Knights Of The Flaming Sword

After a Congressional inquiry into the 1915 Ku Klux Klan brought its creator William Joseph Simmons Congressman William D. Upshaw into the scorn of public opinion, Simmons was forced out of the organization he created.  Shortly after, on February 26, 1924, in Atlanta, Simmons organized the Knights of the Flaming Sword.[1]  The group's name was derived from Genesis 3 which describes driving mankind out of the Biblical Garden of Eden with a flaming sword, and came as a response to Indiana's black Oneness Pentecostal Leader Garfield T. Haywood's tract, "Victim of the Flaming Sword."[2]

Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.  So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
- Genesis 3:23-24

Roy E. Davis, who was a former ambassador at Washington for the Ku Klux Klan,[3] began touring with Simmons to recruit for the new white supremacy group.  By October, the new order had a membership of more than 600,000 men.[4]  Fifty thousand of them were expected to rally in Chattanooga, the "most gigantic meetings ever held in the south".[5]  Roy Davis personally signed up most of the recruits in Tennessee.[6]  Davis was a close friend of William Joseph Simmons, and considered him to be "one of America's greatest Christian statesmen and the Moses of the present order of things."[7]  When Simmons was banished from the 1915 Klan, Davis stood by his side.[8]  As a result, he was invited to the ceremonial organization of the Knights of the Flaming Sword, and began touring for William Joseph Simmons.[9]

The group became militant, however, against members of other white supremacy groups.[10]  In January 1925, Davis published a letter pleading with members of the Knights of the Flaming Sword to lay down their arms.[11]  Davis threatened to expose Simmons for financial reasons,[12] and parted ways with Simmons.[13]  In the letter, Davis mentioned touring with "one of the Presidential nominees", which coincides with the timeline of William D. Upshaw running for President of the United States.

Interestingly, Davis mentions a connection to Poncho Villa through one Fred Johnson.  According to Davis, Johnson was "chief of staff to Col. Simmons and also surgeon general of the Mexican army under Villa".[14]

This is the text of the proclamation issued by Roy E. Davis, Royal Ambassador of the Knights of the Flaming Sword:

PROCLAMATION ISSUED BY ROYAL AMBASSADOR:

To All Prince Regents, Evangels, Ambassadors, and Other Field Workers of the Knights of the Flaming Sword — I Officially Greet You:

For seven years I have been the personal friend of Col. Joseph Simmons, Atlanta, Ga., now supreme monarch, Knights of the Flaming Sword, and prided myself with the thought that I was associated with one of America's greatest Christian statesmen and the Moses of the present order of things.  When the Ku Klux Klan filed its many charges against Col. Simmons I clearly saw that he would be banished from that order.  Knowing it would cost me my official position with and membership in the Knights of the Ku-Klux Klan when learning of these many and dangerous complaints against the klan, I wired him that I was with him and would be with him to the end.  When he entered the courts of Fulton County, Georgia, to contest his rights as he interpreted them and when said court upon evidence issued at these hearings rendered its decision contrary to the opinion of Col. Simmons, without intending any unsavory reflection upon the honorable court of Fulton County, Georgia, I thought that my friend, Col. Simmons, had been made a victim of circumstances, of which there was no possible escape at the hands of the officials of the Ku-Klux Klan.  Again I immediately wired and wrote the colonel that I was with him and would stand by him and did it.

After the banishment papers had been made out against Col. Simmons by the imperial kloncilium and signed by Dr. H. W. Evans, imperial wizard of the klan, Col. Simmons continuing to confer the second degree of the klan.  Believing I was entitled to the honor of the second degree I went to the colonel's home and while visiting with him was raised to the second degree and that day made his personal representative.

Immediately thereafter I became quite active in conferring this second degree, which resulted in banishment papers being made out against me for entering into a conspiracy to disrupt or overthrow the klan.  I immediately replied to the charges filed against me, took this reply along with my banishment papers to 1840 Peachtree Road, Atlanta, laid them before the colonel and the then chief of staff, Dr. Fred B. Johnson, of San Antonio, Tex., and was assured that I was right in standing by the colonel.  Eight thousand copies of my reply to the wizard concerning my banishment was printed at the suggestion of the royal castle and was sent broadcast through the United States.  

