[11], With the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, the Texas KGC changed its emphasis from a plan to expand U.S. territory into Mexico in order to focus its efforts on providing support for the Southern States' secession from the Union. George W. L. Bickley, a Virginia-born doctor, editor, and adventurer, was one of the founders of the K.G.C. [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. The Golden Circle advocates businesses starting with why they are in existence and then developing a product to suit - as opposed to the reverse. Both investigative teams came to the same startling conclusion Lincoln would almost certainly be murdered if he attempted to travel through Baltimore. ), 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. The K.G.C. In the end, young Henry Grob and Theodore Jones prevailed, with the coins being sold at auction and the proceeds (after expenses) being put into trust until the teens reached age 21. [citation needed] The membership, scattered from New York to California and into Latin America, was never large. Led by Americas Southern upper class, this empire would create a worldwide monopoly on tobacco, sugar, and cotton. K.G.C. members gathered at the Rio Grande for an invasion of Mexico, but Bickley failed to appear with a large force that he claimed to be assembling in New Orleans, and nothing came of the venture. In Cuba, the issue was complicated by the desire of many in the colony for independence from Spain. [21], The Los Angeles Times noted that one theory, among many, on the origin of the Saddle Ridge Hoard of gold coins is that it was cached by the KGC, which "some believe buried millions in ill-gotten gold across a dozen states to finance a second Civil War".[22]. As Lincolns train and entourage left Springfield, Illinois on its several-day winding journey across the country towards its eventual final stop in Washington, D.C., alarm bells started to go off. 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. 1,880 likes. Saulsbury, only 46, died suddenly at his Eden Street home with his wife knowing nothing of the 5,000 gold coins buried in their basement. The K.G.C. and at other times to different treasonous groups. The secret societys aim was to annex the entire peninsula to the United States and provide each American emigrant with 640 acres of land to farm by way of slaves, of course. Not by chance, on South Central Avenue at this time just 4/10th of a mile from Booths home lived a candle and soap company executive named Andrew Saulsbury. [15] In May 1861, members of the KGC and the Confederate Rangers attacked a building which housed a pro-Union newspaper, the Alamo Express, owned by J. P. Newcomb, and burned it down. This enormous empire would have a diameter of 2,400 miles. Perhaps the greatest historical significance that can be assigned to the K.G.C. Was John Wilkes Booth in the Knights of the Golden Circle? 9What is the Order of the Golden Circle? [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. Their attempt was detected and they were seized on the night of their intended departure. The Knights of the Golden Circle (K. G. C.) was a secret society founded by George W. L. Bickley on July 4, 1854. ), 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. Randolph B. And in a declining inner-city neighborhood not far from the sometimes rough-and-tumble Depression-era Baltimore docks, two bored adolescent boys decide to go exploring in a dark corner of the basement of a crumbling tenement house. Then they would occupy the District of Columbia, and install Breckinridge as president instead of Lincoln. Handbook of Texas Online, The order and its alleged influence sparked the formation of Union League clubs to carry on counterpropaganda. Inconceivable, right? [5] Some Knights of the Golden Circle active in northern states, such as Illinois, were accused of anti-Union activities after the Civil War began in 1861. The K.G.C. [citation needed], As abolitionism in the United States grew in opposition to slavery, the KGC members proposed a separate confederation of slave states, with U.S. states south of the Mason-Dixon line to secede and to align with other slave states to be formed from the "golden circle". The place they chose to stay, disguising themselves as rebel hotheads, was The Fountain Hotel. 