Knights of the Golden Circle Treasure Maps Part 4

Knights of the Golden Circle Treasure Maps Part 4
Underground Discovery & Exploration
http://undergrounddiscovery.com/12/knights-of-the-golden-circle-treasure-maps-part-4/

Knights of the Golden Circle treasure maps must be considered in the light of what is unusual on them. Look to see if any letters or words are out of what the context would indicate. For instance, suppose the Knights of the Golden Circle treasure map were written in Spanish. If the entire documentation were recorded in Spanish and signed by one Sven Johnson something is out of place! You must examine closely the name that is out of place. Perhaps begin by assigning a numerical value to each letter within the name. This was a common practice within many cultures. So let’s examine that Swedish-American name in the light of what we have just said.

A=1 B=2 C=3 D=4 E=5 F=6 G=7 H=8 I=9 J=10 K=11 L=12 M=13 N=14
O=15 P=16 Q=17 R=18 S=19 T=20 U=21 V=22 W=23 X=24 Y=25 Z=26

Sven Johnson
S=19 v=22 e=5 n=14 for a total of 60
J=10 o=15 h=8 n=14 s=19 o=15 n=14 for a total of 95

Now what do we do with this information? This is where trial and error comes in. We may have a distance or a compass degree bearing. This is where the context must be discovered. We may have to add the two sums for 145. We may have to subtract the smaller sum from the larger for a total of 35. We may have a combination of an angle and a distance. Check every possible combination.

This example has been fabricated as an illustration. The point is you must examine that which does not fit the context. I can not drive home enough the importance of the context.

Another example would be a Knights of the Golden Circle treasure map with a short statement on it. Look carefully! You may see a single letter repeated several times but sometimes it is written forward and other times that same letter may be reversed. This can be a reversal, this could be a deletion or what have you according to context.

The Knights of the Golden Circle treasure map is usually written in stone or carved in a tree, literally with no traditional map ever made at all. It is important to NOT move any stones or trees untill the Knights of the Golden Circle treasure map has been decoded. If you suspect that the signs or symbols you have found are Knights of the Golden Circle treasure map signs or symbols, call or write Dr. Melancon immediately for suggestions on how to proceed.

Knights of the Golden Circle treasure maps Part 3

Knights of the Golden Circle treasure maps Part 3
http://undergrounddiscovery.com/11/knights-of-the-golden-circle-treasure-maps-part-3/
Underground Discovery & Exploration

Knights of the Golden Circle treasure maps reveal signs that are a combination of different styles of recorded information. As far as the actual handwritten maps, very few treasure hunters have ever even seen an actual Knights of the Golden Circle Treasure Map. I have seen, read and decoded several of these KGC treasure maps and find them highly intricate, most unusual and very interesting.

The material that Knights of the Golden Circle Treasure Maps are drawn on varies but most likely is either leather or civil war uniforms (rebel uniforms of course). In one case the map was made from the side of the rebel uniform and included the seam. Surprise, the seam was a symbol on the map although it was in no way highlighted. It had been cleverly designed around the seam as though it were not a part of that map. In truth, it was the direction to the treasure.

Knights of the Golden Circle Treasure Maps were hand drawn maps, that may include simple, childlike drawing of mountains, trees, hoot owl trees, trails, figures, or perhaps one of a series of maps may include a coded description of everything that is hidden. When I say childlike, they are simple line drawings, sometimes called stick drawings that are never complex in style. Many times there is a series of maps for a single area, particularly when there is a repository. I have seen these maps written in Spanish, which easily allows for decoys, reversals and even complete information to show it was previously Spanish.) Remember, the KGC used the Spanish treasure sites (hidden caches of the Spanish, that were hid in anticipation of the impending Indian uprising, and were never found when another generation of Spaniards returned years later) and altered them. They also altered the Spanish with secret codes to show what part of the written information was false. These professional treasure hiders sometimes divided the Spanish treasure and re-hid it in multiple locations sometimes left it in place and altered the Spanish signs. Perhaps you have chased a Spanish treasure to a dead end? Perhaps you were hood-winked by the Knights of the Golden Circle Treasure Maps, that either altered signs or relocated the deposit.

If you believe you have found a Knights of the Golden Circle Treasure Map or KGC treasure site, it is very helpful in cracking the code to see all the physical signs, symbols, rocks or maps before they are moved, altered or destroyed. TAKE lots of pictures, leave everything as you found it and seek professional help. Dr. Melancon will be happy to share the decoding and suggest ways to circumvent the death traps for safe recovery.

Contact us with the form below and Dr. Melancon will get back to you.
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From the Funk & Wagnalls® New Encyclopedia. © 2006 World Almanac:

From the Funk & Wagnalls® New Encyclopedia. © 2006 World Almanac:

KNIGHTS OF THE GOLDEN CIRCLE:
American secret society organized in the South in 1855 to promote slavery and to extend it, particularly into northern Mexico. Later, during the American Civil War, the society spread to Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana and also functioned in the border states of Kentucky and Missouri. During the war, the Northern members pressed for peace and for reducing the increasing powers of the federal government. Public charges were made that the Northern groups were engaged in treasonable activities such as spying and planning armed insurrections against the Union. In 1863 the organization was renamed the Order of American Knights, and early in 1864 the group was reorganized as the Sons of Liberty under the leadership of the American politician Clement Laird Vallandigham. In 1864 the membership reached a maximum, estimated to be between 200,000 and 300,000. Some of the members interfered with the Union war effort chiefly by hindering enlistments in the Union army and encouraging desertions from it. The society dissolved before the end of the war for several reasons, including and abortive attempt to free Confederate prisoners in Illinois and Ohio in the summer of 1864, the imminent Union victory, and strong opposition by some Northern governors.


VALLANDIGHAM, Clement Laird
(1820–71), American politician, born in New Lisbon (now Lisbon), Ohio, and educated at Jefferson College (now Washington and Jefferson College), Washington, Pa. He became a lawyer and served as a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives between 1858 and 1863. He was a firm believer in states' rights and a bitter opponent of the American Civil War; he became the leader of the Copperheads, a group of northern Democrats who opposed the war. His speeches against the war and the administration of Abraham Lincoln were considered seditious, and he was arrested in 1863 and sentenced to a prison term. Lincoln subsequently commuted the sentence to banishment to the Confederacy, from which Vallandigham went to Canada. The following year he returned to the U.S. and became supreme commander of the Sons of Liberty (see KNIGHTS OF THE GOLDEN CIRCLE,). He helped write the national Democratic party platforms of 1864 and 1868.


SECRET SOCIETIES
organizations in which the members are usually bound by an oath of secrecy. Secret societies often require an elaborate form of initiation and ritual use of symbols, passwords, and handgrips as a means of recognition among members.
Secret societies are common among peoples in Melanesia and in parts of Africa. They are also found among some Indian tribes of North America, particularly the Pueblo and the Plains Indians. These societies are usually organized solely for religious purposes, but in some areas they exert a powerful force on the economic and political life of the community.
Ancient Societies.
In ancient Greece, the Pythagoreans combined philosophy and politics. In the East, some Muslim sects were founded as secret societies, notably the Assassins, who were organized in Persia (now Iran) in the 12th century. Secret societies, usually formed for protective or political purposes, were widespread in China until the revolution of 1911. In Europe, unorthodox religious groups, such as the early Christians or the Manichaean sects, have frequently been forced to practice secrecy to avoid persecution.
During the Middle Ages, members of merchant guilds were usually bound to secrecy for economic protection; one of the largest secret societies in the world, the Freemasons, originated in the 14th century as a guild of craftsmen. During this time, also, criminal jurisdiction was sometimes exercised by such secret tribunals as the courts of the Veme, a type of vigilante organization, which became very powerful in Westphalia, Germany, in the 15th century.
Since the 17th Century.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, secret societies were formed for scientific inquiry. Some, such as the Rosicrucian order, mixed science with mysticism. Others became important centers of political dissent. The Sons of Liberty was created in the American colonies in the 18th century to resist British oppression. In the 19th century, revolutionary secret societies such as the Carbonari in Italy, the Fenians in Ireland, and the Nihilists in Russia were important political forces. Other societies, notably the Mafia in Sicily, were established to organize criminal activities and to protect their members.
In the U.S., some secret societies were created during the 19th and 20th centuries for protective or terrorist purposes, among them the Knights of the Golden Circle and the Ku Klux Klan. The principal reasons for the organization of secret societies in the U.S. and Europe during the 20th century, however, have been philanthropy and the mutual benefit of the members. In the U.S., the fraternal element has been traditionally predominant; secret organizations have also been an important feature of university life.


Excerpt from ILLINOIS:
Civil War.
With the influx of settlers from the northern states, the antislavery movement became increasingly powerful in Illinois during the decade preceding the American Civil War. The Democratic party was defeated by an antislavery coalition in the elections of 1854, and in 1856 the coalition merged, forming the Illinois branch of the Republican party. In the historic contest (1858) for the U.S. Senate seat between the Democratic candidate Stephen Douglas and the Republican candidate Abraham Lincoln, the Democrats retained control of the General Assembly, which at that time selected senators. Lincoln won the state's electoral votes in the election of 1860. Beginning in 1862, the Democratic party opposed the Civil War, and the pro-Confederate Knights of the Golden Circle subsequently won widespread support in the state.
The war and postwar periods were marked by steady expansion of the state economy. In October 1871 a fire devastated a large part of Chicago, leaving 100,000 people homeless. The loss to the city was estimated at nearly $300 million. Relations between labor and management have often been stormy in Illinois. Bitter strikes, such as the one that precipitated the Haymarket Square riot, occurred in 1885–86. In 1894 a strike of the employees of the Pullman Car Co. developed into a general strike of railwaymen. Traffic in Illinois was almost suspended, and in June lawlessness broke out. Interference with the U.S. mail led to federal intervention. Chicago was occupied by federal troops; the leaders of the strike were imprisoned for contempt of court.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Knights_of_the_Golden_Circle

KGC - Copperhead Activity in Illinois - 1863

Excerpt from, "The Social Order of a Frontier Community, Jacksonville, Illinois 1825-70, by Don Harrison Doyle is provided "for educational purposes only." Material is copyrighted.
www.press.uillinois.edu/books/.../85bxy6bg9780252010361.html

The antiwar movement took a more militant form in the rural environs. Copperhead southern sympathizers in Illinois organized a secret political society, the Knights of the Golden Circle, even before the war broke out. Its stronghold was in "Egypt" (the popular label for southern Illinois), but pro-Southerners in all parts of the state joined as the war continued, and the nightmare of treason and civil strife came home to Jacksonville. "We had hopes," the Journal lamented in March 1863, "that no such wicked clans of oath-bound, incipient traitors would pollute the air and soil of Morgan County' Within a week the Journal issued the alarm: "The Copperheads are Arming." It reported "an extraordinary call for Colt Revolvers, for knives, guns, buckshots," among the "rabid Copperheads from the rural districts." That fall the Journal began accusing Jacksonville Democrats of active sympathy for the Knights of the Golden Circle, claiming that at least one-third of the party belonged to the Knights' "castle" at nearby Woodson.

In September,1863 heavily armed Knights some two to four hundred strong swarmed into Jacksonville and swaggered about the square. Their mission was to rescue their leader, John Husted, who had assaulted an informant on the Knights at Jacksonville's railroad station and was being held in jail. They arrived the morning of Husted's trial and claimed that another thousand armed horsemen lay waiting at Mauvaise Terre Creek, ready to attack unless they received assurances that Husted would be given a fair trial and would not be bound over to military authorities.

