Employed--The State pronounced a Ku-Klux Barracks--The Loyal League
in various Localities Succumbing to the New Element of Conquest--A
State Council of the League Summoned to meet at Nashville--The
Governor to Preside--The Secret out, and Counter Measures Resolved
upon by the Rival Party--Spies sent to Nashville--League Places of
Rendezvous throughout the State subjected to Espionage--A War of
Extermination against the Latter--A Simultaneous Uprising of the K.
K. K. throughout the State and Concerted Raids against the L. L.
Rendezvous in various Neighborhoods--Military Accomplishments of the
Grand Wizard--Subcommanders in Charge of the Expedition--Capture of
Secret Papers--Ku-Klux Hollow-square--Oath administered to
Captives--Success of the Undertaking--Shifting of Conditions.
As early as the spring of 1866, the head of the Order announced that the
recruiting-books for the State of Tennessee showed a force of eighty
thousand men; and it was here, and about this date, that some of the most
eventful scenes connected with the history of the K. K. K. were enacted.
This State had been committed to League control early after peace was
declared by the general government, and the bitter proscription at once
inaugurated against the white race, under the combined patronage of the
League and the existing State government, not only excited the strenuous
opposition of all those who anchored their faith to the Conservative idea
in politics throughout this and neighboring States, but called forth a
warm protest from those disinterested partisans at the North who had
recently been erected into what is known as the moderate Republican or
Independent party. Disfranchisement, in its most radical form, excluded
the intelligent voters of the State from all participation in its affairs;
tax laws came up for amendment at each session of the State legislature,
and in connection with other expenses of government (for such they had
become), were sextupled in the end; the most quiet and law-abiding
neighborhoods were placed under military surveillance, or driven to suffer
the penalty of confiscation acts whose terms might have included the
entire race of mankind; and finally, every device of ignorant and
intemperate legislation applied, whose effect would be to render the
government unsuited to the wants of the people, and convert the latter
into a body of malcontents. This end appears, indeed, to have been
contemplated by the League faction at that stage of its supremacy when its
attainment seemed most improbable; but when the reality, or something
which very much resembled it, came upon them, they disowned the abortion,
and invited their friends at the North to behold with what consistency
the old rebel stump was putting forth green shoots of disunion.
We shall not express a preference for either of these bad extremes of the
politics of that period, but in order to a proper understanding of the
question, we deem it no impropriety to state that it was a fact well
known, and illustrated elsewhere, that wheresoever the League animal
deposited its spawn, with due regard for atmospheric conditions, the K. K.
K. insect would shortly drop its chrysalis.
In looking over the history of those times in Tennessee, the student need
be at no loss in seeking out the exact causes of the Ku-Klux movement as
it existed on her soil, nor of finding its dimensions from this given
mean. As large as was the Klan force, it probably did not exceed the
League in numbers, and had many disadvantages to meet which the latter,
helped forward by its government patronage, did not regard as impediments.
But it had injuries to redress, burning wrongs to avenge, and cherishing
these incentives, it laughed at legislative penalties, and burned to join
battle with those dispensers of Ku-Klux halters who dealt in this and like
judicial pleasantries at their expense.
Having had its birth in the western district of the State, where the
elements of a rapid growth were found, it was quickly communicated to the
central counties and the neighborhood of the capital, and finding its way
thence over the Cumberland Mountains--before its presence was even
suspected in that loyal quarter--developed a shamrock growth on the soil
of East Tennessee. Within three months from the time the first Den was
organized on her territory, the K. K. K. had reached its highest growth in
numbers and strength of resources, and announced itself ready and anxious
to meet the army in buckram, whom it asserted represented the cause of
misgovernment on Tennessee soil. Its plans were quickly developed, and the
destruction of a half dozen or more dark-lantern societies, which lay more
on the surface of things than was thought to be polite, alarmed the State
functionaries, and called attention to their proceedings in a form quite
as disagreeable as the most ultra of the party could have desired. The
subject first came before the legislature, and steps were taken which it
was presumed would "put a head on the monster" (to literally quote one of
the Buncombe addresses before that august body), but the indescribable
nonchalance of the proceedings, which seemed directed at a child's
toy-house rather than a nest of boa constrictors, only excited the K.'s to
new activity. A Governor's proclamation was next called for; soon
afterwards secret measures were instituted looking to the employment of a
force of detectives; and finally, the militia were summoned to assemble,
but, despite all, the crooked wonder grew, and the more industrious the
efforts put forth to curtail its existence the more it grew and the
greater the occasion it saw for this exertion.
In the summer of this year, the members of the legislature of Tennessee,
in council assembled, pronounced the State a Ku-Klux barracks, and
resolved themselves unsafe in their granite citadel at Nashville. The
League head-quarters in various parts of the State were succumbing one by
one to the new element of conquest, and, indeed, the State seemed on the
eve of a revolution, by which, if no more serious results were attained,
its territory would be rendered untenable for that class of its population
which was known to its enemies as the dark-lantern faction. In this
emergency, the leaders of the L. L. resolved to call a State council of
the Order, over whose deliberations the Governor should preside, and whose
object would be to devise ways and means for the destruction of their
troublesome enemies. Great preparations were made accordingly, and without
divulging their plans, it was resolved, at the conclusion of the secret
proceedings, to hold a mass meeting at the capital which should review the
whole subject. This body assembled at the specified date, but not before
the rival party had become fully acquainted with its plans and purposes,
and in convention assembled resolved upon counter measures.
