NEWSPAPER CORRESPONDENCE
LETTERS TO THE NEW YORK TRIBUNE
TOPEKA, KANSAS, July 14, 1856.
Do you know for what Mr. J. Speer,
Editor of The Kansas
Tribune, and a dozen or more others -- some of the best men in
Kansas--have been compelled to flee from
their families and
homes and become exiles in a strange
land? If you do not, the
sub-joined letter will initiate you into
the secret. How the
original letter was obtained I know not,
but I have seen it, and
the following is a verbatim et
literatim copy:
LECOMPTON,
April 20, 1856.
"Maj. J. B. Donaldson:
"My dear Sir: Sam'l N. Wood is now
in Lawrence, and I
wish you to send me the writ against
him. I arrested him yes-
terday, and he was rescued from my hands
by a mob. The Gov.
has called upon Col. Sumner for a
company to assist me in the
execution of the laws. I have writs
gotten out against Robinson
and some twenty others.
"In haste, y'r ob's, SAM'L J. JONES."
Well, the writ against S. N. Wood was
sent to "Y'r ob's", but
when he went to arrest that gentleman
legally, he found him --
not at home. He before arrested, or
attempted to arrest S. N.
Wood, without a warrant or any show of
authority whatever, but
"some twenty others" not being
clear-sighted enough to perceive
any difference between a private citizen
and a bogus second-
handed Sheriff acting without the
"papers", took occasion to give
him their views upon the subject and he
concluded to leave. But
the same spirit (bad whiskey) that makes
a packed Grand Jury
find an indictment against a hotel and
two printing presses, and
try ex parte and order the destruction
of the same for being
nuisances, all at one heat, made a
preliminary Grand Jury and
(292)
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper
Correspondence 293
Court of S. J. Jones, and he decided
that they are guilty of felony.
It was for the arrest of these men that
J. B. Donaldson assembled
around Lawrence several hundred
ruffians, and afterwards turned
them loose to plunder and sack that
unhappy town.
J. H. K.
New York Tribune, July 26, 1856.
LAWRENCE, K. T., Aug. 14, 1856.
The quiet which has reigned in the
Territory for a few weeks
has been brought to a close this week by
some more outrages on
the Free-State settlers, and the
appearance of another proclamation
of a doubtful character, issued this
time, not by Postscript Don-
aldson himself, as Marshal, but by his
son as Adjutant. Here
it is:
NOTICE
ATTENTION -- REGIMENT!
Order No. 1.
A general parade of the Second Regiment
of the first Brigade
of the Southern Division of the Kansas
Militia will take place at
Wheatland, or Spicer's P. O. on the first Monday of September
next, at 10 o'clock. All persons subject
to the militia law are
ordered to attend, or be dealt with
according to law.
All persons subject to this order are
requested to organize
themselves into companies, of not less
than thirty men, elect their
officers, and report the same to the
Colonel of the Regiment be-
fore the day of muster. By order of
H. T. TITUS, Commanding.
WM. F. DONALDSON, Adjutant.
This proclamation is without date. Col.
Titus, the bosom
friend of Shannon, has distinguished
himself lately by a variety
of adventures, two of which will serve
to show the character of
the man.
About two weeks ago, Titus took
possession of a claim near
Lecompton, which belonged to a
Free-State man named Smith,
one of the first settlers in Kansas. In
Smith's temporary absence,
he tore down his house and erected a
shanty of his own. When
Smith returned, he rallied a few of his
neighbors and re-erected
it; whereupon Titus with a superior
number came and ordered
him off. Smith refused to go; a fight
ensued; Titus and his party
294 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
triumphed and the building was burned to
the ground. Shannon
was then applied to by Smith's friends
for protection. He prom-
ised to do something about it; and the next
day sent a company
of dragoons to protect Titus in his
assumed right to the claim and
improvements, furnishing another beautiful illustration of squat-
ter sovereignty.
Last Sunday night this same Titus went
to the house of a Mr.
Hancock, a Free-State man, one of his
neighbors, and was ac-
companied by two of the faithful from
Lecompton. He de-
manded pay for some cattle which he
charged Mr. Hancock with
having killed. Mr. H. protested that he
had killed no cattle.
Titus then told him that he must pay for
them or he would have
his life on the spot. The front door of
the house was then closed,
and Hancock fled to the prison camp
about a mile distant to call
the dragoons. In the mean time, they
broke open the door, a
scuffle ensued between Titus and Mrs.
Hancock during which she
disarmed him of his revolver. He
promised to leave if she would
return his revolver. She did so, and he
left in time to save him-
self from the dragoons. Such is the
"Titus commanding," of the
above proclamation.
The outrages to which I alluded above
are as follows: Two
companies of Georgians and South
Carolinians have been en-
camped on Washington Creek, a small
branch which empties into
the Wakarusa, and at Franklin, a
Pro-Slavery village about four
miles from Lawrence. Those on Washington
Creek have been
living on plunder for some time and
foraging almost every night
the corn fields and poultry yards of
Free-State settlers. They
asked assistance from the people of
Lawrence. Mr. Hutchinson
went to Major Sedgwick and asked him to
send enough dragoons
to disperse them. The Major replied that
the Lawrence people
were hoaxed; that the Southerners there
were gathered for peace-
ful purposes and that it would be
perfectly safe for any Free-
State men to go among them and satisfy
himself that such was
the case. Mr. Hutchinson returned to
Lawrence, and in the
afternoon, Mr. Hoyt was sent entirely
unarmed to ascertain the
truth of the rumors. He was taken by
these "peaceful settlers" on
Washington Creek and shot.
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper
Correspondence 295
As soon as the intelligence of this
event reached Lawrence, a
company of men volunteered to go and
drive them out. Accord-
ingly, on the evening of the 12th inst.,
about a hundred young
men marched down to Franklin, where
quite a number of arms
were secreted, which had been taken at
the sack of Lawrence,
and were kept in charge of about eighty
ruffians from the South.