Jacksonville's Republicans anticipated violence. They had already organized their own secret society, the Union League, as part of a statewide organization that gathered intelligence on Copperhead activities and compiled lists with names of suspected anti-Unionists. Union League members in Jacksonville devised a secret alarm: two quick raps repeated three times with a cane on the sidewalk warned of imminent danger. Just a month before the "Husted Raid," Quantrill and his guerilla raiders had sacked Lawrence, Kansas, and murdered many of its citizens. The morning of John Husted's trial the streets of Jacksonville echoed with the repeated warning taps of anxious Union Leaguers. Bank clerks on the square strapped on pistols to warn away the raiders; the Journal office, twice burned out by anti-Republican arsonists, barricaded its doors. A telegram was sent to nearby Camp Butler for army support, and orders were given to bring out repeating rifles to defend the town. Inside the courthouse Husted's trial proceeded hastily. He was bound over to circuit court under a $500 bond, and his militant defenders out on the square returned home satisfied that they had secured justice. The Journal editor denounced the Copperheads for "inducing a sort of semi-reign of terror amongst the Union men here," and then boasted, "the Knights of the Golden Circle scared nobody.... Jacksonville still lives."

Tensions generated by the war soon disrupted the celebrations of the very nationalism it was fought to defend. After the elaborate 1861 Fourth of July ceremony, the 1862 holiday found Jacksonville unable to organize even the most routine procession. "No general arrangements have been made for celebrating the day in this city," reported the Sentinel, "but the citizens will probably scatter and each enjoy the holiday occasion in his own way." For the first time separate Irish and German celebrations were arranged at picnic grounds outside of town. This, of course, was partly a function of the local temperance issue, but it also reflected the inability of nationalism to overcome internal factionalism during the war. The next year a committee met nearly a month in advance to plan a traditional community procession and barbecue; however, the meeting broke up when Democrats, according to the partisan account in the Journal, "tried to foist upon us" men of "doubtful loyalty" to serve on the arrangements committee.

Two separate committees later met to plan their own partisan celebrations; they came together to settle their "unhappy differences" two weeks before the day. A bipartisan committee was appointed and a new program agreed upon, but by the Fourth the alliance had dissolved in bickering. The Republicans met in their own "Union Yankee" celebration at Salem church, east of town; the Irish "celebrated the day in their own peculiar way" out at the fairgrounds; the Germans met at Bacon's Grove; and, the Journal snidely added, the Copperheads had their own meeting somewhere nearby.

When the Republicans returned to town after a long day of festivities, some gathered on the square. After a few spontaneous partisan harangues, they decided to cap off the day's festivities by harassing local Copperheads. A band of Republican patriots ran through the dark streets shrieking "demoniac yells" and then gathered outside the home of P. B. Price, a prominent Democrat. They called Price outside, shouted accusations of treason, and, according to the Sentinel's account, made "loud threats of hanging him, tearing down his house, etc." The police intervened before the mob got out of hand, but this was neither the first nor the last time Union patriots would threaten with their own "ruffianly raids." Soon after the Fourth an antiwar, Democrat named J. T. Springer was rudely awakened from his sleep when a large mob outside his home invited him to join them in celebrating the Union victory in Vicksburg.

In 1864 the Fourth passed again with "no united movement for the`due celebration of the fourth' in this city in the old fashioned style." Then, as the war drew to a close in the spring of 1865, there was cathartic rejoicing in Jacksonville. Early reports of the Confederate defeat proved premature, and "heartless copperheads" jeered the Union celebrants. When news of Richmond's fall finally came, an enormous crowd gathered spontaneously on the square. Immediately a group of Jacksonville's "enterprising citizens" huddled by the courthouse to design a "programme for the occasion," but the excitement of the crowd proved beyond their capacity to organize. The Journal reported the scene with a mixture of fascination and fear: "Ere any definite arrangements could be agreed upon the enthusiastic multitude becoming wild with joy, broke forth in the most indescribable demonstrations of uproarious, wild almost frantic enthusiasm, setting at defiance all efforts at system, order or arrangements." On through the afternoon and evening the demonstration continued entirely on its own momentum. Flags were displayed, fireworks and guns exploded, boys "and even men" ran through the streets with bells, tin pans, and horns, "rivalling Pandemonium in the noise and confusion they made." By the afternoon the Jacksonville Silver Coronet Band Played loudly, the Home Guards paraded, businesses closed, and the courts adjourned. That evening Chinese lanterns illuminated the festivities as the crowd listened to a series of speeches by local politicos, and "many still held revel in various parts of the city till after midnight." With Lee's surrender a few days later, Jacksonville's citizens were far too exhausted to repeat their orgy of patriotism. A few stalwart young patriots loaded an old cannon with a wad of paper and blasted it across the square through a drugstore window. They then carefully turned it around and sent another load through a window of Marshall Ayer's Bank.

"Cannot we, as one people, forgetting parties and past differences unite on this occasion, kiss the old flag and give it anew to the free winds of a brightly dawning Spring?" Thus queried the Republican editor at war's end. The spirit of patriotic unity did seem to come alive again; a bipartisan committee of arrangements formed as early as May 22 to prepare for the first community Fourth of July celebration since 1861. But the reconciliation was premature. Radical Republicans insisted that only "loyal citizens" be allowed to celebrate the Fourth, and on June 3 they called a new meeting to arrange a "loyal" Fourth of July.

Voices of moderation prevailed at the meeting, though, and a new bipartisan committee was appointed. The Radicals, still unsatisfied, called yet another meeting, appointed their own committee of arrangements, and pressured fellow Republicans to withdraw from the bipartisan committee. A community about to celebrate the end of the Civil War and the anniversary of the Union seemed unable to overcome its own internal divisions; by mid-June, however, the spirit of nationalism managed to subsume all the partisan insults and bickering. The two feuding committees each sent out negotiators "with a view to the conciliation of the unhappy differences that had arisen in the public mind in relation to a grand celebration of the 4th of July." A new committee, formed, "solely to harmonize the citizens of Morgan," planned a celebration that would smother any remaining differences in the largest and most elaborate pageant ever. Representatives from every precinct in the county were invited to participate in this display of unity. Colonel James Dunlap, a Democrat of southern background, was generously awarded the post of president of the day. No less than thirty-two vice-presidents shared the honors. Eight subcommittees were assigned special responsibilities for everything from financing to music and toasts; over them an Executive Committee coordinated plans. Altogether nearly fifty committeemen were involved in this elaborate demonstration of community organization.

The various committees arranged special trains to transport the country folk into town to celebrate the Union's birthday, and detailed plans were made to coordinate the ritual procession through town to the fairgrounds. O. D. Fitzsimmons, chief marshal of the day, was assisted by seventeen assistant marshals and military officers to regulate the enormous crowds. By eight in the morning the procession began to form; soldiers and veterans were placed conspicuously toward the front, behind the officers of the day. Delegations from each section of the town and county were instructed in advance about where to assemble, and at the signal of cannon fire they merged into the procession and marched to the fairgrounds, where the band greeted them with a rousing version of "Rally Round the Flag." There "a united people ... without distinction of party, policy or place" joined to eat and "to rejoice on that most fitting day together over ... an undivided and indivisible country."

The crowd, estimated at fifteen to twenty thousand, amassed at the fairgrounds to hear a full day of readings, toasts, and long speeches by politicians, all carefully prepared to maintain the nonpartisan spirit of unity. Lemonade, ice cream, and beer were served, along with the traditional burgoo. Underlining the frivolity of the day, an incredible Wild West exhibition was staged in the late afternoon. Posters tacked up all over the county had promised a genuine buffalo hunt by "wild Indians." As it turned out, the crowd was too large and unwieldy to risk an actual bow and arrow kill of a loose buffalo; nevertheless, people seemed satisfied with a brief Indian war dance and an exhibition of the beast. Buffaloes and burgoo were far better at inspiring patriotic unity than were civil wars.

Jesse James and the Knights of the Golden Circle: Albert Pike and the Knights Templar

Jesse James and the Knights of the Golden Circle:
Albert Pike and the Knights Templar
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2010
Treasure Trove Dreams Lost Treasure Myths, Legends, and Leads

http://treasuretrovegold.blogspot.com/2010/02/artists-image-of-holy-grail.html
(Artist's image of the Holy Grail. Note the "Maltese" or Knights Templar cross adorning the stem.)

I now continue with additional information on Albert Pike and his role as a Knight Templar, a high-level member of the Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC), and his likely association with Jesse James and the disposition and burial of KGC treasure in various parts of the United States.

The Knights Templar

One of the most important aspects of Albert Pike’s life in secret societies (i.e., Freemasonry and/or the Masonic Order, and the KGC) is the fact that this “Yankee-born” Southern sympathizer was a Knight Templar. Those of you out there who have even the slightest amount of knowledge concerning the Knights Templar know that this secret order or society dates back at least to the time of the Crusades. You probably also know that the Templars played an important role as the Catholic Church’s elite warriors during European Christianity’s 100-year attempt to wrest the Holy Land from Muslim control.

Treasure Hunting

It is known that the Knights Templar accumulated vast riches over time, both from their own holdings as members of Europe’s wealthier social castes and from treasures taken as booty during the Crusades. But what singles the Templars out from other Crusaders was their determination to discover the Holy Grail.

Templars and the Holy Grail

The Holy Grail is believed to be the drinking vessel that Christ used at the Last Supper (“This is my blood which is poured out for many…….”) and which was supposedly used again to capture some of Jesus’ blood during his crucifixion atop Golgotha. Not surprisingly, there are a number of experts who believe the Templars actually discovered the Holy Grail and then spirited it back to Europe.

Eventually the Church turned on the Templars, accusing them of witchcraft, devil worship, and any other trumped up charge that could be dreamed up and applied to the Knights. During the period of the Great Inquisition, many Templars were arrested, imprisoned, tortured, and murdered.

The Templars Go “Underground”

Why did the Church turn on the Knights Templar? Some say they were truly considered “heretics” but I place my money with those who maintain the Church feared the power, wealth, prestige, and intellectual abilities of this secret society.

Under the Church’s systematic persecution, the Knights Templar eventually went “underground” and became secretive to the point of obsession. To cast another fly in the ointment, recent theories suggest that a group of Knights Templar fled Europe with the Holy Grail and eventually made their way to what is now known as the state of Illinois.


What has all this to do Albert Pike, Jesse James, and the KGC? Be patient my friend and you shall see. There’s more to come in a future post….

Good hunting!
© J.R. 2010

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

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John Wilkes Booth Legend Folklore of Enid, Oklahoma

John Wilkes Booth Legend
Folklore of Enid, Oklahoma
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http://www.enidbuzz.com/johnwilkesbooth.html

The legend says that John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln, died in Enid around 1903. A man named David E. George, committed suicide in Enid, Oklahoma Territory, in 1903 and is believed to have been Booth himself.

John Wilkes Booth was a noted actor and Confederate sympathizer and had originally planned on kidnapping Lincoln in exchange for Confedrate prisoners. Due to a change in plans Booth decided to assassinate President Lincoln on April 14, 1865, at the Ford's Theater in Washington. After shooting the President, Booth jumped to the stage, caught and broke his leg on a flag and fled the theater.

History states that Booth escaped, but was found by federal soldiers several weeks later. He had hidden in a barn near Port Royal, Virginia, and would not surrender. The barn was eventually set on fire. Booth was supposedly shot and killed by Sgt. Boston Corbett of the Sixteenth New York Cavalry.

Conflicting stories still exist about the identification of Booth's body, and there were errors made in the identification process along with errors in supplying information to the public about the identification. Legend tells that Boston Corbett, the man who shot Booth against orders, was involved in identifying the body as Booth's. This has fueled the speculation that Booth may not have been killed that night, but some other individual.


PHOTO: Enid, Oklahoma - Grand Avenue Hotel in 1903, upstairs behind boarded windows are rooms, one of which was where John Wilkes Booth possibly committed suicide.

Many years later on January 13, 1903, in the Grand Avenue Hotel in Enid, (upstairs in the current Garfield Furniture building) Oklahoma, a man calling himself David E George was found dead. A doctor diagnosed his death as self-administered arsenic poisoning. George had been a house painter who did not know how to paint and always had access to money but died penniless. Legend has him quoted as saying",,I killed the best man that ever lived."

After George was embalmed, he was placed in a chair in the window of the furniture store/funeral home so that the public could view him, and a photograph was taken due to his "remarkable likeness" to Booth. George's leg had also been broken above the right ankle-the same break that Booth had suffered in jumping from the Ford's Theater balcony. However, the doctor who had set Booth's leg had reported it to be the opposite leg.

