| Show Secret Club Formed by Six Loving Fun-Loving Young Became One of Most Powerful Organizations of Regulators in U. U 5 Sa History I B By ELMO SCOTT WATSON IRel Released ad by Ly Western Newspaper Union NE December evening O ONE in 1865 six young men were sitting around the fireplace in the law office of Judge Thomas M. M Jones in inthe inthe inthe the little town of Pulaski Tenn idly gossiping about the affairs of the day Eventually Eventually Eventually Event Event- the talk turned to how dull life seemed in this little littletown littletown littletown town after the thrills and excitement excitement excitement ex ex- they had known as soldiers in the Confederate army What could they do to amuse themselves and help pass away the time while adjusting adjusting adjusting ad ad- themselves to the new order of things Some Someone one one one-it it may have been Judge Jones' Jones son J J. J Calvin Jones or it may have been any anyone one of the other five Capt John JohnC C C. C Lester Capt John B B. B Kennedy Capt James R. R Crowe Frank 0 O. O McCord or Richard R R. Reed suggested Reed suggested that they might organize a anew anew anew new club or society In the absence of any better suggestion suggestion sug sug- they decided to go ahead with that idea The next evening they met again in Judge Jones' Jones office and formed a temporary tion They elected a chairman and a secretary committees were appointed to select a name for the new organization and to draw up rules and a ritual for the initiation of new members Then they adjourned to meet a week later to perfect their or or- Thus was formed the famous Ku Klux Klan of the Reconstruction era a secret organization that was at the same time lawless and preserving law-preserving that successfully successfully successfully success success- fully defied the might of the federal federal federal fed fed- eral government of the United States and that wrote into our history one of its Us most thrilling chapters The Invisible Empire It i A complete history of the Ku Klux Klan would fill All volumes it took 13 of them to hold all the testimony given before the joint congressional investigation of the Klan that began in 1870 but but but-a a present-day present historian has compressed compressed compressed com com- pressed into one volume most of the essential facts about it He HeIs Heis Heis is Stanley F. F Horn of Nashville Tenn editor of the Southern Lumberman whose Invisible Empire The Empire The Story of the Ku Klux Klan 1871 1866 based upon years of research was published published published pub pub- recently by the Houghton Mifflin company It is easy to understand how difficult was his task of piecing together the fragments fragments frag frag- ments meats of the story into an authentic tic and interesting narrative For Forthe Forthe Forthe the Klan had no written records and the surviving Klansmen Klansmen- even years later when there was little lilUe if any reason to fear reprisal re re- re- re refused refused to talk The objects of the new society society soci soci- ety being purely amusement and relaxation all of the original plans and arrangements were decidedly decidedly decidedly de de- de- de on the burlesque and grotesque grotesque grotesque gro gro- groi i tesque side says Mr Horn in his chapter on the origin of the Klan The names of the om officers officers cers as specified in the report of the rules committee were unusual unusual al and unique the prime consideration consideration consideration consid consid- being beine to get tet as al far as J possible awa away from rom mil familiar military mil or political titles Having decided to call their meeting place a Den they gave their chief officer a name appropriate to that the that the Grand Cyclops The next important official official of of- tidal was called a Grand Magi and there was a Grand Turk to greet all candidates for e sion slon The secretary was called the Grand Scribe and there were two messengers called Night Hawks and two guards called Ordinary members mem mem- berg bers were referred to as Ghouls The titles had no meaning or significance being selected arbitrarily arbi and solely for their weird r and supposedly impressive sound writes Mr Horn It was just another local secret society society so so- society of loving fun-loving young men looking for an outlet for their unemployed energies such as has been formed hundreds of times In to Inthe inthe the past without any particular purpose In all probability it would endure but a short time until the attention of the members members members mem mem- bers was directed along other channels Aside from the condition condition condition condi condi- tion of affairs and other factors involved the thing that caused the new organization to attract attention and later to spread beyond beyond beyond be be- t yond any dream of Its ts organizers was unquestionable the Impression impression sion slon created and he curiosity aroused by its my sonorous sonorous sonorous ous name It was the kind of name people liked to repeat just I r Z Y t k P l iii w x k I a w s r I An illustration from Harpers Harper's Weekly for February 19 1868 showing show show- I lug ing two army officers posing in Ku Klux Klan uniforms captured at Huntsville Ala to hear the sound of its sinister syllables Even the