Knights of the Golden Circle

[thea_447]

Has anyone ever heard of this or have we discussed this before and I've forgotten it? I know we have talked a bit about the Copperhead and the Fifth Column but I am drawing a blank on this "Golden Circle".

Knights of the Golden Circle - A secret society formed in 1854 by George W.L. Bickley, a quack Cincinnati physician, the Knights were dedicated to supporting pro-slavery policies and promoting the American conquest of Mexico. Allied with the Copperhead segment of the Democratic party, the Knights co-ordinated terrorist rides and other illegal activities throughout Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana. At one point, General Ulysses S. Grant had to disband a unit of the Illinois militia because it was virtually a branch of the Knights.


The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001.

Knights of the Golden Circle

A secret order of Southern sympathizers in the North during the Civil War. Its members were known as Copperheads. Dr. George W. L. Bickley, a Virginian who had moved to Ohio, organized the first “castle,” or local branch, in Cincinnati in 1854 and soon took the order to the South, where it was enthusiastically received. Its principal object was to provide a force to colonize the northern part of Mexico and thus extend proslavery interests, and the Knights became especially active in Texas. Secession and the outbreak of the Civil War prompted a shift in its aims from filibustering in Mexico to support of the new Southern government. Appealing to the South’s friends in the North, particularly in areas that were suffering economic dislocation, the order soon spread to Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, and Missouri. Its membership in these states, where it became strongest, was largely composed of Peace Democrats, who felt that the Civil War was a mistake and that the increasing power of the federal government was leading toward tyranny. They did not, however, at this time engage in any treasonable activity. In late 1863 the Knights of the Golden Circle was reorganized as the Order of American Knights and again, early in 1864, as the Order of the Sons of Liberty, with Clement L. Vallandigham, most prominent of the Copperheads, as its supreme commander. Only a minority of its membership was radical enough—in some localities—to discourage enlistments, resist the draft, and shield deserters. Numerous peace meetings were held. A few extreme agitators, some of them encouraged by Southern money, talked of a revolt in the Old Northwest, which, if brought about, would end the war. Southern newspapers wishfully reported stories of widespread disaffection, and John Hunt Morgan’s raid (1863) into Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio was undertaken in the expectation that the disaffected element would rally to his standard. Gov. Oliver P. Morton of Indiana and Gen. Henry B. Carrington effectively curbed the Sons of Liberty in that state in the fall of 1864. With mounting Union victories late in 1864, the order’s agitation for a negotiated peace lost appeal, and it soon dissolved.

See G. F. Milton, Abraham Lincoln and the Fifth Column (1942, repr. 1962); R. O. Curry, A House Divided (1964).

[ewc]

The Knights seem to be as will o' the wisp in the North during the war as was servile insurrection in the South- and much less effective in providing aid and comfort where it wished. They appear to be the forerunners to today's hollywood activist, MSM, & east coast elitist liberals to the current chimera of the Democratic Party.

[aphillbilly]

Has anyone ever heard of this or have we discussed this before and I've forgotten it? I know we have talked a bit about the Copperhead and the Fifth Column but I am drawing a blank on this "Golden Circle".

Thea,
We have discussed the Knights a little. They were the northern backers of the Filibusters. William Walker etc. Before the war they were pretty much wealthier people hoping to get even wealthier by helping to fund adventurers. But the problem with rich folks is they do not tend to usually get rich by such actions. They throw a few thousand token dollars away on the long shot but rarely continue with the good money after bad. During the war I have little doubt these gentlemen we the ones speculating on smuggled cotton and the like.

As a secret organization it wasn't much. Unless.....hmmmmm well, I suppose in theory they could be so powerful and so secret that we never heard much more from them. Hmmmmm in which case I say I think they are a great bunch of guys.

[ewc]

Just came across this tidbit about the Knights of the Golden Circle that I did not know previously. Started at a time when slaveholding territory looked hemmed in to the west and north, the slaveholding powers looked to the rest of the Americas for new lands to bring into their domain. The 1850's saw the undertaking of numerous philibustering expeditions, warmly endorsed by the Southern states and the Knights- the Lopez & Quitman Cuba adventures, William Walker's Sonoma & Nicaragua ventures, which last actually succeeded for a time. The 'Golden Circle' referred to an arc of new slave territory extending from northern Mexico, through Latin America, the South American Caribbean rim, and on through the West Indies to Cuba and linkage on Key West. The goal, to quote Bickley- "We shall have in our hands the Cotton, Tobacco, Sugar, Coffee, Rice, Corn, and Tea lands of the continent, and the world's great storehouse of mineral wealth." (from McPherson's BCOF.)

