THE success of the Ku Klux Klan was so complete, its organisers were dazed. Its appeal to the ignorance and superstition of the Negro at once reduced the race to obedience and order. Its threat against the scalawag and carpet-bagger struck terror to their craven souls, and the “union League,” “Red Strings,” and “Heroes of America” went to pieces with incredible rapidity.

Major Stuart Dameron, the chief of the Klan in Campbell county was holding a conference with the Rev. John Durham in his study.

“Doctor, our work has succeeded beyond our wildest dream.”

“Yes, and I thank God we can breathe freely if only for a moment, Major. The danger now lies in our success. We are necessarily playing with fire.”

“I know it, and it requires my time day and night to prevent reckless men from disgracing us.”

“It will not be necessary to enforce the death penalty against any other man in this county, Major. The execution of Tim Shelby was absolutely necessary at the time and it has been sufficient.”

“I agree with you. I’ve impressed this on the master of every lodge, but some of them are growing reckless.”

“Who are they?”

“Young Allan McLeod for one. He is a dare devil and only eighteen years old.

“He’s a troublesome boy. I don’t seem to have any influence with him. But I think Mrs. Durham can manage him. He seems to think a great deal of her, and in spite of his wild habits, he comes regularly to her Sunday School class.”

“I hope she can bring him to his senses.”

“Leave him to me then a while. We will see what can be done.”





Hogg’s Legislature promptly declared the Scotch-Irish hill counties in a state of insurrection, passed a militia bill, and the Governor issued a proclamation suspending the writ of Habeas Corpus in these counties.

Fearing the effects of negro militia in the hill districts, he surprised Hambright by suddenly marching into the court house square a regiment of white mountain guerrillas recruited from the outlaws of East Tennessee and commanded by a noted desperado, Colonel Henry Berry. The regiment had two pieces of field artillery.

It was impossible for them to secure evidence against any member of the Klan unless by the intimidation of some coward who could be made to confess. Not a disguise had ever been penetrated. It was the rule of the order for its decrees to be executed in the district issuing the decree by the lodge furthest removed in the county from the scene. In this way not a man or a horse was ever identified.

The Colonel made an easy solution of this difficulty, however. Acting under instructions from Governor Hogg, he secured from Haley and Perkins a list of every influential man in every precinct in the county, and a list of possible turncoats and cowards. He detailed five hundred of his men to make arrests, distributed them throughout the county and arrested without warrants over two hundred citizens in one day.

The next day Berry hand-cuffed together the Rev. John Durham and Major Dameron, and led them escorted by a company of cavalry on a grand circuit of the county, that the people might be terrified by the sight of their chains. An ominous silence greeted them on every hand. Additional arrests were made by this troop and twenty-five more prisoners led into Hambright the next day.

The jail was crowded, and the court house was used as a jail. Over a hundred and fifty men were confined in the court room. Rev. John Durham was everywhere among the crowd, laughing, joking and cheering the men.

“Major Dameron, a jail never held so many honest men before,” he said with a smile, as he looked over the crowd of his church members gathered from every quarter of the county.

“Well, Doctor, you’ve got a quorum here of your church and you can call them to order for business.”

“That’s a fact, isn’t it?”

“There’s old Deacon Kline over there who looks like he wished he hadn’t come!” The Preacher walked over to the deacon.

“What’s the matter, brother Kline, you look pensive?”

The deacon laughed. “Yes, I don’t like my bed. I’m used to feathers.”

“Well, they say they are going to give you feathers mixed with tar so you won’t lose them so easily.”

“I’ll have company, I reckon,” said the deacon with a wink.

“The funny thing, deacon, is that Major Dameron tells me there isn’t a man in all the crowd of two hundred and fifty arrested who ever went on a raid. It’s too bad you old fellows have to pay for the follies of youth.”

“It is tough. But we can stand it, Preacher.” They clasped hands.

“Haven’t smelled a coward anywhere have you, deacon?”

“I’ve seen one or two a little fidgety, I thought. Cheer ’em up with a word, Preacher.”

Springing on the platform of the judge’s desk he looked over the crowd for a moment, and a cheer shook the building.

“Boys, I don’t believe there’s a single coward in our ranks.” Another cheer.

“Just keep cool now and let our enemies do the talking. In ten days every man of you will be back at home at his work.”

“How will we get out with the writ suspended?” asked a man standing near.

“That’s the richest thing of all. A United States judge has just decided that the Governor of the state cannot suspend the rights of a citizen of the United States under the new Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution so recently rammed down our throats. Hogg is hoisted on his own petard. Our lawyers are now serving out writs of Habeas Corpus before this Federal judge under the Fourteenth Amendment, and you will be discharged in less than ten days unless there’s a skunk among you. And I don’t smell one anywhere.” Again a cheer shook the building.

An orderly walked up to the Preacher and handed him a note.

“What is it?”

“Read it!” The men crowded around.

“Read it, Major Dameron, I’m dumb,” said the Preacher.

“A military order from the dirty rascal. Berry, commanding the mountain bummers, forbidding the Rev. John Durham to speak during his imprisonment!”

A roar of laughter followed this announcement.

“That’s cruel! It’ll kill him!” cried deacon Kline as he jabbed the Preacher in the ribs.

In a few minutes, the Preacher was back in his place with five of the best singers from his church by his side. He began to sing the old hymns of Zion and every man in the room joined until the building quivered with melody.

“Now a good old Yankee hymn, that suits this hour, written by an an old Baptist preacher I met in Boston the other day!” cried the Preacher.


“My country ’tis of thee,

Sweet land of liberty,

Of thee I sing!”


Heavens, how they sang it, while the Preacher lined it off, stood above them beating time, and led in a clear mighty voice! Again the orderly appeared with a note.

“What is it now?” they cried on every side.

Again Major Dameron announced “Military order No. 2, forbidding the Rev. John Durham to sing or induce anybody to sing while in prison.”

Another roar of laughter that broke into a cheer which made the glass rattle. When the soldier had disappeared, the Rev. John Durham ascended the platform, looked about him with a humourous twinkle in his eye, straightened himself to his full height and crowed like a rooster! A cheer shook the building to its foundations. Roar after roa............