International Incident

An "International Incident" involving a former foreign consul in St Louis, Mo., during the Civil War! Now wait just a minute! One would think that situations such as this happened in Washington, D.C., and Richmond, Va.; and they did, but to have one west of the Mississippi River, that seems a bit far fetched. Granted. St, Louis was a cosmopolitan city and still is today, but during the Civil War many of its citizens were of the Southern Persuasion and espionage was practiced by both the North and the South! Secret societies such as the southern Knights of the Golden Circle and Order of American Knights were known as well as were individual spies. Then as now, foreign consuls and diplomats have diplomatic immunity; however, finding a former Belgian consul in St. Louis who was involved in "treasonable practices" was a surprise!

President Abraham Lincoln became involved in this particular incident and all of the documents are located on Pages 337, 338, 505, 506 and 717 in Series I, Vol. 41, Part II Correspondence of the Official Records of the War of the Rebellion.

Washington, D. C., June 13, 1864 -- 3:00 p.m.

Major General Rosecrans Saint Louis, Mo.,

The President directs that the archives and papers of the Belgian consulate, alleged to have been taken from the possession of Mr. Hunt, late Belgian consul by your provost-marshal, be returned to him and that no proceedings be had against him without orders from this Department; that you release him if he be imprisoned and that you report by telegraph what proceedings, if any, have been had by your provost-marshal or any other officer under your command, in reference to Mr. Hunt or the papers and archives of his consulate and the grounds or causes of such proceedings.

Edwin M. Stanton Secretary of War."

Headquarters Department of the Missouri, St Louis June 13, 1864

Hon. E. M. Stanton, Washington, D. C.: It is impossible that the President can be advised in the case of Hunt, or he would never have given such an order. Please say to him that the ends of justice and the public interests would be gravely periled by its execution! I therefore request that it be suspended until he hears a report on the subject from his private secretary (Major John Hay) who is now here.

W. S. Rosecrans, Major General.

[Major General Rosecrans took umbrage and disagreed with President Lincoln, his Commander-In-Chief, on the disposition of the former Belgian Counsel, the Honorable Charles L. Hunt and didn't hesitate to tell the President why in the following telegram. Today the last sentence of this telegram would probably be considered as insubordination and would result in the dismissal or reduction in rank of author, but during the Civil War, Major General Rosecrans survived and remained in command)

Headquarters Department of the Missouri, St. Louis, June 13, 1864

The President, Washington, D. C.: Charles L. Hunt was arrested for treasonable practices, one of the cases referred to in my late dispatches. They do not in my judgment, admit of bail or enlargement. When you are beset for action in such cases, your departmental commander ought to be heard before an order can justly be given in the premises.

W. S. Rosecrans, Major General

Headquarters Department of the Missouri, June 22, 1864.

His Excellency the President of the United States: Since Major Hay's (one of the President's private secretaries) departure, bearing my letter about the secret conspiracy we have been tracing out, we have added much information of its Southern connections, operations, uses, and intentions.

We have also found a new element in its workings, under the name of McClellan Minuteman. The evident extent and anti-national purposes of this great conspiracy compel me to urge the consideration of what ought to be done to anticipate its workings and prevent mischief it is capable of producing again upon your attention. Therefore I have sent the report of Colonel Sanderson, with the details of evidence, covering 1,000 pages of foolscap (writing paper) 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 various names, but forming one brotherhood, both in the rebel and loyal States, the objects of which are the overthrow of the existing national 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 [one who refuses to obey instructions].

Third: That they intend to operate in conjunction 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 part of the program, well understood both North 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 and that even some of our officers are engaged in it.

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, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland.

Besides which prominent and general facts, the 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.

With this synopsis of the report, it is respectfully submitted, with the single remark that whatever orders you may deem best to give, it must be obvious to Your Excellency that leading conspirators like "Charles L. Hunt" and Dr. Shore of Saint Louis, arrested for being implicated in the association, cannot be released without serious hazard to the public welfare and safety.

W. S. Rosecrans, Major General."

Headquarters, Department of the Missouri St Louis, Mo., Aug. 15, 1864.

Major General Canby, Commanding Division of West Mississippi: General: The secret order is tamed down, but still formidable and active.

We today, intercepted a cipher letter (Note: a letter written in a secret code using a set of predetermined symbols) to General Price from some spy in this city, who says he very much regrets not being able to see Hunt, the grand commander and did not until yesterday find his successor, whom he could not name even in that cipher.

The (secret) order is as formidable and potent for mischief, if occasion offers, as has been represented. I hope we may be able to break loose the lower degrees from the control of the higher, not perhaps in Missouri, but other states.

Please advise me of such matters as affect our safety here.

W. S. Rosecrans, Major General.

The ultimate fate of the Honorable Charles L. Hunt, the former Belgian consul is not known, but what is known is that as of Aug.15, 1864 he, the grand commander, was still in prison, under arrest. This of course created much frustration and anxiety among his fellow "spies" of the "Southern Persuasion" and of course the war went on!