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22 chapters
K. K. K. SKETCHES,
K. K. K. SKETCHES,
Humorous and Didactic, TREATING THE MORE IMPORTANT EVENTS OF THE KU-KLUX-KLAN MOVEMENT IN THE SOUTH. WITH A Discussion of the Causes which gave Rise to it, and the Social and Political Issues Emanating from it. BY JAMES MELVILLE BEARD. PHILADELPHIA: CLAXTON, REMSEN & HAFFELFINGER, 624, 626 & 628 MARKET STREET . 1877. Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1876, by CLAXTON, REMSEN & HAFFELFINGER, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. J. FA
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PREFACE.
PREFACE.
These sketches are placed before the public without other apology for their appearance than may be found in that demand for information on the subject treated which renders a work of the character a positive necessity of the times. The secret political movement here introduced to the reader has contributed more to the sensational character of American politics, and, at the same time, proven a more influential factor in those political questions with which we have dealt as a people, than any or a
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INTRODUCTORY.
INTRODUCTORY.
Terms of Southern Surrender in the War of the Rebellion—Candor of Paroled Troops—“Lee’s Ragamuffins”—Generals Grant’s and Sherman’s Proposed Amnesty—The “Rump Congress” and Disfranchisement—What the Latter meant—Issues which the War Settled—How these were Revived by the Pending Congress—Anarchy in the South—The Loyal League. The treaty concluded between the conquered and conquering States at the close of the late civil war, while arranging all external differences and disarming physical resistan
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CAUSES OF THE K. K. K. MOVEMENT.
CAUSES OF THE K. K. K. MOVEMENT.
Situation Produced by the War—Discontented Partisans—The War District in the South—Words of a Northern Tourist—Widespread Destitution—The Curse of Slavery—How its sudden Abolition affected Community Wealth in the Southern States—The Political Situation even more Distressing—President Johnson—How the Work of Reconstruction was Inaugurated—The Law-making Power vested in Dummy Legislatures—Disfranchisement—Enfranchisement—The Color Issue which these Measures brought—A Singular Peace Policy—The War
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THE KLAN.
THE KLAN.
A Stirring Episode—Raising the Dead—Night-Hawk Abroad—Moving toward the Rendezvous—Grand Cyclops of Den No. 5—Forming the Magic Circle—Raiding Command—K. K. K. Drill—On the March—The Tout Ensemble of a Raiding Body—Weird Costuming—Arms and Accoutrements—Banners Inscribed with the K. K. K. Escutcheon—How the Scene Impressed Beholders. In the month of November, A. D. 1866, in that portion of Western Tennessee known to dwellers as the Kentucky purchase, was enacted a scene which possessed romantic
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SUPERSTITIONS REGARDING K. K. K.
SUPERSTITIONS REGARDING K. K. K.
Impressions after a K. K. K. Raid—Will Morning never come?—Conjectures Regarding the Subject in the Minds of those who should have been Prepared to Render an Opinion—What Superstitious People thought—The Mill Council—Boys and Colored Men—K. K. K. Arraigned on various Charges, and Acquitted for Want of Testimony—The Subject an Enigma—Man a Superstitious Animal—Education the Best and a Poor Antidote. On the immemorial night referred to Crow Hide slept uneasily, for besides an indefinable something
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K. K. K. DEALINGS WITH THE LOYAL LEAGUE.
K. K. K. DEALINGS WITH THE LOYAL LEAGUE.
A Train which brought Welcome Passengers—Caucusing in the Open Air a Dangerous Proceeding—Correct Surmises—An Old Church, Bequeathed from Generation to Generation, and Liable to many Uses—Brothers and Sisters all—The L. L. in full Bloom—Storm succeeded by a Calm—Weird Visitors—What they left behind them—Dummy Constructed of Cow-bones, and Habited in full Ku-Klux Regalia—Height, Ten Feet—Sudden Panic—The Rally—Still in Doubt—The Chairman’s Stratagem—How it didn’t Work—Despondent Leaguers taught t
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GHOST FEATURE OF THE MOVEMENT. ITS PHILOSOPHY.
GHOST FEATURE OF THE MOVEMENT. ITS PHILOSOPHY.
