“'They have gone into the country some twenty miles, to Collins Grove. There is to be a political meeting there to-morrow, and they expect, as they told us, that Thomas A. Strider, of Indianapolis, and Dan Bowen, also of Indiana, were to be there, and through one of them they thought they could obtain aid; that while in prison they had been initiated into a society called the “Knights of the Golden Circle,” which was a secession organization, intended as an auxiliary force to the rebel army; that Dan Bowen was one of their main men, and so called “Agitator”; that Thomas A. Strider was Chief Counselor to the organization in Indiana; was to be in Washington most of the time to “watch things” and to defend them at all times when any of their order should be arrested or in any danger.'
“Peter and I went out to the barn and talked the matter over, and thought that in such a case as this we would be justified in resorting to any means or strategy to discover this secret organization and ascertain the designs of its members. We concluded to get Joseph Dent, who was an old soldier, and very bright, with an excellent memory, to join it and find out all that he could about the organization. Agreeing to this, Peter hobbled back on his crutches. He being a soldier made the proposition to Dent, which he readily acceded to, saying:
“'I had thought of that myself, but feared that you might take me to be too intimate with these people. I call them Secessionists and rebels. I think, that if you agree, I will go down to this meeting to-morrow, and when I come back will come to Allentown, as they might keep a watch on me here.'
“With this understanding we returned, instructing Joseph Dent to stay as long as might become necessary, in order to learn all that he could as to the design of these people. After getting our supplies in the wagon we returned home. On arriving we found all feeling very joyful over the fact that Col. Anderson would be home in the course of a week. He had so written to me. Aunt Sarah had opened and read the letter. Little Mary was so delighted that she ran out and tried to tell us all that her father had written. She would talk and stammer and draw a long breath, and then commence again, and repeat until I had to tell her to rest and begin slowly. When we got in we heard all. The two children were delighted at the prospect of seeing Aunt Martha almost as much as seeing the Colonel and his brave wife. Peter and I had to keep quiet about our program with Joseph Dent, and therefore discussed other matters. During the evening Peter concluded that he would not attempt returning to his regiment until Col. Tom should arrive, so that he could arrange about the command and take some word back to Col. Rice. (I said not one word about Tom's commission as Brigadier, but continued the suggestion that Col. Rice could not think of doing otherwise than turning over the command to Col. Anderson.) Just then the post-boy came again with a letter. I opened it and found it to be from my son Jackson, at St. Paul, Minn., (where he resided and was engaged in railroad building,) stating that he considered it his duty to enter the service of his country. Being young and healthy, he said, no patriot in this crisis, blessed with good health, could afford to remain out of the army; that the day would come when the question would be asked of all such persons, 'Why did you not go to the war and fight for your country?' Poor boy, if he were living now he would ask himself the queston: 'Why did I go; for what did I peril my life?' Yes! yes!
“Well, I kept this from my wife, Aunt Sarah, for the time. She was so worried about our family that I thought best to wait for a day or so, inasmuch as she did not see me get the letter. A couple of days passed and Joseph Dent came to our house. After seeing and speaking to Jennie about the farm and her interest generally, and telling Aunt Sarah about Ham's scare and joking him somewhat, he spoke to Peter and myself, and said that he wanted to see us alone.
“We all went out to the barn, and there he told us all that he had heard and seen—that he had gone to Collins' Grove; that there was a large political meeting there; that Dan Bowen spoke in the most excited manner of the wrongs and outrages, as he termed them, of the vile abolition adminstration; that the Union soldiers were mere hirelings; that he hoped none of his party would join the Abolition army to assist in robbing and murdering our brethren down South. (Dent had noted these sayings in his memorandum; he was a man of fair education and a close observer.) Bowen was vociferously applauded during his remarks. Thos. A. Strider spoke also; but he was not so vehement and abusive as Bowen, but was equally strong against the war for the Union. Strider spoke of it as an unholy war on our part, and all the acts of Congress and the President being 'unauthorized and unconstitutional,' and that the war would be a failure and ought to be; that he would not see money appropriated, if in his power to prevent, to carry it on; that if the Government undertook to draft his friends in Indiana as soldiers, he would defend any of them (free of charge) that resisted such an unconstitutional proceeding. He continued in this vein for an hour. These utterances were loudly applauded by the majority of the audience. But, continuing, he stated that on that day he came across the three escaped prisoners heretofore mentioned, and staid with them during the speeches and agreed to all that was said, so as to satisfy them of his strict adherence to their principles.
“They said to him that if he would remain that night they would initiate him into their mysterious organization. He acceded to their proposition without hesitation, and remained—not leaving them for an instant. In the evening, shortly after dark, they were all conducted to a large empty barn near by, and on entering it Dent found Thos. A. Strider presiding, and Bowen lecturing on the designs and purposes of the Knights of the Golden Circle.
“After he had explained the objects of the organization, an obligation was administered to all who had not before been admitted and obligated. Dent, being one who had not before joined, with others took the obligation, and was then instructed in the signs, grips and passwords. He said that he played it pretty well, so that he was thoroughly instructed, and kept repeating them to himself, so that he might not forget any part. The obligation pledged them to use all possible means in their power to aid the rebels to gain their independence; to aid and assist prisoners to escape; to vote for no one for office who was not opposed to the further prosecution of the war, to encourage desertions from the Union army; to protect the rebels in all things necessary to carry out their designs, even to the burning and destroying of towns and cities, if necessary, in order to produce the desired result. They were also directed to give information at all times of any knowledge they might have of the movements of our armies, and of the coming of soldiers to their homes; to use their influence to prevent their return to the army. They were not even to disclose the murder of any returned soldier or Union man, if done by any one belonging to this organization. They were told in the instructions that men were sent into our prisons to obligate and instruct all prisoners, so that they could make themselves known in traveling, should they escape; also, that the organization extended into Canada, as well as every State in the North; that men in our army belonged to it, who would retreat in battle, or surrender whenever they could do so; they could always make themselves known to the rebel commanders; that the members were in every way possible to foment jealousies and ill-feeling between the Eastern and Western troops, and especially between the commanding Generals of the two sections; they were to encourage the Western volunteers not to allow themselves to be commanded by Eastern officers, and especially were they to tickle the fancy and pride of the Eastern officers and men, by encouraging them not to allow themselves to be subjected to the control of the uneducated men of the West—in short, every kind and character of argument was to be resorted to. In the event of failure, any other means, no matter what, was to be employed to cause failure on our part and success on theirs.