The Free-State men intended to get these
arms and then march
to the Pro-Slavery camp on Washington
Creek. When they
reached Franklin they found that the
Southerners were prepared
to receive them, by having barricaded a
large block house, which
served them as a fort, through the
chinking of which they pointed
their arms. They were called upon to
surrender their arms, which
they refused to do. The Free-State men
then determined to
storm the fort. It was a beautiful
moonlight night. The battle
lasted about three hours, when the
chivalry called for quarter and
surrendered. They then threw down their
arms and ammunition
and fled. The number of guns taken by
the Free-State men were
as follows:
One brass cannon (a six pounder),
supposed to belong to a
United States arsenal somewhere;
Fifty United States muskets supposed to
be stolen from a
United States arsenal somewhere; and
Several guns, varying in caliber, known
to have been stolen
from Lawrence on the 21st of May last.
The loss of the Free-State men was one
killed and six
wounded. The Chivalry lost none, but
report four wounded. In
consequence of their loss the Lawrence
boys returned home, but
intend to pay the Washington Creek camp
an early visit, if the
Dragoons do not. They took no prisoners.
Yesterday morning two companies of
Dragoons were ordered
to Franklin, but I have not heard what
they have done.
People are anxiously expecting the
arrival of Geary, the new
governor, as they feel that anything
whatever will be a change for
the better.
POTTER.
New York Tribune, August 23, 1856.
296 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
Walker's Camp on Rock Creek, Kansas,
Aug. 15, 1856.
The brutal murder of Major Hoyt has
caused an intensity of
hatred to ruffianism and a desire to rid
the Territory of ruffians,
never, perhaps, equalled in the history
of our difficulties. The ag-
gravated and savage-like circumstances
of the murder, seemed to
arouse even the peaceful and
conservative portion of our citizens,
who heretofore have taken a
grin-and-bear-it position, so that on
Thursday last it was evident to all that
nothing less than hanging
the murderers would satisfy the people.
Accordingly, about fifty
men, armed to the teeth, marched from
Lawrence to this place
as a reinforcement to the citizens
already assembled there for the
same purpose. It will be remembered that
Fort Saunders is the
title given to the den of the
desperadoes who have been robbing
and insulting Free-State settlers on
Washington Creek, a branch
of the Wakarusa.
When the reinforcement arrived here from
Lawrence, a coun-
cil was held, which resulted in the
appointment of a committee to
visit Major Sedgwick, the commandant of
three companies of
dragoons, near Lecompton. The committee
was directed to in-
form the Major of the brutal murder of
Mr. Hoyt, who had been
riding along peaceably and unarmed, in
the vicinity of Fort Saun-
ders on Washington Creek; that when his
body was found by
some Free-State men, it was pierced
through with ten balls, his
throat cut, and a paper plastered on his
face to prevent his being
recognized by his friends. The committee
was also directed to
tell him of the murder, on the Santa Fe
road, of Mr. George
Williams, another Free-State man, and to
ask him to drive the
gang from the Territory. The committee
returned here today,
about noon, and stated that Major
Sedgwick was acting under
orders, and that he had no orders to
disband any company unless
required to do so by his superior
officer, or by the Governor, or
something to that effect.
In the meantime rumors reached us that
about thirty of the
Kickapoo Rangers under command of
Stringfellow, had passed
over Blanton's Bridge in the direction
of Fort Saunders on
Washington Creek, and the number of
Ruffians there was vari-
ously estimated at from 150 to 300 men.
In the morning a scout-
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper
Correspondence 297
ing party of forty horsemen had been
sent from our camp to
reconnoiter, and to ascertain if
possible the best method of attack.
They soon returned and reported, and at
1 o'clock this afternoon
about 300 men under command of Gen. Cook
took up the line
of march from this camp to Fort
Saunders.
The distance between the two camps is
about six miles, and
as the long defile of men marched over
the high ground which
forms one side of the valley of Washington
Creek, they presented
a rather imposing appearance. From this
point, at a distance of
four miles, we could see the fort as it
stood on a high bluff on the
south side of the creek.
Crossing the creek about two miles below
the fort, the Free-
State men marched up a high hill or
rather a continuation of
bluff, common to most of the streams of
Kansas. At last we
came in sight of the fort, which looked
a great deal more formid-
able at a distance than it did when near
to it. Still the ground was
well selected, and no better place
exists in Kansas than that to
make a successful defense. On each side
of the fort were two or
three large tents, and everything
looked, externally, as if the
Ruffians took comfort.
A company of infantry was drawn up in
front of and within
rifle-shot of the fort while two
companies of cavalry were drawn
up at right angles to the line of
infantry, thus closing three sides.
About this time, a single horseman was
seen riding from the fort
toward the ravine in the rear; but no effort
was made to intercept
him. It was now generally believed that
the fort was either de-
serted, or else they were laying in
ambush to encourage the closer
approach of our forces. The order was
given, and a company
from Lawrence known as the
"Stubbs," charged through the fort
and down into a steep ravine where it
was supposed the Ruffians
had hid in the low brush and timber. Not
a soul could be seen,
and the Chivalry, who figured so bravely
at the destruction of
Lawrence were, on this occasion, not so
chivalrous. On scanning
the prairie with a telescope, a few
straggling horsemen were seen
riding at full gallop. A negro
slave-boy. about eighteen years of
age, crawled out of the brush somewhere,
and reported that some
sixty men had been there about an hour
ago, but when they saw
298 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
us coming they mounted and rode away. As
the case was re-
versed and as his master had run away
from him instead of he
from his master, I told him he was free.
I did not see him after-
ward, but I suppose he went to some of
the cabins of the Pro-
Slavery settlers, close by, with whom he
was probably acquainted.
