Re: [Childress Research] HERO'S of AMERICA
by Conduff G. Childress, Jr.
Dublin, VA and all the areas referred to in this message are in southwestern
VA not southeastern VA.
Con
----- Original Message -----
From: <INJACK1(a)aol.com>
To: <CHILDRESS-L(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: Saturday, August 17, 2002 8:17 PM
Subject: [Childress Research] HERO'S of AMERICA
> Not all was cut and dry during the Civil War. In the north there was the
> "Copper Heads" ,an organization loyal to the the south. In the south,
there
> was the "Hero's of America" a secret group loyal to the Union. This is a
> report of a southern "detective" assigned to inflitrate the Hero's in
> southeastern Virginia. Among the Hero's are a William Childress and his
> brothers.
>
>
>
> > DUBLIN, VA., September 20, 1864.
>
> Hon. J. A. SEDDON, Secretary of War:
> SIR: As the car was about leaving this point yesterday I wrote to you a
> hurried note stating that my plans with reference
> > to the society
> > >> known as the "Heroes of America" had been successful. The detectives,
> >> with the aid I furnished them, have passed as members of this order and
> >> are obtaining important information. We have a large list of traitors.
> >> Within ten miles of this place we find three justices of the peace and
one
> >> Methodist minister attached to the society. While in Montgomery County,
> >> among others, we have discovered the name of the sheriff recently
elected.
> >> I hae also reliable information that a prominent lawyer, one a
candidate
> >> for lieutenant-governor of the State of Virginia, is a leading membr of
> >> the treasonable order. I hae but two detectives from Richmond and two
> >> obtained here. I need more at once. The adjoining counites are full of
> >> these people, and three or four men work in such a mass too slowly. I
wish
> >> before any arrests are made to obtain testimoney against the leaders in
> >> four or five counties. I am told there are 800 members of the order in
> >> Montgomery County alone. The Governor of this State, having been
informed
> >> of the existence of a secret society for treasonable purposes in Floyd
> >> County, is taking steps to break it up. I fear his plans and mine may
> >> conflict. Would it not be well to have infomred of the measures the
> >> Government has adopted? I have efficient aid from General Echols.
>
> I am, respectfully, your obedient servant,
> HENRY J. LEORY, C. S. Commissioner. [Inclosure No. 4.]
>
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>
> OFFICE COMMISSIONER,
>
>
> Dublin, September 19, 1864.
> SIR: I have but a moment to write. My plans concerning the secret society
> have been completely successful. I need more
> > detectives. I fear the steps taken by Governor Smith may interfere with
> > mine. I have names of many members-more prominent men. Your obedient
> > servant, HENRY J. LEORY. [Inclosure No. 5.] Report of Detectives. Left
> > Dublin the 12th of September (Monday evening); stopped all night with a
Mr.
> > Morgan, north the railroad about one mile from New River bridge; started
> > next morning for the Central depot; stopped there and made inquiry for
> > parties said to be living there; could find no such parties there. Saw
> > Doctor Hammet, who informed me where some of the parties could be found;
> > took the train to Crhistinasburg; arrived there, went in search of some
of
> > the parties named; first man found was Rowsie, a German living directly
> > opposite the hotel kept by Mr. Burgess. He was standing in the door of
the
> > blacksmith shop. I walked up to him and gae him the sign of the order.
He
> > did not answer at first, seeming very shy. After a few moments made the
> > sign again. After a little while he said, "These are gloomy times here,"
> > that being one of the passwords of the order. I answered, "Yes, but we
are
> > looking for better," that being the answer. He then smiled, seeing I had
> > answered him correctly. We then had a little talk. He then introduced me
to
> > a young man named Henry Questine, who was working at the forage. I
passed
> > the sign, grip, and passwords with whim. After getting out of the
> > >> door he told Rowsie he trhought he knew me. I aksed Rowsie what his
name
> >> was. He told me. I then told him he did know me. I thereupon went in
and
> >> told him I was not passing by my full name, and asked him not to make
my
> >> name known, as it might prevent my passing about a little unsae with
the
> >> authorities, which I think he was careful in doing. Rowsie then invited
me
> >> in the adjoining shop, there introduced me to a man at the foage by the
> >> name of Fariss. I passed signs, grip, and passwords with him, and we
then
> >> had a converstion about the gloomy times and gloomy men; found him a
> >> member of the order, very much against the Confederate States; heard
> >> fromQuestine afterward that this man talked with General Averell at the
> >> time he waurg. There was also a Generman, whose name I did not learn,
at
> >> work with him, also a member of the order. By appointment with
Questine,
> >> McGill and myself walked out with him some distance on the road and had
a
> >> long conversation on the subject of the order, its members, objects,
&c.
> >> He told me of the following-named persons, members of the order: Daniel
H.
> >> Hoge, the lawyer living on the North Fork of the Roanoke River; William
> >> Harman and Captain Callahan, of tghe policy; Captain John Francis,
> >> formerly of French's battery, now sheriff-elect of the county of
> >> Montgomery. He told me this man had resigned his command, and his
> >> lieutenant had afterward carried the most of his command to the Yankee
> >> army. He also told us the organization was first formed in the county
by a
> >> man named Horace Dean, about twelve months ago, who came on from
Richmond,
> >> but whose home is in North Carolina, and that he passed through Carooll
> >> County, Va., on his way home. Also a man named Williams, a wheelwright
in
> >> Christiansburg, belonging to tghe order, and William Burnett, a
> >> cabinetmaker, of same town, who was afterward seen and conversed with
by
> >> McGill. Also one Randall Cardin, and initiating officer, who lives on
the
> >> Pepper's Ferry road, and oone Bresser, nearby, and said there were some
> >> tne of them living there near together of the order, and of a lot of
> >> deserters on a place called Tom's Creek, and said they were supplied
with
> >> poowder and caps by members in Christinasburg to resist their capture.
