Hidden Eyewitness Account of KGC.

I discovered a fascinating story about the KGC while researching Bloody Bill Anderson for my group on Yahoo:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bloodybillandersonmystery 
I posted this message at the group yesterday but want to re-post it here for all of you who are interested in learning about the Knights of the Golden Circle.
***

I was called to the Library Annex today to pick up an article about
Wild Bill Longley and, since I was there, I started thumbing through
a few more local history books and what I discovered blew my mind! I
picked up a typewritten book entitled "Memoirs of Brooke Smith of
Brownwood, Texas" written by "Himself". He wrote it from 1933-35.
Brooke Smith, like Henry Ford, was one of the early-day leaders of
Brownwood, Texas. He moved to Brownwood in the mid-1870's and opened
a general mercantile and soon became a well-known and respected
banker and civic leader. Since he was only a boy at the beginning of
the Civil War, he remained at home with his parents in Indiana after
moving there from Virginia where his family owned several slaves.
Apparently, he abided by the "Code" (of silence) that Henry Ford's
great grandson Lex Johnston mentioned in his book about his great
grandfather because nothing is said about the mysterious Henry Ford
or Bill Anderson in his book. But, to my knowledge, the page I am
about to quote below has never been revealed in recent decades until
now.
***
"...his passage to Detroit, and arriving there he crossed the river
to Windsor, Canada, and stayed there until the war ended. He was
there about a year, and when he came home he had about a quart cup
full of silver money. We hadn't seen anything but greenbacks for
four years, and we thought Channing was rich. When the soldiers came
after Channing and asked where he was, Pa said, 'He said he was going
to slip over into Kentucky and join John Morgan's cavalry.' During
the war, after so many had volunteered and gone South, our vicinity
was about equally divided between the remaining northern and southern
sympathisers, and the friends of the South organized a secret
society, known as "The Knights of the Golden Circle". Our attic was
one of their favorite meeting places; they would come dark nights,
quietly, singly, and in every conceivable disguise. Camp Morton, at
Indianapolis, was a Federal military prison, and there were some
twenty to twenty-five thousand Southern prisoners confined there.
(Jim Smith was a prisoner there). Indianapolis had a large supply
arsenal, with arms and munitions and military food supplies. The
plan was that John Morgan would come over from Kentucky with his
cavalry army, and make a swift raid to Indianapolis, and that as he
came along, the Southern sympathisers would join and augment his
forces, and at the appointed and expected time the Knights of the
Golden Circle would gather at Indianapolis from all over the State,
all in all would have made a pretty large fighting force. There was
a book-binder in Indianapolis named H.H. Dodd, and the big long
revolvers to be supplied to the Knights of the Golden Circle were
shipped to Dodd from Hartford, Connecticut, labeled "Sunday School
Books', and these pistols were known as 'Dodd's Sunday School Books',
and those things would shoot; it is claimed that they would shoot
through a telegraph pole, or would shoot through a span of mules and
break both legs of the rider. My father was allotted one of the
Sunday School Books, and it is now in our family and is loaded with
the same loads he put in it to take to Indianapolis. Margan
attempted his contemplated raid, but it was not successful. Indiana
had too many railroads and too much telegraph line that cavalry
travel could not compete with, and before he got well on the way he
was overwhelmed with numbers and driven back to Kentucky. Some one
had tipped the secret of the expedition, and given the plan away, and
that is the reason that Morgan's expedition was not a big success.
The plan was to raid the arsenal, free the prison, and arm the
prisoners, which, together with Morgan, the Knights and the
prisoners, would have made history. Dodd was betrayed, arrested, and
given the death penalty, and was confined in the Indianapolis jail.
The next night was cold and drizzling, and someone went to the jail,
attracted his attention, and threw him a ball of twine, which he drew
up, sawed out of prison, came down the rope and escaped to Canada,
where he remained until the war was over. He came back to
Indianapolis and was never executed. Then there were the public
political parties that had their organizations and their flag poles
and their public speakings and torch light processions and
parades...."