About that time, a man named Finis L. Bates came to Enid to inspect the body. Bates identified George as an old friend and client of his named John St. Helen. Bates claimed to have known St. Helen (George) as a client and friend in the early 1870s. Bates stated that St. Helen had become seriously ill at one point and confessed that he was John Wilkes Booth. He supposedly gave information about the assassination and escape that only Booth would know.

Many facts that Bates published about St. Helen were proven to be inconsistent with documented facts. However, the body, which had been embalmed, was given to Bates, who began to lease the body to interested parties.

The body was even displayed at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904 and also at many sideshow carnivals. The body then went on a few more adventures and eventually disappeared.

Story
Babcock’s evidence

This is a replica of the newspaper clipping, http://www.enidbuzz.com/johnwilkesbooth.html, Babcock showed to the Investigators, supporting his wild theories that John Wilkes Booth was not killed as the history books teach, but lived under false names for many years after the Civil War. There really was a guy who died in Enid Oklahoma in 1901 who claimed to have been John Wilkes Booth.

Another article:

Knights of the Golden Circle
by Bret Burquest who is a former award-winning columnist and author of four novels. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a dog named Buddy Lee and a multitude of wilderness paths.
See Link

Posted Wednesday, March 18, 2009, at 3:10 PM
reprinted in: The News, Salem Arkansas

Bob Brewer was born and raised in western Arkansas. As a youngster, his great-uncle introduced him to a mystery that included wilderness paths, hidden symbols, carvings on trees and rocks, and the topography of certain areas. The old man was the keeper of some sort of secret knowledge that he kept to himself.

Brewer went off to a career in the Navy and retired in 1977. He returned to Arkansas and began to explore the mystery of his childhood. Over the next 25 years, he interviewed old-timers, researched documents, studied old maps, made alliances and went on expeditions. He became convinced he was on the trail of lost treasure.

Warren Getler, a former Wall Street Journal investigative reporter, has teamed with Brewer to create the book titled SHADOW OF THE SENTINEL which reveals the mystery of the Knights of the Golden Circle and their involvement in a vast Civil War era conspiracy.

The Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC) was a secret society formed in 1854 by sympathizers of Southern causes, dedicated to supporting pro-slavery policies and promoting the conquest of Mexico. It was created directly out of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry and linked to the highest circles of American Freemasons.

During the Civil War, KGC operatives amassed huge quantities of gold and silver through clandestine raids. The caches were hidden in various secret locations, particularly in Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas, marked by a trail of complicated KGC ciphers. The accumulation of riches continued after the end of the Civil War in anticipation of a second war. Operations ceased in 1922 and the caches were sealed for good.

Getler and Brewer claim that the infamous outlaw Jesse James, a member of the KGC who turned over much of his ill-gotten gain to the cause, wasn't actually killed in 1882 by Bob Ford as reported. A fellow named Charlie Bigelow who resembled Jesse James had been robbing banks using Jesse's name. Supposedly, Jesse killed him and hired a prostitute to pose as Mrs. Jesse James to officially identify the body. Others who identified the body were all relatives or members of Quantrill's Raiders, Jesse's former comrades.

The real Jesse James then changed his name to J. Frank Dalton (his mother's maiden name was Dalton) and continued his nefarious life as Chief of the Inner Sanctum of the Knights of the Golden Circle.

According to the book titled JESSE JAMES WAS ONE OF HIS NAMES by Jesse James III (the grandson) and Del Schroeder, Jesse James was indeed a prominent member of the KGC and hid large quantities of stolen riches in various locations on behalf of the secret society. In addition, John Wilkes Booth, the man who assassinated President Lincoln, was also a member of the Knights of the Golden Circle and didn't die as history tells us either.

Booth was smuggled by the Confederate underground to Texas where he became a bartender by the name of John St. Helen. In the 1870s, he began telling folks about his past. When members of the KGC found out, they decided to silence him. Booth fled to Enid, Oklahoma, under the name of David George but was eventually tracked down by Jesse James and William Lincoln (a distant cousin of Abraham Lincoln who had spent 14 years searching for the real Booth). James and Lincoln then tricked Booth to drink a glass of arsenic-laced lemonade. James subsequently arranged to have Booth's mummified body exhibited on a national carnival tour.

In her book titled THIS ONE MAD ACT, John Wilkes Booth's granddaughter, Iola Forrester Booth, reveals that her grandfather had belonged to the Knights of the Golden Circle and had not been killed in Baltimore as reported in history, but rather had escaped capture through the aid of fraternal brothers.

The Supreme Headquarters for the Knights of the Golden Circle was 814 Fatherland Drive in Nashville, Tennessee. This was the home of Dr. Sylvester Frank James, older brother of Jesse James and high-ranking member of the KGC. Years later it became the Dixie Tabernacle, the original home of the Grand Olde Opry.

As conspiracies go, it's a whopper. But then again, it's so bizarre it's probably true.

I originally wrote this piece as a newspaper column in February of 2004. Not long after publication, a man from Tennessee and a woman from Mississippi, neither of whom knew each other, each sent me detailed messages confirming the authenticity of this story, claiming it had been passed down within their respective families.

-------------
Setting the Record Straight: Abraham Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth, Boston Corbett and the Enid Connection. Booth's Descendents Believe Booth Died in Enid, Oklahoma..Friday, August 15, 2008
by Wade Burleson

Help solve the Case of the Missing Mummy
July 3, 2009
By Ron Franscell, Author of 'The Darkest Night'

Ready to play Gumshoe? While researching an upcoming book, I came across the intriguing story of the long-lost mummy of John Wilkes Booth ... or at least a fellow who claimed to be him. If you are curious see this article.

See more Enid Legends http://www.enidbuzz.com

Tale Of The Red Ballot: The Baltimore Plot – Part I ~ Will Hutchison's Journal

Tale Of The Red Ballot: The Baltimore Plot – Part I
9th February 2010
written by Will

Will Hutchison's Journal
http://willhutchison.com/blog/tag/knights-of-the-golden-circle/

There are certainly scholars who dispute this story, and even Ward Hill Lamon, Lincoln’s staunch friend and self-appointed bodyguard disputes Pinkerton’s veracity to a degree. However, there is also a body of evidence to support the account. Perhaps we will never know for certain, but it sure makes one heck of a yarn.
This tale begins with the State of Maryland seething with dissension. Pro-slavery factions were bubbling over with new members. Groups like The Knights of the Golden Circle, and the National Volunteers had established cells in Baltimore, and set up training camps in Virginia to drill would-be soldiers. There was talk in taverns and secret meetings of destroying northern railroad property, tracks, and bridges, to disrupt the Federal government in the name of the Southern Cause.

Allen Pinkerton’s National Detective Agency, whose symbol was a single open eye, a “private eye” if you will, was thriving in Chicago. He was known for his innovative investigative techniques, and was considered one of the top detectives in the country.
Having heard rumors of such antagonistic groups, the Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore Railroad hired Pinkerton to identify and investigate these dissident groups, with an end goal of protecting railroad property and interests. He was authorized to take with him a team of detectives.

By early February, 1861, Pinkerton was using undercover agents in Baltimore to gather information. To their surprise, they uncovered a possible plot to assassinate Abraham Lincoln, the President Elect. The bare bones information indicated that the plot would be executed in Baltimore, as the President Elect passed through on the way to Washington for his inauguration.
With the approval of his railroad employers, Pinkerton set about on an audacious plan to flesh out this information and act to neutralize the plot. He would employ three trusted covert operatives using the cover that they were southerners from New Orleans or Charleston. Pinkerton, himself, would be with them as lead operative and coordinator, under the alias “Mister Hutchinson” (No relative … anyway, mine’s Hutchison.)
A “Mister Howard” would target the gentry of Baltimore, many who publically expressed radical pro-slavery views. We don’t know his real name to this day, but he was reported to have been extremely good at his job. Before long Baltimore society had accepted him as that handsome devil, “Howard from New Orleans.”
The middle classes of Baltimore, and the subversive groups, were to be infiltrated by Timothy Webster. That was his real name. In an unrelated covert operation later in the war, he was caught and hanged as a spy. In this operation, he succeeded in joining one of these groups and, in fact, drilled with them at a training camp in Virginia.
Pinkerton’s last operative was a quantum visionary leap in investigative work. He chose a woman, Kate Warne, but no ordinary woman. Pinkerton had hired her as a detective – unheard of in the mid-19th century – and she was good. In fact, Pinkerton later made her his Female Superintendent of Detectives. She went along on some missions with him as his wife. Rumors of a romance were never proven, but they were buried side by side.
As a credit to her skill, she was eventually named one of the five best detectives in America. In this operation, she was to gain acceptance by Baltimore society, to compliment and support the work done by “Howard of New Orleans.”

In only a matter of weeks, Pinkerton and his operatives were amazingly successful. By mid-February, they had identified the groups involved and many of the key players. One in particular stood out. A captain in the Knights of the Golden Circle, Cipriano Ferrandini was of Italian decent, and strongly favored political assassination with a knife to gain his ends, and overthrow a disliked government.
One of Pinkerton’s operatives is reported to have introduced him, as Mister Hutchinson, to Ferrandini in a tavern in Baltimore. It was well known that Lincoln was to come through Baltimore enroute to Washington and his inauguration on February 23, 1861. Ferrandini made it perfectly clear that Lincoln would die in Baltimore.
Pinkerton now had strong reason to believe this was a credible threat. He knew he must report it to Lincoln before he took the train to Baltimore.
Tune in tomorrow for Part II, and find out the meaning of “The Red Ballot.”

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Knights_of_the_Golden_Circle/

Two online volumes

K.G.C. An Authentic Exposition of the Origin, Objects, and Secret Work
of the Organization Known as the Knights of the Golden Circle.
Knights of the Golden Circle.
[n.p.]: The U. S. National U. C., 1862.

http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=moa;idno=ANY1772





The Continental Monthly: devoted to literature and national policy
Volume 0001 Issue 5 May 1862
Title: The Knights of the Golden Circle pp. 573-578

http://digital.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=cont;cc=cont;rgn=full%20text;idno=cont0001-5;didno=cont0001-5;view=image;seq=595;node=cont0001-5:1;page=root;size=s;frm=frameset

THE GRAND DESIGN by RANDY "JESSE JAMES" SUMPTER

THE GRAND DESIGN
by RANDY "JESSE JAMES" SUMPTER
http://www.KnightsOfTheGoldenCircle-KGC.com/JessesHideout.htm

To understand the KGC one must also understand the inner teachings and thoughts of its greatest Educator, Albert Pike. A man of mystery, one of intrigue, the keeper of secrets and the labels are many and well placed. There has been much speculation about the true involvement of Pike with the KGC and other factions that sprang up during, and after, the Civil War. One thing is certain beyond all, Pike did die and was laid to rest in Washington, D.C.

In my study of Pike, I came to realize Pike himself was a coded puzzle that had many pieces. If you study his writings, teachings,
accomplishments and his total involvement in the Masonic tradition you capture a glimpse of a man who was very dedicated to his life and
work. I'm not going to go into the history of Albert Pike since it would take too long and bog down what I'm about to reveal here. I would like to reach certain points and provide some insight into certain areas well-discussed here in the 21st century. I write this of my own accord without any influence from others. My eventual conclusions are of my own opinion and based on research and studies conducted by me and some confidential sources that contributed layouts that were mailed to me with no return address.

Albert Pike found a great layout when he studied Washington, D.C. All the pieces were in place to the maze he wanted to create. Here,
in the center of Democracy, were landmarks dedicated to the achievements and tributes of those with respect. There were buildings and streets and other avenues of interest that kept his brain focused on the finalization of his plan. He remembered his studies of Ancient Greece and how the Greeks used a varied pattern in their building of an empire. The layout of the Giza Plateau was another thought that Pike relished since the Egyptians knew the secrets of proper placements of certain pyramids and other objects into a pattern that modern man still cannot unravel. There was much more, but that's another story for another time.