Contrasted Views of the Organization inspired by its Dealings with the Public—Its Political Bearing—Its Objects not deemed Harmful to Society—New England Transcendentalists, and the Ponderous Science which they put before the World under the Title of “Negropholism”—The Colored Man in the South—Kindly Feeling for the Race cherished by Native Southerners—Households Presided over by Colored Matrons—Superstitious Tendencies of Cuffey—One of the Conditions of his Tropical Nativity—Heathenish Lapses—H
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DETAILS OF ORGANIZATION.
DETAILS OF ORGANIZATION.
A Band of Regulators whose Force at this time numbered a Half Million well-organized and perfectly Drilled Men—Who composed its Draft—Considerations which recommended it to the Better Classes of Society—Its Haunts—Oath-bound Covenant, and Penalties attached—Panoply of Lower Regions—Its Raiding Rendezvous—Galloping forth to Predestined Conquest—It proceeded under a rigid Constitutional System—Territorial Subdivisions—Empire—Realm—Province—Den—Grand Wizard and his Cabinet—Grand Giant—The Commander
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K. K. K. CUSTOMS.
K. K. K. CUSTOMS.
The Klan never did its Work by Halves—How General Orders were Transmitted—Form of General Order—Its Imbroglios with the League—Avoided Conflict with United States Troops—Ku-Klux Prosecutions a Weakness of the Courts—League Informers—K. K. K. Intimidation of Witnesses— Memento Mori —Crusade of the Ermined Ranks—Misdirected Prosecutions—Obligation to Disregard Judicial Oaths when they Conflicted with the Plans and Policy of the Order—No Patch-spots in its System of Government—Weird Drill—Absenteei
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THE KLAN IN TENNESSEE.
THE KLAN IN TENNESSEE.
Misgovernment in Tennessee—The Loyal League and the State Administration—The K. K. K. an Outgrowth of the Conditions which the former Inspired—Rapid Development of the Order on Tennessee Soil—Its Purposes of Revenge—Legislation on the Subject—A Governor’s Proclamation—Militia called out and Detectives Employed—The State pronounced a Ku-Klux Barracks—The Loyal League in various Localities Succumbing to the New Element of Conquest—A State Council of the League Summoned to meet at Nashville—The Gov
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THE LOYAL LEAGUE IN COUNCIL.
THE LOYAL LEAGUE IN COUNCIL.
Speech of Hon. Bones Button before the State Council of the Loyal League—What followed—Amusing Contretemps. Mr. Cheermon , and Gemmens: Der crisis am upon us. I repeats, surs, and wishes dat dis obserwashun should sink down into de conclusibness ob ebery individooal who heers me. Der Ku—crisis am upon us. As a member of dis spectifle body, I am de las’ pusson who would wish to use my perfesshun to cover up dis sollum trufe. We is stannin’, Mr. Cheermon, upon de ragged confouns ob de bloody kazzu
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EFFECTS PRODUCED. A PERIOD OF ALARM.
EFFECTS PRODUCED. A PERIOD OF ALARM.
Excitement throughout the State—Scenes at the Capitol—Metropolitan Arrests resisted—Secret Police—Government Officials Notified of the Extent of the Disaster—A Quorum of the Legislative or Judicial Bodies not Attainable—No Departures from the City—The K. K. K. Cabal Receiving that Attention from Caucusing Legislators which its Importance Demanded—What the State Judiciary Demanded—A Mob at the State-House—At Sunset the Situation Unchanged—A Sortie from the Capitol—Mobs along the Route—Seeking Ref
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KU-KLUX HORRORS IN TENNESSEE.
KU-KLUX HORRORS IN TENNESSEE.
The Klan Outlawed—A Price set upon the Heads of its Membership—A Rash Act of one of its Dens—Strong Provocations—Negro Insurrectionists Placed in the Jail at Trenton—Prisoners Wrested from the County Authorities by Two Hundred Men Disguised as Ku-Klux—Subsequent Massacre—Detectives in Pursuit—Members of the Order Indicted—Efforts to Convict the Accused—Failure of Prosecution—Affair in Obion—Why these Horrors are Classed as Twin Editions—Description of Madrid Bend—K. K. K. Transactions in this Re
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KU-KLUX LAW.
KU-KLUX LAW.
Any person, under color of law, etc., of any State, depriving another of any rights, etc., secured by the Constitution of the United States, made liable to the party injured, 7034—Penalty for conspiring, by force, to put down the government of the United States, etc., 7035—Conspirator’s doing, etc., any act in furtherance of the object of the conspiracy, and injuring another, liable to damages therefor, 7035—What to be deemed a denial by any State to any class of its people of their equal protec
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THE K. K. K. IN LOUISIANA.