-26-
****
This raises even more questions about ex-Confederates, ex-guerrillas,
and Knights of the Golden Circle who may have lived in Brown County,
Texas after the war.
~Jay~

GREAT STORY, Jay!

I suppose you know that JWJ financed Henry Ford's first efforts to build cars?  JWJ used his name as an alias... some even go so far to say that Ford and JWJ were actually just one person.

I do think Ford was in the KGC and a close associate of JWJ rather than the two being one.

Did I mention to you in a post on another thread that the president of the main bank in brownwood was at one time none other than Cole Younger?

DC

Hi DC.  I have heard a little about the JWJ/Ford Automobile information but I haven't followed up on it.  My research leads me to believe that our Brown County, Texas Henry Ford and Jesse W. James were two different men.  This is based mostly on the book about our Henry Ford that was written by his great grandson Lex Johnston.  There has long been the story circulating around our county that Jesse James's mother attended Henry Ford's funeral here in 1910.  She was partially identified by having one arm, the other having been amputated by the Pinkerton bombing of her house.
It was known that our mysterious Henry Ford was one of William C. Anderson's closest confidantes when they lived in Brown County.  In Anderson's 1924 Interview with newspaperman Henry C. Fuller, he revealed that he was Bloody Bill Anderson of Quantrill's Guerrillas and it was written in the widely-published articles about the Interview that Cole Younger had met with our Bill Anderson and came away convinced that he was his old guerrilla comrade, Bloody Bill Anderson.  I have never heard about Cole Younger being the president of a Brownwood bank but only knew that Henry Ford was in partnership with Coggin and Martin in his own bank here.  If you have information about Cole Younger in Brownwood, I would sure appreciate it if you would either post it here or email it to me at:  jay_longley@yahoo.com     
Anyone interested in learning more about Bloody Bill Anderson or the Knights of the Golden Circle are invited to join my Yahoo group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bloodybillandersonmystery
Thank you,
Texas Jay

Actually I have read that same few paragraphs while researching the KGC so it has been seen before.

Those interested in the Knights of the Golden Circle will find the following website extremely helpful.  It is the site for the War of the Rebellion Records and contains dozens of first-hand reports of the KGC during the Civil War. 

http://moa.cit.cornell.edu/moa/browse.monographs/waro.html

To retrieve all messages with the Knights mentioned in them, go to the page above and click on "Simple Search" and then use the keywords: Knights of the Golden Circle.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bloodybillandersonmystery - this is my Yahoo group where we study the real Bloody Bill Anderson, the KGC, the Civil War, and many other related topics.

~Jay~

Hi Everyone,

DC is the person I was looking for because of his statements about being targeted for ridicule when he speaks the truth.   
I know what DC says is true about the harassment that goes on when the truth is spoken. Mine doesn't stem from any gold searching, but I am interested in information only about William Columbus Anderson and finding his true ancestral family. I believe so far that he was the real Bloody Bill Anderson. I believe what he said was true about his not being killed on Oct 26, 1864. I have been researching the allied families of the men who rode with Quantrill for 17 months every day for about 6 hours. It seems that when I get very close to finding an answer, the documents that would typically be available have miraculously disappeared. I have several men and women who are descended from this one Anderson family in particular who have hit a brick wall. They have no idea they may be related to Bloody Bill Anderson. I am not going to tell them either. This is strictly for genealogical purposes. Because of DNA testing that is already going on in the Anderson families, I believe I will be able to tell eventually who his biological family was, not who other paid imposter's say his family was.

I also want to know if the KGC is still operating. Who is trying to stop me from my research?  Is it people who are guarding the gold, people wanting and trying to get the gold, or does it have something to do with books selling or the historically accepted "James family Dynasty" being left intact? I think if I knew that answer, it would help me to dodge their bullets.

Does anyone know about the tunnel in Brownwood that is not open to the public?

