MEETING OF THE SUPREME COUNCIL, F.O.S.L. AT THE RICHMOND HOUSE,
CHICAGO--TWO MILLION DOLLARS DISBURSED AS CONSIDERATION FOR THE GOOD
OF THE ORDER--TRAITORS TO BE KNOWN TO EACH OTHER BY BADGES, AND THEIR
PROPERTY SAVED BY DISPLAYING THE CONFEDERATE FLAG.
We have already shown that the three degrees in the Sons of Liberty had
each their specific province. The lower strata composed of the rough
material from which the Grand Council was made up by selections or
choice of the brighter and more shining lights,--persons whose political
views were up to the standard of treason, whose qualifications of
intellect, shrewdness, cunning, caution, promptness, and firmness of
purpose fully met the requirements of this degree of the order. The
Supreme Council was composed of the Supreme Commanders--the ruling
spirits of the order. This council was the body, therefore, from which
all important measures must emanate, and the secrecy of their movements,
even from the order below them, except such business as was regularly
transmitted, was quite equal to that of the lower order, from the rest
of the world. Such being the nature and character of this royal degree,
and the fact that an uprising had been determined upon, it will be
seen how essential it was to the Government of the United States, to be
advised of their plans, and the old adage that "where there is a will
there is a way," was not a fallacy in the present case. On or about
the 20th of July, 1863, agreeably to a private notice which had been
extended to the Supreme Council, a meeting of that body was convened
at the Richmond House, Chicago. During that day, as well as on the day
preceding, members of that organization arrived in the city, and among
the notables present on that occasion was Col. Barrett, who was a
Major-General of the Sons of Liberty, in command of the District of
Illinois, but who on the present occasion appeared in another character
of no less moment, that of representative of the Confederate States
Government, and charged with certain important instructions. Among the
members present were Captain Majors, from Canada; Brig.-Gen. Charles
Walsh, of Chicago; Judge Bullitt, of the Supreme Court of Kentucky, who
acted as Chairman; Dr. Bowles, Mr. Swan, Mr. Williams, Mr. Green,
Mr. Piper, Mr. Holloway, H.H. Dodd and James B. Wilson, Auditor of
Washington County, Indiana. The last named person and Mr. Green were
present as members of Dr. Bowles' staff. After considerable discussion
upon minor matters, Major-General Barrett, (commonly called Colonel
Barrett, who had served the Rebel Government with some distinction, and
was a first class rebel), made a formal proposition to unite Illinois,
Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio and Indiana with the Confederate States,
through the agency of the Sons of Liberty, and as to the other States,
their relations would be an after consideration. The enterprise, he
stated, would be attended with no little expense, and would necessarily
involve extreme caution, prudence and firmness. He added, that the
Southern Confederacy had placed in his hands the snug little sum of two
millions of dollars, which had been captured from a Federal paymaster
on the Red River, in Arkansas, to be applied in furtherance of
this proposition. Captain Majors was also, by his own statement, a
representative of the Rebel Government. It was proposed to distribute
the two millions of dollars through the Grand Commanders of Indiana,
Ohio, Kentucky, Missouri and Illinois, and that the money was by them to
be distributed through the Major-Generals to the subordinate officers,
according as might be deemed expedient. This money, says Mr. Wilson,
(and we have the best of reasons to credit his statement,) was expended
for arms. Well do we remember that an oral report was submitted one
evening at the Temple of the Illini, by the Grand Seignor presiding,
that the pro rata for Illinois had been so expended, and that the
weapons had been started for their destination, which was Chicago.
These arms consisted of muskets, carbines, pistols, pistol belts and
ammunition. At the Council meeting, of which we have spoken, the whole
subject of revolution was freely discussed, and received the unanimous
support of all present, and a time was named and agreed upon, but not
until after much debate, several dates being named by different parties,
and reasons given for fixing upon each. It was arranged that the Order
in Indiana were to rendezvous at Indianapolis, also at Evansville, New
Albany (opposite Louisville,) and Terra Haute, that they would seize
the arsenal at Indianapolis, and the arms and ammunition would be
distributed among the members. Wilson, before the military commission
in Cincinnati, states that he learned from Dr. Bowles, that it was the
purpose of the Order to free the rebel prisoners at Indianapolis, and
that the same had been agreed upon with respect to other rebel camps, in
other States, on the supposition that they would unite with the Sons of
Liberty, in overturning the Government, and if they were found willing
to do this, arms were to be placed in their hands. At that meeting it
was a matter of discussion in what manner it was feasible to communicate
with Gens. Buckner and Price, in order that they might co-operate, and
have their forces near St. Louis and Louisville. The approach of their
troops to those cities was the favored moment for beginning hostilities
in the North. Mr. Wilson testified that he received a thousand dollars
of the two million fund, but that instead of appropriating it according
to the programme, he used it for buying substitutes, but the rightful
owner can have the same upon call. Maj.-Gen. Barrett, the party having
the fund in trust, has left the country, doubtless for his _health_, and
the thousand dollars is still without an applicant.
