PREFACE.
These sketches are placed before the public without other apology for their appearance than may be found in that demand for information on the subject treated which renders a work of the character a positive necessity of the times. The secret political movement here introduced to the reader has contributed more to the sensational character of American politics, and, at the same time, proven a more influential factor in those political questions with which we have dealt as a people, than any or all contemporaneous issues. And yet nothing has been written on the theme bearing a just proportion thereto,—absolutely nothing,—if we subtract the unknown quantity in the news problem of the day from this estimate, and for reasons as varied as obvious. We shall not weary the reader with a statement of the latter, nor a recitative of the conditions upon which they are or may have been based. It is enough that we know that no consecutive nor reliable history of the Order could have been written at an earlier period; and even at this date, so broken and fragmentary are those passages referring to its active career, compiled during months of arduous labor, that the author has been necessitated to group them in a series of historical sketches, or pen-pictures, and in treating the subject to adopt the style of the romancist, rather than that of the historian. He flatters himself, however, that while the reliability of his historical information is not impaired by this method, that the work will thereby be rendered more attractive to a large class of readers; and, on the other hand, as to facts connected with the morale of the weird subject, he is not hampered by these considerations, but is enabled to present them in such a concise form, and as sententiously as regards style, as their share of the task’s importance renders peremptory.
From the moment that the resolution to compose these sketches in the interest of the reading public became fixed in the author’s mind, he has been in constant communication with individuals who were not only influential leaders of the secret movement, but held high official rank under it; so that the authenticity of his statements affecting its regimé is placed so far beyond question that the reader is at liberty to take the latter as ex cathedra utterances of this singularly reticent body. Should those passages which are occupied with the more exciting events of K. K. K. history be calculated to awaken sensation in the public breast, it is a contretemps from which the author begs to excuse himself in the light of the same admission, adding, moreover, that he has availed himself of those examples which have gone before him in this department of literature, and reserved his art-flourishes for less susceptible divisions of the theme.
The intelligent reader will see no politics, nor evidence of political bias in the pages of this volume, if he will do the author the simple fairness of its thorough examination. If in addressing his audience from the status in quo, to which the Ku-Klux troubles were referred in their origin and bloody career, forcible truths are given their due emphasis, he begs to assure the public that his utterances are no less strongly inflected from a standpoint of contrasted locality and habits of political thought. A man professing no politics but those of his grandfather, and, despite settled opinions favoring such partisanship, is strongly tempted at times to question their integrity, would hardly be supposed guilty of making an obnoxious necessity of some other man’s property, in this most precarious of titled possessions; and lest any should fail to perceive the allegory which this sentence contains, the author begs to call attention to it, and to appropriate the situation which it presents. The public mind is so excited regarding such topics at this moment, that it would fail to meet expectation, if it should decline to suspect every shadow of possessing substance, when projected from so suspicious a direction as the subject chosen; and feeling this, and perceiving the inutility of any other form of argument, the reader is invited, in conclusion, to adopt the usual method in such inquiries, and determine for himself the vexata quæstio.
CONTENTS.