A great many interesting relics were
taken from the fort be-
fore it was destroyed; some of them
indicative enough of the
character of its inmates. For instance,
there was any quantity of
"yaller-kivered" literature; a
copy of "The Laws of Kansas,"
bound in calf; several silk parasols and
other articles of dress
belonging to the Lawrence ladies, taken
during the sack on the
21st of May; and some United States
muskets. But the best
trophy of all--one which exhibited the
appreciation and taste
of its designers to the best
advantage--was a flag with a white
ground, in one corner of which were
thirteen black stars. Across
it were three black stripes, each about
six inches wide, and in
another corner were the words,
"Enforce the Laws, '76," with
the names of two ladies, supposed to be
donors. The fort, built
of logs, squared and hewed, with its
port-holes, barricades and
entrenchments, was soon demolished, and
we returned to this
camp tired enough. The camp-fires are
now burning, the Chicago
Company and Gen. Cook feel fine, and
"all goes merry as a
marriage-bell."
POTTER.
LAWRENCE, August 17, 1856.
This past week (this is Sunday) has been
not the least event-
ful one in our history as a Territory;
and today, strange as it
may appear, although there was no battle
fought, was the most
exciting one of the week.
A little before noon, Gov. Shannon,
Major Sedgwick, of the
United States Cavalry, and Dr.
Roderigue, a citizen of Lecomp-
ton, and a few others, came into town
and "put up" at the Cin-
cinnati. A Council was immediately held
between them and a few
of the Free-State leaders, with closed
doors, which Council lasted
five or six hours. In the meantime a
large crowd of men had
collected in and around the hotel, to
hear the result of the Council,
and to ascertain, if possible, what was
going on. At length, about
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper
Correspondence 299
6 o'clock, Col. Walker, one of the
Free-State leaders, came out
in front of the hotel and stated that a
peace agreement had been
made, the terms of which will more
properly appear in Gov.
Shannon's speech.
After Col. Walker got through with his
remarks, Gov. Shan-
non came out in front of the piazza and
addressed the crowd.
He looks very thin, and apparently
careworn -- far more so than
the last time I saw him, about a week
after the sack of Law-
rence; but he has been so often
described it would be out of
place to say a word here, only that he
was sober.
SPEECH OF GOVERNOR SHANNON
Fellow Citizens: I appear before you
today under very ex-
traordinary circumstances, and I ask
your attention for a few
moments to a few remarks in relation to
them. I came down
here today for the purpose of adjusting
these difficulties, if pos-
sible. and I regret as much as any man
can -- as much as any
man within the sound of my voice--the
existence of these dif-
ficulties.
I wish, too, to set myself right before
the people of Lawrence.
I have been traduced and misrepresented
through the press, my
motives -- those which have heretofore
actuated me -- have either
been misunderstood or purposely
aspersed, and things have been
said of me which never happened. I
desire now to say, while I
remain in office, that I have never done
a single act but what I
believed would best subserve the
interests of the whole people.
God knows I have no ill feelings against
any man in this territory.
But on the contrary I desire the health,
happiness and prosperity
of every man in the Territory.
I am sorry that blood has been shed
here. In the war of the
Revolution our fathers from both the
North and the South fought
and bled together for the same common
cause--the cause of
Liberty -- and the result was a glorious
triumph of arms. and
the security to themselves and to
posterity of their inalienable
rights. So it was in the war of 1812 -- so it was
in the war with
Mexico; the North fought side by side
with the South and the
stars and stripes floated each time over
a conquering nation. And
shall we steep our hands in our
brother's blood here? (A voice --
"Give us back Barber, and others
that were murdered." Cries of
"Order," "Order," "Law
and Order." Another voice -- "Don't
insult the Governor." "Go
on.")
I came down here for purposes of peace,
to try and adjust a
300 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
serious difficulty between the people now in this Territory. In a few days my successor will be among the people of this Terri- tory; and I desire now to say that the few days which remain of my continuance in office will be devoted to further peace and harmony and to the carrying out, as far as in me lies, the terms of agreement which are mine to perfom. I trust the result of this |
|
agreement will be the final settlement of all strife and difficulty, that these will be succeeded by peace and prosperity and happiness to all. Only let the people have these invaluable blessings, and the bones and muscles and brains of contented citizens will de- velop the rich natural resources of the Territory -- a Territory far surpassing in richness and beauty any other on God's broad |
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper
Correspondence 301
earth. (A voice -- "Let
us hear the terms of the agreement, I
did not understand them
thoroughly." Several voices -- "What
are the terms?" Let us hear them.")
Captain Walker has stated the terms, and
the few days that I
remain in office will be devoted, so
help me heaven, in carrying
out faithfully my part of them and in
preserving order. (Cries
of "Let's hear the terms,"
"Order," "Law and order.")
The
terms are simply these. I agree to
release the prisoners held at
Lecompton -- five in number -- and to
use the military force un-
der command of Major Sedgwick to repel
any armed body of
men who shall be found in the Territory
for any other than
peaceful purposes. I also agree to
deliver over to Major Sedg-
wick the cannon taken from Lawrence on
the 21st of May last,
said cannon to be subject to the order
of Captain Walker. On
the other hand you agree to deliver up
the nineteen or twenty
prisoners which you hold, and set them
at liberty. (Here he was
interrupted by a great many questions,
explanations, etc. When
order was restored he proceeded:) Fellow
citizens of Lawrence,
before leaving you I desire to express
my earnest desire for your
health, happiness and prosperity.
Farewell!
As soon as the speech was finished,
Capt. Bell, formerly of
Illinois, and Capt. Cutter, formerly of
Boston, made some re-
marks explanatory of the terms of the
verbal treaty. The five
prisoners alluded to are those arrested
by Deputy-Sheriff Fane, so
that it will be seen that Gov. Shannon
virtually ignores the bogus
laws at last. We thought it would
finally come to this, but not
so soon. The Free-State men gave Gov.
Shannon the greatest
attention throughout. There was a good
deal of cheering, and
most of our men were satisfied with the
terms of the agreement;
but it remains to be seen how faithfully
they will be carried out
by his Excellency.
POTTER.
LAWRENCE, K. T., Aug. 16, 1856.
