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HEADQUARTERS POST CAMP DOUGLAS,
Brig. Gen. JAMES B. FRY,
GENERAL : I have the honor to respectfully report, in relation to the origin, progress, and result, up to the present time, of the late rebel raid, for the purpose of releasing the prisoners of war at Camp Douglas, taking possession of the city of Chicago, creating an insurrection in and overrunning the States of Illinois and Indiana, in aid of the Southern rebellion, that Jacob Thompson, of Mississippi, Secretary of the Interior during the administration of Mr. Buchanan, went to Windsor, Canada, some time in May or June last, under the assumned name of Captain Carson, and having been supplied by the rebel Governmnent with large sums of money for that purpose, commenced operations to organize in Canada an expedition to release rebel prisouers of war at different camps in the Northwest and aid the Sons of Liberty with money and arms to raise an insurrection, especially in the States of Illinois and Indiana, against the Government of the United States. About the 25th day of August last an expedition was organized at Toronto, Canada, under the immediate direction of Captain Hines, formerly of Morgan's comnmand, composed of 150 to 200 escaped prisoners and rebel soldiers, accompanied by Col. G. St. Leger Grenfell, at one time Morgan's chief of staff and afterward inspector-general on the staff of General Bragg, Col. Vincent Marmaduke, of Missouri, Col. Ben. Anderson, of Kentucky, Captains Castleman and Cantrill, formerly of Morgan's command, and other rebel officers. This force was armed with pistols at Toronto, divided, and its members, in citizens dress, came on to Chicago, by different routes, on the same trains which brought the thronging thousands who assembled on the 29th of Augnst to attend the Chicago Convention, and which made it difficult to detect their presence, It was to have been assisted by large numbers of Sons of Liberty and other guerrillas, who came armed, to that convention, gathered from Kentucky, Missouri, Indiana, and Illinois, and were to be under the immediate command of Brig. Gen. Charles Walsh, of the Sons of Liberty. The presence of these officers and men for that purpose was suspected by the Government, and re-enforcements made to garrison at Camp Douglas, which thwarted the expedition, and its members dispersed, some of the rebel officers and soldiers to Canada, others to Kentucky, and yet others to Southern Indiana and Illinois and the Sons of Liberty and guerrillas to their respective homes, to await a signal for the general uprising, which it was determined should soon take place iii the States of illinois and Indiana against the Government. The danger supposed to be passed, the re-enforcements sent to this garrison were ordered elsewhere, leaving hardly force enough, with the most rigid economy in the use of officers and enlisted men, to guard the prisoners of war and perform other necessary duties at this post. About the 1st of November another expedition of like character was organized in Canada, to be commanded by Captain Hines and composed of the same elements as that which had failed at the time of the Chicago Convention. It was determined that the attempt should be made about the period of the Presidential election, and the night of that day was finally designated as the time when the plot should be executed. During the canvass which preceded the election the Sons of Liberty (a secret organization within and beyond all doubt unknown to the better portion and majority of the Democratic party) had caused it to be widely proclaimed and believed that there was an intention on the part of the Government, and great danger that such intention would be carried into effect, to interfere by military force at the polls against the Democratic party, as an excuse tinder which to arm themselves as individuals, and had also obtained and concealed at different places in this city arms and ammunition for themselves and the rebel prisoners of war when they should be released. On the evening of the 5th day of November it was reported that a large number of persons of suspicious character had arrived in the city from Fayette and Christian Counties, in Illinois, and that more were coming. On Sunday, the 6th day of November, late in the afternoon, it became evident that the city was filling up with suspicious characters, some of whom were escaped prisoners of war and soldiers of the rebel army; that Captain Hines, Colonel Grenfell, and Colonel Marmaduke were here to lead; and that Brigadier-General Walsh, of the Sons of Liberty, had ordered large numbers of the members of that order from the southern portions of Illinois to co-operate with them. Adopting measures which proved effective to detect the presence and identify tIme persons of the officers and leaders and ascertain their plans, it was manifest that they had the means of gathering a force considerably larger than the little garrison then guarding between 8,000 and 9,000 prisoners of war at Camp Douglas, and that taking advantage of the excitement and time large number of persons who would ordinarily fill the streets on election night, they intended to make a night attack on and surprise this camp, release and arm