| PAGE | ||
| [CHAPTER I.] | ||
| INTRODUCTORY. | ||
| Terms of Southern Surrender in the War of the Rebellion—Candor of Paroled Troops—“Lee’s Ragamuffins”—GeneralsGrant’s and Sherman’s Proposed Amnesty—The “Rump Congress” and Disfranchisement—What the Latter meant—Issueswhich the War Settled—How these were Revived by the Pending Congress—Anarchy in the South—The LoyalLeague | [13] | |
| [CHAPTER II.] | ||
| CAUSES OF THE K. K. K. MOVEMENT. | ||
| Situation Produced by the War—Discontented Partisans—The War District in the South—Words of a Northern Tourist—TheCurse of Slavery—President Johnson—How the Work of Reconstruction was Inaugurated—The Law-making Powervested in Dummy Legislatures—Disfranchisement—Enfranchisement—The Color Issue which these Measuresbrought—A Singular Peace Policy—The War of the Conservativesin the South against Radicalism did not Revive Issues concluded by the late Civil Struggle, as the latterBoasted—Loyal Epithets—“Traitor,” “Guerilla,” “SouthernBandit,” etc.—The Shamelessness of the State Officials—TheUneducated Negro a Law-giver—Organization of the Loyal League—Some of its Peculiarities—The K. K. K.Movement as an Offset to the League | [18] | |
| [CHAPTER III.] | ||
| THE KLAN. | ||
| A Stirring Episode—Raising the Dead—Night-Hawk Abroad—Movingtoward the Rendezvous—Grand Cyclops of Den No. 5—Forming the Magic Circle—K. K. K. Drill—Onthe March—The Tout Ensemble of a Raiding Body—Weird Costuming—Banners Inscribed with the K. K. K. Escutcheon—Howthe Scene Impressed Beholders | [29] | |
| [CHAPTER IV.] | ||
| SUPERSTITIONS REGARDING K. K. K. | ||
| Impressions after a K. K. K. Raid—Will Morning never come?—ConjecturesRegarding the Subject in the Minds of those who should have been Prepared to Render an Opinion—WhatSuperstitious People thought—The Mill Council—K. K. K. Arraigned on various Charges, and Acquitted forWant of Testimony—The Subject an Enigma—Man a SuperstitiousAnimal | [38] | |
| [CHAPTER V.] | ||
| K. K. K. DEALINGS WITH THE LOYAL LEAGUE. | ||
| A Train which brought Welcome Passenger—Caucusing in the Open Air a Dangerous Proceeding—Correct Surmises—AnOld Church, Bequeathed from Generation to Generation, and Liable to many Uses—Brothers and Sisters all—TheL. L. in full Bloom—Storm succeeded by a Calm—Weird Visitors—What they left behind them—Sudden Panic—TheRally—Still in Doubt—The Chairman’s Stratagem—How it didn’t Work—Despondent Leaguers taught to Act forThemselves. | [49] | |
| [CHAPTER VI.] | ||
| GHOST FEATURE OF THE MOVEMENT. ITS PHILOSOPHY. | ||
| Contrasted Views of the Organization inspired by its Dealings with the Public—The Colored Man in the South—KindlyFeeling for the Race cherished by Native Southerners—Households Presided over by Colored Matrons—SuperstitiousTendencies of Cuffey—His Ideas about “Ghosts,” and the Realm which they Inhabit—Spook Kinsfolk—The ideal“Uncle Tom’s Cabin”—Wherein it was a Failure—The “Infantile Sex” and their Greed for Ghost-lore—PainfulReminiscences—Use to which the Aged Patriarch, or Beldam, as the Case might be, put their Prerogative—Talentfor relating Ghost Stories—The Young White Men of the South trained up in this School | [61] | |
| [CHAPTER VII.] | ||
| DETAILS OF ORGANIZATIONS. | ||