Washington, D.C. is the radiant sun of Pike's Grand Design. A sun radiating with waves of lines that spread across the country from
coast to coast, border to border and downward into Cuba and far beyond the horizons of both oceans. These degreed lines radiate from landmarks, buildings, streets, avenues and many more items of interest. Follow the lines and you'll find yourself traveling down the true yellow brick road and passing over areas where KGC caches and depositories lie in wait. Yes, the connection is there and the various degrees tell no lies. This was Pike's idea, find a place where it would all work and radiate the lines from one central area and allow those lines to radiate out into the far reaches. Look at a map of Washington, grab a pencil and start drawing lines off of the above mentioned and see for yourself. The compass readings will fall into place and stretch those straight lines across the country in all directions and you'll start seeing what I'm trying to explain here. There is more!

How many times have you looked at a map that first shows a five-pointed star reaching over state lines and touching certain city names
such as El Dorado? On this map are other lines that form outside and inside intrusion points and we begin to start guessing what it all
means. Pike used numerology and he used it well. There are many forms and variations of this science, but I'm only going to focus on one to
explain this out. In this form of numerology, numbers must be broken down into a whole number. An example would be the letter L which is the 12th letter of the alphabet. In this form that I'm basing my example on, this would happen; whole number of 12 is broken as 1+2=3. Given this example, let's analyze the word El Dorado. I'll break down what each letter means:

E=5 L=12 D=4 O=15 R=18 A=1 D=4 AND O=15. Next, we add the numbers together and get-74...Now, 7+4=11 and 11 is 1+1=2. So the name El

Dorado is a key factor 2.

Now, back to the map detailing the five-pointed star and the other lines inside and outside of it. The real key here is to find how many triangles can be found within this configuration. The one map I remember looking at shows this design and it touches Kansas, Texas, Missouri, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Arkansas. There were 20 triangles present and now we take 2+0=2.. The El Dorado city names come out to a key number of 2 and now we have what you call a double number-22-which is now broken down again as 2+2= 4 and that is the KGC compass number. The point to all of this? Just study what I just wrote and it will come to you.

Was Pike a genius? Yes! And I will continue this further.

Much emphasis has been placed on the rumored KGC Depositories spread across this country and other lands. There's even mention of Super Depositories and other burials that boggle the mind. Most are set up in a way that modern man cannot uncover them without the aid and assistance of "inside information" or so they say. There's much debate on the issue of who owns them. History tells us it belongs to the South and the rumor mill spins with ideas that the U.S. Government owns them, since they know where they are, and they are well-guarded. All of this might be true, but there is one Depository that has never been spoken of, until recently. I told a fellow team member to mention this name, since I wanted others to start thinking about it.

Albert Pike assembled a very secret inner circle of trusted men to lay out a massive Super Depository in a very secret area with the
idea that no man would ever unravel its code nor secrets. The Grand Design Depository is buried here in the United States and neither the
U.S. Government nor present day, "inner-circle members" know its whereabouts. There's been talk for many years about a secret underground gold depository hidden somewhere that is filled with the grandest treasure one can imagine. The coding is very complex and there are 7 secrets that first must be unraveled to give you the clues needed for the proper placement of the template. Very little information is available about this one but some has come to light. In future articles, I'll reveal more about the Grand Design Depository and get into some of the more secret aspects of it.

Pike employed many measures of information to design the various depositories. While most are buried deeply underground, or under
mountains, some are in fact inside mountains. Most of what we've heard and read about in relationship to the layouts of these underground
sites has to do with the familiar cross pattern or King Solomon's layout. There are other designs and I'll explore some of these here.

In New Mexico, you can find a large circle pattern somewhat designed like a large sunflower. The main burial area is in the center and loops spread out over many miles where smaller caches can be found. One of the Tennessee sites was actually dug under a mountain and then sealed with many rocks. A site in Oklahoma uses an elaborate underground tunnel system. Other designs include squares, triangles, half-crosses or a T shape and the list goes on and on. Those who built these Grand Depositories also made sure they were well booby-trapped with nitro and dynamite. Many a man has lost his life trying to get into one of these.

A site I've been working on in Missouri has many KGC markings. There is much evidence there and a few caves have been located where
boulders block the entrance. Some coins have been found and by using a code I devised, the trail is leading to one of the caves. My original
intent to search this property was the idea of Jesse James burying some loot on it. I found the many signs and symbols James used in other locations and after searching all the property I soon discovered there were more KGC markings and this discovery led to more items of
interest. Myself and a few others will do a more detailed search this summer to validate the whole property and see what the caves are
hiding. If the KGC were actually in the area, then evidence will come forth and be taped to prove the existence of this elusive group. By the way, this site is but one that rests on a line coming from Washington, D.C.

I hope this article brought you some new information and insight on how things were done. Future articles in this newsletter, and on the KGC Website, will reveal much more.


http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Knights_of_the_Golden_Circle

JESSE'S HIDEOUT By RANDY " JESSE JAMES" SUMPTER

JESSE'S HIDEOUT
By RANDY " JESSE JAMES" SUMPTER
http://www.KnightsOfTheGoldenCircle-KGC.com/JessesHideout.htm

Much has been written and said about the Jesse James Hideout located outside of Wapanucka, Oklahoma. There are legends and tales of lost treasure, killings, double crosses, Confederate Army occupation, Indian slavery, trespassers, night diggings, secret KGC activities, burials, deceit and the list goes on and on in reference to this mysterious property. Some is fact and much is fiction but each year brings more.

There have been searches by individuals, teams, experts, amateurs and a whole list of others with different agendas. Rumors have circulated about gold being found and taken off the property only to be sold in a foreign land. Coins, jewelry, guns and other items of interest have been pulled from the ground and written about. There's a large rock quarry where evidence of prior workings can be found. The Delaware Creek snakes it way through the property amid the trees and rocks. The Chickasaw Rock Academy ruins are still visible and shrouded in mystery. Wildlife is abundant and some of it is deadly. Large boulders and caves dot the landscape and fuels the imagination of things buried in the ground. There are even headstones marking graves of those who once worked in the nearby Academy.

You will find much on this land and the present owners try to guard it as best they can. Being private property, permission must be gained. The past is reflective about those who ignored the signs and came on the property to do illegal hunts. True, some items of interest were pulled from the ground but the spirits of long ago still guard the real treasures that others have sought but never found.

Being an invitee to the property I found the genuine hospitality of the present owners very likable. I was treated with respect and learned much about the history in the area. I witnessed first hand many rock carvings, symbols and other markings that can be found amid the ever-growing wilderness. The stories were told about the various outlaw groups and individuals that once roamed and hid out on the property. I found evidence of the Confederate occupation of the old Chickasaw Rock Academy and was impressed by the various clues left behind by the Indians, Knights of the Golden Circle and yes, Jesse James. I took photographs of shadow signs, initials carved in rock, dates in stone and much more. To say the least, I was very impressed by this maze of mystery.

I've known about the history of this area for many years. I knew about the exploits of Jesse James and those of the Confederate Army that once camped there and used the old Academy as a hospital. The Rock Academy was once home to a few teachers who taught the Chickasaw Indian girls and boys about present society during that time. One teacher was Mary Greenleaf who ventured out to this wild land to teach. Mary was born in Newburyport, Mass in 1800 and died in 1857. She was laid to rest on the property and her grave is still there. Much about the history of the Rock Academy can be found on the Chronicles of Oklahoma website so I'll won't dwell too much into it right now.

For years, treasure hunters and others have come to this property in search of the fabled big ones. To date, none have found what they have searched for and much info has been publicized in the past to add more airs of mystery. Yes, there is a puzzle here, a very elaborate one filled with codes that somehow elude the brightest minds. There is a large underground tunnel system where reported KGC treasures lie in wait to be brought out. Some of the more famous ones were published in Schrader's book, "JESSE JAMES WAS ONE OF HIS NAMES." These are listed as, Fat Man's Greed, Fat Man's Misery and Old Rock Crossing Treasure. You can also throw in a few more that others don't like to talk about or know. Namely, Jesse James' hidden vault and an Indian Treasure cave. There's much more to all of this but I'm not at the point to reveal everything in this story.

A man once said, "the property is coded in such a way that I doubt it will ever reveal it's secrets." So, let's look at the various codes and see why the mystery remains unsolved. The Knights of the Golden Circle had a set or series of codes that mainly applied to all depositories and caches they buried. The Indians had a coding system and since Stand Waite was part of the Confederate cause you can bet it's a knock-off of the old Confederate Code that's been well published. And then we have Jesse James and his various codes. Jesse was great at being an outlaw but he was much better being a man who was taught a code and using that code to secret away his personal caches. On this property, I personally found the code Jesse James used and I have long suspected this code existed. It's no wonder no one else has ever found any of his personal caches, they have all been looking in the wrong place for them.

Jesse used a code that uses multiple substitutions of certain signs and symbols along with a few other factors that I won't reveal here. (Not everything is going to be free in this life and some info like this must be protected) Some symbols carved in stone are actually decoys and means something else than what we have been led to believe. There are plenty of signs that Jesse left and are evident on the property. His initials appear in various places, there are dates and numbers and many other offerings for those in search of his past wealth. But, not all appears as it seems to be.

What I'm about to reveal here is from my own research, info gathered from old maps, code breaking techniques and from a lot of personal observation in the field. I also gained much knowledge from the works of Albert Pike and from various Masonic documents. Be it known, this code has never been revealed before in any format and you are reading it for the very first time. I will go on record as stating this, "I will not give out the complete code nor will I field any inquiries from anyone on this subject. I'm not trying to be hard, but I'm part of a team that has goals for recovery and my word to them is a bond I won't break. I'll field inquiries from others who may live on land where some of the signs and symbols Jesse James used is present and something could be worked out with our team to investigate if treasure is actually buried there or not." With this in mind, I'll go into more detail.

Much has been published about signs and symbols and their relationship to KGC and Outlaws. Most of what is written and displayed details such objects as turtles, owls, turkey tracks, snakes, eyes and the list goes on and on. True, there is a time and place for these old standards to fall into play but they have nothing to do with the idea behind the James Code. In fact, the present explanations surrounding these mentioned signs and symbols don't apply correctly in this case. My example is as follows.

On one property I came across where legend stated Jesse James hid out and buried a few of his personal caches , I found the obvious turtle carvings, the turkey tracks, shaft arrows, snakes, hearts, crosses, numbers, letters and much more carved in stone and on trees. Previous written logic tells us to follow the turtle until we find another turtle or else cross a line that intersects with another line. "Follow the turkey tracks, I've been told by a few scholars." I remember this well and I lost many hours and a few days walking around like a fool finding nothing else to support this claim. When it comes to Jesse James don't follow the turkey tracks nor the line from the turtle in hopes of finding another one on the other side of the hill or across the creek. NO! Here's the scenario. A large rock revealed to me the following; J.J. initials, 1872 date, a turtle looking East, an arrowhead pointing East (by the way, no shaft on this one) and a triangle with a impression of a dot inside of it. The old conventional way of deciphering this would send us merrily on our way East in search of other signs or "walking the line as we have read about." I decided to use the James Code, and by doing this, I found something else that comes into play. The J.J. initials are not to be used as presented, they mean something else. The 1872 date must be broken up and applied to a substitution system. The turtle looking East is actually a reverse sign looking back West. The arrowhead pointing East is used in such a way that you don't follow the point, you follow the direction of one side which was West. The triangle with a dot inside is your distance marker and with the dot present means a measurement of distance and this was determined by using portions of the date and a multiple substitution factor. (this I cannot reveal) The combination of these signs in relationship to each other headed me West and after walking a certain distance I came upon a cliff which had many rocks covering up an obvious cave. Once the rocks were removed, I found what I was looking for and that my friends will remain secret with me. By the way, this was in Missouri.

The above example worked well on that property and Jesse didn't always use the code on smaller caches. The code can only be used when certain signs and symbols are grouped together and a few other markings are present. I don't want to lead anyone onto a path trying to convince them it's an absolute truth and would apply everywhere since it doesn't.

