Saulsbury was an ardent Southern sympathizer whose homes parlor would later be identified as having paintings of Confederate heroes adorning the walls. Naturally, the North and the Souths different approaches to slavery created significant tension. K.G.C., Records of the KGC Convention, 1860, Raleigh, N.C. (http://gunshowonthenet/AfterTheFact/KGC/KGC0571860.html), accessed August 27, 2010. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. But a majority don't focus on why. The K.G.C. [6], Hounded by creditors, Bickley left Cincinnati in the late 1850s and traveled through the East and South, promoting an armed expedition to Mexico. Henry Grob and Theodore Jones showing off their find. Perhaps this should be expected, after all, for a secret society. During this time, the pro-slavery, human-trafficking South and the anti-slavery, "woke" North wanted to expand their borders and create new . These Knights of the Golden Circle Though the theory is murky and evidence is thin, there is also speculation that the Ku Klux Klan was borne out of the Knights of the Golden Circle. Who were the Knights of the Golden Circle? If you change your mind, you can easily unsubscribe. The Golden Circle advocates businesses starting with why they are in existence and then developing a product to suit - as opposed to the reverse. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. northwestern lacrosse. Joseph Holt, Report of the Judge Advocate General on The Order of American Knights, alias The Sons of Liberty. A Western Conspiracy in aid of the Southern Rebellion (Washington, DC: Union Congressional Committee, 1864). The Knights of the Golden Circle (K.G.C. Knights of the Golden Circle, You must there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that's only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary. The Knights of the Golden Circle was a pro-slavery secret society founded in the decade before the American Civil War. It's the 'soul' of who you are, as Sinek explained: "It's why you exist and get out of bed in the morning". Library of Congress via Getty Images. California became a free state, slavery in Utah and New Mexico territories would be determined by popular sovereignty, and the slave trade in Washington, D.C. was dissolved. In 1854 a small group of pro-slavery sympathizers formed the Knights of the Golden Circle, a secret society whose goal it was to create a vast new empire for slaveryone that traced a "golden circle" from the deep South through Mexico, Central America, parts of South America, and the Caribbean. Image Credit: "The origins of the Knights of the Golden Circle can be traced to Cincinnati con man George Bickley." Various clandestine actions were undertaken . The place they chose to stay, disguising themselves as rebel hotheads, was The Fountain Hotel. Lincoln would be targeted by K.G.C. We'll send you a couple of emails per month, filled with fascinating history facts that you can share with your friends. The "golden trail" refers to the Ten Commandments, but Russell says . Though there were rumors that the Knights were involved in the infamous Confederate incursion known as Morgans Raid, which garnered some 2,000 men to draw out Union troops in Ohio and Indiana, these are not substantiated. It was created directly out of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry and linked to the highest circles of American Freemasons. ark astrocetus how to use hyperdrive. The order itself had little influence in the South and had few or no Northern adherents. Does the Golden Circle still exist? We will fight them and whip them, or die.. How did John Wilkes Booth react to Lincolns speech? Legends, Ghosts, Myths and Mysteries Main Page, Byways & Historic Trails Great Drives in America, Soldiers and Officers in American History, Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas Declaring Independence, Stanley, Ks Extinct but Still Here (LOK), Black Bob Reservation in Johnson County (LOK). 65: 8086. All copyrighted materials included within the Handbook of Texas Online are in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. These attempts appear to have been foiled by Lincoln having a change of plans. The Knights of the Golden Circle was a pro-slavery secret society founded in the decade before the American Civil War. As early as the mid-1830s, Southern rights groups cropped up to promote slavery. The Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC) was a pre- Civil War, pro-Southern secret society founded in Ohio in 1854 by George W. L. Bickley, a Virginian, who soon moved the KGC to the South. would spring into action to bring about Southern secession and the formation of the Confederate States of America. However, once the seat of power was secured, a furious Lincoln dispatched Union troops to seize Baltimore at night and occupy the Charm City for the remainder of the war. Linked to the Freemasons and the ceremonies of Freemasonr. That evening, an incensed Marshal Kane, a close friend and