| A Band of Regulators whose Force at this time numbered aHalf Million well-organized and perfectly Drilled Men—Whocomposed its Draft—Considerations which recommended it to the Better Classes of Society—Its Haunts—Oath-boundCovenant, and Penalties attached—Galloping forth to Predestined Conquest—It proceeded under a rigid ConstitutionalSystem—Territorial Subdivisions—Empire—Realm—Province—Den—Grand Wizard and his Cabinet—GrandGiant—The Commander of a Den—Grand Cyclops—Night-Hawks, etc.—How Members were Initiated—Proposed Initiatesmight Retire if Displeased with the Conditions of Membership—How far the Klan was “Rebel” in its Draft—Membersof the State Legislatures, Congressmen, and Governors of States, took its Vows upon them—Its Political Suffrages—CompellingIgnorant Colored Men to relinquish the Franchise—K. K. K. Placards—Empty Coffins containing Ukase of BanishmentCarted to the Doors of Obnoxious White Citizens—Its Ideas of Social Decorum | [71] | |
| [CHAPTER VIII.] | ||
| K. K. K. CUSTOMS. | ||
| The Klan never did its Work by Halves—How General Orders were Transmitted—Form of General Order—Its Imbroglioswith the League—Avoided Conflict with United States Troops—League Informers—K. K. K. Intimidation of Witnesses—MementoMori—Crusade of the Ermined Ranks—The Klan a Bitter Enemy of those Unorganized Parties of Ruffians whomade War on their kind in the former’s Name—Its Right to Borrow Sympathy on this Exchange a Grave Question of Doubt—VendettasConducted against the “Shams.” | [80] | |
| [CHAPTER IX.] | ||
| THE KLAN IN TENNESSEE. | ||
| Misgovernment in Tennessee—The Loyal League and the State Administration—The K. K. K. an Outgrowth of the Conditionswhich the former Inspired—Rapid Development of the Order on Tennessee Soil—Its Purposes of Revenge—Legislationon the Subject—Militia called out and Detectives Employed—The State pronounced a Ku-Klux Barracks—ASimultaneous Uprising of the K. K. K. throughout the State and Concerted Raids against the L. L. Rendezvous invarious Neighborhoods—Military Accomplishments of the Grand Wizard—Subcommanders in Charge of the Expedition—Captureof Secret Papers—Ku-Klux Hollow-square—Oath administered to Captives | [88] | |
| [CHAPTER X.] | ||
| THE LOYAL LEAGUE IN COUNCIL. | ||
| Speech of Hon. Bones Button before the State Council of theLoyal League—What followed—Amusing Contretemps | [97] | |
| [CHAPTER XI.] | ||
| EFFECTS PRODUCED. A PERIOD OF ALARM. | ||
| Excitement throughout the State—Scenes at the Capitol—Government Officials Notified of the Extent of the Disaster—AQuorum of the Legislative or Judicial Bodies not Attainable—No Departures from the City—The K. K. K. CabalReceiving that Attention from Caucusing Legislators which its Importance Demanded—A Mob at the State-House—AtSunset the Situation Unchanged—A Sortie from the Capitol—Mobs along the Route—Seeking Refuge from the ExcitedPopulace—Out of Danger—The New Situation—An Ugly Specimen of the Genus Ku-Klux—The Governor Recoversfrom the Attitude of a Suppliant—An Amusing Episode | [107] | |
| [CHAPTER XII.] | ||
| KU-KLUX HORRORS IN TENNESSEE. | ||
| The Klan Outlawed—A Rash Act of one of its Dens—Negro Insurrectionists Placed in the Jail at Trenton—SubsequentMassacre—Detectives in Pursuit—Members of the Order Indicted—Efforts to Convict the Accused—Affair in Obion—Whythese Horrors are Classed as Twin Editions—Description of Madrid Bend—K. K. K. Transactions in thisRemote Quarter—Planters’ Jealousy—Message from Mr. J. to the Leaders of the Party—Cool Treatment it Received—TheK.’s Declare their Intention of Punishing one of the Laborers on J.’s Farm—His Defiance—A Fierce Skirmish—J.’sFlight—Massacre of Fleeing Blacks—Eight Colored Men taken from the County Jail at Troy—Their Fate aMystery | [116] | |
| [CHAPTER XIII.] | ||
| KU-KLUX LAW. | ||
| Any person, under color of law, etc., of any State, depriving another of any rights, etc., secured by the Constitution of theUnited States, made liable to the party injured, 7034—Penaltyfor conspiring, by force, to put down the government of the United States, etc., 7035—Conspirator’s doing, etc., anyact in furtherance of the object of the conspiracy, and injuring another, liable to damages therefor, 7035—What to bedeemed a denial by any State to any class of its people of their equal protection under the laws, 7036 | [125] | |