Now, back to the property known as Jesse James' Hideout in Oklahoma. There are many initials, crosses, shadow signs (I have a beautiful picture of a large cross on a rock that I didn't know was there until the pics were developed) turkey tracks, turtles, hearts and much more. The James Code would apply there, but not for the fabled KGC caches which are deeply buried underground. There are many small caches and a couple of large caches. It takes time, a sense of intelligence and a team that has real knowledge to bring in any of these to a complete recovery. The coding on this property is amazing and the actual coding starts miles away and works inward. Will the big ones ever be found? Who knows! I will go on record and say this, Jesse James and his caches can be found using the same code I used in Missouri, but it will take a team well-equipped to combat the rattlesnakes and other dangers found there. There are many factors working on this property against such a recovery, but I feel with this new code Jesse used the task could be completed. Time will tell and maybe the spirits of long ago will be kind.

SOUTHERN KNIGHTS and SOUTHERN COMFORT! by RANDY "JESSE JAMES" SUMPTER

SOUTHERN KNIGHTS and SOUTHERN COMFORT!
by RANDY "JESSE JAMES" SUMPTER
http://www.KnightsOfTheGoldenCircle-KGC.com/JessesHideout.htm

Albert Pike, the Masonic genius, who once lived in a little shack near Caddo, Arkansas, was the true grand designer of what was to become known as the Knights of the Golden Circle. His education was steeped deeply into the ancient teachings of long ago civilizations. He studied the Knight's Templars, the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians and pulled it all together into a massive knowledge base. He traveled around the country setting up Blue Lodges and counseled the various Indian tribes that dotted the landscapes. He was a friend to many and a mystery to modern society.

Some say Albert Pike was the grand designer of the secretive Knight's of the Golden Circle depositories that still lie in wait. Others have wrote about his codes that were devised to fool most men in search of these golden hoards. In Pike's past, while living in a shack near the Little Missouri Falls, he fled during the night with a large chest containing gold coins and his most valuable papers while a couple of would be robbers broke in and found nothing. Yes, the tip was good and Albert was smart.

In his latter years, before he retired to Washington, D.C., Pike traveled across the country and a few say he was looking in on the secret depositories and making sure they were secure enough so others could not find them. His travels took him out West all the way to
California, through the hot southwest, the midwest and eventually down to Florida. Many stops along the way took a heavy toll on his health
and Albert became sick. By the time he reached Washington, D.C., his health failed him and he finally met his maker. Many statues and other
tributes have been built and written about the Master of the Masons and books will soon be published telling more about this man of mystery.

The Southern Knights, or what we call The Knights of the Golden Circle, was the most secretive group ever devised. Their corps involved engineers, map makers, surveyors, railroad agents, sentinel's and many others who hid the wealth of the South in various places across the country with one great idea in mind, "The South Will Rise Again." Unfortunately, it didn't!

Modern treasure hunters armed with electronics have searched in vain to unravel the mysterious codes, signs and symbols devised by Pike and the KGC to no avail. Experts in various fields of study have published books and released other materials telling of these secret
depositories and the forums are filled with those who lay claim to the final solutions. Seems as though everyone has an opinion or two about
the subject and some even claim to be experts who have solved the riddles. All of this might be true but one fact remains more so than
anything else, no depositories have been opened! True, caches have been found in various parts of the country that point to an involvement of the KGC and there are many places where signs and symbols can still be found on trees and stone. So, we must ask yourselves how much do we want to believe and how much is pure fiction?

There have been attempts to link Jesse James, William Quantrill and others to the KGC and in some circles there is a basis of truth
about it all. Jesse James was a smart man in outlaw ways and in my opinion he also used code in his hidings. I've been to various areas where I have found his code and it's an elaborate one. I do feel Jesse was a student of Pike's work and much was taught to Jesse by Pike over the years. There is evidence that Jesse was also a Mason and a very high one at that.

It all boils down to this, if you are out there looking for the KGC caches and depositories and if you are looking for Jesse's hidings
then I would suggest you start reading everything you can on the Mason's since the link is very strong and there is evidence to support this.

There's a very strong relationship between Mason's and the KGC and you can throw Jesse James in the mixture also. The Jesse James code is
different from the KGC codes but they all have a common thread. If you want the gold from the Southern Knights and if you want to eventually
enjoy Southern Comfort then all I can say is this-teach your mind everything you can about the Mason's, Albert Pike, the Greek and Roman
number systems and throw in a bit of Egyptian history and placement of pyramids on the Giza plateau and you might gain some insight into the
mind workings of these genuises that once roamed the country putting down treasure that now tempts your mind and spirit.

As the Boy Scouts slogan goes, "be prepared." These depositories were not devised to be found so readily nor were they placed in obvious places. If that was the case, then all of us would be rich by now and have nothing to talk about except for the familiar boast of self-promoting.

I'll end this now with a final thought. "I love LOST TREASURE, it fuels my soul, it tickles me with a sense of adventure, I enjoy the
true challenges that are out there waiting and my mind spins out illusions of finding the big one. If it happens, then it happens and I hope everyone who reads this has the same feelings. Even if you never find the big one at least you can say, hey, I was there and looked."

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Knights_of_the_Golden_Circle

SEVENTH STAR OF THE CONFEDERACY -- Book Review

SEVENTH STAR OF THE CONFEDERACY -- Book Review
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2010
http://thesouthsdefender.blogspot.com/2010/02/seventh-star-of-confederacy-book-review.html

This book is a group of essays that cover all aspects of the War For Southern Independence in Texas. Chapters cover the secession of Texas, the role played by the Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC) in the pre-war secession movement and the seizure of U.S. Army property in San Antonio early in the war, the various military operations and the social and cultural aspects of the war in Texas.

On February 1, 1861, delegates at the Texas Secession Convention elected to leave the Union. The people of Texas supported the actions of the convention in a statewide referendum, paving the way for the state to secede and to officially become the seventh state in the Confederacy. Soon the Texans found themselves engaged in a bloody and prolonged civil war against their northern brethren. During the course of this war, the lives of thousands of Texans, both young and old, were changed forever.

The book is edited by Kenneth W. Howell, assistant professor at Prairie View A&M University.

The chapters are written by some of the best historians on the Trans-Mississippi, including Alwyn Barr, Archie P. McDonald, James M. Smallwood, Linda S. Hudson, John W. Gorman, Mary Jo O'Rear, Donald Willett, Edward T. Cotham Jr., Charles D. Spurlin, Charles D. Grear, Gary D. Joiner, Kenneth E. Hendrickson Jr., Vicki Betts, Ronald E. Goodwin and Bruce A. Glasrud, Carol Taylor, and Bill Stein.

The chapter by Linda Hudson on the KGC's role in secession and early war military actions was fascinating and very illuminating. I also particularly enjoyed the chapters by Edward Cotham on the battles of Galveston and Sabine Pass, and Gary Joiner's on the Texas Cavalry in the Red River Campaign.

The Seventh Star of the Confederacy: Texas During the Civil War; University of North Texas Press, Denton, Texas, www.unt.edu/untpress, $34.95.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Knights_of_the_Golden_Circle

Jesse James and the Knights of the Golden Circle: the Albert Pike Connection (Part 2)

Jesse James and the Knights of the Golden Circle: the Albert Pike Connection (Part 2)
Treasure Trove Dreams
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2010

Lost Treasure Myths, Legends, and Leads
http://treasuretrovegold.blogspot.com/2010/02/jesse-james-and-knights-of-golden.html

(image url) https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO1PtczyUvtqMSnG9qCMQbxevCd2gVKrHunWAijmF1GJx-cju49mRRmN_2oGPRJ3HW2GpvCyJBtlbNnUwU6je5TJ0Nmn_JIPoYVbHOsovNYho7lyjMuhROAdfzCh0xVojgQqxX94yh4bEG/s400/pike_sampler.gif

(The top 2 lines of written "symbol" language here were developed by Albert Pike. Written "letter symbols" such as these found out in the wild could point the way to KGC caches and troves.)

Known Facts

In my previous post on this subject I provided basic background information on Albert Pike, his deep sympathy for the Southern cause and the Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC), and his possible association with Jesse James. But there is much more about Albert Pike to be considered by serious treasure hunters.

Treasure Hunting

Let's look at some known facts about Pike (if you are a treasure hunter you would do well to file these points safely away for future reference and study):

Pike was the Chief Scottish-Rite Mason in Arkansas in the decade preceding the outbreak of the Civil War.

Pike was not only a Mason but a Knight Templar, the "highest of the highest" when it comes to secret societies. It's no secret that a number of KGC caches and troves have already been recovered in Arkansas, especially in the Ouachita Mountains region.

The Ouachitas also contain a staggering amount of verified KGC blazes, signs, and treasure symbols. It stands to reason that Pike was directly involved with the accumulation of KGC treasure and its eventual disposition in Arkansas and nearby states/territories (e.g., Oklahoma, Missouri).

It's a historical fact that Pike had close associations (other than his brief Confederate generalship of Indian and "partisan" units in the early part of the Civil War) with various Native American tribes in the Arkansas and Indian Territories regions.

This meant that Pike had access in, around, and through Indian lands. Native Americans in the area had full confidence in him and Pike could rely on their "assistance" in any number of pursuits, including establishing KGC treasure and cache locations.

Most importantly, Pike was a legal advocate for American Indians both before and after the Civil War. In one instance (and there are others) he forced the U.S. Government to cough up over $500,000 in gold coin owed to the Choctaw Nation.

My point here? Pike acted as "paymaster" after successfully brokering these deals. Starting to get the picture now? If not, note that most of the KGC caches and troves already recovered in Arkansas consisted of U.S. gold type coins of varying denominations.

Pike was a life-long student of cryptic languages and written symbols including Latin, Greek, and many other ancient civilizations as well as the visual symbols associated with Native American tribes in the Central part of the U.S.

Pike eventually developed his own variations of known historical "letter symbols" or languages. Two of these can be seen in the example I've provided at the beginning of the post and which I used in an earlier "Treasure Trove Dreams" post concerning the KGC (click this URL to view the post in question: http://treasuretrovegold.blogspot.com/2009/12/pay-particular-attention-to-first-2.html).

DO NOT underestimate the significance of Pike's "letter symbols" in tracking, verifying, and locating potential KGC treasure troves. If you come across strange letters or symbols while hunting KGC treasure these may be Pike "derivatives" and could help point the way to a cache of gold coins or even a large KGC treasure "repository." Finding one of the latter would make you a very, very, very wealthy person indeed.

That's it for now. I'll have more known facts about Albert Pike in a future post.

Good hunting!

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "Jesse James and the Knights of the Golden Circle: the Albert Pike Connection (Part 1)"

http://treasuretrovegold.blogspot.com/2010/01/jess-james-and-knights-of-golden-circle.html

(c) J.R. 2010

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com
Posted by J.R. at 7:31 AM
Labels: Albert Pike, Indian Territories, Jesse James, KGC, Knight Templar, Ouachita Mountains, Pike "letter symbols", serious treasure hunters, U.S. gold type coins

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Knights_of_the_Golden_Circle

John Rollin Ridge, (Yellow Bird) (1827-67)

John Rollin Ridge, (Yellow Bird) (1827-67)
Encyclopedia of North American Indians
http://www.college.cengage.com/history/readerscomp/naind/html/na_033200_ridgejohnrol.htm
Oklahoma Cherokee newspaper editor, novelist, and poet
Born just a few years prior to the crisis surrounding the Cherokee removal from Georgia, John Rollin Ridge experienced firsthand the most traumatic moments in the tribe's history. In 1830, the Indian Removal Act established the process that allowed for the removal of Cherokees from their homes in the Southeast. The Cherokees resisted this process, but federal officials exploited splits within the Cherokee Nation over relocation to advance their policy. In 1835 the government convinced twenty-one Cherokees, including Major Ridge (John Rollin Ridge's grandfather), John Ridge (John Rollin Ridge's father), Elias Boudinot, and Stand Watie, Boudinot's younger brother, to sign the Treaty of New Echota. The treaty provided for the cession of all Cherokee lands east of the Mississippi and the subsequent removal of the tribe to the West.

