"His final promotions to be Lieutenant-Colonel and Colonel U. S. A., by brevet, for gallant and meritorious services during the war,' are dated March 13, 1865, and close the official record of his brilliant promotions. History furnishes few parallels to his case. Commencing an obscure and friendless private, he rose steadily in the service without the adventitious aid of potential friends and patrons, to a rank coveted by the ablest officers in the land, and a position denied to men of eminence grown gray in serving their country."[U. S. Service Magazine.

CHAPTER XXX.

THE CHICACO CONSPIRACY.

EXCITING RUMORS-FIRST OBJECTIVE-DIABOLICAL SCHEME-COLONEL SWEET-THE SITUATION SUSPICION IMPRESSION Government DETECTIVE - REVELATIONSMEASURES-OFFICIAL REPORT-CHICAGO ARMED-TRIALS-SENTENCES-PARDONSBRAND OF INFAMY.

P

ENDING the Presidential election of 1864, the city of Chicago was thrown into a state of excitement almost equal to that which succeeded the announcement of the bombardment of Fort Sumter. It had been charged that there were organized, sworn, disciplined and drilled organizations in the West in full sympathy with the rebellion, waiting only a favorable opportunity to aid it by organized murder and the seizure of Union cities and especially Union leaders. Investigation before military commissions in the case of conspirators in Indiana and Illinois seem to have demonstrated the unwelcome fact beyond controversy. A report from the Judge Advocate of the United States stated the existence of an organization at the West, which had for its object the overthrow of the Union. spiracy, the report stated, had a military organization, with a Commander-in-Chief, general and subordinate officers, and 500,000 enrolled members, all bound to a blind obedience to the orders of their superiors, and pledged to "take up arms against any government found waging war against a people endeavoring to establish a government of their own choice.'

The con

The organization, it was said, was in every way hostile to the Union, and friendly to the so-called Confederacy; and its ultimate objects were "a general rising in Missouri," and a similar "rising in Indiana, Ohio, Illinois and Kentucky, in co-operation with a rebel force which was to invade the last-named State."

The first "objective point " was Camp Douglas, Chicago, the strategic importance of which was in the two-fold fact that it was the place where 8,000 rebel prisoners were held in durance, and that the abolition city of Chicago would afford admirable foraging ground. The prisoners were to be liberated and joined by Canadian refugees, Missouri bush-whackers, and the 5,000 members of the order in Chicago, in all a force of nearly 20,000 men, which would be a nucleus about which the conspirators in other parts of Illinois could gather; these being joined by the prisoners liberated from other camps, and members of the order from other states, would form an army a hundred thousand strong. So fully had everything been foreseen and provided for, that the leaders expected to gather and organize this vast body of men within the space of a fortnight! The United States could bring into the field no force capable of withstanding the progress of such an army. The consequences would be that the whole character of the war would be changed-its theater would be shifted from the border to the heart of the free states; and Southern independence, and the beginning at the North of that process of disintegration so confidently counted on by the rebel leaders at the outbreak of hostilities, would have followed. It was a bold scheme, and might have wrought mischief.

General Orme had been succeeded in command of Camp Douglas by Colonel Sweet of Wisconsin, a gallant officer, who had been severely wounded in the shoulder at Perryville, and disabled for field duty. The camp which included about sixty acres of sandy soil, was inclosed by a board fence an inch thick and fourteen feet high. The garrison ostensibly consisted of two regiments of veteran reserves, but could not muster more than 700 men fit for the duty of guarding 8,000 prisoners. Among these were men of noted daring and ferocity-Morgan's freebooters, Texan rangers, guerrillas -reckless, and ready for adventure. Many of the minor offices of the camp were performed by prisoners, who were thus in possession of the resources of the Commandant. Letters passing through the camp Post Office, enigmatically worded, first roused his suspicion. Subsequently he became convinced that it was designed to take advantage of a great convention to be held in the city, and convening the outside allies who might at that time come to the city without

suspicion, and carry out the plan. Prompt measures were taken, such as convinced the leaders that an attempt would be dangerous, and it was postponed. The Presidential election was approaching, and the Commandant prepared to go home to take part in the canvass, when he felt, he knew not why, that he must stay at his post, and did so. The next day showed why he was needed. Another writer makes this statement:

"On the 2d of November, a well-known citizen of St. Louis, openly a secessionist, but secretly a loyal man, acting as a detective for the Government, left that city in pursuit of a criminal. He followed him to Springfield, traced him from there to Chicago, and on the morning of November 4th, about the hour the Commandant had the singular impression I have spoken of, arrived in the latter city. He soon learned that the bird had again flown.

'

"While passing along the street' (I now quote from his report to the Provost Marshal General of Missouri), and trying to decide what course to pursue-whether to follow this man to New York, or to return to St. Louis-I met an old acquaintance, a member of the Order of American Knights, who informed me that Marmaduke was in Chicago. After conversing with him awhile, I started up the street, and about one block further on met Dr. E. W. Edwards, a practicing physician in Chicago (another old acquaintance), who asked me if I knew of Southern soldiers being in town. I told him I did; that Marmaduke was there. He seemed very much astonished, and asked how I knew. I told him. He laughed, and then said that Marmaduke was at his house, under the assumed name of Burling, and mentioned, as a good joke, that he had a British passport, vised by the United States Consul under that name. I gave Edwards my card to hand to Marmaduke (who was another old acquaintance), and told him I was stopping at the Briggs House.

"That same evening I again met Dr. Edwards on the street, going to my hotel. He said Marmaduke desired to see me, and I accompanied him to his house. There, in the course of a long conversation, Marmaduke told me that he and several rebel officers were in Chicago to co-operate with other parties in releasing the prisoners of Camp Douglas and other prisons, and in inaugurating a rebellion at the North. He said the movement was under the

auspices of the Order of American Knights (to which order the Society of the Illini belonged), and was to begin operations by an attack on Camp Douglas on election day.'

"The detective did not know the Commandant, but he soon made his acquaintance and told him the story. The young man,' he says, 'rested his head upon his hand, and looked as if he had lost his mother.' And well he might! A mine had opened at his feet; with but 800 men in the garrison it was to be sprung upon him. Only seventy hours were left! What would he not give for twice as many? Then he might secure reinforcements. He walked the room for a time in silence, then, turning to the detective, said, 'Do you know where the other leaders are?' 'I do not.' 'Can't you find out from Marmaduke?' 'I think not. He said what he did say voluntarily. If I were to question him he would suspect me.' That was true, and Marmaduke was not of the stuff that betrays a comrade on compulsion. His arrest, therefore, would profit nothing, and might hasten the attack for which the Commandant was so poorly prepared. He sat down and wrote a hurried dispatch to his General. Troops! troops! for God's sake, troops! was its burden. Sending it off by a courier-the telegraph told tales-he rose, and again walked the room in silence. After awhile, with a heavy heart, the detective said, 'Good night,' and left him."

From another quarter he obtained a full statement of the scheme, which was gigantic in detail, and contemplated a general uprising through the North, while Hood should move upon Nashville, Buckner upon Louisville and Price upon St. Louis, and the blow was to be struck in Chicago on the night of the 8th of November.

The Commandant took prompt measures, secured the police, and arranged his plans, and at 2 A. M. in the morning made his descent. When daylight came a hundred of the suspected leaders were in custody. The official report of the Commandant says:

“Have made during the night the following arrests of rebel officers, escaped prisoners of war, and citizens in connection with them:

Morgan's Adjutant-General, Colonel G. St. Leger Grenfell, in company with J. T. Shank (the Texan), an escaped prisoner of war, at Richmond House; Colonel Vincent Marmaduke, brother of General Marmaduke; Brigadier-General Charles Walsh, of the Sons of Liberty; Captain Cantrill of Morgan's eommand; Charles Traverse (butternut). Cantrill and Traverse were arrested in Walsh's house, in