County, Virginia. He went to school to Jed Hotchkiss and was graduated as valedictorian of his class from Washington and Lee University, in 1873, and a year later from the Union Theological Seminary, near Hampden-Sidney, Virginia. From 1874 to 1880 he was pastor of a Presbyterian church at Broadway, Virginia, and from 1880 to 1902 he served a church in Pulaski, Tennessee. He died in 1902 after a six months' residence in Bristol, Tennessee, as pastor of the First Presbyterian Church. He was not a member of the Klan, but was acquainted with the founders and with many other former members, and had access to all the records of the order that had not been destroyed. In addition to information received from other members, Wilson was assisted by Captain Lester, who furnished most of the facts used, revised the manuscript and the book was printed with both names on the title page. As a general account of the Ku Klux movement Lester and Wilson's History leaves something to be desired. It is colored too much by conditions in Tennessee. No knowledge is shown of other organizations similar to Ku Klux Klan, when in fact there were several other very important ones, such as the White Brotherhood, the White League, the Pale Faces, the Constitutional Union Guards, and one, the Knights of the White Camelia,' that was larger than the Klan and covered a wider territory. Then, too, in an attempt to make a moderate statement that would be generally accepted, the authors failed to portray clearly the chaotic social, economic and political conditions that caused the rise of such orders, and in endeavoring to condemn the acts of violence committed under cloak of the order they went too far in the direction of apologetic explanation. Consequently, the causes seem somewhat trivial and the results not very important.2 It would seem from their account that after a partial success, the movement failed in 1 The Constitution and Ritual of the Knights of the White Camelia have been printed in West Virginia University Documents relating to Reconstruction, No. 1. 2 Tourgee's "Invisible Empire" gives the carpetbagger's view of the Ku Klux movement, and, though filled with worthless testimony from the Ku Klux Report, it shows a very clear conception of the real meaning of the movement and a correct appreciation of its results. The best later interpretation is that of Mr. William Garrott Brown in "The Lower South," Ch. 4. 1. D. L. Wilson, one of the authors of "Ku Klux Klan." 2. Major J. R. Crowe, one FACING PAGE 19 11 its attempt to regulate society, and degenerated into general disorder. This is a superficial conclusion and is not concurred in by the survivors of the period and those who understand the conditions of that time. The remnants of such a secret, illegal order were certain to degenerate finally into violence, but before it reached this stage it had accomplished much good in reducing to order the social chaos.1 In view of the fact that the Lester and Wilson account does not mention names it will be of interest to examine the personnel of the original Pulaski Circle, out of which the Klan developed. (See P. 52). There were six young men in the party that first began to meet in the fall and winter of 1865: (1) Captain John C. Lester, of whom something has been said. (2) Major James Richard Crowe, now of Sheffield, Alabama, who was a native of Pulaski and was educated at Waterbury Academy and Giles College. When the Civil War began he was studying law in Marion, Alabama, and enlisted at once in the Marion Rifles, Com 1 For a full account of its work in Alabama see Fleming's "Civil War and Reconstruction in Alabama," Ch. 21. |