I believe the book by Howk has some truth to it. One has to be a discerning person to sort the fact from the fiction. I think there was definitely two Jesse and two Franks. I'll have to do much more research on that though.

When it comes to the OAK Call to Arms that was to have taken place to swell General Price's numbers in Oct 1864 and the brotherhood (Copperheads) failed to come to that action (because they would have had to do most of the fighting and dying with no real desired outcome for them), it makes perfect sense that Bill Anderson knew this was taking place. I read somewhere in the War of the Rebellion that several Texas Cavalry Regiments were on their way to Price at that time. I don't think they were aware of what had happened. They were the ones who took it very seriously and were loyal to Price. I know I will refind it and at that time I will let you know where it can be found.

Thanks for any information you can help me find about Bill Anderson or the tunnel in
Brownwood. Does the freedom of Information Act come into play when the public is denied access to the tunnel, or at least a knowledge of the history and contents of the tunnel?

L Anderson Way

Hey Texas Jay. I read in your article where it mentions H.H.Dodd in Indiana. I found record where H.H. Dodd was a member of the Indiana Delegation to the Democratic National Convention  in 1864. He was a delegate representing the 6th District of Indiana. Just to give you an idea of the political connections of Dodd in regards to the artice you posted.

Here is a link to the manuscript for the treason trial of Harrison H. Dodd ( H.H. Dodd ) in case  anyone is interested

http://www.iment.com/maida/familytree/burnett/treasontrial.htm

Here is an interesting read. It is a Thesis done by a Princeton Student in 2005 about the Civil War and some mention of the KGC is in it. I will warn you it is 135 pages long.

http://web.princeton.edu/sites/jmadison/awards/2005-Coleman_Thesis.pdf

Thank you so much for posting! I can't wait to read it!

Cavers5

Thank you, Junior, for posting the links to this fascinating information.  I am on a deadline now to finish reading and taking notes from "Jesse James and the Lost Cause" but I will post these links at our Bloody Bill Anderson Mystery group for our members' education.  Of course, I will read them both as soon as I complete my current reading project.

Texas Jay

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bloodybillandersonmystery 

I have recently learned of the existence of an old photograph of a KGC
meeting in Brownwood, Texas! The original was owned by Henry Ford III,
great grandson of Brownwood's Henry Ford who was believed by some to be
Jesse Woodson James and who was known to be a close friend and
confidant of Col. William C. Anderson of Salt Creek, Brown County,
Texas who we have historically proven was the one and only Bloody Bill
Anderson. My source has a copy of this photograph which shows 12 or 13
Brownwood KGC members at a meeting in this town. All are dressed in
black uniforms with the exception of one man, presumably the leader,
whose uniform is white. All have red crosses on their sleeves. My
very reliable source said that the man in white was either "Old Man
Yancey" or Major John Y. Rankin. It is critical, therefore, to learn
the exact identity of this Yancey and to locate photos of both of these
men to post in our Photos section so that, when I get a copy of this
amazing photograph and have it scanned, we can determine who the man in
white actually was.
~Jay~

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bloodybillandersonmystery

Dear Texas Jay, Just curious...........how can one tell that the crosses are red in a photograph that should pre-date color photography?

I have recently learned of the existence of an old photograph of a KGC
meeting in Brownwood, Texas! The original was owned by Henry Ford III,
great grandson of Brownwood's Henry Ford who was believed by some to be
Jesse Woodson James and who was known to be a close friend and
confidant of Col. William C. Anderson of Salt Creek, Brown County,
Texas who we have historically proven was the one and only Bloody Bill
Anderson. My source has a copy of this photograph which shows 12 or 13
Brownwood KGC members at a meeting in this town. All are dressed in
black uniforms with the exception of one man, presumably the leader,
whose uniform is white. All have red crosses on their sleeves. My
very reliable source said that the man in white was either "Old Man
Yancey" or Major John Y. Rankin. It is critical, therefore, to learn
the exact identity of this Yancey and to locate photos of both of these
men to post in our Photos section so that, when I get a copy of this
amazing photograph and have it scanned, we can determine who the man in
white actually was.
~Jay~

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bloodybillandersonmystery

Good question, Sally.  Perhaps I stated something based on my knowledge of the KGC and Brown County history that is not known by most people...not yet at least.  It is true that I did not determine that based on the black and white photo alone. 
Texas Jay
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bloodybillandersonmystery

I have asked this question before but I think it was on another topic.  In the movie National Treasure 2 the KGC agents are seen wearing a pin that says "KGC".  Can anyone tell me what the actual pin worn by the Knights looked like?