News reached the camp at Rock Creek last
night that ten
citizens of Topeka, who were on their
way to join the Free-State
forces, had been arrested by one Titus
and a company of South-
erners. I gave The Tribune a few
items about this Titus a few
days ago, so that you will have a pretty
fair idea of the man. As
Titus had threatened to hang every Free
State man whom he took
302 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
prisoner, and as he had said that he
would neither give nor ask
quarter in any fight, it was supposed that an arrest by such a
fiend was equivalent to a murder. Acting
upon this idea, the men
at Walker's camp under command of Col.
Walker, Capt. Brown
and others -- en. Cook having gone to Topeka -- immediately
marched to Titus' camp, near Lecompton,
the distance from Rock
Creek being about ten miles. They
reached the place a little after
daybreak, and immediately surrounded it
with a company of cav-
alry. Like Fort Saunders it was built of
square-hewed logs, but
had not the natural strength of position
of Fort Saunders. The
cavalry company were immediately fired
upon from within, and
Captain Shombra, formerly of Indiana,
was mortally wounded.
The cavalry then retreated about
rifle-shot distance from the
fort; a single six pound piece of
artillery was planted, and after a
few shots the Ruffians stuck a white
flag out of the window and
waved it some. Hostilities ceased
and the Free-State men took
nineteen prisoners including
"Titus, commanding," and "Don-
aldson, adjutant," of the
"Order No. I," which was sent to The
Tribune a few (lays ago. Some twenty or thirty muskets were
taken, and a Sharp's rifle taken from
here on the 21st of May was
recovered. The loss was as follows: Two
Pro-Slavery men killed
and three wounded; one Free-State man
killed and one wounded.
Titus was among the wounded, but his
wounds are not of a
serious nature, having only lost a
finger and thumb.
A programme of the future was found at
this place in the
shape of a letter addressed to a friend
at the South. It stated
that the southern companies were to
incite the "Abolitionists" to
retaliate, whereupon Gen. Smith was to
"pitch into" them and
with the assistance of the force to be
raised by "Titus, command-
ing", along about the first Monday
of September, he would drive
them out of the territory. It will be
seen that the plan of oper-
ation was perfected on a grand scale,
but like many other good
projects, its execution will probably be
defeated by the inten-
sity of its grandeur.
The prisoners were taken to Lawrence and
confined in the
office of the late Herald of Freedom where
but a few months
ago some of them had assisted in raising
a blood-red flag in
honor of "South Carolina" and
"Southern rights". So we go.
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper
Correspondence 303
The place from which on the 21st of May
last they howled forth
their shouts of victory is now their
prison.
We learn that all the United States
troops stationed around
Lecompton have gathered into that town
to protect it but this
movement was altogether unnecessary, for
the Free-State men
will attack no place, unless it is known
to be the den of mur-
derers and robbers. The actual and bona
fide settlers of all par-
ties will be protected, and no
peaceably-disposed settler of what-
ever political sentiments need fear
danger from them. The
Free-State settlers begin to feel that
the time for appeals for re-
dress of grievances is past; hereafter
they will protect themselves.
Yesterday Deputy Sheriff Fane arrested
five of the citizens of
Franklin for being engaged in the battle
at that place on Tues-
day night. The writ was issued under the
bogus code on the in-
formation of Wm. Crane, the postmaster
at Franklin. The pris-
oners were taken to Lecompton.
There was some rain today, but it has
cleared up, and the
weather is fine.
Stringfellow and his Rangers are
reported to be in camp on
the Big Stranger. Unless Congress has
done something for us,
I fear our troubles have but begun.
Potter.
Potter.
Lawrence, K. T., Aug. 18, 1856.
Things look very dubious today. A
thousand and one re-
ports are in circulation about
threatened attacks of the Missour-
ians aided by a company of about 500
Southerners who have
just come up the river. A prisoner was
taken this afternoon
who was supposed to be a spy from West
Point. Nothing de-
finite is known; but one thing is very
certain, that an effort is
being made in Jackson and Clay Counties
to get up another in-
vasion, the success of the effort
being the only thing that re-
mains in doubt.
Today a detachment of about twenty-five
dragoons came
from Lecompton with the five prisoners
held there under a bogus
law writ. It was understood that they
were to be released un-
conditionally, but they were duly tried
by being brought before
a justice, and as no evidence appeared
against them, they were
304 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
released. However, the Governor gave our
cannon to Major
Sedgwick, to be delivered to us. The
troops then came down,
and claimed our prisoners, eight or ten
of whom were discovered
to be German workmen on the capitol at
Lecompton, who had
been pressed into a service they did not
know the nature of. The
whole nineteen -- Titus, Donaldson and
all-- were delivered
over to the troops and escorted out of
town by the Stubbs, who,
together with a company of horsemen,
have gone to get the can-
non taken from Lawrence in May. When
they return with the
cannon, the celebrated verbal treaty of
yesterday -- Shannon
treaty No. 2 -- will then have been
faithfully carried out on our
part. But there is a part of the treaty
which time only can show
whether it will be faithfully carried
out on their part, and that is
in relation to armed mobs entering the
Territory. Gov. Shan-
non is now bound by the pledge of his
honor to protect us -- to
do nothing more than he ought to have
done from the beginning.
Let us watch him.
Potter.
New York Tribune, August 29, 1856.
Lawrence, K. T., Aug. 20, 1856.
The clouds are thickening, but the exact
day and hour when
the storm shall come, or with what fury it
will rage when it
does come, we know not. We only know of
its coming by the
clouds.
North of the Kansas River, that is, in
Doniphan, Delaware
and Leavenworth cities, great
preparations are being made, as
the following handbill will show. These
handbills are posted all
over the northern division, that is,
north of the Kansas River.
Headquarters, 1st Div. K. Militia,
Aug. 18, 1856.