initials in their alliterative attractiveness were an asset Curiously enough this name which was to help the society become become become be be- come historic was chosen quite by chance In those days Greek- Greek letter fraternities were becoming becoming becoming becom becom- ing popular in the colleges and universities of the country so it was only natural perhaps that the founders of the Klan should turn to the Greek vocabulary for fora a su suggested name It was Richard Richard Richard Rich Rich- ard Reed who first suggested the name from a Greek word from which our circle and cycle are derived His companions liked that name but Kennedy who had an ear for alliteration alliteration al al- suggested that another K sound be introduced into the name adding by word the the word the clan So at first it was spelled Kukos Kukos Kukos Ku kos Clan then Klan and finally it emerged as Ku Klux Klan Although there are i I tr t- t r GEN N. N B. B FORREST various other versions of the origin origin on- on ori ori- gin of the name this is the story as told by surviving charter members and its authenticity seems beyond question declares Mr Horn Born Just as the name of the organization organization organization was chosen by chance so was its official costume Concerning Concerning Concerning Concern Concern- ing it the author of Invisible Empire says Bubbling over with the excitement of their newfound newfound newfound new new- found plaything the young members members members mem mem- bers of the new Ku Klux Klan decided to make a public manifestation manifestation manifestation mani mani- of themselves so borrowing borrowing borrowing bor bor- rowing the familiar idea of the easy Halloween disguise they wrapped themselves in sheets mounted their horses and galloped galloped gal gal- loped through the streets of the little town greatly enjoying the sensation they created created created- particularly the alarm and dismay o of the Negroes to whose superstitious superstitious superstitious minds the sight of white- white sheeted figures suggested nothing but spirits risen from the grave and who accordingly fled tied to their homes in stricken panic-stricken terror In a short time this terror that tha was created among the Negroes began to create considerable talk around Pulaski It was noticed that prowling freemen who encountered encountered encountered en en- countered the ghostly horsemen at night were afterwards more inclined to stay at home after dark duk and this gave birth to the idea that perhaps the Klan might be used as a means of subduing the undue bumptiousness and the thi nocturnal prow lings of some o of those hose who seemed incapable of using sing their new-found new freedom discreetly It must be remembered that these hese were uneasy times in the South Its traditional social structure structure ture ure had been overturned by the liberation of the slaves and these freedmen suddenly unrestrained were inclined to make the most of their new irresponsibility especially especially especially es es- es- es since they were encouraged encouraged encouraged aged by Northern Carpetbaggers who had swarmed into the South to take toke advantage of its demoralized demoralized demoralized demor demor- condition and by Southern Scalawags It must be remembered remembered ered too that for years the dread of a slave insurrection had hadeen been een the secret fear of nearly every Southerner Now with disorders disorders disorders dis dis- dis- dis orders increasing the minor transgressions of the newly liberated lib lib- to be only a prelude to something g 1 infinitely fi tely worse vorse So anything which could hold told them in to check and avert that hat possible disaster was not to tobe tobe toe be e lightly dismissed without a atrial atrial trial rial at least The Klans Klan's First Stage Stare But Dut all this innocent frolic and horseplay on the part of a afew afew few cw town small-town youths constituted ed merely the first stage in the existence of the Ku Klux Klan writes Mr Horn Throughout the winter of 67 1866 the Ku Klux Klan Clan outgrew the confines of Pulaski Pulaski Pu- Pu laski aski and Giles county Also it began egan to take on a more serious purpose wherever it had been established It had grown out of its ts swaddling clothes and almost before its organizers realized what was happening they found it t on the eve of branching out as asa asa asa a force of regulation which was waso to o affect the destiny of the whole South Pulaski however remained re- re remained remained re re- the nerve-center nerve of the Ku Klux movement Here was dropped into the pool the pebble whose ripples spread so far Just n R as Pulaski kl r remained the n. n nerve-center nerve so did the state of Tennessee become the brain of the movement This was due largely to the genius of one man Gen Nathan Bedford Dedford Forrest known as the wizard of the saddie saddle sad sad- dle die when he was leading Confederate Confederate Confederate Con Con- federate cavalry during luring the late I war lie He became the Grand Wizard Wizard Wiz Wiz- Viz- Viz ard of the Ku Klux Klan and under under under un un- der his direction the Klan was used as the only weapon which the prostrate South had left to prevent itself from being ground into the dust by the hatred of the Northern