| [CHAPTER XIV.] | ||
| THE K. K. K. IN LOUISIANA. | ||
| Adventists—How they Practised on the Parasitical Blacks—A Little Power is a Dangerous Thing—The Political Situationin ’67—The State Press—The Order of K. K. K. in Louisiana—When the Government Officials were first Notifiedof its Presence—The Feeling in Grant Parish—Riot Growing out of a Personal Difficulty—Blacks Entrenched inthe Court-House at Colfax—Parley—Negroes Refuse to Surrender—A Second Defiance—Building Fired—Massacreand Termination of the Bloody Affair—Statistics of Losses in the Fight—Who were Responsible—The WhiteLeague or Camelias—Occupied the K. K. K. Basis in Externals—New Orleans Riots—Their Effect on the ReturningBoards—Coushatta—K. K. K. in Texas—Border History Uneventful | [134] | |
| [CHAPTER XV.] | ||
| TALLY-HO! | ||
| The Situation in Georgia—Some Things which may be Explained—Negro Criminals—Taking Refuge in the OcmulgeeSwamps—Ku-Klux Ambushed—A Terrible Oath—Uncle Jack B.—“Nigger Dogs” in the “Goober State”—UncleJack Interviewed by the Ku-Klux—What came of it—Getting Ready for the Chase—A Pack of “Negro Dogs” described—Inthe Swamps—The Opening Chorus—A Warm Trail—Disappointment—The Lull is Past—A Last Effort—AnotherCrime added to the Calendar—A fresh Start—At Bay—Tragical Scene | [143] | |
| [CHAPTER XVI.] | ||
| THE “SHAMS.” | ||
| The Klan in South Carolina—Officious Interference in Politics—Atrocious Performances of Men in Masks—The “Shams,” orCounterfeit Editions of K. K. K.—How Organized—Their Vocabulary of Crime—South Carolina Fanatics—How the“Sham” Movement Affected the K. K. K.—A Resolutionof sine die Adjournment—K. K. K. Horrors on the Increase—Rotten-Egg Battalions—Citizens sometimes took the Executionof the Law into their Own Hands—A Case in Point | [154] | |
| [CHAPTER XVII.] | ||
| A MORAL POINTED. | ||
| Experiments in Metaphysics—An Anecdote Dealing with the Characteristics of some People—Another—Peculiarities ofthe Caucasian—Ditto of the African—An “Awakening” among the Children of the New Abrahamic Covenant—“BrudderJones’s Preechin’”—What it Wrought—The Pale-Faced Settlers in Distress—An “Artifice” of Retrenchment—EloquentDiscourse—Nineteenthly, and what followed—K. K. K. redivivus—“Tramp, Tramp, Tramp, theBoys are Marching, etc.”—A Break for Tall Timber | [161] | |
| [CHAPTER XVIII.] | ||
| K. K. K. AS A FACTOR IN POLITICS. | ||
| Late Announcement of the Earl of Beaconsfield before an Assembly of Englishmen—The Secret Societies of Europe—TrueStatus with Regard to Current Politics—Combining the Offices of Regulator and Vigilante with that ofPolitician—Its Generical Belongings—Few Friends Unconnected with its Patronage—Negative Issue which it Introducedinto the Great Campaign—Occupying a Voice in Southern Counsels—Unprincipled Plagiaries—DangerousSentimentalism Awakened at the North | [172] | |
| [CHAPTER XIX.] | ||
| THE LAST OF THE K.’S. | ||
| A Popular Fallacy—Karl Konstant Kain, Esq.—Awaiting Events—An Intricate Subject for the Hospitals and Doctors—GettingEven with the Latter—Yellow Jack on a Raid—K. K. K., Esq. in his Prison Cell—Promoted to the Hospital—AnUncommon Defiance—K. Konstant Kain struggles back to Shore—“Do not Weep”—A Critical Moment—A NewCast and entire Change of Scenery—“Gruel” did it—Waited upon by a Deputation of Citizens—“Young Man, GoWest”—The New Orleans Pest-House—Konfounded, Krooked Konundrum | [180] | |
| [CHAPTER XX.] | ||
| Conclusion | [189] |