Secret War Plans
Blog, Civil War November 6th. 2009, 10:52am
Felix M. Stidger
Civil War enthusiasts, scholars and historians alike share at least one thing in common, an almost insatiable appetite for books and reading. Several years ago I came across an obscure titled book and thought it might be an interesting diversion from my study into Civil War prisons.
I ordered a copy of “Treason History Of The Order Of Sons Of Liberty” and awaited its arrival. Once it was in my hands I flipped through the pages and it still kept my interest so I sat down with the book open to the first page. I don’t really remember how much time had elapsed, but it was dark outside and I was nearly finished with the book. Fascinating is less than applicable for the quality of writing and the intriguing content. I was drawin into the story so heavily that I thought for sure this must be a work of fiction.
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I won’t spoil the end for anyone interested in getting the book, but the story of Felix Stidger is one of grandiose proportions very rarely paralleled in the history of the United States, if not the entire world. One man, who started out in life almost on a path to complete obscurity, rose to unimaginable heights within the ranks of a very secret order.
It was the full intention of this secret order to overthrow the government of the United States of America, which was then engaged in a military war with seceding States. The scope, depth, and height, of the Order of the American Knights was simply breathtaking. Felix Stidger’s own descriptive prose brings to life the weapons, tactics, rituals and the people of said secret order in a most fascinating way. Their plans were so near perfect that, to me, divine intervention was the only hand that could stop it.
Their first target was the prison near Chicago named Camp Douglas. It was the plan of this secret order to overtake Camp Douglas, arm the 8,000+ Confederate prisoners within and from there begin a campaign of mayhem and disorder that would likely have been unstoppable.
Since my first reading, I have read through it two more times and continue to refer back to it so often that the binding is beginning to need repair.
Links
New York Times, October 2, 1864
The Atlantic Monthly Volume 0072 Issue 429 (July 1893)