GENERAL ORDER, No. I
Whereas, I have received reliable information that a state of
actual war exists in this Territory, and
that robberies and other
flagrant violations of the law are daily
occurring in this Division,
I hereby order that the entire strength
of this Division rendezvous
at the points hereinafter named to
receive further orders, to-wit:
The First Brigade, Brigadier-General
Marshall commanding,
John Henri Kagi -- Newspaper
Correspondence 305
to rendezvous at Doniphan, Doniphan
County, on Wednesday,
Aug. 20, 1856.
The Second Brigade, Brigadier-General L.
I. Easten com-
manding, to rendezvous at Leavenworth
City, on Wednesday,
August 20, 1856. Wm. P. Richardson,
Major General, Ist. Div., K. M.
Brig. Gen. Easten, Leavenworth City, K.
T.
In accordance with the above order, I
command all persons
composing the Second Brigade, North
Division Kansas Militia
to rendezvous at Leavenworth City, on
Wednesday. Aug. 20,
1856, to await further orders.
By A. Payne, Commanding.
August 19, 1856.
This "Northern Division"
includes Weston, Mo., and Platte
County generally. In the "Southern
Division" a good deal is
being done to "make a raise",
but with poor success. This di-
vision includes Westport, Independence,
and other Border-Ruf-
fian localities in Jackson and Clay
Counties, Mo., but their
"headquarters" is at
Lecompton. The celebrated Haney, or
Haynau, was down at Westport yesterday, but reports the people
there being willing to let the Chivalry
take care of themselves.
He says that nothing will be done till
both Divisions together
number 4,000 men. The Cherokees and Creeks-- both slave
holding nations--have been called on to
assist, but it is very
doubtful whether they will come. Up to
this time nothing has
been done in the way of collecting and
organizing the Free-State
forces. After the treaty of Monday last
the few who were or-
ganized went quietly and peaceably to
their homes and employ-
ment on Monday morning; but the city is
filled with emigrants
who have arrived from Chicago at other
places by the northern
route.
Another brutal murder took place near
Leavenworth yester-
day. A gentleman named Hopps or Hupps,
from Ohio. came
here last week and left his wife and
returned to Lawrence for
his goods, etc. When he had got a mile
or two this side of that
city, on his return, he was overtaken
(it is supposed), shot and
scalped, and in this condition was found
by some troops who
happened along shortly afterwards. No
clue to the murderers
Vol. XXXIV--20.
306 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
has yet been found, but it is supposed
that he expressed his senti-
ments too freely in Leavenworth. The
Rev. Mr. Bird came from
Leavenworth today for his wife, who is a
sister of the Rev. E.
Nute, pastor of the Unitarian Church in
this city.
Another murder took place in Westport,
yesterday, of a man
named Jennison, a Lawrence teamster, who
was on his way home
from Kansas City with a load. He was
also scalped, and his
load and team taken to Milton McGee's
house.
On these murders I will make no comment.
I only chronicle
them as being a part of our history.
Henry J. Sombre, esq., who was killed on
Saturday last in
the battle of Titus's Camp, was a highly
respected and popularly
known member of the bar in Richmond,
Indiana. He was un-
married, and was about thirty years of
age. He was buried yes-
terday with military honors, and his
remains lie side by side with
those of the murdered Barber. There let
him rest!
His last words were these: "Tell my
friends that I offer
up my life a willing sacrifice to
Freedom in Kansas." How
many young men of the North are willing
to do so? And yet
the dearest interests of Constitutional
Liberty are at stake, and
thousands of young men look idly on!
Potter.
New York Tribune, August 29, 1856.
Lawrence, K. T., Aug. 25, 1856.
The rumors that large bodies of men were
gathering to-
gether at Leavenworth, Westport and
Little Santa Fe, for the
purpose of another invasion, have proved
to be more than ru-
mors. On Friday last, the Ruffians threw
the engine, boiler and
other machinery for the large saw mill,
into the Missouri, at
Kansas City. It was the property of the
New England Emi-
grant Aid Society, and was consigned to
the firm of Walker &
Chick, forwarding merchants, and had not
been delivered to
the agents of that Society. This firm,
of course, will be the
losers, if the laws of Missouri are good
for anything.
Yesterday, a committee of five of the
citizens of Lawrence
waited upon the Governor at Lecompton,
to see what course he
John Henri Kagi -- Newspaper
Correspondence 307
was going to take in regard to these
mobs which were about to
march upon us, and to see whether he was
still willing to carly
,out faithfully his side of the treaty
of last Sunday. When they
reached Lecompton they found Woodson
acting as Governor.
He was in the tent or quarters of the
officers in command of
the troops, eight hundred in number, now
at Lecompton. The
committee stated to Woodson that the
people of Lawrence were
out of provisions; that their roads were
blocked by armed mobs:
that two of their teamsters had been
murdered, and that they
desired to know whether he would grant
them a guard to their
teams to Westport and Leavenworth, or
leave them to guard
their own teams and open the roads. They
desired to know fur-
ther, whether he intended to interpose
with the troops to pre-
vent this overwhelming mob from
murdering, burning and pillag-
ing, or whether he intended that they,
the people of Lawrence,
were to take care of themselves.
These questions were asked Woodson
directly by the com-
mittee, and that gentleman vouchsafed
this reply: that if the peo-
ple of Lawrence would obey the laws (the
Bogus laws), and
if he (Woodson) could have assurance to
that effect, this thing,
that is, the proposed invasion, could be
settled in five hours--
that he would bring the troops of which
he is commander-in-
chief, to bear upon these mobs and
disperse them.
Now, it would not be easy to conceive a
more impudent re-
mark from any official, and especially
from a Governor, than
this. Reducing it down, it simply means
this: "Gentlemen, if
you obey these laws, passed by a mob
from Missouri, for your
government, I will protect you; but if
you don't, I will let a mob
from Missouri cut your throats, scalp,
shoot, or hang you, as
they may see fit." This is the gist
of the reply -- its entire es-
sence; and I submit that its impudence
is unequalled in the his-
tory of civilized diplomacy. C. 13.
Babcock, esq., chairman of the
committee, then said:
"Governor, are we to understand
that your position is this:
That if we obey the bogus laws you will
protect us with the
whole force under your command; and if
not that you will allow
us to be murdered? Is that your
position?"
