American Knights in the State of Missouri; that he has recently made the acquaintance of a fellow prisoner named John P. Thistle, from La Fayette County, Mo., who informs him that such an organization is certainly in existence in this State, and that if the draft is enforced in September next that a hostile demonstration will be made by these parties against the General Government; that the prison here will be attacked and the inmates liberated, and from appearances in and about the Gratiot Military Prison he is satisfied that the friends confined therein belonging to and sympathizing with said order have assurances of a speedy release; that with one exception (Wells) he believe every one in the prison confined belongs to said order; that he believes Colonel Barrett, of this city, to be a prominent member of said order; he is a cousin of Doctor Barrett, of Southwest Missouri, who is a member, and working one, too; that he firmly believes Major Good, who was recently released, to be a member of said order; that the recent release of Charles L. Hunt has created quite a sensation among the prisoners, so much so that open and undisguised conjectures are made upon it; James Neal said this a. m. that Hunt belonged to it, and proofs of the fact existed against him when arrested; that Doctor Barrett, or Springfield, Mo., told him that Sample Orr was a member of said order that Wells told him recently that there was now, and had been for a long time, 15,000 stand of arms secreted in this city expressly for the use of said order whenever the occasion required; that Doctor Barrett, now in Gratiot Military Prison (a cousin to the doctor of Southwest Missouri), is, in his opinion, a leading man in this order; that he believes Doctor Barrett, or Springfield, Mo., to be a rebel emissary and to have been in the confidence and employ of the Confederate Government since the rebellion broke out; believes his business here in May last to have been connected with the rebel interest is now and always has been a thoroughly disloyal man, and informed him in May last the he (Barrett) was in constant communication with Price's army to and from Springfield, Mo., and that he was led to believe from Barrett that spies from Price's army were in and about Springfield, Mo., constantly; that he believes there are a number of men in Springfield, Mo., who belong to said order- such, for instance, as General Colley Holland, and even more influential and prominent men that he is; that it is talked openly in prison among these men that Price is to come to Missouri in person, or send a sufficient force to held this order carry into execution their plans and purposes; this is expected in September next.

ANDREW KIRKPATRICK.

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 25th day of July, 1864.

J. C. DODGE,

Lieutenant and Assistant Provost-Marshal-General.

J.

RILEY WHITING, of lawful age, being duly sworn, deposes and says that he was employed, in the United States Express Office in the capacity of freight clerk prior to May, 1864, some two or three years.

Question. Have you since your arrest and incarceration made a statement under oath touching an organization called the Order of American Knights, or Sons of Liberty?

Answer. Yes.

48 R R-SERIES II, VOL VII