ce of twelve hundred men--Canadian refugees, and
bushwhackers from Southern Illinois and Missouri--was to attack Camp
Douglas on Tuesday night, the 8th of November, liberate and arm the
prisoners, and sack Chicago. This was to be the signal for a general
uprising throughout the West, and for a simultaneous advance by Hood
upon Nashville, Buckner upon Louisville, and Price upon St. Louis.
Vallandigham was to head the movement in Ohio, Bowles in Indiana, and
Walsh in Illinois. The forces were to rendezvous at Dayton and
Cincinnati in Ohio, New Albany and Indianapolis in Indiana, and Rock
Island, Chicago, and Springfield in Illinois; and those gathered at the
last-named place, after seizing the arsenal, were to march to aid Price
in taking St. Louis. Prominent Union citizens and officers were to be
seized and sent South, and the more obnoxious of them were to be
assassinated. All places taken were to be sacked and destroyed, and a
band of a hundred desperate men was organized to burn the larger
Northern cities not included in the field of operations. Two hundred
Confederate officers, who were to direct the military movements, had
been in Canada, but were then stationed throughout the West, at the
various points to be attacked, waiting the outbreak at Chicago. Captain
Hines, who had won the confidence of Thompson by his successful
management of the escape of John Morgan, had control of the initial
movement against Camp Douglas; but Colonel Grenfell, assisted by Colonel
Marmaduke and a dozen other Rebel officers, was to manage the military
part of the operations. All of these officers were at that moment in
Chicago, waiting the arrival of the men, who were to come in small
squads, over different railroads, during the following three days. The
Rebel officer had known of the plot for months, but its atrocious
details had come to his knowledge only within a fortnight. They had
appalled him; and though he was betraying his friends, and the South
which he loved, the humanity in him would not let him rest till he had
washed his hands of the horrible crime.

The Commandant listened with nervous interest to the whole of this
recital; but when the Southern officer made the last remark, he almost
groaned out,--

"Why did you not come before?"

"I could not. I gave Thompson my opinion of this, and have been watched.
I think they have tracked me here. My life on your streets to-night
wouldn't be worth a bad half-dollar."

"True; bu