Hi WRozier.  You ask an excellent question.  Since "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" by Disney Pictures based the movie on the Knights of the Golden Circle, I believe the inclusion of identification badges was pure fiction used to reveal this extremely secretive organization's members to the moviegoers.  From my extensive research, I can assure you that KGC members did not flaunt their memberships in this secret society.  To do so would have meant certain death.  Some have said that, during the Civil War, Knights carried a concealed, copper large cent to identify themselves to other members.  They revealed themselves to other Knights by certain handshakes, body symbolism, and a complex question and answer session which would only be known to other Knights.  Using this conversational technique, one could determine of what rank in the order the other person was. 
Texas Jay
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bloodybillandersonmystery - if you are not yet a member of our free group, now is the time to join as we are making some historical revelations.

Here is a photo of the old bank building that Brooke Smith built in 1876.  Previously his bank, in Brownwood, Texas, was called Pecan Valley Bank and sat on our Courthouse Square.  The banks new name became Brooke Smith and Company.  The sides are imbedded with iron five-point stars which were one of the Knights of the Golden Circle's primary symbols.  The new bank sat right across the street from Henry Ford's Coggin, Ford and Martin Bank on Baker Street.  Ford's bank was also built in 1876.  I believe both structures were built by KGC stonemasons and craftsmen who were brought over from Europe. 
~Texas Jay

Here is a photograph I took of the south side of the Brooke Smith and Company bank building in Brownwood, Texas.  This photo clearly shows the iron five-point stars (near the highline wire) on this side of the building which was built in 1876 by KGC craftsmen.
~Texas Jay

Here are a couple of photos I took of the Coggin, Ford and Martin Bank building which sits right across Baker Street in Brownwood, Texas from the Brooke Smith bank building.  Both buildings were built in 1876 by KGC stonemasons. 
~Texas Jay

Seems like your "mainstream history" is wrong about a lot of things, doesn't it? 
~Texas Jay

Since you are an authority on Texas history, swr, then you are familiar with the fact that The Order of the Lone Star was a secret organization that was greatly responsible for starting the successful Texas Revolution with Mexico in 1836.  This was one of the motivating factors that resulted in the creation of the Knights of the Golden Circle in 1854.  The Knights Templar also used a five-point star as one of their symbols hundreds of years before there even was a "Texas".  True history is never wrong.  "Mainstream" or "traditionalist" history is often wrong, usually intentionally so.  Finding masses of buried treasure is not that important to me but correcting mistakes made by later-day "historians" is.  Like I've said many times before: I am a treasure hunting and metal detecting hobbyist. 

    http://www.johnhorse.com/trail/04/a/16.htm  - one incomplete account of the Order of the Lone Star.

~Texas Jay

Listening my friends

Don  Jose de La Mancha

I want to post a photo of Brooke Smith to this thread.
Brooke Smith (1853-1940)
~Texas Jay

Seems like your "mainstream history" is wrong about a lot of things, doesn't it? 
~Texas Jay

Very interesting. History is wrong, so that you can find buried treasure. Also notable: Texas, being the Lone Star State has always had an association or affiliation with the five-point star. Years and years before the creation of the Knights of the Golden Circle. Chances are, the five-pointed stars on the buildings are more of a Texas thing, than a secret organization squirreling away tons and tons of gold/silver

Jay, I've also seen a building of the period you suspect has decoration of five points with those stars.  If inspected, these seem to be the final touches of major floor anchoring that "drill" or press into the structure at the second floor level with heavy iron support rods.  There was a choice of decoration to finish off these supports outside the building and the five-pointed star was chosen in this case.

