Dark Lanterns: Secret Political Societies, Conspiracies, and Treason Trials in the Civil War

By Frank L. Klement

Book Overview

During the agonizing days of the Civil War four secret political societies, often known as dark lantern societies, became household words throughout the North. Three of these groups--the Knights of the Golden Circle, the Order of American Knights, and the Sons of Liberty--supposedly were umbrellas for antiwar Democrats and were reportedly involved in treasonable activities. The Union League, on the other hand, was a patriotic political organization intent upon buttressing northern morale and giving support to the war program of the Lincoln administration. The accusations and counter accusations that passed between these opposing forces helped spread fantastic rumors about their power and influence. Treason trials held in Cincinnati and Indianapolis based convictions on hearsay, while the leaders of the Order of American Knights and the Knights of the Golden Circle spent much of the war in prison without benefit of trial. Today reputable reference sources still matter-of-factly credit these societies with large memberships and evil motives.In Dark Lanterns Frank L Klemment refutes past historical theories and shows quite clearly that these societies were never much more then paper-based organizations with vague goals and little ability to carry them out. Recounting the actual histories of these organizations, he shows how they were senationalized, even fictionalized, in both Republican and Democratic newspaper and magazine exposés. He also probes the trials arising from the supposed conspiracy to establish a separate confederacy in the Midwest and the so-called Camp Douglas conspiracy, which was intended to release the Confederate prisoners housed there. Despite the furor they generated, Klement concludes that these dark lantern societies were essentially engaged in nothing more than a war of words and that their alleged power was greatly exaggerated by political propaganda.Meticulously researched and lucidly argued, Dark Lanterns explores a controversial and puzzling aspect of the Civil war. It will be hard to dispute Klements' finding that generations of historians have swallowed whole a tale that was largely the product of myth and legend.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0807115673
• ISBN13: 9780807115671
• Release Date: August 1989
• Publisher: LSU Press
• Length: 280 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Treason trials & secret societies ... in the Civil War?

An excellent book on underexplored topics, treason trials andsecret societies during the Civil War era. Aside from the intrinsic fascination of the topics, it is well worth exploring how treason trials of civilians were handled by governmental authorities during a time of national emergency in the past. Mr.Klement provides detailed, thought-provoking inspections of these topics. Buy and read this book!

Secret or not?

Frank Klement wrote here a fascinating exploration of the various secret societies that either existed or were supposed to have existed during the American Civil War. Perhaps his most interesting idea is that most of them, including the Knights of the Golden Circle (supposed to be a model for the later KKK) never really existed outside the over-active imaginations of its founder and the professional conspiracy-hunters of the day.Is he right? I don't know. Certain people calling themselves Knights of the Gold Circle WERE active in Texas during the early days of the War. (See, for instance, Donald S. Frazier's BLOOD & TREASURE.) So, some organization calling itself the KGC really did exist.But was it the Fifth Column that it was said to be at the time? Clearly not, and Klement's take was right on that score.All in all an interesting book. Perhaps not to be read without some quibbles. But an excellent read just the same.mjt