The New York Crowd

[JMadonna]

Thanks for your suggestions. I know Wood, inventor Samuel Morse and August Belmont were known 'peace' Democrats. I'm betting that the 'NY Crowd' refers to a state organization rather than strictly the city itself. It probably had very close ties with George Nichols and the Confederate spy ring across the Niagara river.

Here are some items I've gleaned.

From NY Times archives;
THE CONSPIRACY.; PROPOSED NORTHWESTERN CONFEDERACY The Order of "American Knights." SECRET DOINGS OF NORTHEIM TRAITORS. The Name of Vallandigham and Many Others Connected with the Affair.

Published: July 29, 1864

- A meeting of the Grand Commanders of the different States was held in the City of New-York, on the 22d day of February, for the purpose of organizing an out-break on the 10th of March, the day fixed for the draft to take place, but no definite plan was agreed upon.
- Among those in attendance at this conference were the Grand Commander in New-York

- The order in New-York is called the "MCCLELLAN Minute Men,"

Then I Found this letter from;

Headquarters Department of the Missouri,

June 22, 1864
His Excellency the President of the United States:

Since Major Hay^s departure, bearing my letter about the secret
conspiracy we have been tracing out, we have added much informa-
tion of its Southern connections, operations, uses, and intentions.
[undefined=undefined]We have also found a new element m its workings, under the name
of McClellan minutemen.[/undefined] The evident extent and anti-national
purposes of this great conspiracy compel me to. urge the considera-
tion of what bught to be done to anticipate its workings and pre-
vent the mischief it is capable of producing aijain upon your atten-
tion. Therefore I have sent the report of Colonel Sanderson, with
the details of evidence, covering 1,000 pages of foolscap, by himself,
to be carried or forwarded to you by safe hands. That report and
its accompanying papers show :

First. That there exists an oath-bound secret society, under vari-
ous names, but forming one brotherhood, both in the rebel and loyal
States, the objects of which are the overthrow of the existing na-
tional Government and the dismemberment of this nation.

Second. That the secret oaths bind these conspirators to revolution
and all its consequences of murder, arson, pillage, and an untold train of crime, including assassination and perjury, under the penalty of death to the disobedient or recusant.

Third. That they intend to operate in coniunction with rebel
movements this summer to revolutionize the loyal States if they
can.

Fourth. That Vallandigham is the supreme commander of the
Northern wing of this society, and General Price, of the rebel Army,
the supreme commander of the Southern wing of the organization ;
and that Vallandigham's return was a part of the programme, well
understood both Worth and South, by which the revolution they
proposed was to be inaugurated.

Fifth. That this association is now and has been the principal
agency by which spying and supplying rebels with means of war are
carried on between the loyal and rebel States, [undefined=undefined]and that even some
of our officers are engaged in it. [/undefined]

Sixth. That they claim to have 25,000 members in Missouri, 140,000
in Illinois, 100,000 in Indiana, 80,000 in Ohio, 70,000 in Kentucky,
and that they are extending through New York, New Jersey, Penn-
sylvania, Delaware, and Maryland.

Besides which prominent and general facts, tlie names of members,
mode of operating, and other details appear fully, showing what a
formidable power and what agencies for mischief we have to deal
with.


--- Anyone know where to look for the details of this report which supposedly gives the names of the members?