CHAPTER VII

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WAR TIME ORGANIZATIONS AND INCIDENTS

    The Union League of America and the Knights of the Golden Circle were organizations throughout the North, formed about two years after the breaking out of the war. The first society represented the adherents of the Union and the latter apologists for and abettors of secession. The former insisted on a continuance of war, regardless of sacrifice until the Rebellion was suppressed, while the cry of the latter was for peace at any price. Suspicion and enmity were engendered everywhere. Old time friendships were broken and neighbors were at bitter variance. Epithets were constantly bandied back and forth between the opposing factions, such as "Abolitionist" and "Black Republican" on one side and "Rebel" and "Copperhead" on the other, a practice which often led to personal encounters more or less serious. This was only a natural consequence of a civil war, but the tolerance in the NOrth permitted a freedom to sympathizers with the enemy which would have been promptly and arbitrarily crushed in the South, and this was not without its serious effect on the soldiers. It was only natural that men at the front should be greatly depressed and discouraged by the activity of traitors at home, and the loyal people of the North naturally felt that steps must be taken to nullify the efforts of southern sympathizers. They felt that the sons, husbands and fathers who were loyally at the front, fighting to preserve the Union and honor of the flag, would be sustained by knowledge of the fact that in the country they left behind the majority of the people were in strong sympathy with the cause they were giving their lives to promote, and that a substantial expression of such sym-

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pathy would enable the soldiers to endure the hardship that follows in the wake of war. One would naturally think that in a pioneer county like Montgomery, far removed from the seat of warfare, and where slavery had been universally despised, there would have been little chance for any of the disloyalty which occurred in the border states or in some of the larger cities. Historic fact, however, testifies to the contrary. There is even the best reason to believe that a chapter of the Knights of the Golden Circle was organized at a meeting held within the borders of the couonty on the 14th of March, 1863. This meeting was ostensibly a neighborhood picnic, but it was noticed that only people who were susspected of disloyalty to the Union were present and a set of resolutions afterwards published in a paper called the Council Bluffs Bugle showed plainly the sentiment of this gathering. This paper had been founded by southern sympathizers with the sole purpose of stirring up trouble in western Iowa, and it showed the remarkable tolerance of the northern people at the time that such a sheet was allowed to exist. The resolutions are only worthy of inclusion in this book as a matter of historic record, to show the forces that battled against the Unon in one of the most loyal counties of the North.

    "Editors of the Bugle:~~At a mass meeting held by the democracy of Montgomery and Page counties, at Ross Grove, Jackson township, Montgomery county, Iowa, on the 14th inst., on motion Louis Wilder was elected president and H. Descombes secretary, and R. E. Finley assistant. On motion the president was instructed to appoint a committee to draft resolutions.

    "Committee on resolutions: H. Murray, W. C. Means, L. Reeves, W. Moore and C. Their, retired and after a short absence, returned and submitted the following resolutions, which, after being read, were unanimously adopted:

    "1st. Resolved, That it is to the people we must look for a restoration of the Union, and the blessing of peace, and to this end we shall direct our earnest and honest efforts, and hence we

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    are in favor of the assembling of a national convention of all the states at the earliest practical period to so adjust our national difficulties that the states may hereafter live in harmony with each other, being secured in their rights, guaranteed by the constitution.

    "2nd. Resolved, That we earnestly recommend a cessation of hostilities for such a period as may be necessary to allow the people of the North and South to express, through a national convention, their wishes for peace and maintainance of the Union as it was, or a reconstruction with the rights of the states unimpaired.

    "3rd. Resolved, That the general government has no power under the constitution to tax the people of the state of Iowa for the purpose of raising money with which to buy slaves of the southern states, and we now declare in advance that all debts contracted or bonds which may be issued for the purpose of paying for any such slaves we hold to be utterly void for want of authority to issue the same, and the state of Iowa will not consent that her people be taxed for any such purpose.

    "4th. Resolved, That we condemn the Emancipation Proclamation of the president, and that we will not fight to free the negro.

    "5th. Resolved, That we are opposed to being ruled any longer by a despot, and we call on all loyal citizens to throw off the yoke of despotism and restore peace and harmony once more to this troubled land.

    "6th. Resolved, That the aabolitionists must be defeated at the ballot box or the constitution will be utterly destroyed by them.

    "7th. Resolved, That we will assist the citizens of this state to rid the state of contrabands.

    "8th. Resolved, That we will not permit any more unlawful arrests, which are contrary to civil law; but our citizens must be tried by the civil laws of this state.

    "9th. Resolved, That we approve of the course of Gov. Sey-

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mour of New YOrk, and the HOn. C. L. Vallandingham of Ohio.*

    "The meeting was ably and eloquently addressed by W. C. Means in his usual good old patriotic style, denouncing all enemies to the constitution. After speaking was over, there were carried forth from the wagons, boxes, buckets and baskets heaping with cakes, pies, bread, chicken, ham, in fact everything you could mention, and on the desks in the house, on logs and on the wagons, (there not being room in the house for all) we partook of one of the most sulmptuous dinners ever gotten up on the western slope.

    "On motion it was agreed that the proceedings of the meeting be published in the Council Bluffs Bugle and Burlington Argus.