There has been a steady move away from the Saxon star of six-points for a couple of hundred years that I've seen in artwork, flags and architecture.  In heraldry most of the ancient stars were six-pointed ones but in today's representation of the same arms those shields moved to displaying five points.

The five-pointed star was a popular one among the public.  Where the U.S. government steadily used six-pointed ones on all flags (including Betsey Ross' regardless of cover articles) it was the five-pointed more popularly seen in public hands.  There seems to have been an undercurrent toward five points.  By the time of the late 1800s it is no surprise these would have been used. 

Curiously, I'm beginning to form an opinion that the closer one is to the Freemasons the more distant one is to that star of five points contrary to George Washington Bickley's (reported founder of the KGC) personal possessions on capture.  It may be that his Liberty penny and two, five-pointed stars of a general's rank were so because by that time accessory stars of Yankee military wear were five-pointed except for federal horse blanket. 

The triangular five-pointed star of the Freemasons may simply be a knock-off version much as with the similar two-triangle version to the ancient six-pointed Saxon star.  Just my opinion but I don't think the double-triangle is as old as the solid version.  Judaic slave traders of Newport, Rhode Island probably got into the Freemasons early in America's history because of business ties.  A good question to resolve would be if the Freemasons were drifting toward the five-pointed star and taking America with it or if the Freemasons from 1717 were a continuation of the true ancient order?  The ancient Knights Templars escorted Christian pilgrims on their way to the Holy Land.  Today's Knights Templars first accept any man and his god in fraternity--doesn't sound the same.  Something altered percepts but figuring out what the introduced element was might lead to clue of star meanings.

In the Washington D.C. Freemason temple there is on display a "copy" of the Ark of the Covenant so the six-pointed star holds this background which is knowledge no longer widely understood in public terms.  Most of the last Protestant preachers with the Christian Israel message pass out of life while later ones have been absorbed by "modern" seminaries and a later Christian message just a little different.  A "for example" can be found in that Medieval churches required baptism before entering. Many of today's churches do not consider it necessary at all.

Too bad for us but large amounts of investigation are needed to get to the bottom of most any subject these days.

Gary

Believe whatever you want but I know that the five-point star was a primary symbol of the KGC whether it was on a KGC flag, used in the "northwest" to signify a house belonged to members or in the case of the window in Bloody Bill Anderson's farm house at Salt Creek, Texas.  This fact is so well-documented that arguing about it is not worth the time it takes. 
~Texas Jay

Believe whatever you want but I know that the five-point star was a primary symbol of the KGC whether it was on a KGC flag, used in the "northwest" to signify a house belonged to members or in the case of the window in Bloody Bill Anderson's farm house at Salt Creek, Texas.  This fact is so well-documented that arguing about it is not worth the time it takes.  ~Texas Jay

Jay, I'd rather see the additional or supporting evidence than cut this off with a claim of arguing the point.

Gary

Hi Gary.  I suggest you perform a Messages Search at our Bloody Bill group using the following separate phrases and you will find much evidence that proves this.  Keywords: [five-point star] & [5-point star].  You may even want to post a message on our board asking for more proof and I am sure some of our members will be happy to offer it.
~Texas Jay
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bloodybillandersonmystery

Here's one example for you from James D. Horan's "Confederate Agent" which I read recently.  Page 29

http://www.archive.org/stream/confe.../confederateagent011673mbp_djvu.txt

The lone-star flag mentioned contains, of course, a five-point star.  This emphasize my main point that the five-point star was one of the primary symbols of the Knights of the Golden Circle.  It was so important that the KGC put it on their own flag!  I think Bob Brewer said it best when he recommended that those who are asking all the questions do some real research and reading of their own.