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. Is there an authentic Confederate Knights of the Golden Circle book? Abraham Lincoln sent his secretary, John Hay, to investigate. University of CincinnatiGeorge Washington Lafayette Bickley is often referred to as a Cincinnati Conman as he tried to pass for a medical doctor in the alternative field of electric medicine but he was discovered to be without a degree. K.G.C., Records of the KGC Convention, 1860, Raleigh, N.C. (http://gunshowonthenet/AfterTheFact/KGC/KGC0571860.html), accessed August 27, 2010. It amassed billions in stolen gold and silver. The coins (at least most of them) were handed over to the police, and a prolonged legal battle ensued between the boys and the elderly landlords who owned the crumbling, inner-city tenement house. Much of the Knights mission was based on another older secret society called the Order of the Lone Star (OLS). They opposed the U.S. governments war policy, actively encouraged desertion, prevented enlistments, and resisted the draft. They opposed the abolitionists, Northern churches, and other Yankee movements that sought to interfere with the Southern economy, Southern society, and way of life. Newspaper editors across the lower South generally reacted favorably to his message, and Texas proved notably strong in its support. The group is said to have included men such as Albert Pike, John Wilkes Booth (assassin of President Abraham Lincoln . In September 1857, Masters and Wardens from those three lodges assembled and organized the Grand Lodge of Nebraska. Charles Webb and his brother James were high-ranking Freemasons, with Charles having been selected to be Marylands youngest-ever Grand Master of Freemasonry in 1853. Members were known as Copperheads. Gen. George Bickley assembled a group of five men whose names have since been lost. YOUR WHY. The KGC held numerous peace meetings. Library of CongressOn the left is George W. L. Bickley, head of the Knights of the Golden Circle. Hudson, Linda S. "The Knights of the Golden Circle in Texas, 18581861: An Analysis of the First (Military) Degree Knights", p. 53, in Howell, Kenneth W., ed. The Knights of the Golden Circle really did exist. 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. He sued, unsuccessfully, for the freedom of himself and his family as they were living in the free state of Illinois. The "golden trail" refers to the Ten Commandments, but Russell says . Pinkertons report included the astonishing detail that Marshal Kane himself was likely involved with the plot or at least would offer Lincoln little or no protection because of hisloyalty to the rebel cause. Many prominent Texans joined the K.G.C., and Bickley even courted Gov. By that time, he had already begun working on his conspiracy to kidnap Lincoln. During this time, the pro-slavery, human-trafficking South and the anti-slavery, "woke" North wanted to expand their borders and create new . If such a plot existed, nothing came of it, suggesting that the rumors were just that or that the K.G.C. The Northern and Southern United States had adopted different approaches to slavery since the country was colonized. Centering on Havana, this empire would be some 2,400 miles in diameterhence the name Golden Circle. Saulsbury was an ardent Southern sympathizer whose homes parlor would later be identified as having paintings of Confederate heroes adorning the walls. [16] Other KGC members followed Brig. The Davis party took with them the Confederate treasury and the gold of several Virginia banks for safekeeping. Find out more amazing stories of Civil War-era America, from John Wilkes Booths supposed sex addiction, to Harriet Tubmans never-before-seen photo. In 1859-60 he backed the like-minded George Brown for Mayor, and the fiery slave-owning, Lincoln hating George P. Kane for the position of police marshal. In 1877, Kane would run for and win the office of Mayor of Baltimore. According to the Texas State Historical Association, the Knights of the Golden Circle originated in Lexington, Kentucky, fittingly on July 4, 1854. Sam Houston, who reportedly became an initiate. had been created and, therefore, ended its life. Every dollar helps. The companys main factory sat just off Pratt Street by the Inner Harbor, where Captain Mattison docked his ships, and slaves were held in pens to be sold South. Saulsbury felt so indebted to the Armstrongs that he named his first-born son James Armstrong Saulsbury. This convention adopted a largely Copperhead platform and selected Ohio Representative George Pendleton (a known Peace Democrat) as the vice presidential candidate. 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. 