political associate of Charles Webb, fired off this incendiary telegraph to the Maryland militia: Streets red with Maryland blood; send expresses over the mountains of Maryland and Virginia for the riflemen to come without delay. They opposed the U.S. governments war policy, actively encouraged desertion, prevented enlistments, and resisted the draft. The scandal made an impression on young John Wilkes, who was fiercely proud of his illustrious family name. The sum of these treasures has been figured at about $2 million in the 19th century, which would make the mythic gold worth as much as $160 million today. Centering on Havana, this empire would be some 2,400 miles in diameterhence the name Golden Circle. The order and its alleged influence sparked the formation of Union League clubs to carry on counterpropaganda. The Knights of the Golden Circle was a mysterious southern-based society that set out in 1859 to establish a slave empire in Mexico. He later increased his claims to 115,000, but such numbers were widely dismissed as fanciful. I presume we will receive orders soon to arrest them, to prevent them from going into Mexico.. During the American Civil War, some Southern sympathizers in the Union or Northern states, such as Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa, were accused of belonging to the Knights of the Golden Circle, and in some cases, such as that of Lambdin P. Milligan, they were imprisoned for their activities. Because the New Orleans men disbanded, they could not meet up with another contingency of Knights gathered around the Mexico border later in March 1860. He used his status to accost Lincolns abolitionist efforts on his tours throughout the North and South. The Knights merged with the Order of the Lone Star with the expansionist goal of forming a slave-holding empire that operated like the East India Company by annexing Mexico, the Caribbean Islands, and Central America into the United States. In 1859 George Bickley, a freebooter and adventurer, launched a fraternal order which proposed the establishment of military colonies of Americans in Mexico. Supposedly, the hidden treasure was meant to finance another Civil War, and perhaps one that would prove more successful for the South. Fellow candle executive Thomas Armstrong, the company founders nephew, lived at a local hotel known as the Fountain Hotel. What was meant to diffuse the situation between pro-slavery and non-slavery states only added fuel to this fiery discrepancy. According to Sinek's theory, many of us think from the outside inwhat > how > why. The Knights of the Golden Circle In 1854, according to the Texas State Historical Association, General George W. L. Bickley brought together five men who founded the Knights of the Golden Circle. And none of the Knights in the photo are clean shaven, so it must be a different Henry Ford than the auto magnate. Phillips and another party arrived on Saturday.. Unfortunately for the Knights, however, the tensions around slavery would come to a head in 1861 when the Southern Confederate States went to war with the Northern Union States in the Civil War, making their goals impossible to achieve. Every penny counts! Leaders of the Democratic Party opposed to Abraham Lincoln's administration denounced the draft and other wartime measures, such as the arrest of seditious persons and the president's temporary suspension of the writ of habeas corpus. Copperheads Fernando Wood, former Democratic mayor of New York City, and Clement L. Vallandigham of Ohio were reputed to be the chief officers. Theme: Envo Blog. He sketched the symbols . The group included notable figures such as Elkanah Greer, a colonel of the Third Texas Cavalry, and future governor of Texas L. Sullivan Ross. A group of Knights in New Orleans then publicly attacked him as a liar, coward, and inept leader. In response to the increased anti-slavery agitation that followed the Dred Scott decision (1857) the Knights changed their position: the Southern United States should secede, forming their own confederation, and then invade and annex the area of the Golden Circle to vastly expand the power of the South. As Washington exploded in celebration, Booth attended another Lincoln speech on April 11, reacting strongly to Lincolns suggestion that he would pursue voting rights for blacks. It became strongest among Copperheads, who were Democrats who wanted to end the Civil War via settlement with the South. He likely secured this appointment with the blessing of Charles Webb. The Knights of the Golden Circle really did exist. Templar Knights. Page 18 - Inasmuch as differences of opinion exist in the Democratic party as to the nature and extent of the powers of a Territorial legislature, and as to the powers and duties of congress under the . The group's original goal was to provide a force to colonize the northern part of Mexico and the West Indies. We know what we're doing and some of us know how we're going to do it. The following year, the