***
"...The next day at Croydon, Indiana, Hines, in the advance guard,
charged a band of militia firing from behind rail fences, and Morgan's
acting adjutant was killed at his side. Passing through Croydon, the
column, took the Salem road, camping eighteen miles from the town.
A short halt was made in Salem the next day to feed the troops and
the horses. Hines burned several railroad bridges in and around the
town. In Salem pillaging was so widespread the provost marshal re-
ported to Duke he could not control it. "It was senseless and purpose-
less," Duke later recalled.

One man carried for two days a bird cage with three canaries.
Another rode with a large chafing dish tied to the pommel of his
saddle until an officer forced him to cut it loose. The weather was
boiling hot, yet several troopers hung ice skates about their necks.
The looting had its serious side. The homes of Copperheads, from
which hung the lone-star flag of the Knights of the Golden Circle, as
well as homes of Union men, were looted. In fact, the homes of Cop-
perheads became special targets for Morgan's raiders, "Give for the
cause you love so well/' they told the protesting Knights..."

***

~Texas Jay

Well, it sounds like you need to argue with James D. Horan then because he was the first to see the files on the KGC that were locked up for nearly 90 years.  Once again, I remind you of the Order of the Lone Star which preceeded the Texas Revolution.  Keep reading and let me know when you get caught up. 
~Texas Jay 

All the government's files on the KGC were sealed for nearly 90 years according to a source you quote often but obviously haven't even read the Introduction to, SWR.  "Confederate Agent" by James D. Horan, 1954.  I have no intention of writing an action adventure novel or any other kind of book despite your and other naysayers' claims during the past four years.  Yes, you replied to the Order of the Lone Star previously but like all of your posts, it was incorrect.  Attached is a photograph of one KGC flag that Bob Brewer kindly shared with me from his extensive research over many decades.  This photostat copy is of a card that was found on Mrs. Bickley when she was detained and the card itself is located in the National Archives in D.C. 
~Texas Jay   

Well, SWR, first you argue with James D. Horan.  Then you argue about solid proof in the National Archives.  Pretty soon, all of your "mainstream" historian allies are going to leave you "flapping in the breeze" if they haven't already.  ha.
~Texas Jay

Thanks, Gary, but the find was not mine.  It was Bob Brewer's discovery which was in the National Archives in Washington, D.C..  Despite claims to the contrary, this just illustrates, one more time, how much real research and dedicated work has gone into Bob's books and treasure hunting over many years.  Bob, in the few years I've known him, has always been willing to freely share his findings with me in order to help others understand our history better.   
~Texas Jay   

tag

I was browsing the digital collection of S.M.U. last night when I came upon this historic photo of one of Brownwood's leading businessmen, Maj. John Y. Rankin, C.S.A.  Our Bloody Bill Anderson Mystery Group has been researching Major Rankin since 2006 when we began our investigation into Bloody Bill Anderson and the KGC.  Below, I am going to post a few of the most important messages that have been posted on our message board that give details about this outstanding Brownwood citizen.
~Texas Jay

***
From: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bloodybillandersonmystery

Re: Major John Y. Rankin of Brown County.


Here is an older message from this board that tells a few things about Major
John Y. Rankin, C.S.A.
~Jay~