H. Descombe,}                          Louis Wilder, Prest."
R. E. Finley,} Sec's.

                

    The foregoing resolutions were copied by the Clarinda Herald, which was one of the loyal forces in southwestern Iowa at that time. It will be remembered that there was no paper published within Montgomery county until four or five years later. As a matter of interest, to show the Union sentiment concerning the claims of the northern copperheads, we quote at length the reply written by the editor of the Herald. All of this now seems like very ancient history and to an enlightened citizen of the present day it would hardly seem to be worth while to reply to such apparent falsehoods as were set forth in the resolutions. It was, however, all to the point in 1863. The Herald's comments were as follows:

*Vallandingham said to the South: "If you can hold out this year, the peace party in the North will sweep the Lincoln dynasty out of political existence."

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authorities of the government have adopted in its stuggle with rebellion, is denounced in unmeasured terms.

    "The first resolution says we must look to the people for a restoration of the Union and peace, etc. A greater falsehood was never uttered. Are the people of the loyal states to sue for peace at the hands of men in arms against the very life of the government? Are we to implore peace of the assassin who is demolishing the inheritance of our fathers? When the leaders of the rebellion see proper to ask for a convention it will be time for us to accept, but all they have to do now is to lay down their arms and come back into the old Union.

    "The second resolution asks for a cessation of hostilities, till the people of the two sections can exchange views, etc. This proposition is the very conception of treason itself. It contemplates a withdrawal of our armies from the states in rebellion, and our fleets from the blockaded forts of the South. During the interim the South can ship thier cotton and supply themselves with military and other stores, and when that is accomplished they will be in a situation to carry on the war a few years longer. This is just what the rebels would like. Strange that men should loan themselves to a scheme concocted by the traitors of the North.

    "The two next resolutions condemn appropriating moneys to asist states in removing the cause of rebellion, and the proclamation of the president. The advocates of slavery used to say that they would pay any amount to buy the slaves, but when an opportunity is afforded to exhibit a little philanthropy it is found wanting. The removal of slavery in Missouri, which that appropriation will bring about, not only secures that state to the Union, but it forever secures us from the vilent commotions that are liable to spring up along the border.

    "The proclamation troubles these copperhead gentlemen. There is not an intelligent man in America but knows that slavery is the cause of the war. It is an axiom that needs no dem-

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onstration, that but for it there would have been no rebellion. No other cause, not all the errors in our jurisprudence combined could ever manufacture a traitor to so benign a government as ours. Slavery drew the sword for universal empire on this continent. Its imperial spirit would brook no contol. Then let it receive the full measure of the antagonism, not only of the laws of war, but of the moral forces that it has arrayed against it. 'He that taketh the sword shall perish by the sword.' A system that makes traitors to such a government as ours ought not to live an hour longer than it requires the military power to reach it. If ever the God of nations pointed in a direction for a people to save themselves, it was when He put it in the heart of His servant to promulgate that great edict agianst rebellion.

    The fifth resolution caps the climax: 'We are opposed to being ruled any longer by a despot.' Is it all that these men are thinking of to place the Buchanans of the North in the presidential chair, that treason may nestle in the very corridors of the capitol? Some men have a party, but no government to defend. If we are not mistaken, the leaders in this copperhead convention sustained a man for president who is now leading an army against the government of which he was so lately vice president. Breckenridge democrats; and copperheads' appeal to 'loyal citizens' is a huge joke, and is worth of the source from whence it came."

    As it was an unseasonable time to hold a picnic, it is plain enough that this was only a name given to the gathering with a view of covering up its real object. Many strangers were present from different parts of the country, and at the time the general impression prevailed that a branch of the Knights of the Golden Circle had been organized. Many other suspicious secret meeting were held, but it was not generally known how often or who were the attendants. Many of the individual members were no doubt suspected, but the sentiment of the county was such that it did not permit supporters of secession to operate

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very openly. These meetings, however, had a good effect in stirring up the sentiment for the Union. It was determined to check the influence of those who stood in the way of a vigorous prosecution of the war, and to uphold the president and the soldiers at the front. It was the principal topic of conversation in every group of men and women, whether at market, in church or in social gatherings. The ministers did not mince matters in their sermons, and they fought the adherents of secession with all the vim they could muster. Union meetings were held in almost every neighborhood in the county and leagues were formed at Red Oak, at Grant in Douglas township, and at Sciola in Washington township. The object of the league was set forth in the following introductory section of its constitution:

    "The object of this league shall be to preserve liberty and the Union of the United States of America; to maintain the constitution thereof and of the state of Iowa and the supremacy of the laws; to put down the enemies of the government and thwart the designs of traitors and disloyalists; and to protect, stregthen and defend all loyal men without regard to sect, condition or party."

(click on image for larger size)
Commission Union League of America

    Herewith is given a facsimile copy of the commission giving authority to the author of this book, who was fortunate enough to be appointed a league organizer, and also a report for the month of October, 1864, which is typical and the only original copy obtainable.

    Happily for all, these mutual recriminations and misunderstandings belong to the past, never to be revived except in history which has to do with facts, and now, after the lapse of forty years, we may well rejoice that the tremendous issues that evolved them have been forever settled and there exists nowhere in this broad land chattel slavery, but a united country dedicated to freedom. The people of the Ulnited States, instead of being in a certain sense two units, have been welded into one compact

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form illustrated by a contemporaneous orator, from a pied of lead found on the battle of Shiloh:

    "Two bullets had met in midair and the force of their meeting had fused them into a star-shaped disk. It was only a leaden star, but my imagination made of it a star of glory, portending a new birth of peace on earth, good will to men. For one of the bullets was of the North, the other of the South. I seemed to see them hurtling through the air on a blind mission of destruction, hissing the hate they had no words to utter. I saw them approach~~I beheld hatred changed to recognition, recognition to love, and then like kindred apirits seeking brotherhood and rest, they melted in an eternal union, rived by that kiss."