the prisoners of war, cut the telegraph wires, burn the railroad depots, seize the banks and stores containing arms and ammunition, take possession of the city, and commence a campaign for the release of other prisoners of war in the States of Illinois and Indiana, thus organizing an army to effect and give success to the general uprising so long contemplated by the Sons of Liberty. The whole number of troops for duty at Camp Douglas on that day were as follows: Eighth Regiment Veteran Reserve Corps, Lieut. Col. Lewis C. Skinner commanding, 273; Fifteenth Regiment Veteran Reserve Corps, Lieut. Col. Martin Flood commanding, 377; total infantry, 650; Twenty-fourth Ohio Battery, Lieut. James W. Gamble, 146; making total of 796 to guard 8,352 prisoners of war confined in the garrison square it 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 Brig. Gen. 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: Col. G. St. Leger Grenfell and J. T. Shanks, an escaped prisoner of war, at the Richmond House; Col. Vincent Marmaduke, at the house of Dr. E. W. Edwards, No. 70 Adams street; Brig. Gen. 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, No. 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 shotguns were all loaded with cartridges, composed of from 9 to 12 largest size buckshot, and capped; the revolvers (Joslyns patent, 10-inch barrel) also loaded and capped. Reported to Brig. Gen. John Cook, commanding District of Illinois, and Col. 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, Col. John L. Hancock, commanding militia, by order from Governor Yates, reported to me, and Col. R. M. Hough rapidly organized a mounted force of about 250, which was armed with the revolvers captured from Walsh, repotted 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 Clingmnan 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 amid plot, on the night of Sunday, the 13th of November, Patrick Dooley, secretary of the Temple 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 organization, seized. On the night of Monday, November 14, the following-named persons, members of the Sons of Liberty, were arrested viz: Obadiah Jackson, grand senior; Charles W. Patten, member of State council; William Felton, tyler or door-keeper; James Gearry, a dangerous member; Richard T. Semmes, nephew to Pirate Semmes; Dr. B. W. Edwards, who harbored Colonel Marmaduke; all of whom remain in custody. On the 15th instant a young Englishman from Canada, under British protection papers, named Mongham, was arrested, who proved to be a messenger between Jacob Thompson, Captain Hines, Brigadier-General Walsh, and the guerrilla, Colonel Jessee, of Kentucky. An examination of many of the persons so arrested shows, beyond all doubt, that the Sons of Liberty is a treasonable, widely extended, and powerful organization, branching into almost if not all the counties of the State; that it is an organization of two branches, one civil, the other military, the members of the civil being on probation for the military branch; that important secrets in relation to military plans and the location of the depots for arms were carefully guarded from persons of civil membership, though even they well knew that the organization had such depots, and was animated with a spirit of intense hostility to the Government; that many of its leaders must have known of the intended attack on this camp and city; and that some of them have actually been in consultation, face to face, with men whom they knew to be rebel officers conspiring to produce a revolution in the Northwest. A schednle is hereto attached, numbered 4, which is believed to contain the names of some of the leading and most dangerous men belonging to this organization in the several counties in the State of Illinois. I respectfully recommend that the officers of the rebel army, and as many of the Sons of Liberty and guerrillas above mentioned as the interests of the Government may require, be tried before a military commission and punished. I cannot close this report without expressing my conviction that the gratitude of the country is due to the Eighth Regiment Veteran Reserve Corps, Lieut. Col. Lewis C. Skinner commanding, the Fifteenth Regimnent Veteran Reserve Corps, Lient. Col. Martin Flood commanding, and the Twenty-fourth Ohio Battery, Lieut. James W. Gamble commanding, which comprised the small garrison at Camp Douglas during two weeks of severe and almost unexampled duty. A garrison overworked for months, its officers and enlisted men met the demand for added and wearing duty necessary to hold harmless the great interests committed to their care, with a cheerful alacrity and steady zeal deserving the warmest commendation. Capt. John Nelson, and so m uchi of the police of this city as were detailed to act with him and report to me, executed orders and performed duty with rare fidelity and energy. Col. R. M. Hough and the mounted patrol under his command deserve great credit for promptitude in organization and duty efficiently performed. I have the honor to be, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
B. J. SWEET,
SOURCE: Offical Records of the War of the Rebellion, Series 1, Volume 45, Part 1, page 1077-1080.
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