--- In BloodyBillAndersonMystery@yahoogroups.com, "Jay Longley"
<jay_longley@...> wrote:
>
> I visited the Library Annex, this afternoon, looking for one thing
> and came away with some other information that I thought was of value
> to our study. I found a typewritten thesis by Robert E. Blair
> written in the 1930's entitled: "The History of Brownwood". Blair
> dedicated a few pages to Major John Y. Rankin. Rankin was born in
> 1840 in Lexington, Kentucky and died in Brownwood in 1934. He also
> lived for awhile in Missouri when he was a teenager. Blair says of
> him:
> "In 1861 he entered the Confederate army and served through the war,
> going from there to Henderson...In 1870 he moved to Brownwood."
> Major Rankin was "Brownwood's first real estate promoter and
> salesman...For many years Major Rankin was the only notary public
> available in Brownwood."
> ***
> So Major Rankin is definitely a person of interest in our
> investigation to determine the truth about Brown County's Colonel
> Bill Anderson. Anderson must have been well-acquainted with Major
> Rankin as Brownwood was not heavily-populated when both men came to
> town. Another thing to note is that Rankin did not die until 1934 -
> 10 years after Colonel Bill Anderson publicly announced that he was
> Bloody Bill Anderson and 7 years after Anderson died. I believe
> Rankin was probably one of the "few closest friends" that Bill
> Anderson confided in. My question to the other side of the debate is
> this: "Here is a Confederate officer that had to have known Colonel
> William C. Anderson well so why, after Anderson died, did Major
> Rankin not blow the whistle on him and expose him as the fraud you
> believe he was?"
> ~Jay~
***

Re: John Y Rankin


Here is a post our member Ruth Lyle made upon joining our group.
~Jay~

--- In BloodyBillAndersonMystery@yahoogroups.com, "Ruth" <ralyle@...> wrote:
>
> I just joined today and am looking forward to sharing information.
> My great grandfather is Maj John Y Rankin and I have lots of
> information on him although always looking for more. He was born in
> 1833 in Lexington KY and died in Brownwood in Feb 1924. He moved to
> Boonville, Missouri in 1840 and was educated in the Kemper Institute
> in Boonville. He moved to St Augustine, Tx in 1853 and then to
> Henderson Tx in 1854. He was a Lt in Capt Giles Bogges's Co A Tx
> Ranger from 1854-1855. Moved to Navasota Tx in 1861. In 1861 he
> was again in the Tx Rangers and then in the service of the
> Confederate states in the 25th Tx calvery. At the end of the war he
> returned to Tx. He married Sarah Shed in Henderson Tx. He refused
> to take the "oath of allegiance" and moved to Comanche Tx in 1869.
> He moved to Brownwood in 1872. He again was with the Tx Rangers
> from Nov 1872 for a few months. He had 5 children and his wife,
> Sarah died in 1878. In 1879 he married Josephine Wiggins. He was
> very much involved with the United Confederate Veterans at
> Brownwood. I do have more details than this on him so if anyone has
> any questions or additional information I would love to share.
> I will go through the writings I have from John Y and see if I can
> find anything that relates to Anderson. I do not remeber any
> mention of him but I will check again. We have lots of pictures so
> will go through them when I can. I do know of a picture we have on
> a U.C.V reunion. Anyway I am very exicted to have found this group.
> Ruth
>
***

Re: Brown County information


One of the amazing facts about Maj. Rankin is that he possessed a calling card
of John Wilkes Booth as Ruth Lyle states in this message. We've documented that
Booth was a KGC and also that a man by the name of John Ravenswood lived in
Brownwood for a year in the 1870s and claimed to be John Wilkes Booth. So the
big question is: Did Booth give Rankin his calling card sometime during the War
or did Booth escape killing after the Lincoln assassination and give it to Maj.
Rankin during his year in Brownwood living as John Ravenswood?
~Jay~

--- In BloodyBillAndersonMystery@yahoogroups.com, "Jay Longley"
<jay_longley@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Ruth. Thank you so much for assisting us in our study. Major
> Rankin's writings, which you have in your possession, will undoubtedly
> help us break through many of the barriers of misinformation that has
> been spread about our county's history. Your mention of John Wilkes
> Booth possibly living in Brownwood could send shock waves through the
> entire historical community.
> I have posted everything I could find about John Ravenswood, who lived
> in Brownwood for a short time and claimed on his deathbed later that he
> was John Wilkes Booth, on this message board. The best account was
> presented by Tevis Clyde Smith in his book "Frontier's Generation"
> which was published in 1931. I own a rare First Edition copy of this
> book and have posted much of it on our message board. To retrieve the
> messages dealing with John Ravenswood, simply type that name into our
> Messages Search box. To retrieve all messages about the author, just
> type his name Tevis Clyde Smith in the Search box.
> Thank you,
> ~Jay~
>
>
>
>
> --- In BloodyBillAndersonMystery@yahoogroups.com, "Ruth" <ralyle@>
> wrote:
> >
> > As I go through the writings of John Y Rankin I will gladly share
> > information. If anyone has a particular name (I know I will be
> > looking for Anderson) please let me know so that I will keep my eyes
> > open for it.
> >
> > Also I noticed information on John Wilkes Booth - there is a picture
> > (calling card) among John Y's papers of Booth. I wondered about it
> at
> > the time I found it. What information does anyone have on his living
> > in Brownwood?
> >
> > Ruth
> >
>
***

