File:Battles and sketches of the Army of Tennessee (1906) (14576444417).jpg

Identifier: battlessketcheso00ridl (find matches)
Title: Battles and sketches of the Army of Tennessee
Year: 1906 (1900s)
Authors: Ridley, Bromfield Lewis
Subjects: Confederate States of America -- History, Military United States -- History Civil War, 1861-1865
Publisher: Mexico, Mo. : Missouri Printing & Publishing Co.
Contributing Library: New York Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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3) the anomalous and pecu-liar condition of affairs in the South at this time. The mystery and secrecy with which the Klan veiled itself madea singular impression on the minds of many who united with it. Themost common conclusion reached by those whose attention was at-tracted to the Klan was that it contemplated some great and impor-tant mission; its rapid extension was regarded as confirmatory of thisconclusion; and, when admitted to membership, this impression wasdeepened rather than dispelled by what they saw and heard. There 6±6 BATTLES AND SKETCHES ARMY OF TENNESSEE. was not a word in the ritual, or in the obligation, or in any part of theceremony, to favor it; but the impression still remained that this mys-teriousness and secrecy, the high sounding titles of the officers, thegrotesque dress of the members, and the formidable obligation to pro-found secrecy, all meant more than mere sport. This conviction wasineradicable, and the attitude of many of its members continued to be
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THE FLAG BEARER OF THE INVISIBLE EMPIRE. that of expecting great developments. Each had his own speculationsas to what was to be the character of the serious work which the Klan l Hi: M KL1 \ KLAN. 647 was to do. It was an unhealthy arid dangerous state of mind; bad re-sults very naturally followed from it. The impression made on the public was the second cause whichcontributed to the transformation of the Klans into regulators. Whentin- Klan firsl began to hold its meetings in the dilapidated houthe hill, passers-b) were frequent. Most of them passed the grim andly sentinel on the roadside in silence, hut always with a quick-ened step. Occasionally one would stop and ask: Who are you?Tn awful sepulchral tones, the invariable answer was: A spirit fromthe other world. I was killed at ChickamaUga. Such an answer.especially when given to a superstitious negro, was extremely terrify-ing; arid1 if. in addition, he heard the uproarious noises issuing fromthe den al the moment of a candidate

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