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[415] the seventh instant, probably all the officers and leaders, and many more of the men and arms, of the expedition, might have been captured, and more home rebels exposed; but such delay would have protracted the necessary movements and attending excitement, into the very day of the Presidential election.

The great interests involved would scarcely justify taking the inevitable risks of postponement.

Sending a despatch, dated half-past 8 o'clock P. M., November six, by messenger over the railroad, to Brigadier-General John Cook, commanding the District of Illinois, a copy of which, numbered one, is annexed to, and made a part of this report, the following arrests were made during the night.

Colonel G. St. Ledger Grenfell, and J. T. Shanks, an escaped prisoner of war, at the Richmond House; Colonel Vincent Marmaduke, at the house of Doctor E. W. Edwards, No. seventy Adams street; Brigadier-General Charles Walsh, of the “Sons of Liberty;” Captain Cantrell, of Morgan's command ; and Charles Traverse, rank unknown, probably an officer under an assumed name, at the house of General Walsh; Judge Buckner S. Morris, treasurer of “Sons of Liberty,” at his house, number six Washington street; also capturing at the same time in Walsh's house, about thirty rods from Camp Douglas, arms and ammunition, as per annexed schedule, numbered two. The shot guns were all loaded with cartridges, composed of from nine to twelve largest sized buckshot, and capped. The revolvers, (Joslyn's patent ten inch barrel,) also loaded and capped. Reported to Brigadier-General John Cook, commanding District of Illinois, and Colonel William Hoffman, Commissary-General of Prisoners ,by telegraphic despatch, dated Camp Douglas, November seven, at four o'clock A. M., a copy of which is hereto annexed, numbered three, made a part of this report.

On the morning of Monday, the seventh inst., Colonel John L. Hancock, commanding militia, by order from Governor Yates, reported to me, and Colonel R. M. Hough rapidly organized a mounted force of about two hundred and fifty men, which was armed with the revolvers captured, (from Walsh reported,) and were assigned to duty as patrols in the city of Chicago, remaining on duty till the morning of the ninth.

Captain Bjerg, Military Provost Marshal, Captain William James, Provost Marshal First District of Illinois, the police of the city, and various detachments of this garrison, under different officers, arrested during the day and night of the seventh instant, one hundred and six bushwhackers, guerrillas, and rebel soldiers; among them many of the notorious “Clingman gang,” of Fayette and Christian counties, in this State, with their Captain, Sears, and Lieutenant Garland, all of whom are now in custody at Camp Douglas.

On the eleventh of November forty-seven double-barrelled shot guns, thirty Allen's patent breech-loading carbines, and one Enfield rifle were seized at Walsh's barn, in the city of Chicago.

Finding from investigation that the Sons of Liberty in this city continued to meet and plot, on the night of Sunday, the third of November, Patrick Dooley, secretary of the temple in this city, was arrested, and such papers as had not been destroyed, some of them valuable, as showing the intents and purposes of the organization, seized.

On the night of Monday, November fourteenth, the following named persons, members of the “Sons of Liberty,” were arrested, viz: Obediah Jackson, “Grand Senior,” Charles W. Patten, “Member of State council,” Mr. Fenton, “Tyler” or door-keeper, James Geary, a dangerous member, Richard T. Semmes, nephew to pirate Semmes, Dr. E. W. Edwards, who harbored Colonel Marmaduke, all of whom remain in custody.

On the fifteenth instant a young Englishman, from Canada, under British protection-papers, named Mongham, was arrested, who proves to be a messenger between Jacob Thompson, Captain Hines, Brigadier-General Walsh, and the guerrillas of Colonel Jesse, of Kentucky.

An examination of many of the persons so arrested, show, beyond all doubt, that the “Sons of Liberty” is a treasonable, widely-extended, and powerful organization, touching into almost, if not all, the counties of this State; that it is an organization of two branches, one civil, the other military, the members of the civil being on probation for the military branch; that important secrets in relation to military plans, and the location of the depots for arms, were carefully guarded from persons of civil membership, though even they well knew that the organization had such depots, and was animated with a spirit of intense hostility to the government; that many of its leaders must have known of the intended attack on this camp and city, and that some of them have actually been in consultation face to face with men whom they knew to be rebel officers, conspiring to produce a revolution in the North-west.

A schedule is hereto attached numbered four, which is believed to contain the names of some of the leading and most dangerous men belonging to this organization in the several counties of the State of Illinois.

I respectfully recommend that the officers of the rebel army, and as many of the “Sons of Liberty” and guerrillas above mentioned, as the interests of the Government may require, be tried before a military commission and punished.

I cannot close this report without expressing my conviction that the gratitude of the country is due to the Eighth regiment Veteran Reserve Corps, Lieutenant-Colonel L. C. Skinner commanding; the Fifteenth regiment Veteran Reserve Corps, Lieutenant-Colonel Martin Flood commanding; and the Twenty-fourth Ohio battery, Lieutenant James W. Gamble commanding,


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