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. The board of directors of that insurance company included old man Armstrong himself, Charles Webb, Jr., James Webb, and retired ship captain John J. Mattison. The Knights of the Golden Circle or K.G.C. Unionists in Texas claimed that the K.G.C. Did you know? Ollinger Crenshaw, The Knights of the Golden Circle: The Career of George Bickley, American Historical Review, 47 (October 1941). Adagio Overview; Examples (videos) 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. Pinkerton persuaded Lincoln to allow him to surreptitiously sneak the President-elect through Baltimore in the dead of night, allowing Abe to quietly and safely arrive at the White House. These attempts appear to have been foiled by Lincoln having a change of plans. Webb had always declined political office until the position of city collector was tendered him by Mayor Kane. Apparently, the bond between Webb and Kane was so tight that Kane was the one individual to whom Webb could not say no., But Kane died in office soon after. Within a relatively brief time, he organized thirty-two castles or local chapters in various cities, including Houston, Galveston, Austin, San Antonio, Marshall, Jefferson, and La Grange. 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 leaders were sentenced to death or imprisonment by military commissions, but the sentences were suspended, and in 1866 the convictions were overturned by a decision of the U.S. Supreme Court. According to the records of the K.G.C. The Titanic sinks in the North Atlantic. However, that hasnt stopped some people from suggesting that the organization is still active as an underground society today. Secretive organizations such as the K.G.C. The Golden Circle gains a huge population and so has . Sir Harry Andrews spent more than 50 years building a headquarters for members of the Knights of the Golden Trail brotherhood. This distrust was the result of a confirmed plot to overthrow the federal government, rather than general discontent. It was one of the 3 lodges that would become the Grand Lodge of Nebraska. [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. accessed March 04, 2023, 7What companies use the Golden Circle? Indeed, with that kind of representation, slave-holding states could stop any and all abolitionist policies organized by free Northern states. activity circulated for a few more years, but there is no dependable evidence that the organization survived the war in any meaningful way. Then, as Booth and his henchmen planned for yet another attempt at seizing Lincoln and holding him hostage, Union forces succeeded in surrounding Richmond. Everyone thought Bob was bonkers . So did 39 very heavy barrels (9,000 pounds total) filled with Mexican silver coins, the profits from the sale of Confederate cotton. 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). A list of identification rules for the Knights of the Golden Circle. In late May 1864, Booth invested in an oil company in western Pennsylvania. As the Knights of the Golden Circle was a very well-funded organization, the Spanish government was to be approached to buy Cuba first. "Mike" Campbell, The Golden Circle is a concept that explains how a business might provide maximum value to consumers by changing the way it thinks. Due to a lack of funds and a lack of faith in Bickleys leadership, or perhaps a lack of organization as some have speculated, the Knights attempt at annexation fizzled out. 8Do Knights of the Golden Circle still exist? Theres a conspiracy that Lincolns assassin was a member of this society. They opposed the abolitionists, Northern churches, and other Yankee movements that sought to "interfere" with the Southern economy, Southern society, and way of life. [10] Although a Unionist, United States Senator Sam Houston introduced a resolution in the U.S. Senate in 1858 for the "United States to declare and maintain an efficient protectorate over the States of Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and San Salvador." Southwestern Historical Quarterly. The hope was that in establishing a large and successful domain run on slavery, the South could then secure the use of slavery nationwide. Phillips and another party arrived on Saturday.. Of course, the true battleground for slavery was the American Civil War, which took place between 1861 and 1865. 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). 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. Although nominally a secret society, the existence of the Knights of the Golden Circle was not, in fact, a secret . The Origin of the OrderSouthern Rights' Clubsthe African Slave Trade and the acquisition of new Slave Territorythe first Organization in 1834, and its successthe Mexican War, and the South's interest in itProgress of the Slave Trade up to 1852Acquisition of Cuba, Repeal of the Missouri Compromise, Nicaragua Expeditions, etc . Pro-slavery Southerners were awarded the Fugitive Slave Act, however, which made it easier for slave owners to recapture and return escaped slaves. Dante The Opera Artists; Dante Virtual Opera; Divine Comedy; About IOT. As he promoted his organization, Bickley focused on the annexation of Mexico as an essential first step. This countrys situation in 1861 grew extremely volatile as the newly elected Abolitionist President prepared to take office. Prohibition is declared in the U.S. Timothy H. OSullivan/U.S. Less than a week later, Confederate forces evacuated Richmond, and within two weeks, General Robert E. Lee surrendered his troops. The Knights Of The Golden Circle: The Secret Civil War Society That Wanted To Build An Empire Of Slavery, A foodie, wanderlust victim, professional Francophile, and history nerd, Andrew Milne is a freelance writer who has worked at outlets like Bon Apptit and Food Network, and currently runs content at, How The Eastern Front Decided World War II, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. . 