Within months of removal, tribal leaders held general meetings to establish a new government. Negotiations between the pro-removal treaty faction and the Ross anti-removal faction quickly broke down, and on June 22, 1839, Major Ridge, John Ridge, and Elias Boudinot were murdered by their political enemies. As a twelve-year-old boy, John Rollin Ridge witnessed his father's murder, an event that deeply affected him. Because of continuing hostilities between the two factions, John Ridge's widow, a white woman, and her son immediately left Indian Territory for Fayetteville, Arkansas. In 1843, young Ridge was sent to the Great Barrington School in Massachusetts, where he stayed until 1845. He then returned to Fayetteville and began studying law.

In 1847, Ridge married Elizabeth Wilson, a white woman he had met in Massachusetts, and one year later they had their first and only child, Alice. His years in Arkansas, however, were also marked by conflict. He became involved in Cherokee politics, closely following the internecine struggles of the nation. On one occasion, he expressed his desire to avenge his father's death by killing one of the men implicated in the murder, the anti-removal leader John Ross. Ridge's involvement reached a climax in 1849 when he killed David Kell, a Cherokee he believed was one of his father's assassins.

In 1850, largely because of Kell's murder, Ridge left for California. He worked briefly in the gold mines there and soon afterward began writing. His poetry, dealing primarily with love and nature, was published in various magazines; it was collected and published posthumously in 1868. His major literary accomplishment, however, was his first and only novel, The Life and Adventures of Joaquín Murieta, the Celebrated California Bandit (1854), whose story gave Ridge a chance to verbally avenge his father's death. His hero committed murders in the name of justice and stood up to all who resisted him. Ridge's novel also condemned American racism, particularly the hatred he saw being directed toward Mexican Americans. He declared in the book's conclusion that "there is nothing so dangerous in its consequences as injustice to individuals—whether it arises from prejudice of color or any other source; that a wrong done to one man is a wrong to society and to the world." Joaquín Murieta is considered "historical fiction," given the fact that the novel was based on the life of an actual California bandit. Ridge utilized newspaper articles extensively, and he claimed to have interviewed those close to Murieta. Several California historians later used the novel as a source in their own works.

From 1857 to 1862, Ridge worked as an editor for several California newspapers, including the Sacramento Bee, the California Express, the National Democrat, the San Francisco Herald, and the Red Bluff Beacon. As an editor he often advocated assimilationist policies and federal protection for American Indians. Like his father, he felt that American Indians needed the guidance and assistance of the federal government to maintain their rights. Also like his father, he often ignored the ways in which the federal government abused those rights. In regard to California Indians, Ridge felt they were inferior to the Indians of the Southeast and Northeast, and supported policies that confined them to reservations while upholding the claims of Euro-Americans to California lands.

During his years as an editor, Ridge also became increasingly involved in national politics. As a slave-owning southerner, he found himself sympathetic to the "Copperheads," a politically conservative faction of the Democratic Party. His critics accused him of establishing several chapters of the pro-slavery Knights of the Golden Circle. He worked for Democratic newspapers and openly supported the party's platform in his writings.

With the coming of the Civil War, Ridge expressed the sentiment that the Union should be preserved at all costs. While working for the Red Bluff Beacon in 1862, he protested the election of Abraham Lincoln and, later, insisted that the Emancipation Proclamation subverted democratic principles. In addition, while working for the National Democrat, he spoke in favor of the Confederacy and blamed the Civil War on abolitionists.

With the end of the Civil War, Ridge was given the opportunity to work toward his political goals for Cherokees. Invited by the federal government to head the Southern Cherokee delegation in postwar treaty proceedings, Ridge eagerly traveled to Washington, D.C. He worked diligently but failed to acquire Cherokee admission into the Union. In December 1866 Ridge returned home to Grass Valley, California. He died there on October 5, 1867.

Much of John Rollin Ridge's significance lies in his status as the first professional American Indian writer. More importantly, his life demonstrates that it was not only Euro-Americans who supported contradictory positions and detrimental policies toward American Indians and African Americans. Ridge, an American Indian writer whom we might expect to have thought otherwise, clearly helped to reinforce systems of thought and practice whose violent reverberations continue to be felt today.

See also Cherokee; Ridge, Major.

James W. Parins, John Rollin Ridge: His Life and Works (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1991).

Liza E. Black
Oklahoma Cherokee
University of Washington

KGC Archive Research and Historical Forum

  The Knights of the Golden Circle Archive Research and Historical Forum is not affiliated with any other forum claiming to be the revived or reformed Knights of the Golden Circle. This forum is engaged only in the historical aspects of the authentic Order of the Knights of the Golden Circle and its present day impact on society in the Americas. All things relating to the Knights of the Golden Circle, (or not): "To restore the Union as it was." Knight Grand Commander, John Robert Baylor, George W. L. Bickley, John Wilkes Booth, John C. Calhoun, J. Frank Dalton, Jefferson Davis, Nathan Bedford Forrest, Parker H. French, Jesse James, Frank James, Ben McCulloch, Lambdin P. Milligan, Lottie Moon, John Hunt Morgan, Albert Pike, Tom Poole, William Quantrill, Paul Riche, Brig. Gen. Henry Hopkins Sibley, John Surratt, Horatio Nelson Taft, Trevanion Teel, Clement L. Vallandingham, William Walker and Rachel Ann Wishaw. Free and Accepted Masons, Freemason, Scottish Rite, Knights Templar, Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, KKK, Illuminati, Odd Fellows, Order of American Knights, Rosicrucian, Secret Societies, Skull and Bones, Sons of Liberty, Constitution, Democrats, Founding Fathers, League of the South, North Carolina Legion, Radical Republicans, Sons of Confederate Veterans, Southern League, Union League, Young America, Southern Cherokee, Elias Boudinot, Major Ridge, The Ancient One, Oo-wa-tie, Stand Waite, Cherokee Phoenix, New Echota, Chief John Ross, Keetoowah Society,Anglo-Israel, Lost Tribes, Pin Indians, Brownwood, Confederados, Confederate, Copperheads, free state, Lincoln Assassination, Morgan's Raid, Manifest Destiny, Northwestern Confederacy, Peace Democrats, peace men, secession, Hunt for Confederate Gold, Shadow of the Sentinel: One Man's Quest to Find the Hidden Treasure of the Confederacy.

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Native Americans and the Knights of the Golden Circle

Native Americans and the Knights of the Golden Circle

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,284538.0.html

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The Spread of Freemasonry Among the American Indians of the United States by Dr. Patrick Neal Minges

The Spread of Freemasonry Among the American Indians of the United States
by Dr. Patrick Neal Minges

On January 20, 1791, a curious assembly of Americans appeared before thebrethren
of the Prince of Wales Lodge #259 in London, England. The minutes of theLodge
recorded the event: William Augustus Bowles, a Chief of the Creek Nation, whose
love of Masonryhas induced him to wish it may be introduced into the interior
part of America,whereby the cause of humanity and brotherly love will go hand in
hand with thenative courage of the Indians, and by the union lead them on to the
highest titlethat can be conferred on man, to be both good and great, was
proposed by theRight Worshipful Master, with the Approbation of the Prince to be
admitted anHonorary Member of this Lodge. He was seconded by the Secretary, and
receivedthe unanimous applause of the whole Lodge.1 Though Bowles was not
actually an American Indian, he was considered among theChiefs of the Creek
Nation by the Indians themselves and was also appointed by theGrand Lodge of
England to the "provincial grand master of the Creek, Cherokee,Chickasaw, and
Choctaw Indians." 2 Bowles was accompanied by three Cherokee and twoCreek
headman and it is reported that they visited the Grand Lodge of England as well
asseveral other lodges. Though Bowles and his associates were "lionized by
London society in 1791," heand his associates were neither first Native American
Freemasons nor even the firstIndian Freemasons to visit England. That honor
belongs to Joseph Brant(Thayendanegea), the principal War Chief of the Mohawk
Nation who also translated the 1 William R Denslow, Freemasonry and the American
Indian (St Louis: Missouri Lodge of Research, 1956, 125. 2 Denslow, 58.

Page 2

Gospel of Mark and the Book of Common Prayer into his language. He received
hisdegrees in Hiram's Cliftonian Lodge No. 417 at some point before the onset of
theRevolutionary War. When he sailed to England in 1776, Brant was presented to
the court,wined and dined at the expense of the government, and had his picture
painted by one ofthe outstanding artists of England. The British government, who
sought to bestowdegrees and Masonic titles as a means of soliciting support
among influential colonistspulled out all stops for Brant; it is given on good
authority that Brant received hisMasonic apron at the hands of King George the
Third. 3 The British appeal worked perfectly. Brant spent much of his time
trying to amassthe support of his people, but many natives resented his fidelity
to the British Crown. Infact, revisionists often hold Brant accountable for
dividing his people and destroying theLeague of Six Nations. While nations such
as the Mohawks and the Seneca sided withBritain; the Oneida and the Tuscarora
supported the Americans throughout most of theRevolutionary period. 4 Even
though he sided with the British, his loyalties were neverunclear; on several
occasions, Brant spared the lives of fellow Freemasons and yetenemies when at
the point of despair, they presented "the great mystic appeal to a Masonin the
hour of danger." 5 In case it has missed your grasp, we appear to have plunged
right into the deepwith respect to the spread of Freemasonry among American
Indians; that is with intent.We are not addressing "Indian Masonry." There have
been numerous treatises written the 3 Denslow, 101-102.4 History Television
[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation], "Joseph Brant"
[http://www.historytelevision.ca/chiefs/htmlen/mohawk/sp_brant.asp] (Accessed
September 13, 2003) 5 Sidney Hayden, in Cornelius Moore, Leaflets of Masonic
Biography, (n.p., 1863), 27.

Page 3

attempt to find relationships between the philosophies and practices of the
indigenouspeoples and their corresponding principles and practices within
Freemasonry. There havealso been quite a few discussions of how travelers to the
Western Frontier encounterednative peoples who hailed them with the signs and
symbols of the brotherhood. Equallyso, many persons have found affinities
between Indian "secret societies" and "fraternalorders" and those of
Freemasonry; even the great Arthur C. Parker, himself a Freemason,stated that:
The Masonry of the Indians as philosophers dealing with moral truths grew out
oftheir experiences with nature and the actions of humankind. The wise men of
thetribes knew that a band of men pledged to uphold morality and to enact
rituals itsadvantage would constitute a dynamic influence.6 However, in his work
Indian Masonry, Robert Wright comes to the following conclusion: There us no
Indian Masonry in that small and narrow sense which most of us thinkof; that is
one who pays lodge dues, wears an apron like ours gives signs so nearlylike ours
that we find him perforce a Mason in any degree or degrees we know,and which
degrees we are prone to watch, just as we do a procession of historicalfloats,
which casually interest us, and maybe a little more so if we can but secure
aplace at the head of the procession, the true meaning of which we have but a
faintidea about. This makes our own Masonry as meaningless as the interpretation
ofIndian signs by an --deleted-- trapper. 7 What we are addressing is the spread of
Freemasonry among those persons ofAmerican Indian heritage and brought up within
the culture and traditions of theindigenous peoples of the Americas in general
and the United States in particular. It isquite important to stress at this
point that there is no such thing as an "American Indian"in the generic sense in
which they have easily definable common traits and characteristicsany more than
we can state that the Irish, the German, and Italian have the same. Thenative
peoples of the Americas had thousands of mutually unintelligible languages and 6
Arthur C. Parker, American Indian Freemasonry (Buffalo, Buffalo Consistory, A.
A. S. R. N. M. J. U. S. A., 1919), 36p. 7 Robert Wright, Indian Masonry. Ayer
Collection, Newberry Library, Chicago, IL., 1905.