THE K. K. K. IN LOUISIANA.
Adventists—How they Practised on the Parasitical Blacks—A Little Power is a Dangerous Thing—The Political Situation in ’67—Whites Refraining from Participation in Election Campaigns—The State Press—The Order of K. K. K. in Louisiana—When the Government Officials were first Notified of its Presence—The Feeling in Grant Parish, a Shire Division of the State created for Political Purposes—Riot Growing out of a Personal Difficulty—Blacks Entrenched in the Court-House at Colfax—Besieged by a Force of
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TALLY-HO!
TALLY-HO!
The Situation in Georgia—Bullock Usurpation—Some Things which may be Explained—Negro Criminals—Taking Refuge in the Ocmulgee Swamps—A Brutal Murder—Ku-Klux Ambushed—A Terrible Oath—Uncle Jack B.—A Brief Memoir—“Nigger Dogs” in the “Goober State”—Uncle Jack Interviewed by the Ku-Klux—What came of it—Getting Ready for the Chase—A Pack of “Negro Dogs” described—In the Swamps—The Opening Chorus—A Warm Trail—Swimming the Ocmulgee—Disappointment—The Lull is Past—The Cheering Notes of the Chase—Blood o
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THE “SHAMS.”
THE “SHAMS.”
The Klan in South Carolina—Officious Interference in Politics—Atrocious Performances of Men in Masks—The “Shams,” or Counterfeit Editions of K. K. K.—How Organized—Purposes of the Organization—Their Vocabulary of Crime—South Carolina Fanatics—How the “Sham” Movement Affected the K. K. K.—Parodied out of the Field—A Resolution of sine die Adjournment—K. K. K. Horrors on the Increase—The “Shams” were Opposed in their Movements not only by the Party who had formerly Upheld the K. K. K., etc.—Rotten
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A MORAL POINTED.
A MORAL POINTED.
A Problem for the Phrenologists—“Self-Preservation is [said to be] the First Law of Life”—A Mooted Question put at Rest—Experiments in Metaphysics—An Anecdote Dealing with the Characteristics of some People—Another—Peculiarities of the Caucasian—Ditto of the African—An “Awakening” among the Children of the New Abrahamic Covenant—“Brudder Jones’s Preechin’”—What it Wrought—Unpleasant Truths—Sins of Omission and Commission—The Pale-Faced Settlers in Distress—An “Artifice” of Retrenchment—Eloquent
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K. K. K. AS A FACTOR IN POLITICS.
K. K. K. AS A FACTOR IN POLITICS.
Late Announcement of the Earl of Beaconsfield before an Assembly of Englishmen—The Secret Societies of Europe—Men of Influence in the Southern States Disclaim the alleged Good Offices of the Klan in the Work of Southern Redemption—Its True Status with Regard to Current Politics—Combining the Offices of Regulator and Vigilante with that of Politician—An Absolutist in all Society Matters—Many who advance the Idea that that Complete Renovation of the Social System Effected through its Means could n
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THE LAST OF THE K.’S.
THE LAST OF THE K.’S.
A Popular Fallacy—Karl Konstant Esq.—A Fit Companion for the Wandering Jew—Awaiting Events—The First Visitation—An Intricate Subject for the Hospitals and Doctors—Getting Even with the Latter—Put Away—Yellow Jack on a Raid—K. K. K., Esq., in his Prison Cell—Promoted to the Hospital—An Uncommon Defiance—A Picturesque Outside—Waiting for the End—K. Konstant Kain Struggles back to Shore—“Do not Weep”—A Critical Moment—A New Cast and entire Change of Scenery—“Gruel” did it—Waited upon by a Deputatio
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CONCLUSION.
CONCLUSION.
The Author has no Explanations to Offer—Such as it is, it is—The Chief of Two Reasons for Holding it in Esteem—A Whim that has been Gratified—Mischievous Results of Confiding a Secret to One Female Acquaintance instead of Fifty—Can anything be more Ridiculous than to Suppose that there is a Word of Fiction Connected with the foregoing Chapters?—Lakeside Publishers—The Public Invited to Pocket their Scruples and Read History—Finale. Positively , we must depart from a time-honored custom of the bo
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