[cedarstripper]

Thomas P. Kettell authored History of the Great Rebellion in 1866. He had this to say about the Knights of the Golden Circle in regards to the 1856 presidential race Fremont vs Buchanan:

"In order to accomplish this change several things were necessary.
The minds of the prominent men in the South must be prepared for it,
without creating excitement or apprehension on the part of the North.
For this purpose a secret society, the "Knights of the Golden Circle,"
having for its primary object the extension and defense of slavery, was
organized, and several degrees, in the Masonic order, were open to
the aspirant for high rank in it. To the initiated of the highest rank
only was the whole plot revealed, and the others, with but an imperfect
idea of its purposes, were employed to further its designs. Among the
officers and members of the higher degrees of the order were, it was
said, cabinet and other officers of the Government, and prominent citizens of all the Southern and of some of the Northern States.
The conspirators also sought to procure arms and money in aid of the secession movement, which they had resolved should take place immediately after the next presidential election. This was a comparatively easy task. Three of the members of Mr. Buchanan’s Cabinet were their friends and at their service."

[olerebel]

The head of the KGC was from MS. He was a 33rd Degree Scottish Rite Mason. He was a Brid. Gen in the CS Army. He resigned after his army was accused of atrocities (in Arkansas I think). The organization had ties into the North. Ever wonder what became of all the money Jesse James stole? There are no records of where he might have spent it. How many others stole and catched the loot?

[Alabaman]

Perhaps this explains why homes in the South were spared destruction by Northern officers? The 'Masonic' secret sign is often referred to as given by Southern officers to Northern officers, in 1864 Georgia, and the home wasn't burned.

ewc (Ed),

I completely agree with your post # 2 regarding the present Democratic party and Hollywood, liberals, MSM and the whole shebang! Eeek! ;-)

Respectfully,
Alabaman

[olerebel]

Alabaman- Search a little deeper, you will be surprised at what you may find...

[FSPowers]

In every struggle in US history, there is usually found a group that supports the opponent. This is usually any "anti-war" group in existance.

[5fish]

Was not this organization founded by and to support Copperhead policies??

[Borderruffian]

Well if you're into conspiracy theories. I saw a documentary last week that opined that Jesse James was Chief of the post-war KGC and that it was formed by Jeff Davis, William Anderson (didn't really die), Albert Pike, William Quantrill (didn't really die) and N.B. Forrest.

Seems Jesse really didn't get killed in St Joe eithier.

Seems the KGC traces it's ancestory back to Knights Templer,Mason's etc. And they still exsist and guard all that Cornfed gold....until the South raises again.


Watched and thought. "Well theres another buncha bananas heard from."

[richard]

The Knights of the Golden Circle were very active in the border states such as Indiana, Ill, Kentucky. The movement extended then to the north west. In Indiana they were very active in hiding deserters from the army. In 1862 and up until 1863, they were actively engaged in the sumggling of arms to the south across the Ohio River and into Kentucky.

The even tried to overthrow the goverment of the State of Indiana and the Gov. Oliver Morton.

In may of 1862 "The Grand Jury of the United States Circuit Court found it so dangerous in ist plans to resist or thwart the enlistment of volunteers, and the payment of National tases, that they were compelled to make a thorough investigation of it character."

In August of 1863 Morton had received a letter that stated that 30,000 revolvers and 42 boxes of ammunition had been ordered by disloyal citizens of the State of Indiana and were to be shipped to Indianapolis. In Indianapolis, a Mr. Dodd, a business man there, had his office searched as the result of the letter that the State had received. Found in crates marked "Bibles" were 400 large Navy revolvers and 135000 rounds of Ammunition

So at least, it was more than just a few people running around making threats. The Adjutant General's report devotes almost 30 pages to the KGC and the OAK.

[JohnTaylor]

Pro-slavery filibustering organization that started before the war.
"K.G.C." General Bickley spoke in Montgomery of the Knights of the Golden Circle, whose purpose was to "Americanize" Mexico. Charleston Mercury, March 19th, 1860, pg. 4, col. 1.

"Richmond, July 18," Geo. W. Bickley, commander of the Knights of the Golden Circle, calls upon the KGC to assemble to in Texas and to "Americanize Northern Mexico, ...an important step towards the formation of a Southern Confederacy." The KGC has 50,000 men and $1M. Charleston Mercury, July 19th, 1860, pg. 3, col. 5.