Knights began publishing their own newspaper and established their headquarters in Washington, D. C. In 1860, during . In 1846, it was revealed that Junius Booth had neglected to divorce his first wife before eloping with his second, Mary Ann, 25 years before. Keehn, David (2013). By 1873 Kane had left the Jones Falls Commission to run successfully for Sheriff of Baltimore. dvd extra Plot summary Add synopsis Genre Short Charles Webb was also something of a political kingmaker in Baltimore for the Southern Democrats, the party that would oppose Lincoln and promote the continuation of slavery. Alerted to a sudden change in plans by a Confederate courier, Colonel Kane rode his horse south day and night in time to rendezvous with the retreating Jeff Davis train in Danville. Senate. Receiving reports of the activities of the Order of American Knights (a new name for the alleged order) in Missouri and Illinois, U.S. Pres. ), a secretive organization created in 1854, proposed to establish a slaveholding empire encompassing the southern United States, the West Indies, Mexico, and parts of Central America. Wikimedia CommonsAbraham Lincolns assassin, John Wilkes Booth, was allegedly a member of the Knights of the Golden Circle. A few agitators, some of them encouraged by Southern money, talked of a revolt in the Old Northwest, with the goal of ending the war. Elkanah Greer of Marshall, for example, served with distinction as colonel of the Third Texas Cavalry, a unit in the cavalry brigade commanded by future governor L. Sullivan Ross. This forced Confederate President Jefferson Davis and his cabinet to flee via the rail line to Danville. These clubs were inspired by the philosophies of John C. Calhoun (1782-1850). The legend of this ill-gotten treasure lives on perhaps most strikingly in a man named Bob Brewer, who believes his ancestors may have hidden the gold in Arkansas and has since devoted his lifes work to finding it. Updates? The Knights of the Golden Circle emerged around 1858 when a secret society formed by a Cincinnati businessman merged with the pro-expansionist Order of the Lone Star, which already had 15,000 members. (currently published under the title of Rebel Gold ISBN 978-0-7432-1969-3) Hicks, Jimmie (July 1961). There were three different types of membership within the Golden Circle: military, financial, and governing. 9What is the Order of the Golden Circle? The new charges, said Lincoln on receiving Hays report, were as puerile as the Knights of the Golden Circle. Treason trials against members of the Sons of Liberty in Indianapolis on the eve of the election of 1864 furnished campaign material for the Republicans. The Titanic sinks in the North Atlantic. Library of CongressOn the left is George W. L. Bickley, head of the Knights of the Golden Circle. 13Which question is in the center of . George W. L. Bickley, a doctor, editor, and adventurer who lived in Cincinnati, founded the association, organizing the first castle, or local branch, in Cincinnati in 1854. However, it is possible that the Knights tallied closer to 50,000 by 1860, given that there was a membership of 16,000 in California, 8,000 in both Texas and Kentucky, and there were castles established in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and not to mention some 15,000 men who had joined up with the KGC following the dissolution of the OLS. The Order of the Golden Circle is the womens auxiliary of the United Supreme Council, 33, Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Prince Hall Affiliation, Southern Jurisdiction, USA, Inc. Golden Circle is an alternative perspective to existing assumptions about why some leaders and organizations have achieved such a disproportionate degree of influence. This entry belongs to the following Handbook Special Projects: We are a community-supported, non-profit organization and we humbly ask for your support because the careful and accurate recording of our history has never been more important. is its contribution to creating the emotional excitement necessary to persuading southerners to rebel against the United States. decided to send undercover New York City detectives to Baltimore to root out the conspiracy. Start by marking "The Knights of the Golden Circle: The History and Legacy of One of 19th Century America's Most Notorious Secret Societies" as Want to Read: . It was the only time Lincoln would see Booth perform. One of the angry Baltimoreans who joined the K.G.C. Wilmer McLean and his family sit on the porch of his house, where Confederate General Robert E. Lee signed the terms of surrender to Union General Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865 in Appomattox Court House, Virginia. In the decade leading up to the Civil War, a fledgling group called the Knights of the Golden Circle joined forces with a well-establish Southern society known as the Order of the Lone Star.The Knights were the brainchild of George W.L. Randolph B. He was born and raised in Philadelphia and