California Knights of the Golden Circle

Dr. Ted Boyias has searched all available sources on the elusive Knights of the Golden Circle and related secret societies in California. His account reveals the web of intrigue spun by California Southern sympathizers and the Uni…

Dr. Ted Boyias has searched all available sources on the elusive Knights of the Golden Circle and related secret societies in California. His account reveals the web of intrigue spun by California Southern sympathizers and the Union agents who acted to obstruct them.

His account begins with Californians fighting against other Californians, each group serving a different national interest. While all Confederate States except South Carolina, sent troops to fight for the Union, California was the only free state to send an organized military unit to fight for the Confederacy.

What were the Knights of the Golden Circle? When did the Knights of the Golden Circle begin? Who led them? Who was involved with them? Were they a threat to the United States, and if so, how did the federal government respond?

Dr. Boyias addresses each of these questions in the following pages.