http://digitalcollections.smu.edu/c...php?CISOROOT=/jtx&CISOSTART=1,1

Here is a photograph I took last year of Major Rankin's tombstone.  He was a member of the Oddfellows Lodge (I.O.O.F.) in Brownwood, Texas after the war.  His grave is located in Greenleaf Cemetery in Brownwood.  Notice the "chain links" near the top of the monument.  His grave is in the Masonic section of this cemetery, near Henry Ford's grave.  There are several points that indicate that Maj. Rankin was KGC in his biography and even more in his life story after he came to Brownwood.  One is that he had the calling card of John Wilkes Booth among his personal possessions and diaries.  Booth was KGC before the Civil War even started.  Then, one will notice that he never signed the "oath of allegiance" to the Union after the War.  Then you see he was a Texas Ranger on at least two occasions.  Then, he chose to live out his life in the most pro-Southern frontier towns in Texas - Comanche and then Brownwood.  With all these KGC trademarks appearing in his life story, it would be a great stretch to even try to assume that Major Rankin was not a KGC member.
~Texas Jay
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bloodybillandersonmystery     

Jay,

Keep posting my friend. Some of us appreciate your work.
Those that don't....well what can I say?

TW

Thanks, Timberwolf, for your kind words of support.  Don't worry, I've been successfully battling the naysayers for over 4 years now and will continue to confront them with the facts despite all of their protests.  The tide is rapidly turning in our favor as public interest in learning the truth about the KGC is at an all-time high.  I believe Bob Brewer and Warren Getler got the ball moving with the publishing of "Shadow of the Sentinel" ("Rebel Gold").  Then Walt Disney Pictures made the movie "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" with Bob Brewer serving as a consultant.  It followed up the highly-successful first "National Treasure".  For a couple of years now, The History Channel has been regularly airing documentaries about the Knights and, tonight, they will air "Jesse James' Hidden Treasure" which will take another look at the KGC and also at the alleged death of Jesse James in 1882.  One of the Moderators of our Yahoo group will be working with me this month on another very important project involving the Knights of the Golden Circle.  The results of our work will be viewable worldwide by early next year.  The 1995 exhumation of "Jesse James" is coming under closer scrutiny by formerly "mainstream" media and is being exposed for the fraud that it was.  We are taking the offensive regarding the truth about Bloody Bill Anderson and will continue our demands that some credible historical organization finally exhume the grave at Richmond, Missouri where traditionalists have erroneously claimed Bill Anderson was buried.  This is a very exciting and productive time for all of us who want the truth to be told about the Civil War and the Knights of the Golden Circle.  Add to this all the great friends I've made in recent years due to this work, like you Timberwolf, and you have something that no amount of money could buy.   
~Texas Jay
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bloodybillandersonmystery   

Jay,

Thanks for the kind words, but I must admit that I am nothing special.
I consider myself a "truth seeker', but I am still just a humble "fleshy air-breather".

TW

Fun reading yalls posts...just need to mention that the KGC had uniforms. Legion, Division, Regiment, and Company flags, insignia worn on the breast etc..the specifications of which can be found in Bickley's Rules and Regs of the KGC found at NARA in DC. Whether or not any of these flags were made is unknown. Only one known Confederate KGC flag exists.