Today in History:

1079 Series I Volume XLV-I Serial 93 - Franklin - Nashville Part I

Page 1079 Chapter LVII. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. - UNION.

duty at Camp Douglas on that day were as follows: Eighth Regiment Veteran Reserve Corps, Lieutenant Colonel Lewis C. Skinner commanding, 273; Fifteenth Regiment Veteran Reserve Corps, Lieutenant Colonel Martin Floodk commanding, 377; total infantry, 650; Twenty-fourth Ohio Battery, Lieutenant James W. Gamble, 146; making total of 796 to guard 8,352 prisoners of war confined inn the garrison square at this camp by a fence constructed of inch boards twelve feet high. The election was to take place on Tuesday, the 8th, two days thereafter.

By deferring action till the night of Monday, the 7th instant, probably all the officers and leaders and many more of the men and arms of the expedition might have been captured, and more home rebels exposed, but such delay would have protracted the necessary movements and attending excitement into the very day of the Presidential election. The great interests involved would scarcely justify taking the inevitable risks of postponement. Sending a dispatch, dated 8.30 p.m. November 6, by messenger over the railroad, to Brigadier General John Cook, commanding District of Illinois, a copy of which, numbered 1, is annexed to and made a part of this report, the following arrests were made during that night: Colonel G. St. Leger Grenfell and J. T. Shanks, an escaped prisoner of war, at the Richmond House; Colonel Vincent Marmaduke, at the house of Dr. E. W. Edwards, Numbers 70 Adams street; Brigadier General Charles Walsh, of the Sons of Liberty; Captain Cantrill of Morgan's command, and Charles Travers rank unknown, probably an officer under an assumed name, at the house of General Walsh; Judge Buckner S. Morris, treasurer of the Sons of Liberty at his house, Numbers 6. Washington street; also capturing at the same time, in Walsh's house, about thirty rods from Camp Douglas, arms and ammunition as per annexed schedule, numbered 2. The shot guns were all loaded with cartridges, composed of from 9 to 12 largest size buckshot, and capped; the revolvers (Joslyn's patent, 10-inch barrel) also loaded and capped. Reported to Brigadier General John Cook, commanding District of Illinois, and Colonel William Hoffman, commissary-general of prisoners, by telegraph dispatch, dated Camp Douglas, November 7, at 4 a.m., a copy of which is hereto annexed, numbered 3, and made a part of this report. On the morning of Monday, the 7th instant, Colonel John L. Hancock, commanding militia, by order from Governor Yates, reported to me, and Colonel R. M. Hough rapidly organized a mounted force of about 250, which was armed with the revolvers captured from Walsh, reported and was assigned to duty as patrols in the city of Chicago, remaining on duty till the morning of the 9th. Captain Bjerg, military provost-marshal, Captain William James, provost-marshal First District of Illinois, the police of the city, and various detachments of the garrison, under different officers, arrested during the day and night of the 7th instant 106 bushwhackers, guerrillas, and rebel soldiers among them many of the notorious Clingman gang of Fayette and Christian Counties, in this State with their captain, Sears, and lieutenant, Garland, all of whom are now in custody at Camp Douglas.

On the 11th of November 47, double-barreled shotguns, 30 Allen's patent breech-loading carbines and 1 Enfield rifle were seized at Walsh's barn, in city of Chicago. Finding from investigation that the Sons of Liberty in this city continued to meet and plot, on the night of Sunday, the 13th of November, Patrick Dooley, secretary of the Tempple, in this city, was arrested, and such papers as had not been destroyed, some of them valuable as showing the intents and purposes of the


Page 1079 Chapter LVII. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. - UNION.