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. An army of 16,000 men would protect the emigrants and the terms of the treaty with Mexico, thus ensuring American dominance. Discover more about Copperhead opposition to Abraham Lincoln during the U.S. presidential election of 1864, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Knights-of-the-Golden-Circle, Texas State Historical Association - Handbook of Texas - Knights of the Golden Circle. In the spring of 1860, a small group of K.G.C. After months of recruiting his team, securing weapons, and preparing an escape route, Booth was ready to act. 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. Robert E. Lee surrendered the last major Confederate army to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse on April 9, 1865. The so-called Compromise of 1850 further extended this political tightrope. Baltimores native son, George Herman Babe Ruth revolutionizes the game of baseball by launching 60 home runs in a season. Randolph W. Farmer, The Knights of the Golden Circle in Texas: How a Secret Society Shaped a State (Las Vegas, Nevada: Vita Histria, 2022). He even served as a consultant to the 2007 movie, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, which touches on this legend. There were three different types of membership within the Golden Circle: military, financial, and governing. One by one as the Southern states began to secede, a startled Lincoln ordered Northern troops from Pennsylvania and Massachusetts to hurry south to protect Washington, D.C. would spring into action to bring about Southern secession and the formation of the Confederate States of America. It is the proof that leaders are able to inspire action instead of manipulating people to act. ), 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. Is the Knights of the Golden Circle real? Some of that money was set aside (buried) in anticipation of funding Latin American expeditions that never materialized. In most areas only a minority of its membership was radical enough to discourage enlistments, resist the draft, and shield deserters. Theres a conspiracy that Lincolns assassin was a member of this society. The free labor of slaves propped up the Souths economy and indeed, as an 1860 census showed, the region exploited the free labor of around three to four million slaves. And none of the Knights in the photo are clean shaven, so it must be a different Henry Ford than the auto magnate. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. The scandal made an impression on young John Wilkes, who was fiercely proud of his illustrious family name. as the source of the immense treasure, worth more than $10 million dollars in todays economy. This book explores this group in fine detail, in fact remarkable detail given it was a secret organization, yet provides an engaging read. The Confederate States lost the conflict to the Union States which spelled the end to slavery and the end to the dreams of the Golden Circle. This circle of countries would represent the golden circle of the KGC, the knights of the golden circle. 11What are the three pillars of the Golden Circle? American Civil War/End dates Andrew Saulsbury, who bought the Eden Street treasure home from Captain Mattison, would one day have a grandson named Charles Webb Saulsbury. has drawn the interest of numerous investigators who claim that it was a vast conspiracy that drew inspiration from groups such as the European Knights Templar, Scottish Rite Masons, and the Sons of Liberty. There are three parts of The Golden Circle: Why, How, and What. Kane would be replaced on the Jones Falls Commission by Webb employee Andrew J. Saulsbury, now owner of the home with 5,000 gold coins buried in the basement. In 1859 George Bickley, a freebooter and adventurer, launched a fraternal order which proposed the establishment of military colonies of Americans in Mexico. George Washington Lafayette Bickley is often referred to as a Cincinnati Conman as he tried to pass for a medical doctor in the alternative field of electric medicine but he was discovered to be without a degree. Lincoln rerouted his troops, but they were delayed in reaching D.C., leaving that city open to attack. For the past 