less than eight hundred men were to guard some eight or ten thousand
prisoners, many of them being the lowest class of raiders and ruffians.

During the latter part of July, at a meeting of the Sons of Liberty,
Colonel Walker, of Indiana, was present, and in a speech referred to the
recent seizure of arms in Indiana, and said a formal demand had been made
upon Governor Morton of that State for them, and if they were not
forthcoming they (the copperheads) would compel restitution by the bullet,
and said Morton would be assassinated if he refused. At this time a man
named James A. Wilkinson was Grand Seignior of the temple. The question of
supplying our quota to avoid the draft, agitating the community, it was
proposed to resist the draft, and all the members were required forthwith
to arm themselves with firearms, and Charles W. Patten and Wilkinson both
offered to supply all who could not afford to purchase firearms. Wilkinson
was a very efficient member of the order, and very zealous. Much of his
time he passed in the organization of temples in different sections of
country; and it was often stated as encouragement for the members that the
temples were rapidly multiplying, and being filled with the "best kind" of
men. It was earnestly requested of the members, as the time was
short--Judge Morris saying the purposes of the organization would be
fulfilled within the next sixty days--to bring in as many new members as
possible, and the injunction was duly heeded. The temple in Chicago
thrived remarkably, and arrangements were made by which individuals could
initiate members, and the initiated increased in numbers rapidly.




CHAP. VII.