Page 4

distinct social, political, and cultural practices that defined and often set
themselves inopposition to other indigenous persons in the midst and from afar.
Today there are about500 American Indian peoples, each with its own language and
cultural traditions rootedin their historical experience with their surrounding
environment, the creatures thatinhabit it, and whatever divine force they
believe made it all possible.Why would persons of Native American descent wish
to become associated withthe philosophical traditions and ritual practices of
Freemasonry? To me, there is a verysimple answer -- for the very same reasons
that every other person who has chosen tobecome affiliated with the craft. I
will no more attempt to articulate these reasons for youthat I would ask you to
expose the inner workings of your own heart and soul to a curiousand
exploratory, but often --deleted--, interloper. What is important is that
countlessAmerican Indians across history have chosen to become Freemasons and
continue to doso even unto this very day. They are our brothers in every sense
of the word and whateverpolitical, religious, and even cultural differences that
they express from us are eclipsed bythe three great lights of our brotherhood.
There can be but one simple answer to thisquestion as to why Native Americans
join our brotherhood… "so to act, that the principle of his actions may be
exalted to a law of nature; to actin that manner only in which he thinks that He
who has given to nature itsimmutable laws, would have compelled him to act, had
He chosen to introducecompulsion into the realm of mind, in order to realize his
design."8 That they have done so is indisputable. Some of the most important
leaders of thevarious nations that make up our indigenous peoples have chosen to
become a part ofFreemasonry. Tecumseh, a Shawnee prophet who reportedly "was
made a Mason whileon a visit to Philadelphia," was the leader of a Pan-Indian
movement in the eighteenthcentury. Alexander McGillivray, a mixed blood leader
of the Muskogee, and LouisAnnance, of the Alnombak people of the Abenaki Nation,
were skilled political leaders.Red Jacket, famous orator of the Seneca and
leader of the traditionalist resistance amongthe Iroquois, was a Freemason. His
nephew, General Ely S. Parker, was General U.S.Grant's Adjutant and drew up the
conditions of surrender at Appomattox. He went on to 8 The Masonic Monthly, "The
Lesson Taught By The Three Great Lights"
[http://www.phoenixmasonry.org/three_great_lights.htm] (Accessed September 13,
2003).

Page 5

be the First American Indian Commissioner of Indian Affairs under Grant. Leaders
onboth sides of the Civil War in the Indian Territory including John Ross,
Opothle Yahola,Elias Boudinot, John Jumper, Peter Pitchlyn, Stand Watie, the
last Confederate general tosurrender. Coming forward into history, we find
Carlos Montezuma, doctor andspokesman for the Yavapai Indian; Arthur C. Parker,
Scientist, Scholar and LiteraryFigure from the Seneca Nation; Philip DeLoria,
Sioux leader and Episcopal Priest; andlast but certainly not least Will Rogers,
American humorist and philanthropist. 9 Thoughmany of these names may not be
familiar to you, they can be considered among theilluminati of the First Nations
of the United States.The story of the first American Indian Freemasonic lodges
has yet anotherinteresting aspect. J. Fred Latham, in The Story of Oklahoma
Masonry, reports that notonly were Native "chiefs" made Masons in the East, but
that because both the NativeAmerican leaders and the military officers who
removed them during the "Trail of Tears"were Masons, it made the process of
removal "more orderly." 10 General Winfield Scott, aFreemason, who presided over
the removal of the Cherokee, gave explicit orders topursue this distasteful
activity with civility, "Every possible kindness...must therefore beshown by the
troops, and if, in the ranks, a despicable individual should be found capableof
inflicting a wanton injury or insult on any Cherokee man, woman, or child, it is
herebymade the special duty of the nearest good officer or man, instantly to
interpose, and toseize and consign the guilty wretch to the severest penalty of
the laws. 11 When asked bythe leaders of the Cherokee Nation to postpone removal
because of drought and sicknessamong the Cherokee, General Scott again showed
compassion for his fraternal brothers.Negotiating with General Scott was Chief
John Ross, a Master Mason in good standingwith the Olive Branch Lodge of the
Free and Accepted Masons in Jasper, Tennessee. 12 9 Patrick Minges, "Famous
Native American Freemasons" [http://www.people.virginia.edu/~pnm3r/freemasons/]
(Accessed September 13, 2003). 10 Latham, 2.11 Winfield Scott quoted in Grace
Steele Woodward, The Cherokees (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1963),
204. 12 Woodward, 214.

Page 6

Finally, when it appeared that his troops could not handle the process of
removalas well as the Cherokee themselves, Scott agreed to a plea from Chief
John Ross to allowthe Cherokee to manage removal themselves. When Andrew
Jackson, Former GrandMaster of the Grand Lodge of Tennessee, heard of Scott's
brotherly relief, he wrote, "Iam so feeble I can scarcely wield my pen, but
friendship dictates it and the subject excitesme. Why is it that the scamp Ross
is not banished from the notice of thisadministration?" 13 Upon arrival in the
new territory, former members of the Freemasonic lodgesfrom the East began to
organize the craft in their new home. J. Fred Latham describesthis particular
phenomenon in The Story of Oklahoma Masonry: The history of the Indian
Territory, and indeed that of Freemasonry in the presentstate of Oklahoma, is so
closely interwoven with that of the Five Civilized Tribes itwould be difficult
-- almost impossible -- and entirely undesirable to attempt toseparate them. 14
A number of the ministers, merchants and military personnel were members ofthe
craft. Along with the many Indians inducted into the craft, they began to
havemeetings throughout the Indian Territory. These meetings moved from very
informalsocial groupings into fellowship meetings where Masons met and enjoyed
fraternaldiscussions. Applications for authority to organize lodges in several
places were made,but urgent domestic problems prevented the satisfactory
organization of lodges.According to J. Fred Latham, members of the craft took an
active part in the stabilizationof the community through the organization of law
enforcement and through their activityin the political affairs of the Five
Nations. 15 In 1848, a group of Cherokee Freemasons made application to Grand
Master R.H.Pulliam of the Grand Lodge of Arkansas and were granted a
dispensation to formulate a"blue lodge" in the Cherokee capital 16 Brother
George Moser, Secretary and Historian of 13 John P. Brown, Old Frontiers
(Kingsport: Tennessee, 1938), 511.14 J. Fred Latham, The Story of Oklahoma
Masonry (Oklahoma City: Grand Lodge of Oklahoma, 1957), 8.15 Latham, 5. 16
Albert Mackey describes a "blue lodge" as: "A symbolic Lodge, in which the first
three degrees are conferred, is so called from the color of its decorations." A
"blue lodge" is the common determination for

Page 7

the Cherokee lodge presents the information as follows, "Facts as taken from
theproceedings of the Grand Lodge Free and Accepted Masons of Arkansas show that
theCommittee on Charters and Dispensations did, on November 7, 1848 at the hour
of 9:00a.m., recommend that a charter be granted to `Cherokee Lodge' at
Tahlequah, CherokeeNation, and that it be given the number `21'". 17 The
officers were sworn in at SupremeCourt Headquarters on Keetoowah Street on July
12, 1849; it was the first lodge of IndianFreemasons established in the United
States. 18 In 1852, the Cherokee National Council donated several lots in
Tahlequah to beused jointly by the Masonic Lodge and the Sons of Temperance for
the construction of abuilding to house their respective organizations. The
building was erected in 1853, andowned jointly by the two organizations; the
Sons of Temperance 19 occupied the firstfloor and Cherokee Lodge #21 occupied
the second floor. The lodge building was usedfor a number of community services,
including lodge meetings, temperance meetings,educational instruction, and
church meetings; later, because of the noise, bothorganizations used the upper
floor, leaving the lower floor for church services and publicmeetings. 20
Freemasonry flourished among the Native Americans in Indian Territory,
leadingthe Grand Master of Arkansas to comment upon his "red brethren" in 1855:
this lodge as opposed to lodges that grant higher degrees such as the Scottish
Rites or York Rites. (Mackey,120) 17 George Moser, quoted in Latham, 6.18 T.L.
Ballenger, History of Cherokee Lodge #10, T.L. Ballenger Papers, Ayer
Collection, Newberry Library, Chicago, IL., 5; J. Fred Latham, The Story of
Oklahoma Masonry (Oklahoma City: Grand Lodgeof Oklahoma, 1978) 5- 8. 19 The Sons
of Temperance modeled its constitution on those of the Freemasons and Odd
Fellows and based their organization around simple initiation rituals. As time
progressed, the Sons of Temperance andorganizations such as it developed
increasingly complicated rituals even further aligned with those of
theFreemasons. (Carnes, 8) 20 Ballenger, 6. It is important to note that the
Cherokee Indian Baptist Association, consisting of six "colored churches" held
its first organizational meeting in the Cherokee Masonic Lodge in 1870.
[J.M.Gaskins, History of Black Baptists in Oklahoma (Oklahoma City: Messenger
Press, 1992), 118)]

Page 8

All over the length and breadth of our state the (Masonic) Order is
flourishing,and amongst our red Brethren, in the Indian Territory, it is taking
deep hold, andnow embraces a goodly number of Lodges and Brethren. The members
of theseLodges compare very favorably with their pale-face neighbors. In fact,
it isreported of them that they exemplify practically the Masonic teachings and
ritualby living in the constant discharge of those charities and moral virtues
so forciblyinculcated in our lectures, thereby demonstrating to all that Masonry
is not onlyspeculative, but that it is a living practical reality; of great
utility to the humanrace, and of eminent service to a social community. 21
Freemasonry was indeed "taking deep hold." From the very first lodge formed
among theCherokee in Tahlequah, the brotherhood had spread among missionaries,
merchants, andNative Americans throughout Indian Territory. Reverend John
Bertholf, member ofCherokee Lodge #21, relocated to the Creek Nation and was
appointed Superintendent ofthe Asbury Mission in Eufaula in 1859. George Butler,
government agent and juniorwarden of Cherokee Lodge #21, became one of the
charter members of the military baselodge at Fort Gibson Lodge #35. Doaksville
Lodge #52 was organized in the ChoctawNation and led by Chief Peter Pitchlyn,
Sam Garvin, Basil Laflore, plantation ownerRobert Jones, and also American Board
missionary Cyrus Kingsbury. Walter Scott Adair,Worshipful Master of Cherokee
Lodge #21, left Lodge #21 to organize Flint Lodge #74near the Baptist Mission
deep in Keetoowah country in the southeastern corner of theCherokee Nation.
Joseph Coodey, nephew of John Ross and Junior Warden of Cherokee Lodge
#21,resettled in the Creek Nation at North Fork Town near Eufala. 22 In the
Creek Nation,Benjamin Marshall, George Stidham, and Samuel Checote, all
affiliates of the AsburyMission, formed Muscogee Lodge #93 at the Creek Agency
near the border of theCherokee Nation. One of the early members of Muscogee
Lodge #93 was a prominent 21 Ballenger, 5.22 G.W. Grayson, A Creek Warrior for
the Confederacy: The Autobiography of Chief G.W. Grayson, W. David Biard, ed.
(Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1988), 127.

Page 9

traditional leader (and relative of Asi Yahola, i.e., Osceola ) 23 by the name
of OpothleYahola. 24 When the winds of the Civil War hit the Indian Territory,
it sent a bitter chillthrough the lodges. In 1855 Brother John Ross, the Chief
of the Cherokee Nation,discovered the emergence of "a secret society organized
in Delaware and SalineDistricts" dedicated to the promotion of slavery and the
removal of abolitionist interestsfrom the Cherokee Nation. 25 According to Ross,
at the core of this "sinister plot" were so-called "Blue Lodges" established in
the Indian Territory by officials from Arkansas. 26 Many of the pro-slavery
factions in the Cherokee Nation had ties to Arkansas and it wasbelieved by Ross
that these elements were using the "Blue Lodges" associated with theArkansas
Grand Lodge to "create excitement and strife among the Cherokee people." 27 The
"Blue Lodges" were so closely affiliated with the Southern Methodist church
thatsome considered them to be the spiritual arm of the organization, "The
[Southern]Methodists take slavery by the hand, encourage it, speak in its favor,
and brand all thosewho oppose it with opprobrious epithets. As they support
slavery, of course slaverysupports them." 28 23 Asi Yahola (Osceola) was a
prominent leader of the African American/ Seminole resistance movement in
Florida. He was married to an African American runaway slave. Some reporters
state the cause of theSecond Seminole War was the seizure of Osceola's African
wife by merchants who sought to sell her backinto slavery. Osceola was finally
murdered following treachery by federal authorities. In a practice whichhas
become common among Florida authorities, his brain was "donated to science" and
kept on a shelve formany years. 24 Denslow, 70-75. For information on Opothle
Yahola, see John Bartlett Meserve, "Chief Opothleyahola" Chronicles of Oklahoma
10 (Winter, 1931): 439-452; Clee Woods, "Oklahoma's Great Opothle Yahola"North
South Trader 4, (January-February): 22-36; Mrs. Clement Clay, "Recollections of
Opothleyahola"Arrow Points 4 (February 1922): 35-36. 25 John Ross to Evan Jones,
May 5, 1855, "Correspondence of Missionaries to Native Americans, [microform],
1825-1865," American Baptist Historical Society, Rochester, N.Y. 26 I use the
term "Blue Lodges" because that is what most of the scholars, including
McLoughlin and Mooney use to describe these lodges. However, the fact that Ross
was a Freemason meant that heunderstood the term "Blue Lodge" quite well and
would not have used it unadvisedly. In all probability,these "Blue Lodges" were
Freemasonic lodges tied to the Grand Lodge of Arkansas. 27 John Ross to Evan
Jones, May 5, 1855, "Correspondence of Missionaries to Native Americans,
[microform], 1825-1865," American Baptist Historical Society, Rochester, N.Y. 28
John B. Jones, July 12, 1858, "Correspondence of Missionaries to Native
Americans, [microform], 1825- 1865," American Baptist Historical Society,
Rochester, N.Y.