At this memorable meeting, as it was the last meeting of this body ever
held in Chicago, it was agreed that at the time of the uprising, friends
(rebels and copperheads) should appear with red and white badges, and
the property of such persons would also be saved from destruction by
displaying from their buildings the Confederate flag. Thus were ample
and definite arrangements made, and as that meeting adjourned it was the
deliberate end and aim of all the persons there assembled (with a single
exception) to effect their objects at all hazards. All who were present,
as well as the rebels then in Richmond, conceded that of all points in
the several States embraced in the proposition with which Col. Barrett
was entrusted, Chicago was by far the most important post, and the one
which, of all others, should first fall. The facility and ease with
which Camp Douglas could be taken, was a matter of remark among the
traitors in every section, and it was understood that communication
could readily be made with the prisoners, as Mrs. Morris, wife of
Judge Morris, and others who were known to be in the interest of
the Confederacy, had never been denied access to the camp, and such
prohibition was scarcely expected, as of course the plans of the
conspirators must be a dead secret from the commander of the post. In
the temples of the Sons of Liberty it was a matter of congratulation
that it was impossible for a detective to obtain their secrets, yet all
this time Col. B.J. Sweet was well acquainted with every move that had
the least importance, for the writer made it an invariable custom
to send dispatches regularly to Col. Sweet, who thus came into full
possession of the plans and designs of the Order, as soon as they were
announced, and hence was at all times in a position that he could not
have been surprised by any assault upon the Camp. The Colonel is at all
times perfectly cool and self-possessed, prudent in the highest degree,
and inflexible in purpose, when once resolved upon a line of action. His
arrangements were made with all celerity and completeness, and though
his little force was quite too small to offer great resistance in case
of surprise had not the facts been known to the commandant, yet the
interior arrangement of the camp, the disposition of his forces, and
above all, the perfect discipline which had ever been maintained by him,
now offered a silent barrier which caused the conspirators to entertain
direful apprehensions, as to the disaster to themselves when they should
make the undertaking, for the movements of the camp were noticed
from the observatories near by, and on one occasion Brig. Gen. Walsh,
accompanied by an attaché of the Chicago _Times_, made a personal visit
to the camp, and being received as gentlemen by the gallant Colonel,
they were able to make certain discoveries of a disagreeable nature.
The greatest precaution, of course, was observed in the transmission of
dispatches by the writer to Col. Sweet, for had it been supposed for a
moment, that the commander of the post was cognizant of their acts, it
would most certainly have precipitated the uprising, as the leaders of
the conspiracy could not hope for so favorable a time again. The camp
was enclosed by only one thickness of inch boards, not over twelve feet
high, and a little force of less than eight hundred men were to guard
some eight or ten thousand prisoners, many of them being the lowest
class of raiders and ruffians.
During the latter part of July, at a meeting of the Sons of Liberty,
Colonel Walker, of Indiana, was present, and in a speech referred to
the recent seizure of arms in Indiana, and said a formal demand had been
made upon Governor Morton of that State for them, and if they were
not forthcoming they (the copperheads) would compel restitution by the
bullet, and said Morton would be assassinated if he refused. At this
time a man named James A. Wilkinson was Grand Seignior of the temple.
The question of supplying our quota to avoid the draft, agitating the
community, it was proposed to resist the draft, and all the members
were required forthwith to arm themselves with firearms, and Charles W.
Patten and Wilkinson both offered to supply all who could not afford to
purchase firearms. Wilkinson was a very efficient member of the order,
and very zealous. Much of his time he passed in the organization of
temples in different sections of country; and it was often stated as
encouragement for the members that the temples were rapidly multiplying,
and being filled with the "best kind" of men. It was earnestly requested
of the members, as the time was short--Judge Morris saying the purposes
of the organization would be fulfilled within the next sixty days--to
bring in as many new members as possible, and the injunction was duly
heeded. The temple in Chicago thrived remarkably, and arrangements were
made by which individuals could initiate members, and the initiated
increased in numbers rapidly.