He
> >> mentioned in his conversation that the members of the order were bound
to
> >> convery all the information they could obtain to the enemy, and to
assist
> >> all deserters from our army. On the following day, the 14th day of
> >> September, McGill and myself were seated on the platform in front of
> >> Rowsie's dwelling; he, Rowsie, then told us that Captain John Francis,
> >> then sitting a short distance from us with several persons around him,
a
> >> ll belonged to the order, and that he was elected sheriff by reason of
his
> >> being a member of order, and also of Lawyer Daniel H. Hoge, of the same
> >> county, who was also a member of the order: that three-fourths at least
of
> >> the people of the county were members, and in Floyd County nearly all
the
> >> people, and in Giles and Montgomery, and also a greater part of the men
of
> >> the Fifty-fourth Virginia Regiment also members, and that it was widely
> >> extending in the army near Petersburg. We endeavored on the same
evening
> >> to get an interview with Captain John Francis. I sent Questine to ask
him
> >> to meet us in room No. 4 in the hotel; saw McGill; told him. We then
went
> >> on to the room; reMained there some time. Captain Frencis did not come.
I
> >> then asked McGill to go out and look for him. He went out, and saw
> >> Questine go up and speak to Francis, who directly after mounted his
horse
> >> and rode off without our speaking to him. We supposed he was afraid
> >> >>> we were not all right, and we thought the rest of the party seemed
to
> >>> be getting restless and uneasy from some cause or other. We left
> >>> Christiansburg and walked to the Montgomery Springs; left there next
> >>> morning, Thursday, 15th, for Dublin Depot; then went over to Newbern;
had
> >>> an interview with Major Leory; started next morning from Newbern for
> >>> Snowville; stopped on the route at any Hall's, between the ferry and
> >>> Sonwville; found the family strong Union people. The women seemed to
know
> >>> all about the order; one of the women know the passwords. I afterward
> >>> heard they were members of the order. any Hall said his sons and
> >>> son-in-law were in the brush, and would never serve in the Southern
Army.
> >>> Told them we were Union men in search of information to send to the
> >>> Federal Army. They seemed highly pleased. any Hall said he had never
> >>> joined the order; that his recollection was so bad he could not
remember
> >>> the passwords, &c. When we left he wlaked with us and showed us the
road;
> >>> told us to stop at his borther's, David P. Hall; that he was a member
of
> >>> the order. We then passed on to Snwville; staid all night. Left next
> >>> morning, Saturday, the 17th, for Childress' Stores; passed by, came to
> >>> the farm of William Childress, who, we had been informed, wa s a
member
> >>> of the order. Met him at home; passed sign and grip and passwrods with
> >>> him; found him to be a member of the order; had a conversation about
the
> >>> war and found him a strong Union man, much opposed to the war and the
> >>> Confederacy. Told us his brothers, Tom and Stephen, were members, and
> >>> invited us over to the distillery, where we met his brohter Tom, a
> >>> justice of the peace, who is a very strong Union man. He said, in
> >>> conversation with McGill, that some man was making brady, and would
like
> >>> to make some for Uncle Jeff; that he would make it all right. McGill
> >>> replied he would put something in it, would he not? He said yes,
seeming
> >>> much pleased. There was also a cooper named Tom W. Terry, a violent
Union
> >>> man. Captain John Francis came while we were there, and there was a
great
> >>> deal of private conversation among the party. Then we were afterward
told
> >>> by James Hight that they were consulting about killing us if they
could
> >>> find out whether we were spies sent there to find out what they were
> >>> doing. When we were in the act of leaving, Stephen Childress advised
us
> >>> not to go on to Christiansburg, but to stop with Madison Smith, a
> >>> preacher. We went on to Christiansburg next morning, Sunday, 18th;
> >>> raining quite hard; went out to Preacher Smith's; found him at home;
went
> >>> in; made the sign to him. He did not answer at first; seemed to be
> >>> suspicentered into conversation with him; told him we were recommended
to
> >>> come to see him by Stephen Childress, and, after talking sometime,
told
> >>> him, from conversation with Childress, I inferred he was a mameber of
the
> >>> Order of the Heroes of America; said he had heard of it; told him we
were
> >>> in search of information to take to the Federal Army. He was much in
> >>> favor of the Yankees and opposed to the Confederae cause. Told us we
need
> >>> not be afraid to talk to him; told him McGill was going through the
> >>> lines. During the time we were there a man named James Thompson came
in.
> >>> He was a violent Union man; said to be keeper of the poorhouse. After
> >>> remaining three or four hours, we took our leave, and had gotten some
100
> >>> yards when Preacher Smith called to us. We halted; he came up to us
and
> >>> said he supposed we understood he was all right-that he was a preacher
> >>> and must be cautions how he talked to strangers. Told him I supposed
he
> >>> was a members of the order; that he knew we were, and in as much
danger
> >>> as himself. He then
> >>> >>>> acknowledge he was; gave us the grip at parting and wished us
much
> >>>>
> >>>
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