80+ years it has been assumed that the golden fortune belonged to some unfortunate miser who had passed on without revealing to anyone where the treasure had been stashed. http://knightsofthegoldencircle.webs.com/ Reactions:Wallyfish, damYankee, Deleted User CSand 18 others donna Why did Lincoln jail opponents of the war? This keeps us from unlocking our full potential. Ruins stand in front of the Confederate Capitol, circa 1865, in Richmond, Virginia. The whereabouts of the Danville silver to this day is unknown. Signup today for our free newsletter, Especially Texan. The scene of the confrontation and following riot began at the foot of Concord Street, in front of the offices of James Armstrong & Associates, where Armstrong, Saulsbury, and Webb were all employed. I dont know what their designs are. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. (currently published under the title of Rebel Gold ISBN 978-0-7432-1969-3) Hicks, Jimmie (July 1961). The following year, the Knights began publishing their own newspaper and established their headquarters in Washington, D. C. In 1860, during . He was born and raised in Philadelphia and has worked as a teacher, newspaper reporter, newspaper editor, pizza shop proprietor, and technical writer. How refers to the process to achieve . What is the ISBN number for Knights of the Golden Circle? https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/knights-of-the-golden-circle. The featurette offers a quick look at the history behind part of the film's story. (the "Golden Circle") for the purpose of bringing new slave territories into the Union. Stuart also reported the alleged KGC tickets when documenting the campaign. Library of Congress via Getty Images. One historian even asserted that the KGC spawned the original KKK.. Saulsbury was employed by the firm of James Armstrong & Associates, makers of fine soaps and candles. An 1861 book cover re the Knights of the Golden Circle and their purported flag. David Keehn talked about the secret society known as the Knights of the Golden Circle that sought to establish a slave empire spanning the southern United States, Mexico, Cuba, and the West Indies . Known as something of a rebel hangout, the establishment had also been the haunt of the young John Wilkes Booth. Often, histories of the Civil War Era portray the creation of the Knights as chronologically concurrent with early and mid-1850s filibustering expeditions. Published by the Texas State Historical Association. 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. as Lincoln was ascending to power was a hot-blooded young thespian named John Wilkes Booth. Unfortunately, this bit of history as is true with most of the Knights history may remain just legend. Knights of the Golden Circle, The K.G.C. Still, the Knights of the Golden Horsehoe tell a compelling story. Dred Scott in 1857. A secret group is known as the golden circle organised by high ranking Confederates holding on to the idea and cruelty of slavery.Subscribe to Discovery TV f. The Knights of the Golden Circle (K.G.C. [3] In the United States, the new country's northern border would roughly coincide with the MasonDixon line, and within it were included such cities as Washington, D.C., St. Louis, Mexico City, and Panama City. 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. 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. Problem was, the troops were viciously attacked in Baltimore as the passed over the Pratt Street Bridge. While the North was certainly not slavery-free, its economic system did not rely solely on the forced labor of enslaved African-Americans. 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. Knights of the Golden Circle, a semi-military secret society that was active in the Midwestern states during the American Civil War. outdoor artificial palm trees; Both Baylor and Trevanion Teel, Sibley's captain of artillery, had been among the KGC members who rode with Ben McCulloch. Widespread publicity in Southern expansionist newspapers called attention to the new order, and Bickley soon claimed it had 65,000 members. Knights of the Golden Circle - A secret society formed in 1854 by George W.L. While the Knights dreamt of a slave empire, their more immediate concern was Mexico. He feared secession of the Northwest. 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. Templar Knights. After he retired, Bob Brewer embarked on an adventure to find the missing Confederate gold, supposedly hidden by the mysterious Knights of the Golden Circle of the late 1800s to finance a second Civil War. If you change your mind, you can easily unsubscribe. It became strongest among Copperheads, who were Democrats who wanted to end the Civil War via settlement with the South.
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