Templar Knights Commanders
The KGC remains an enigma in American history for a number of reasons. After the Civil War there were ongoing Congressional investigations. So many so, that there are three sets of thirty six volumes published. These records were sealed from public view for 90 years. Not many historians took note when they were released in the 1940’s. Today, they are available on the google books site.
The group did not fade away after the Civil War, it simple went underground. It also went undercover and infiltrated various aspects of the US government. The governor of Ohio proclaimed after the war that his state was firmly in the hands of the KGC. Clearly, they were executing their 100 year plan as the invisible hand.
Albert Pike
“We shall unleash the Nihilists and the Atheists and we shall provoke a formidable social cataclysm which, in all its horror will show clearly to the nations the effect of absolute atheism, the origin of savagery and of the most bloody turmoil. Then everywhere, the citizens, forced to defend themselves against the world minority of revolutionaries, will exterminate those destroyers of civilization, and the multitude, disillusioned with Christianity, whose deistic spirits will form direction and leadership, anxious for an ideal, but without knowledge where to render its adoration, will receive the pure light through the universal manifestation of the pure doctrine of Lucifer, brought finally out into public view, a manifestation which will result from a general reactionary movement which will follow the destruction of Christianity and atheism, both conquered and exterminated at the same time.”
Albert Pike, KGC Founder
Little Rock, Arkansas 1871
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Templar Knights
The Brownwood, Texas photo below has Henry Ford’s name written above the man with his hat over his shoulder. There are no known photos of Henry Ford with any form of facial hair. And none of the Knights in the photo are clean shaven, so it must be a different Henry Ford than the auto magnate.
KGC Meeting
Brownwood, TX
There is a folklore tale that Henry Ford went to Frank and Jesse James for a loan to finance the first Ford Motors factory. They gave Ford the funds but after a year, no cars were sold and he was broke. Ford went back to the James brothers and received additional funding. One year later Ford had sold over 1.3 million cars.
After contacting the Henry Ford Museum curator the story remains unconfirmed, as they have no records on the initial investment capital. This seems a major historical factor in the creation of their firm, not to have it come up in the past. It shall remain a mystery for now.
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Reference Material
Several personal accounts by men directly involved with the KGC were published after the Civil War.
Felix Stiegy infiltrated a Northern branch of the KGC, reporting directly to Gen. Cherrington in Lincoln’s cabinet.
http://www.archive.org/stream/authenticexposit00memb#page/80/mode/1up
Confederate Agent (Moran) is an account of a Southern James Bond moving money, men and weapons from Toronto to New Orleans and all points in between.
A southern gentleman was forced to join the KGC clan by his father. When he tried to break away, they murdered his family and sent him on a suicide mission to Texas. (Researching the title, will post later.)
The War of the Rebellion is the U.S. Congressional Investigation hearings recorded in 36 volumes. National Archives, Google Books