KNIGHTS OF THE GOLDEN CIRCLE. In American history a secret society whose object was to advance the interests of the South. It was organized in 1855 as a successor to the Southern Rights Club, which had been founded in 18:34. Its early purpose was to further the setting up of a great slave empire about the Gulf of Mexico by sending filibustering expeditions against Cuba, Mexico, and Central America. Each 'castle,' or lodge, of the order was divided into an outer and an inner temple, and only those persons were ad mitted who were known to be thoroughly 'sound on the nigger.' in the Presidential campaign of ISGO the Knights took an active part in bringing about the disruption of the Democratic Party over the question of slavery. In the latter part of MO 'castles' were established in some of the States north of the Ohio River, and the order spread so rapidly that in May. 1862. a United States grand jury estimated that there were 40,000 members in Indiana alone. In May, 1863, the Knights and other disaffected persons at tempted an armed demonstration at Indianapolis, hut it resulted in a ridiculous fiasco that was known as the 'Battle of Pogue's Run.' In the fall of 1863, owing to the publicity given to the treasonable purposes of the organization by Gov ernor O. P. Morton (q.v.), General Carrington, and other Union authorities. who employed spies to ferret out its secrets, the Order of the Knights of the Golden Circle was disbanded. and was suc ceeded by the 'Order of American Knights.' which in the early part of 1864 in turn gave place to the 'Sons of Liberty.' This last-named order had a large membership in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri. Its supreme commander was Clement Vallandigham (q.v.) of Ohio. Its ritual asserted that the Constitution is a com pact, and denied the right of the National Gov ernment to coerce a sovereign State. The order
consisted of two organizations, one within the other. Those who entered the outer organization were told that the object of the order was to se cure the success of the Democratic Party at the coming Presidential election: the inner organiza tion was a military one. whose aim was to give aid and comfort to the South. Large quantities of arms were purchased, and hand grenades, clock-work machines for setting tire to Govern ment property, and 'Greek tire' were manufac tured. At Indianapolis thirty-two boxes labeled 'Sunday school books,' but containing arms and ammunition, were seized by the police, and nu merous seizures were made elsewhere. In sonic places, both at this time and previously, the draft was resisted by force of arms, and deserters and escaped prisoners were protected against the United States officers. Iu Indiana some of the Democratic State officials wore members of the order, while others were in sympathy with it. The most important project of the Sons of Lib erty was one for an uprising throughout Ohio, Indiana, Illinois. and Missouri, which should free the Confederate prisoners in those States, and set up a Northwestern Confederacy. A day was set for the accomplishment of the enterprise, but the attempt was never made. A number of the leaders were arrested, and three. Bowles, Mil ligan, and Horsey. were condemned to death by a military commission, but after an imprison ment of eighteen months were set free by the 'United States Supreme Court on the ground that the military commission had no jurisdiction. Consult: An duthentie Exposition of the Knights of the Golden. Circle (Indianapolis. 1861) : Holt's on Secret Orders," in 'McPherson's His tory of thr•Rebellion; and Foulke's Life of Wirer P. Morton.