308 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
Here Gov. Woodson protested that he had
no desire to see
them murdered, but that the laws must be
obeyed, and writs
must be executed. Some further
conference was had with the
commanders of the United States troops;
but the Committee
came to the conclusion that if Lawrence
is to be defended her
own citizens will have to do it. It may
be that Woodson, Smith
and Cook will look on and see this
struggle without any inter-
ference of the troops. Col. Cook is
commandant of the whole
force at Lecompton, was late Commandant
at Fort Riley. and
must not be confounded with Gen. Cook,
the Commander-in-
Chief of the Free-State Volunteers,
about whom The Squatter
Sovereign howls so much. They are two different men.
This morning, a regiment of volunteers,
mostly residents of
Topeka and its vicinity, arrived here,
and things look decidedly
warlike. The forts, built last winter,
are being repaired, and
new forts are to be built. A strong
guard is now placed around
the city. It is believed that from
fifteen hundred to two thou-
sand armed men can be raised in twelve
hours to defend Law-
rence. The mob gathered to attack us
have about three thousand
in all, at Kansas, Westport and Santa
Fe. The mob at the Big
Stranger may not number over five
hundred. Of course, not
much dependence is to be placed in the
numbers which rumor
gives. To avoid exaggeration, I have
given the aggregate of the
minimum of the estimates which I have heard. The battle will
come off on Wednesday, the 27th inst. --
so they, the Ruffians,
say. They will attack us simultaneously,
on both sides of the
Kaw River. So much for the war.
The following is a correct list of the
wounded on the Free-
State side of the battles of Franklin
and Titus' Camp:
G. W. Smith, Jr., formerly of Butler,
Pa., wounded slightly
in the head and legs.
Arthur Gunter, formerly of Boston,
Mass.; wounded very
dangerously in the breast and chin; case
very doubtful.
A. W. White, formerly of Missouri; very
dangerously in the
arm and breast. (His arm has been
amputated since.)
George Henry, formerly of Hartford,
Conn.; slightly, in the
breast.
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper
Correspondence 309
James N. Velsor, formerly of New York
City; a severe shot
through the arm.
John Brook, formerly of Mansfield, 0.; a
dangerous wound
in the head.
---------- Wells; slight wound in the
hand.
D. A. Clayton, formerly of Union, N. Y.,
a severe wound in
the ankle.
George Leonard, formerly of
Massachusetts; a slight wound
in the back.
Charles Jordan, formerly of Maine; a
slight wound in the
back.
Samuel Shepherd, formerly of Ohio; a
flesh wound in the
thigh.
John Crocker, formerly of Massachusetts;
a slight wound in
the head.
These patients are well cared for, are
in a temporary hos-
pital and are under the care of a board
of surgeons, with Dr.
Prentiss at their head. There is but one
doubtful case in the
hospital, and that is the case of Mr.
Gunter.
Potter.
NOTES ON THE DEATH OF MR. HUPPS OR HOPS.
The newspapers carried contradictory
accounts of the kill-
ing and scalping of Mr. Hupps or Hops --
the name is variously
spelled. The Pro-Slavery papers denied
all responsibility for the
act and for the escape of the murderer.
Their view of it and
other exciting incidents is published in
part in the New York
Tribune of September 8, 1856. In the same paper, however, oc-
curs the letter of Rev. Mr. Nute, copied
from the Springfield
Republican. The letter is as follows:
Lawrence, Kansas, Aug. 22.
The horrors of ruffianism gather thicker
and closer around
us. My home has become a house of
mourning. A brother-in-
law came out to us and reached our house
a week since, with his
wife, an own sister of mine. On Monday
last he started to re-
turn to Leavenworth, leaving his wife
sick. That night he was
shot through the head, within a few
miles of Leavenworth, and
310 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
his scalp exhibited in fiendish
exaltation by his murderer in the
town, who declared: "I went out for
the scalp of a d--d Aboli-
tionist, and I have got one." This
is only one of a score of such
butcheries that have been perpetrated
within a few miles of us
during the last week. These men have
gone out of our door
straight to their death by the hands of
murderers. In each in-
stance the bodies have been horribly
mutilated. I have tried in
vain to raise a company of men to go for
the recovery of our
brother's remains to give them a decent
burial, and for the effects
about his person -- all his money,
&c. I have taken a rifle and
offered to be one of fifty to go. A
sufficient number responded,
and were pledged to go the morning after
the sad tidings reached
us, but it was thought best to delay
until we could get an answer
from the officer in command of the
United States dragoons, en-
camped about ten miles from this, to
whom we had applied for
a force to go with us. It came at night,
referring us to the su-
perior then on the way with several
companies to protect Pierce's
bloody officials at Lecompton. Twice we
have sent making the
request of him for the protection of an
escort to go with our
teams to Leavenworth for provisions, and
twice we have been
refused.
There is not a single sack of flour or a
bushel of meal for
sale in this vicinity, and we have at
least 2000 men, women and
children to be fed. What shall we do --
what can we do, but
fight our way through, with the
desperation of men who know
themselves surrounded by merciless
savages? This we are de-
termined to do. You will have the report
of bloody work before
this reaches you. It may be that nothing
short of a massacre
of the sovereign people of Kansas will
arouse this nation to a
sense of the inconceivable wickedness of
the men who are at the
head of affairs. You may imagine the
feelings with which I read
the cold-blooded sneers, the diabolical
sport, which is made of
our sufferings in The Boston Post, which
I have just received.
Are all the feelings of humanity, is all
sense of decency dead in
the souls of the men who uphold this
infamous Administration?
Many of our number have ceased to hope
for anything but the
foulest injustice from the Government.
All that seems to be in
store for us worth aspiring to is an
heroic martyrdom. Plead
for our cause with all the might you
have. I send this, with as
many more as I can write before the mail
leaves, under cover to a
friend in St. Louis. The chance that it
will reach you seems to
me very small. The Missourians are
coming over the border and
gathering at several points to the
number of thousands, we hear.
