Knights of the Golden Circle collection
Collection — Folder: S0353
Identifier: S0353
Scope and Contents
This collection includes a 5-page manuscript Mary Adeline Denny in Indianapolis, Indiana on December 4, 1924, entitled “How the Capture of Indianapolis by the Knights of the Golden Circle, August 16, 1864, during the Civil War Was Prevented.”
Dates
- 1864
Creator
- Denny, Mary Adeline (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Rare Books and Manuscripts.
Biographical Note
Mary Adeline Denny, author of the manuscript, was the daughter of Robert Denny, who reported word of the Knights of the Golden Circle plot to Governor Oliver P. Morton in 1864. Robert Denny died May 28, 1912.
Historical Note
The Knights of the Golden Circle, later known as the Sons of Liberty, was a secret society active in the Midwest during the American Civil War. The organization was founded by Copperheads, a pejorative term for citizens, usually Democrats, from the North who opposed the Civil War and advocated restoration of the Union through peaceful negotiation.
In Indianapolis, Indiana, members of the organization were tried for treason in 1864, after Robert Denny reported a plot of the Knights to Governor Oliver P. Morton. The alleged plan was for the Knights to capture the city, raid the state arsenal, release Rebel prisoners of war at Camp Morton, and seize control of the Indiana Statehouse. The trials resulted in the Ex Parte Milligan case handed down by the United States Supreme Court in 1867.
Sources:
Information in the collection.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Copperhead." Encyclopaedia Britannica. Last modified May 3, 2017. Accessed May 2, 2018. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Copperhead-American-political-faction#ref1250934.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Knights of the Golden Circle." Encyclopaedia Britannica. Last modified November 3, 2017. Accessed May 2, 2018. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Knights-of-the-Golden-Circle.
In Indianapolis, Indiana, members of the organization were tried for treason in 1864, after Robert Denny reported a plot of the Knights to Governor Oliver P. Morton. The alleged plan was for the Knights to capture the city, raid the state arsenal, release Rebel prisoners of war at Camp Morton, and seize control of the Indiana Statehouse. The trials resulted in the Ex Parte Milligan case handed down by the United States Supreme Court in 1867.
Sources:
Information in the collection.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Copperhead." Encyclopaedia Britannica. Last modified May 3, 2017. Accessed May 2, 2018. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Copperhead-American-political-faction#ref1250934.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Knights of the Golden Circle." Encyclopaedia Britannica. Last modified November 3, 2017. Accessed May 2, 2018. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Knights-of-the-Golden-Circle.
Extent
0.01 Cubic Feet (1 folder)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
This collection contains one item.
Custodial History
This collection was received by Rare Books and Manuscripts as a donation from Mary Adaline Denny on 1924/12.
Accruals
No further additions are expected.
Processing Information
Collection processing completed 2014 February by Nikki Stoddard Schofield. EAD finding aid created 2014 February by Nikki Stoddard Schofield. EAD finding aid revised 2018/05/02 by Brittany Kropf.
Creator
- Denny, Mary Adeline (Person)
- Title
- Knights of the Golden Circle collection
- Status
- Completed
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Repository
Contact:
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
