I would disagree that the Knights were an offshoot of the Masons. The group was designed after the Masons. Binkley was a snake oil salesman and ended in disgrace.That is not to say there weren't some prominent Masons in the Knights or those with good intentions.I could never figure out why would a son of the Confederacy hoard gold for the second coming when it could be put to good use in the first effort?The truth is the south didn't have specie and based there finance on cotton.
I claim to be no expert but, have researched many of the secret societies of the civil war because of my families trials and tribulations. The truth is the Federal government had infiltrated them all.Some at very high levels.Perhaps human decency called the truce....