I dare not trust the particulars of our
military condition and plans
John Henri Kagi -- Newspaper
Correspondence 311
to this, for fear it will fall into the
hands of the enemy. Only
this: we are prepared and determined to
strike terrible blows.
Lawrence, K. T., Aug. 27, 1856.
It is my duty to record one of the most
hellish outrages which
ever disgraced any age or country; but
which, alas! is not an
isolated one in our beautiful Territory.
Let this case be handed
down as an evidence of the demoralizing
effect upon humanity
of that cursed institution which our
rulers are trying to force
upon us.
A Mr. Henry Hyatt, with his wife and
family, moved from
Milton, Wayne County, Indiana, to
Kansas, and settled on a
claim on Washington Creek, about seven
miles south from this
city. Accompanying his wife was a young
widow lady, a friend
of the family, who desired to emigrate to Kansas. Mr. Hyatt
commenced building a mill on his claim
last spring, and as extra
hands were needed, a Pro-Slavery man was
employed who
boarded at his house.
It was soon noticed that when any news
of the movements
of the Free-State or Pro-Slavery parties
reached Hyatt's, this
man after supper time, would go off to
the rendezvous above,
known as Fort Saunders, which has since
been broken up, and
there stay until quite late in the
night, and that on Sabbath eve-
ning he spent all his time either there
or at the house of a Pro-
Slavery neighbor close by. At last Mr.
Hyatt's family, whose
feelings and sympathies are with the
cause of Freedom here,
charged him with being a spy, and the
young lady cited instances
of his visits to Pro-Slavery places
after the receipt of news by
them, with an earnestness very
distasteful to the Ruffian. The
result was that he left Mr. Hyatt's
employment.
On the night of Wednesday, Aug. 20, when all the
family
had gone to rest, the young lady left
her room and went to one
of the outbuildings in the rear of the
house. On her return
she was seized by four masked ruffians,
and so overcome was
she by terror that before she could
scream her tongue was
choked out of her mouth and tied with a
string behind her head
and around her neck. She was then told
that if she made the
least noise she would immediately be
shot; and a revolver was
312 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
held to her head while they tied heir
hands behind her back.
They then carried her a few hundred
yards from the house into
a patch of long prairie grass and
commenced their hellish deed
-- three standing guard while they each
in turn violated her per-
son. She had swooned from her fear and
had not returned to a
state of entire consciousness when the
inhuman assault was made
upon her. After completing their infamy,
they kicked her in the
sides and abdomen and left her, it is
supposed, to die. How
long she remained in a state of
insensibility she does not know,
but she was enabled to stagger in the
direction of the house.
On reaching it she was unable to open
the door, her hands be-
ing tied behind her back, and she was
also unable to speak, her
tongue being tied with a string and now
swollen to an alarming
size. She was too weak to shout and in
the effort to do so she
fainted. In falling she overturned an
empty churn which stood
near the door, and the noise made by the
churn against the sid-
ing of the house awoke Mr. Hyatt and his
family, who found
her in the condition described.
On Sunday last, the 23d, she took, at
the request of Dr.
Avery, some nourishing food; but her
case is nearly hopeless.
She has had several fits of convulsions,
and, though her friends
believed last night that she would die
before this morning, she
still lives. It is supposed that the
Pro-Slavery hired man and
three of his associates were the
perpetrators of this villainy.
The facts of the above case were given
to me by Dr. Avery,
who attended the lady professionally,
and who accompanied the
Richmond company into this Territory. On
his statement I
have the most implicit reliance. He is
spoken of by the Buf-
falo Convention Committee in their
report as being "a wise, dis-
creet and accomplished physician,"
and as he made a profes-
sional visit to the lady he knows all
about the case. And yet,
with all these most inhuman outrages
before their eyes, there
are a class of men, even in the North,
who profess to believe
that negro Slavery elevates the
character of the whites.
It is needless to say that these
villains are at large, and, like
the murderers of Hoyt and others, always
will be, the bogus
laws having been made for the punishment
of Free-State men
only.
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper Correspondence 313
Reliable information reaches us that the
Northern wing of
Atchison's army has been divided up into
three or four com-
panies of over one hundred each, and
that they are scouring the
Territory from Easton to Delaware on the
river; that they are
driving Free-State settlers from their
claims and putting men
on them to hold them "till after
the war". This rumor was cor-
roborated by the arrival yesterday in
this city of seventy Free-
State men from the waters of Big
Stranger Creek, some of
whom had been driven from their claims;
others had had their
horses and cattle stolen. This morning a
hundred men volun-
teered to go back with them and see them
righted.
The fact that the leading Ruffians have
been trying (and
rumor says they have succeeded to some
extent) to induce the
different tribes of slave-holding
Indians to join them, while it is
an evidence of the deep determination to
make this a terrible
and final struggle for Slavery
supremacy, also shows that the
border counties are not so alive to
their appeals as they were
last winter, during the Wakarusa war.
Another evidence of this
determination is the tone of the border
newspapers. Take, for
example, the following paragraph from The
Kansas City (Mo.)
Enterprise, Aug. 23:
"There has been no time since the
commencement of the
Kansas troubles wherein we have noticed
so deep and settled a
purpose in the public mind as has been
manifested for the past
ten days. There seems to be a settled
determination to stop the
occurrence of outrages for the future.
The fact that a small
army of hired soldiers have been
sent from distant states and
signalized their entry into the
Territory by robbery, murder, and
house-burning, has aroused a feeling in
the border country that
will brook no compromise short of their
complete and permanent
expulsion -- and it will be
done."
The murder of Mr. Hupps causes great
excitement here. The
volunteers who went to Leavenworth
today, will investigate the
circumstances of the murder, and if it
is found that he was
scalped alive, as reported, then the murderers will be brought to
justice at any risk.
Gen. Lane has entire command of the
Free-State forces.
Potter.