has worked as a teacher, newspaper reporter, newspaper editor, pizza shop proprietor, and technical writer. developed a second plan for invading Mexico later in 1860, but it proved abortive as attention turned to the presidential election and the secession movement that followed immediately across the lower South. Knights of the Golden Circle, a semi-military secret society that was active in the Midwestern states during the American Civil War. References: Ollinger Crenshaw, "The Knights of the Golden Circle: The Career of George Bickley," American Historical Review 47 (1941). A journalist reported that: This section of the country is filled with members of this mysterious organization, and their campfires are increased every night by new parties arriving during the dayIt is reported that 300 of them are in this vicinity and on the way to GoliadA company of thirty came in today from Baltimore, under Lieut. At the wars end, Saulsbury would buy the Eden Street treasure home from secret slaver Captain Mattison, his rebel brother-in-arms. Bickley, who served as a surgeon in the Confederate Army before being arrested as a spy in Indiana in July 1863 and held until October 1865, died in August 1867. Less than a week later, Confederate forces evacuated Richmond, and within two weeks, General Robert E. Lee surrendered his troops. However, this dream of the Golden Circle would never be realized. That C.E.O. Centering on Havana, this empire would be some 2,400 miles in diameterhence the name Golden Circle. The markers are on the south side of Virginia Route 33 in the Swift Run Gap, roughly at the intersection of . while KGC members were still Cabinet officers and Senators". Records of the KGC convention held in 1860 state that the organization "originated at Lexington, Kentucky, on the fourth day of July 1854, by five gentlemen who came together on a call made by Gen. George Bickley". In late May 1864, Booth invested in an oil company in western Pennsylvania. . Before the American Civil War, which would decisively end slavery in the United States, the Knights focused on invading and annexing Mexico. Simon Sinek's Golden Circle encourages you to 'start with why' for a purpose-driven approach to business, marketing and life. So did 39 very heavy barrels (9,000 pounds total) filled with Mexican silver coins, the profits from the sale of Confederate cotton. Theres a conspiracy that Lincolns assassin was a member of this society. April 9, 1865 Calhoun had an illustrious political career serving as a congressman from his home state of South Carolina, a state . Your why is your underlying purpose and belief. Milligan, they were imprisoned for their activities. But that is exactly what happened to two Baltimore boys in 1934. Knights of the Golden Circle, a semi-military secret society that was active in the Midwestern states during the American Civil War. There are no known photos of Henry Ford with any form of facial hair. The whereabouts of the Danville silver to this day is unknown. There exist reports of the KGC continuing after 1864 as a secret group which planned to start fighting the Civil War again, as soon as a generation or two had passed and they had regained their manpower and resources." . Then, as Booth and his henchmen planned for yet another attempt at seizing Lincoln and holding him hostage, Union forces succeeded in surrounding Richmond. The Knights of theGolden Circle, according to most authorities, ceased its operations in 1916 for two primary reasons. The Knights of the Golden Circle or KGC were a secret society during the American Civil War period. James Armstrong had expanded his business in the 1840s by merging with the rival candle and soap firm known as Charles Webb and Sons. After seeing no immediate profit, he backed out of the operation, losing most of his savings. While we dont have too much detail on the Knights and their history is mired in rumor, we do know their ultimate goal: to create an empire that would stretch from the Caribbean to the Pacific built on tobacco, cotton, sugar, and the blood and sweat of slaves. The Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC) was a secret military organization created in 1859 by George W. L. Bickley in Cincinnati, Ohio. Could this somehow all be a coincidence?? Library of Congress via Getty ImagesWilmer McLean and his family sit on the porch of his house, where Confederate General Robert E. Lee signed the terms of surrender to Union General Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865 in Appomattox Court House, Virginia. World War One devastates Europe. Captain Mattison succumbed soon after. They opposed the abolitionists, Northern churches, and other Yankee movements that sought to "interfere" with the Southern economy, Southern society, and way of life. Wednesday, December 12, 2007 at 4:27 PM. He feared secession of the Northwest. What made him different, however, was the fervor with which he took to this task. Their attempt was detected and they were seized on the night of their intended departure. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. With the abolition of slavery and the reintegration of the Southern United States into the Union, the Knights of the Golden Circle lost any popularity they mightve had. ), a secretive organization created in 1854, proposed to establish a slaveholding empire encompassing the southern United States, the West Indies, Mexico and parts of Central America. As he promoted his organization, Bickley focused on the annexation of Mexico as an essential first step. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. We need your support because we are a non-profit organization that relies upon contributions from our community in order to record and preserve the history of our state. About the Author: Jack Myers is the author of several books, including Row House Days, Row House Blues, and The Delco Files as well as his book Knights Gold. TheUnited Stateshad entered World War I, and by that time most of the old Knights of theGolden Circlehad died. . Alternate titles: Order of American Knights. Some argue that the Knights buried millions of dollars in stolen U.S. Army payrolls in locations across the Southwest, where the money (now worth billions) remained under guard into the mid-twentieth century and perhaps even now. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. The Knights of the Golden Circle ( KGC) was a secret society founded in 1854 by American George W. L. Bickley, the objective of which was to create a new country, known as the Golden Circle ( Spanish: Crculo Dorado ), where slavery would be legal. However, that hasn't stopped some people from suggesting that the organization is still active as an underground society . had an elaborate ritual with codes, signs, and passwords, and complicated plans for its military and governing operations. Local chapters were known as castles and by the 1860s, Bickley claimed the group had over 100,000 members, but such numbers are almost certainly exaggerated. They often paid with Confederate States dollars or with drafts on the Confederate government. 10Where is the Golden Circle? Sam Houston, who reportedly became an initiate. Many plots, including the plot to infect the North with a yellow fever epidemic, would be hatched at The Fountain. The Knights of the Golden Circle gain power in the American South and industrialise the area during the 1850 and 1860s, They increase their autonomy and then instead of engaging in civil war with the north they invade and/or unite with various slave holding powers in the Caribbean. The Knights of the Golden Circle or K.G.C. mastermind Albert Pike, had two employees and a fellow Armstrong board member all living with thousands of gold coins buried under their respective residences. [13] As volunteers continued to join McCulloch the following day, United States Army Brevet Maj. Gen. David E. Twiggs surrendered the arsenal peacefully to the secessionists. "The Pacific Squadron of 18611866", in Aurora Hunt, C.S.A. 1,880 likes. Warren Getler and Bob Brewer, Rebel Gold: One Mans Quest to Crack the Code Behind the Secret Treasure of the Confederacy (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004). The Texas KGC supported President of the United States James Buchanan's policy of, and draft treaty for, protecting routes for U.S commerce across Mexico, which also failed to be approved by the U.S. Included within the circle were individuals from some of the Northern States who sympathized with the south and their belief in slavery. [1]:102104 The Secretary of War, John Floyd and of Treasury, Howell Cobb, were members of the circle, in addition to Vice President John Breckenridge. In 1859 George Bickley, a freebooter and adventurer, launched a fraternal order which proposed the establishment of military colonies of Americans in Mexico. The Circle On July 4, 1854, George Bickley founded the "Knights of the Golden Circle" in Lexington, Kentucky, to promote the goal of a Slave Empire composed of Mexico, Central America, and. One of his first moves in office would be to appoint his longtime friend Charles Webb as tax collector for the city. connections with the Knights of the Golden Circle and each asking for a substantial cash gift in return for securing the son's release. The KGC's proposal grew out of previous unsuccessful proposals to annex Cuba (Ostend Manifesto), parts of Central America (Filibuster War), and all of Mexico (All of Mexico Movement). Gen. Henry Hopkins Sibley on the 1862 New Mexico Campaign, which sought to bring the New Mexico Territory into the Confederate fold. Besides, Morgans Raid, like the Knights own attempts, failed. In August 1861 The New York Times described the order as a successor to the Order of the Lone Star, which had been organized for the purpose of conquering Cuba and Nicaragua, succeeding in the latter cause in 1856 under William Walker before being driven out by a coalition of neighboring states. .and the coins