Why was the Ku Klux Klan important during civil war or just why they important?

Once again I concur with Jack, he is correct in saying the KKK did not exist yet, they were formed after the Civil War had ended. I do not believe under any stretch of the imagination that they were important....they were essentially a terrorist group that tormented, beat, and hanged defenseless former slaves. There is nothing whatsoever honorable about them, verified by the fact that they felt the need to disguise their identity with hoods on their heads. They operated outside of the law, but in many cases the law was wearing hoods too. They were cowards, they were bullies, they were criminals....how do you ever get the notion that they were important?????