relaxed its desperate severity and became more moderate. Under their fear of the dreaded Ku Klux, the negroes made more progress, in a few months, in the needed lessons of selfcontrol, industry, and respect for the rights of property and general good behavior, than they would have done in as many years, but for this or some equally powerful impulse. Ku Klux Costume Outrages in the Southern States, pp. 2, 9. Statement of Joseph [1871] THE Costume is a long gown with loose flowing sleeves, with a hood, in which the apertures for the eyes, nose and mouth are trimmed with some red material. The hood has three horns, made out of some common cotton-stuff, in shape something like candy bags, stuffed, and wrapped with red strings, the horns standing out on the front and the sides of the hood. When a costume is worn by a person he is completely disguised by it. He does not speak in his natural tone of voice, and uses a mystical style of language, and is armed with a revolver, a knife, or a stick. In some instances where they have ridden through neighborhoods they have disguised their horses so that even they should not be recognized. . . It is a large loose gown, covering the whole person quite closely, buttoned close around and reaching from the head clear down to the floor, covering the feet and dragging on the ground. It is made of bleached linen, starched and ironed, and in the night, by moonlight, it glitters and rattles. Then there is a hood with holes cut in for eyes, and a nose, six or eight inches long, made of cotton cloth, stuffed with cotton, and lapped with red braid half an inch wide. The eyes are lined with the braid, and the eyebrows are made of the same. The cloth is lined with red flannel. Then there is a long tongue sticking out about six inches, made of red flannel also, and so fixed that it can be moved about by the man's tongue. Then in the mouth are large teeth that are very frightful. Then under the tongue is a leather bag placed inside, so that when the man calls for water he pours it inside the bag and not into his mouth at all. KU KLUX COSTUMES IN NORTH CAROLINA [From engraving (after a photograph) in G. B. Raum's "The Existing Conflict," and used by permission. The original photograph was made in 1870 for J. G. Hester, deputy U. S. Marshal in North Carolina, who captured the disguises.] Spreading News of the Klan House Misc. Doc. no. 154, 41 Cong., 2 Sess., p. 542, from the Planters' Banner (Louisiana), May 23, 1868. An example of the manner in which the Klan was reported by the Southern newspapers. [1868] THERE is much excitement among the negroes and even some of the white folks, all over Attakapas, about the Ku-Kluxes that have lately appeared in this country. I am not superstitious, and will not tell you what I believe about these strange, ghostly appearances, but will give you some general items and rumors. The negroes have entirely deserted one prairie in Attakapas since the election, having been run out by the Ku-Kluxes. The negroes of Lafayette parish were lately nearly all of them preparing to leave, the K. K. K.'s having frightened them every night, and carried off a carpet-bagger from Illinois. One negro, a big-talking radical, somewhere in the parish of St. Martin, was lately carried off by these confederate ghosts, at night, and has never been heard of since. A night traveler called at the negro quarters, somewhere in Attakapas, and asked for water. After he had drunk three blue buckets full of good cistern water, at which the negro was much astonished, he thanked the colored man and told him he was very thirsty, that he had travelled nearly a thousand miles in twenty-four hours, and that was the best drink of water he had since he was killed at the battle of Shiloh. The negro dropped the bucket, tumbled over two chairs and a table, escaped through a back window, and has not since been heard from. He was a radical negro. White men on white horses have lately been seen sailing through the air at midnight at Pattersonville, Jeanerette, and at various places all over the southern part of this State. If negroes attempt to run away from the K. K. K.'s, these spirits always follow them, and catch them, and no living man hears from them again. The leader of this new order is said to be perfectly terrible. He is ten feet high and his horse is fifteen. He carries a lance and a shield like those of Goliath of the Philistines. . . Attakapas, May 20, 1868. K. K. K. A Ku Klux Order Tuscaloosa (Alabama), Independent Monitor, April, 1868. This order was written by Ryland Randolph, posted on the streets, and later published in his paper, the Monitor. Part of the order is in cypher. The rest has no meaning. [1868] KU KLUX Hollow Hell. Devil's Den, Horrible Head Quarters of the Immortal Ate GENERAL ORDERS No. 3. Shrouded Brotherhood! Murdered heroes! Fling the bloody dirt that covers you to the four winds! Erect thy Goddess on the banks of the Avernus. Mark well your foes! Strike with the redhot spear! Prepare Charon for his task! Enemies reform! The skies shall be blackened! A single Star shall look down upon horrible deeds! The night owl shall hoot a requiem o'er Ghostly Corpses! Beware! Beware! Beware! The Great Cyclops is angry! Hobgoblins report! Shears and lash! Tar and Feathers! Hell and Fury! Revenge! Revenge! Revenge! Bad men! white, black, yellow, repent! The hour is at hand! Be ye ready! Life is short! J. H. S. Y. W!! Ghosts! Ghosts!! Ghosts!!! Drink thy tea made of distilled hell, stirred with the lightning of heaven, and sweetened with the gall of thine enemies! All will be well!!! |