Radicals Then when the control of the Klan began to slip away from the original leaders leaders leaders lead lead- ers and thieves and other desperadoes desperadoes desperadoes des des- began to use its masks and robes to cloak their own evil designs it was disbanded The story of all this turbulent period is told in Invisible Empire Empire Empire Em Em- pire whose author concludes his book thus So lived and so died the Ku Klux Klan It made its name a symbol of terror and despera despera- tion There are today many thousands thousands thousands thou thou- sands of Americans who think of it as an Indefensible gang of outlaws outlaws outlaws out out- laws and murderers But Dut ask any person who lived in the South during that wild nightmare called the Reconstruction and who saw the Klansmen as they went about their self-appointed self task ask such a one and from the light in his eyes it will be easy to see that the Klan in his memory is clad in shining armor sans et sans The theory that the Ku Klux were Confederate ghosts was readily accepted by the Negroes generally as bein being entirely reasonable reasonable reasonable rea rea- and credible and when the Klansmen started to making moonlight visits of a regulatory nature they took look their cue from this says Mr Horn For instance instance instance in in- stance the leader of the Klansmen Klansmen Klansmen Klans Klans- men after calling the Negro out of his cabin would complain that he was thirsty and ask the black blackman blackman blackman man to bring him a bucket of water Usually he would bring the bucket and a gourd dipper thereupon the ghostly figure would throw the gourd aside and raising the bucket to his lips drain it to the last drop The Negro didn't know of course that the Klansman had a funnel inside inside in in- side his mask and from its end a rubber tube ran down to an oilcloth oilcloth oilcloth oil oil- cloth bag under his flowing robe Having drunk the white-robed white figure would smack his lips appreciatively appreciatively appreciatively ap ap- ap- ap and exclaim My but that's good That's the first drink Ive I've had since I was killed at the Battle Dattle of Shiloh and you get mighty thirsty down there in Hell A Standard Joke This became the favorite and standard joke of the Ku Klux everywhere during those early days it was almost the hallmark hallmark hallmark hall hall- mark of a Ku Klux raid raid none none genuine without it declares Mr Horn But Dut it was not the only stunt which the Klansmen tried to frighten the superstitious Ne Ne- groes Sometimes the leader would put a false head made of ofa ofa ofa a gourd with a mask attached on top of his head and wear his robe up over this false head During During During Dur Dur- ing the interview he would thrust the masked gourd at the Negro saying Here hold my head a moment The terror which this request inspired is easily imag imag- ined fined Sometimes he would ask the Negro to shake hands with him and when the black man reached out he would be met with witha a hand made of wood and painted paint paint- ed white so that it looked exactly like that of a skeleton During one such visit in Mississippi Mississippi Mississippi sippi the Negro was asked Have you got a mattock Upon replying that he had he was told by the ghostly visitor Well come along with me to the grave- grave i- i 5 p u f r W A v q I v 1 1 t. t f i i it J t t 1 N t t a v t S rC r. r r f t tJ 1 y Y J IY r t. t F H f I II I 10 rk r I k f E Vs A. A t Y r t. t t. t C I to w. F r f y m TI AX L US lIS AT AT w t r Z n. n w. w r R ew s D most arZ DO D st It f i S j I h r ra OA t erss ir a 1 t a cn eR k a ni we d l A rare Ku Klux broadside warning warning warn warn- ing printed and posted in Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa Tusca- Tusca loosa Ala yard My headstone is so close to my head I cant can't rest good in my grave I want you to help me move it e I e e eIt eIt It is ls particularly interesting to observe the frequency with which the unsung and anonymous but prolific poets of the Reconstruction Reconstruction Reconstruction Recon Recon- era were moved to lyrical lyrical lyrical ical composition in connection with the rise and fall of the Ku Klux observes Mr Horn He lie liethen then cites the case of a Carpetbag Carpetbag Carpet Carpet- bag bog preacher named Reverend A. A W. W Cummings who became tax assessor and collector in I Spartanburg S. S C. C When President President President dent Grant sent Federal troops to Spartanburg in 1871 to suppress suppress suppress sup sup- press the Klan the local newspaper newspaper newspaper news news- paper named the Spartan printed print print- ed the following impious gibe at Reverend Cummings which it called A Reverend Gentleman's Evening Prayer Now I lay me down to sleep I pray thee the thee Grant my body keep Just let the soldiers ra round me stand And Anel drive away the Ku Klux band That I 1 may have one night of ret rest With consciousness of safety blessed And though my conscience sting sUng no more I think I may ma make ke out to snore A grateful crateful song long I then will raise Th Thy soldiers and thy grace crace to praise Amen When Gen George Meade the victor of Gettysburg was placed in command of one of the military military military mili mili- tary districts in the South he Issued is issued |