On the very evening which the Council had set apart for its introductory
proceedings (in the city of Nashville), the indefatigable K.'s had issued
commands throughout the State requiring every member of the Order to
report at his Den head-quarters for special service. A force of spies was
dispatched to the neighborhood of the League Council, and the brief
period which was to elapse before the Solons would arrive and enter upon
the solemn business in hand was appropriated by these secret agents, and
their co-conspirators in other neighborhoods, to the work of obtaining
information from deserters, chance prisoners, etc., as to the exact
location and surroundings of the League places of rendezvous throughout
the State. Indeed, while the League had busied itself with a very red
conflagration devoted to the Ku-Klux fat, whensoever they should overtake
that slippery substance, the much persecuted "krookeds" had doubled back
on them, and only awaited a fair wind to convert their little game into a
"double reversible," quite as complicated as any that had dawned upon the
patent-machine mind previous to that date.
A war of extermination against the League had been resolved upon months
before by the leaders of the Klan, but a favorable moment for a decisive
blow, or the emergency requiring it, had not arrived, until both were
visible in the proposed State council of the Order and the objects it
would consider. Now, destiny seemed rushing upon them, and the time almost
too brief to make an intelligent feint on the enemy's front. But
promptness of stratagem, and rapid development of passing advantages, was
perhaps the strongest point in the military character of the distinguished
leader of this movement, for where others halted, awed by the proportions
of an undertaking, or the suddenness of combinations effected in their
front, he only felt an inspiration to go forward. The force which
participated in the attack on the evening of ---- 19th, 1866, did not fall
far short of one hundred thousand men, and yet, thirty-six hours previous
to this time, the occasion had not presented itself to the mind of the
veteran who planned the attack as suitable therefor. A well organized and
lightly-equipped force proved unquestionably a _sine qua non_ in rendering
the dispositions of the commander successful; but we doubt if it would be
fair to subtract this circumstance from the glory of the undertaking, if
the reader is informed that it had been developed from the same ingenious
source with special reference thereto.
In the attack which followed, each Den constituted an independent force,
and was under the immediate command of the Grand Cyclops. Indeed, no other
officer was known on the field, though it was sufficiently apparent, at
the time, that each had received his allotted task from a superior, and it
was afterwards divulged that they had acted under written orders. At ten
o'clock precisely, the commands moved (from the various points of
rendezvous selected), and were allotted one hour to each ten miles of
distance to be traversed. They were in full uniform, and though they
carried arms, were commanded not to fire, nor to return a fire, except
under orders. _En route_ they avoided public roads and dense settlements,
and on approaching their destination changed the order of march (by twos)
to close column by fours, when the command was "charge." After the
building, which formed the object of attack, came in view, no time was to
be lost, and its investment completed as rapidly as possible. Attempted
refugees were to be forced back within the walls, and in no event was an
escape to be permitted. A party of six resolute men were detached from
each squadron for special duty, in securing the papers, books, and other
written documents of the League meeting, and this movement was so far
pivotal in its character, that their comrades were commanded to keep their
proceedings in view, and be ready at a signal to render them assistance.
After a thorough search of the premises had been accomplished, the
dismounted men without were commanded to take their station within the
building, and form the hollow-square of the order.
As so much has been said concerning this feature of their drill, and so
little really known, we give the exact figure in the cut below. It may be
imitated by arranging two letters K with their backs to each other, and
doubtless originated from this device.
[Illustration: Ku-Klux Hollow-square.]
This ghostly evolution having been performed, and the trembling Leaguers
finding themselves invested at every point, the Grand Cyclops had orders
to ascend the rostrum, and from that elevated position deliver to the
(constructive) culprits an oath whose principal features were as follows:
To forever abjure all allegiance to the secret organization known as the
Loyal League; to cease to employ the elective franchise as an instrument
of oppression against the white population of the State; to forsake the
acquaintance of all men, irrespective of party, who sought to profit by
their votes; and finally, to abstain, under pain of the severest
penalties; from all efforts to investigate or otherwise disturb the
mystical beings who stood before them, and who, at some future time, if
deemed expedient, would accord them further and more convincing proofs of
their ghostly genealogy. This command having been executed, the lights
were to be blown out at a signal, and the parties, disappearing by the
most secret routes possible, to hasten forward to a point of rendezvous
one mile distant.
Such was the plan of campaign resolved upon by the Grand Wizard and his
advisers; and that it was successful in every particular is a fact which
we need hardly repeat, in view of the numerous hints conveyed in the
written history of those times. While the State Council of the Loyal
League was guessing itself dry over the great "konundrum," and, at the
same time, making such a _sine die_ disposition of its remains as was
rendered feasible by broadsides of eloquence and sixthlies of courageous
resolve, that lively "korps(e)" had frisked from its abode, and with the
alacrity of a "monkey on a trapeze-bar" (in the language of the
oil-regions) "went through them."