Immediately after the publication of my reply I was notified to meet Col. Simmons in Jacksonville, Fla., and was also instructed to prepare an address to be delivered before this convention of klansman assembled from over nation, which address did disturb or was calculated to disturb the peace and tranquility of the minds of the klansmen over the country.  I complied with this request and did actually deliver this address in February 1924.  At this meeting I was selected as one of a committee of twelve, being the first committee in the United States formed to name the Knights of the Flaming Sword.  The next night I was billed to deliver an address in the principal theater of that city, being the first public address ever delivered in the world setting forth what at that time were believed to be the aims, principles, and purposes of the Knights of the Flaming Sword.  After the meeting, I was invited to attend a klan meeting in that city, and I did attend this klan meeting, Judge Preston B. Reynolds, of Dallas, Tex., accompanying me, and organizing the first court of the Knights of the Flaming Sword in all the world.

Soon after this meeting, I was sent to the west and the north on a speaking tour in the interest of the colonel and his organization.  Great results accompanied my efforts, particularly in the north.  Sept. 28, 1924, I received a wire to come to Atlanta, Ga., immediately.  Upon my arrival in Atlanta, I learned that a well-known gentleman of that city had secured me a position with one of the major parties to go on a speaking tour through the west in the interest of one of the presidential nominees.

While in Atlanta, incidentally, I learned the same gentleman had just been in conference with certain New York officials of the law and that he was going to be forced to appear before the New York grand jury and submit certain evidence alleged to be in his possession which would result in the indictment of my friend.  Not being connected with the organization at that time in any capacity whatsoever, but still a warm personal friend to Col. Simmons, I set in motion a series of conferences with the gentleman referred to above and with the royal castle, which finally resulted in a cessation of this gentleman's hostilities to the colonel and his movement.  I did not care to work for the colonel and his organization for reasons best known to myself, but after much preparation upon the part of the royal castle, I canceled all my engagements in the west, accepted my portfolio and came to Chattanooga, and established the state headquarters for Knights of the Flaming Sword.

I had been led to believe that Col. Simmons was one of America's greatest Christian statesmen, and the Moses of the present order of things, and so preached him to the general public, in the newspapers, and by private correspondence.

This organization was supposed, as announced by Col. William Joseph Simmons, as an eleemosynary institution.  Not one dime to date of the $150,000 appropriated by the klan to Col. Simmons, and the money he has derived from the Knights of the Flaming Sword has been given to justify this doctrine.  It was said to be a fraternal organization.  Fraternalism is an unknown quality of this organization, in that practically every worker on the field for the colonel has had to resign his position with the order because he could not get what money was due him.

Time, that great revealer of secrets and infallible exponent of all human wisdom and schemes, must pass its solemn verdict upon any movement before its just and proper character can be determined.  In the short time, this movement has been in operation time has revealed its deformities and uncovered its real purpose and submitted unmistakable evidence of its uselessness in the life of America, or its place in our distinctive American institutions.  No movement can succeed, and should not succeed, so long as that movement is dedicated to the one proposition of accumulating millions for private, personal, and greedy individuals. 

There is nothing to be had in the Knights of the Flaming Sword that cannot be had in other fraternal bodies with kindred purposes, plans, and programs.  Therefore, why continue, Sir Knights, with a movement calculated to disturb the peace and tranquility of the minds of other fraternal bodies?

I now, by virtue of my authority as royal ambassador, states at large, Knights of the Flaming Sword, ask all Sir Knights to lay down your arms and cease to prosecute your efforts in developing the principles of an organization sole propagated for financial gains.

Dr. Fred B. Johnson, chief of staff to Col. Simmons, has resigned; Judge T. O. Tuttle, head of the propagation department of this order, has resigned, and Judge Preston P. Reynolds, national evangel, has resigned, and many others, for reasons I can explain by all Sir Knights conferring with me.

(Signed) - DR. ROY E. DAVIS, Royal Ambassador, States at Large, Knights of the Flaming Sword, Incorporated.[15]