remained undisturbed, hidden with faint hopes for the day the South would rise again.. The Spanish possessions of Cuba and Puerto Rico and the Empire of Brazil continued to depend on slavery, as did the Southern United States. Dred Scott in 1857. had its beginnings in the formation of Southern Rights Clubs in various southern cities in the mid-1830s. Armstrong, Saulsbury, and the Webbs just werent fellow employees, they were blood brothers in unison for a cause, the Confederate States of America. However, new evidence has recently surfaced which points directly to a secret Confederate society known as the Knights of the Golden Circle (K.G.C.) KGC Meeting. . Knights of the Golden Circle, a semi-military secret society that was active in the Midwestern states during the American Civil War. Booth had lived on Exeter Street and is said to have been inducted into the K.G.C. Donald S. Frazier, Blood & Treasure: Confederate Empire in the Southwest (College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 1996). Well-placed members of the Knights of the Golden Circle plotted to send Federal arms to the South. The last battle was fought at Palmito Ranch, Texas, on May 13, 1865. Like many other secretive societies, the K.G.C. . Published by the Texas State Historical Association. At a Freemason memorial service for Grand Master Charles Webb, his Masonic brothers recited a poem in his memory a poem written by Albert Pike, the most powerful Freemason of his generation and the long suspected head of the secretive Knights of the Golden Circle. It was concentrated in the Deep South, on large plantations devoted to the commodity crops of cotton and sugar cane, but it was the basis of agricultural and other labor throughout the southern states. Victory by the Union in the Civil War destroyed the cause for which the K.G.C. In 1859 George Bickley, a freebooter and adventurer, launched a fraternal order which proposed the establishment of military colonies of Americans in Mexico. Imagine finding 5,000 gold coins in a pot buried under your house! National Archives CatalogA list of identification rules for the Knights of the Golden Circle. In late 1864 as the Souths position grew increasingly desperate, John Wilkes Booth traveled to Montreal with an audacious plan. For example, the military division comprised the Foreign Guard, those men who wished to participate in the wild, glorious and thrilling adventures of a campaign in Mexico and the Home Guard, men who would support military efforts from home. Alexander the Greats epitaph expressed the sentiment that the world is not enough. In the mid 19th century United States, a group of Southern men known as the Knights of the Golden Circle subscribed to a similar philosophy. To recap, Charles Webb, a Southern Democrat-sponsored as Grand Master of Maryland Freemasonry by K.G.C. K.G.C. He even served as a consultant to the 2007 movie, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, which touches on this legend. Although nominally a secret society, the existence of the Knights of the Golden Circle was not, in fact, a secret. Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) Much of the Knights mission was based on another older secret society called the Order of the Lone Star (OLS). Gen. George Bickley assembled a group of five men whose names have since been lost. We know this because Saulsburys daughter would testify to this as an elderly woman at the 1935 trial for ownership of the 5,000 gold coins. Randolph W. Farmer, The Knights of the Golden Circle in Texas: How a Secret Society Shaped a State (Las Vegas, Nevada: Vita Histria, 2022). The Knights of the Golden Circle (K.G.C. The group is said to have included men such as Albert Pike, John Wilkes Booth (assassin of President Abraham Lincoln . [citation needed] The membership, scattered from New York to California and into Latin America, was never large. . Then they would occupy the District of Columbia, and install Breckinridge as president instead of Lincoln. Appealing to the Confederacy's friends in both the North and the border states, the Order spread to Kentucky as well as the southern parts of such Union states as Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, and Missouri. Knights of the Golden Circle - A secret society formed in 1854 by George W.L. The K.G.C. A list of identification rules for the Knights of the Golden Circle. But an unnamed U.S. soldier stationed near the insurgents wrote in a personal letter that although these men had gathered, their intentions seemed unclear and disorganized: There are three or four hundred men encamped here, supposed to be K.G.Cs or filibusters. [12] On February 15, 1861, Ben McCulloch, United States Marshal and former Texas Ranger, began marching toward the Federal arsenal at San Antonio, Texas, with a cavalry force of about 550 men, about 150 of whom were Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC) from six castles.
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