Rhett wasn't entirely in love with Bickley, however:

"Knights of the Golden Circle," The Mercury published the manifesto of the "mystic, invisible, and, we suspect, half mythical organization." The southwestern division of the KGC will rendezvous on the Rio Nueces no earlier than 15 September 1860. Due to the references to money, the Mercury thinks the author might be from the land of "wooden nutmegs," which is a southern slur against the dishonest trading practices of northern merchants, swindling unsuspecting customers by selling fake nutmegs. Charleston Mercury, August 1st, 1860, pg. 1, col. 2.

[cccalco]

The alleged history of the Knights of the Golden Circle, KGC, is wide and varied. They either did very little and were nothing more that a paper tiger or they still exist today hoarding vast amounts of gold in preparation for a second war to "restore the union as it was."
Much of the known info and some of the speculation can be found at this KGC Research Forum
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Knight..._Golden_Circle

[16thVA]

When Chambersburg, PA was burned by Gen. McCausland the Masonic temple was spared.

[ole]

I find it strange and telling that many formal and informal societies and web sites exist to revise history and, even, to proslytize for a third revolution.

Is there any site dedicated to blaming the South for all the ills of the US?

Just a thought.

Ole

[OpnDownfall]

It is implicit in Historical terms, that the south is the cause of most of the ills usually associated with modern day American socity.
The consolidation of the Federal Gov't into a true Nation State was the direct result of the effects of the Civil War and since there would have been no War, without secession and without slavery, there would not have been secession.
Although, it was not until Franklin Roosevelt's administration that the Federal government became truly imperial, the Civil War was the watershed, of the struggle between the dreams of theFederalists and Anti-Federalists.
As with many weak people, many the original leaders of the confederacy mistook stubborness as strength and their worst fears were realized, because of their own arrogance and stubborness.

[diddyriddick]

It is implicit in Historical terms, that the south is the cause of most of the ills usually associated with modern day American socity.

While I respect your opinion and your contributions to this forum, I'm gonna have to disagree here, Opn. Granted that the consolidation of the federal government began with the Civil War, but the ballooning of the federal bureacracy in the 20th century was inevitable, given historical developments. Moreover the civil rights movement of the middle of the 20th century was surely not the best example of southern progressivism. I'm just curious what else you might lay at the feet of southerners.

What about pollution and all it's attendant issues? That all started in industrialized cities long before the south actually had industry. As I read the population figures for 1900 five of the twenty most populous cities were southern or borderline.

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0922422.html

Or maybe you forgot about the social uphevals of the 60s. I don't remember hearing about riots or people being shot at the Citadel or LSU. Certainly southerners were dissatisfied with the Vietnam war, but they managed to disagree more civilly than our northern brothers.

At the risk of Yankee-bashing, I'll stop there.

The South gave us great Americans like Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver in education; or political greats like Woodrow Wilson and Dr. Martin Luther King; or Journalists like Edward R. Murrow and Bill Moyers; or writers like Edgar Allan Poe and Ernest Hemingway.

Southern culture gave us Blues, Jazz and Rock and Roll. It delighted us with culinary treats like Gumbo, Chili, or Barbecue. It enlightened us with To Kill a Mockingbird and Yoknapatawpha County

As I've said before, we Southerners assuredly have our crosses to bear, but please don't add more. Have we been wrong before? Absolutely. But we've been right once or twice, too. Please don't paint with such broad brush strokes.

I'm sorry if I've hijacked, but felt compelled to respond.

[ole]

Hijaking, forgiven, Diddy. Smoking!

Ole

[ole]

The ****weeds of THE league, and the KGC are part of our fabric. Maybe a stain in the cloth, maybe not. This is, after all, America. It is not up to me to judge. But I am allowed to put up one helluva gripe.

BUT. These deluded souls have the right to spew their viewpoint. And I have the right to disagree but not to suppress. However distasteful, I can only argue.

Which brings us to the "fairness doctrine" which is entirely off topic. So I will stop here.

Ole

[OpnDownfall]

To the extent that the Federal government is 'Imperial' and the United State of America is a 'National Consolidationist State', are true and that they are 'ills' then those 'ills' flowed directly from the requirements of the CW.
History, does indeed, shows that most Gov'ts, over time (those that survive any length of time) tend to progress toward consolidation of power to a central gov't.
The relevant question, is, Did the CW speed up or hinder that Progress. To the extent that it speeded up the consolidation of power in the central gov't, those that started the CW are the more responsible for the speed of that consolidation, if not the consolidation itself.

[diddyriddick]

Thank you for the clarification.