Page 10

History records the "Blue Lodges" as being the seat of the pro-slavery
movement,but this appears to be an inaccuracy rooted in a too-convenient
association of the "BlueLodges" with the pro-slavery movement. It is easy to see
from the membership roll ofCherokee Lodge #21 that there were also members of
the Ross Party who belonged tothese so-called "Blue Lodges." It seems that there
was a split within the Freemasoniclodges within Indian Territory along the lines
of party affiliation related to the efforts ofthe Grand Lodge of Arkansas to use
the lodges to promote the issue of "SouthernRights." 29 Some members of the
lodges were opposed to the efforts of the ArkansasGrand Lodge, as revealed in a
later discussion by Lodge historian T. L. Ballenger:There seems to have
developed some misunderstanding between themother Lodge and Cherokee Lodge at
that time, the exact nature of whichthe records fail to reveal: possibly it was
a coolness that had grown out ofdifferent attitudes toward the war. The
Cherokees were divided, some ofthem fighting for the North and some for the
South. It happened that theleading members of the Lodge sympathized with the
North. 30 As a result of the split within the lodges within Indian Territory or
perhapsprecipitating the split, some of the members of the "Blue Lodges" became
associated witha secessionist secret society by the name of the "Knights of the
Golden Circle." Othermembers of the "Blue Lodges" within the Indian Territory
became associated with atraditionalist secret society in the Cherokee Nation
entitled the Keetoowah Society.Throughout the duration of the Civil War, these
two competing "secret societies" foughttooth and nail for the fate of the Indian
territory and the bitter struggle between these two 29 This opinion is supported
by evidence that the Grand Lodge of Arkansas refused to recognize the charters
of many of the lodges in Indian Territory following the cessation of the Civil
War. In addition, theGrand Lodge of Arkansas considered many of the charters
"forfeited" and would only grant the lodges newcharters if the were reorganized
under a different name. Cherokee Lodge #21 became Cherokee Lodge #10when it was
reorganized after repeated attempts for recognition in 1877. Fort Gibson Lodge #
35 becameAlpha Lodge #12 in 1878. Flint Lodge #74 became Flint Lodge # 11 in
1876.(Starr, 185). Muskogee Lodge#93 and Choctaw Lodge #52 also forfeited their
charter following the Civil War. The Grand Lodge whichrefused the recognition
was led by J.S. Murrow, the "Father of Oklahoma Masonry," a Baptist ministerwho
was a Confederate States Indian Agent during the Civil War. (Latham,10; West,
103) 30 T.L. Ballenger, History of Cherokee Lodge #10, T.L. Ballenger Papers,
Ayer Collection, Newberry Library, Chicago, IL., 12; "Pin Indians" in Robert
Wright, Indian Masonry, (n.p., 1905) Ayer Collection,Newberry Library, Chicago,
IL., 105.

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groups was carried out with a ferocity that left not even innocent persons
unharmed. Theeffect upon the Indian Territory was devastating:The events of the
war brought to them more of the desolation and ruinthan perhaps to any other
community. Raided and sacked alternately, notonly by Confederate and Union
forces, but also by the vindictive ferocityand hate of their own factional
divisions, their country became ablackened and desolate waste. Driven from
comfortable homes, exposedto want, misery, and the elements, they perished like
sheep in asnowstorm. Their houses, fences, and other improvements were
burned,their orchards destroyed, their flocks and herds were slaughtered or
drivenoff, their schools broken up, their schoolhouses given to the flames,
andtheir churches and public buildings subjected to a similar fate; and
thatentire portion of their country which had been occupied by theirsettlements
was distinguishable from the virgin prairie only by thescorched and blackened
chimneys and the plowed but now neglectedfields. 31 When the war was over and
nations such as the Cherokee needed healing, theyelected Bro. William Potter
Ross to be the new Principal Chief of the Reunified nation.One of the founding
members of Cherokee Lodge #21, he was to go on to become theWorshipful Master of
the lodge in 1851 -- a time before the lodge would split over theissues that
ultimately led to the Civil War. In addition, William P. Ross had been theleader
of the reconciliation of the Cherokee Nation following the Treaty of 1846:He
(Ross) and the other headmen of the Cherokee nation were at thecapital to
arrange a treaty made necessary by the late enforced removal oftheir tribe from
Georgia to the Indian Territory. These headmen werearrayed in two hostile
factions, and the negotiations were at a standstill.But at one of the meetings
of Federal Lodge (Federal Lodge #1,Washington, D.C.), the rival leaders, all
Freemasons, were broughttogether by the exertions of Worshipful Master S. Yorke
and othermembers, and the treaty was successfully completed. 32 31 Charles
Royce, "Cherokee Nation," Fifth Annual Report (Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian
Institution, Bureau of Ethnology, n.d.), 376. 32 "History of Federal Lodge #1,"
quoted in Denslow, 183. William Potter Ross was raised to the Third Degree on
April 25, 1848 in Federal Lodge #1 in Washington, D.C. [Denslow, 183].

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In spite of their political, social, and party differences, one of the key
elements that hadbrought together the disparate elements of Cherokee Society had
been the interest in andpromotion of brotherhood by the Freemasonic lodges in
the Cherokee Nation. Ross usedthis background to his advantage. Many of the
leaders of the Keetoowah Society and theKnights of the Golden Circle were former
Freemasons in the lodges of the IndianTerritory. Many of the government agents,
military officials, religious authorities, andinfluential citizens of the Indian
Territory were also Freemasons. That William P. Rosswas a power broker and a
conciliatory force in the Cherokee Nation under the auspices ofthe Freemasonic
brotherhood is a factor that cannot be ignored. 33 However, Freemasonry among
Native Americans is not just an historicphenomenon. In Oklahoma today, there are
Freemasonic lodges in nearly every IndianNation; the Order of the Eastern Star
is also quite popular. The Oklahoma Indian Degreeteam is perhaps the most
well-traveled of group of Freemasons in the United States; theytour the nation
constantly and sometimes internationally. Dressed in the full regalia oftheir
American Indian heritage, they raise Masons to the third degree in our ancient
andesoteric ritual.The Oklahoma Masonic Indian Degree Team was organized in 1948
after thedeath of Brother Will Rogers. The team currently consists of 15 active
members, 11 ofwhich are Past Masters. Nine recognized tribes are represented:
Apache, Cherokee,Choctaw, Creek, Oneida, Osage, Ottawa, Seminole, and Sycamore.
States visited include:Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado,
Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, 33 William R. Denslow, in his work
Freemasonry and the American Indian, describes Ross's influence, "In later
years, passions broke all bounds and some of the darkest pages of Cherokee
history were written. Inretrospect, the influence and principles of Freemasonry
can be seen as the greatest healer of these oldwounds within the Cherokee
family. This fact is emphasized by the thought of Chief William P.
Ross,presiding in the East over a Cherokee lodge, while the men around the altar
would have thought it apatriotic duty to slay him only a short time before. The
roster of the Cherokee lodge is a revelation to thestudent of the times, and, if
it were not for its undisputed authority, it would hardly be believed in
thisgeneration." (Denslow, 69).

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Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachuetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire,
NewJersey, New Mexico, New York and Texas. Oklahoma lodges represented are:
BrokenArrow #423, Cherokee #10, Delta #425, Daylight #542, Dustin #336, Ottawa
#492,Sapulpa #170 and Skiatook #416. One of the most interesting of all groups
of Indian Freemasons is the AkdarShrine Indian Dance Unit of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Its members come from diverse nationssuch as the Cherokee, Navajo, Quapaw,
Creek, Shawnee, Apache, and Kiowa. Whatunites these men of divergent nations are
two things – their love of Freemasonry and theirlove of traditional forms of
dance. They regularly perform traditional dances at specialevents, pow-wows, and
shrine circuses in Oklahoma and throughout the Southwest andMidwest. The Akdar
Indians, being the only all-Native American unit in Shrinedom, notonly share a
common heritage, but also share a common bond with their fellow Nobleseverywhere
— to help spread the word about the free medical care offered by
ShrinersHospitals for Children. More than 40 years ago, in 1954, the unit was
established as the Akdar IndianPatrol with about 20 members; today, Akdar
Indians' 50 members represent six ShrineTemples and 20 Tribes from North
America. Representatives of the five civilized tribesof Oklahoma — Cherokee,
Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw and Seminole — along with theComanche and Apache
Indians, make up the majority of unit members. According toBill Tyndall, an
Omaha Indian from Akdar Temple, a recent change in the unit's by-lawsallows
Nobles from any Shrine Temple to join, as long as they are Native Americans. Not
only do they participate in many of the Temple's fund-raising activities
forShriner's Hospitals, but they also raise money by hosting an annual Indian
dinner withNative American food, and an arts and crafts show. They put on
educational dances,explaining the types of dances and the clothing worn by each
dancer.

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Throughout the year, members perform for the general public and for
variousShrine functions. Their most enjoyable performances, according to
Tyndall, are the onesheld at the Shriner's Hospitals. "It's there that we get to
see first-hand what our hospitalsare all about and we can give the kids an
up-close look at real Indians and the costumesthat they wear," he explained. A
unique aspect of the Akdar Indians is that the Nobles are often joined by
theirfamily members — women and children — when they perform some of their
traditionaldances, especially at the Shriner's Hospitals. One of the members has
commented thatone of the greatest benefits of being in the unit is being able to
help children whileeducating others about his culture. "We love to promote
Native American culture," heremarked. "The non-Indian sees us as we are shown on
TV. But what we are trying to dois educate people about what we do and what we
are about." That is, of course, inaddition to informing the public that
Shriner's Hospitals provide free medical care tochildren in need. As we meet
together here today in Columbus on this January day some twohundred plus years
after Brother Bowles and his collected Indians met before theirastonished
British brethren, another collection of Americans is again meeting a body
ofastonished British brethren. Next Monday, the Oklahoma Masonic Indian Degree
Teamwill performing demonstrations at the Surrey Secretaries' Golden Jubilee
Lodge No. 9764meeting at Surbiton and at a special meeting to be held at Croydon
in the Province ofSurrey England on Tuesday 27th January 2004. Just as their
brothers some two hundredyears ago welcomed these unusual brethren from across
the seas, these modern daytravelers will be equally greeted. Rest assured that
the more we learn about Native Americans and theirinvolvement in Freemasonry,
the more that we learn that their interests, inclinations, andexcitement about
the craft spurs from the same quest for wisdom and enlightenment thatdwells
within us all. Though it easy enough to put upon fanciful notions about
secretsigns, secret societies, and the incorporation of "pagan" rituals and
symbols into theancient and accepted order, nothing could be further than the
truth. Such creations have

Page 15

always been the practices of small minds and have often been the bane of the
existence ofreasonable and intelligent practitioners of all of the higher orders
of religion andphilosophy. The world will be a better place when we put myths
such as these to rest.