314 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
Lawrence, K. T., Aug. 29, 1856.
This city presents a more lively
appearance today than I
have ever seen it do before. Several
causes have operated to
make it so, as the object of this letter
will be to show.
Yesterday the particulars of the murder
of Mr. Hupps reached
us, and the circumstances are of such an
atrocious character, that
the people, I am afraid, became
possessed of a feeling of re-
venge rather than of a desire to bring
the murderer to justice.
But to the particulars. Mr. Hupps and
his wife, emigrants to
this Territory, landed at Leavenworth
about two weeks ago.
His brother-in-law, the Rev. Ephraim
Nute, lives here, and as
his wife was in feeble health from the
fatigue of the journey,
he brought her to the house of Mr. Nute,
till such time as she
should recover. After staying a day or
two at Lawrence, Mr.
Hupps started in a buggy to Leavenworth,
intending to bring
away his effects. He started from this
city on the morning of
Aug. 20.
On the morning of the same day a drunken
Missourian
at Leavenworth offered to wager $6
against a pair of boots that
he would kill an abolitionist before
night. The bet was taken,
and the ruffian went forth to win his
bet. As he could find no-
body in Leavenworth who had avowed
himself an Abolitionist,
although there were a good many
Free-State men there, he took
the road to Lawrence, hoping to get a
shot. When about two
miles from Leavenworth he met Mr. Hupps
and stopped him,
and the following conversation took
place between them, and was
told afterwards with all the gusto a
villain could feel at such an
exhibition of his brevity in business.
"Hello! whar d'you come from?"
"From Lawrence," was Mr.
Hupps' reply.
The villain then raised his rifle and
shot Mr. H.; the horse
ran, he fell from the buggy and the
villain approached and scalped
him and left him there in the road,
supposing he was dead. A
thought occurred to him that he might as
well rob him, too, and
so he returned, took out his watch, and
was preparing to rifle
his pockets, when the cries of some
children who were picking
wild plums a few hundred yards distant
frightened him from his
horrible work. He ran, and, through fear or by accident
dropped the watch on the road. The
children did not approach
John Henri Kagi -- Newspaper Correspondence 315
the road but went to their home, which
was in an opposite di-
rection. Shortly afterwards a few United
States troops with a
government wagon, on their way from Fort
Leavenworth to
Lecompton, discovered the unhappy man
still alive but insensi-
ble, and conveyed him to the nearest
house, where he shortly
afterwards died. In the meantime, the
ruffian returned to Leav-
enworth, exhibited the scalp, told the
circumstances of the mur-
der, took his boots, which had been so
nobly won, remained in
Leavenworth all night, and the next
morning took a steamboat
and went down the river. Such is the
statement as it reaches
us by several persons at different
times, and although this state-
ment was made here several days since,
such is its enormity that
few if any believe it. It is now
corroborated, and there is no
room for doubt.
It will be remembered that I mentioned
in my letter of the
27th that a company of men was sent on
that day with teams
for provisions at Leavenworth. Mr. John
H. Wilder, of the
firm of Hutchinson & Co. of this
city, also went to superintend
the shipment of a large quantity of
goods belonging to that firm.
The escort which was sent was only
designed to protect this
train of teams from the guerrilla
ruffians on the road, so that it
was thought best not to enter the city,
but to wait a short dis-
tance from it for the return of the
teams with the goods and
provisions. It was a comparatively small
escort. A scout left
Leavenworth yesterday afternoon and told
the escort that the
teamsters and those who were with them
were taken prisoners;
that one of the teamsters was shot in
the streets for not halting
when told to do so; that Mr. Nute, who
went to settle the af-
fairs of his brother-in-law, was going
to be sent down the river
a la Pardee Butler; that Dr. Avery (of Indiana, now on his
way
home and mentioned in my last letter)
and the other prisoners
were well guarded and could not be taken
with such a small
force. The escort accordingly returned
last night to this city.
This morning General Lane gave orders
that five hundred
men make ready to march to Leavenworth
to escort our wagons
and their drivers to Lawrence. In the
meantime a Committee
was sent to Gov. Woodson and the troops
to inform them of
the state of affairs at Leavenworth and
to know what they in-
316 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
tended to do about it. While this
Committee was gone, and
while the several volunteer companies
detailed for duty at Lea-
venworth were making ready, a report
reached town that a great
battle had been fought at the south
somewhere, between Atchi-
son's ruffians and Capt. Brown's
scouting party, and that the peo-
ple of Lawrence must go to assist them.
Several persons had
arrived from the Wakarusa Valley and
said that they had heard
long and heavy reports of artillery for
about two hours;
that the reports came from the
south-east. While the people
were conjecturing what this could mean,
a report more alarm-
ing in its nature reached them. This was
that the United States
troops were now on the march from
Lecompton to Lawrence to
arrest Gen. Lane on a writ for high
treason.
About noon the committee of citizens
sent in the morning to
Lecompton returned, and reported that
their interview with the
authorities was of no consequence, they
having referred our citi-
zens to the Kansas laws for redress;
that the troops were now
on their way to enforce a process of
that law.
About 1 1/2 p. m., two companies of
troops arrived here un-
der command of a man named Ben. Newsem,
who used to be a
kind of body-servant of Judge Elmore,
one of the Supreme
Judges of this Teritory. He drew from
his pocket a writ di-
rected to "James H. Lane, the
Safety Committee, and the people
of Lawrence generally," asking them
to deliver up the bodies of
two men held as prisoners by them, or to
show cause why they
were held. The writ was signed by one
John P. Wood, Judge
of the Probate Court of Douglas County.
This man Newsem
(they call him Nuisance at
Tecumseh, where he lives) is the same
who broke open and searched the trunks
of some five Free-State
men, whom he saw fit to stop on the road
a few days ago by
authority. After reading the writ he desired the people to know
that he was a U. S. marshal, intending
by this statement to hint
that it would not do to infringe on his
dignity. The men named
in the writ were taken yesterday as
spies and held prisoners dur-
ing the night, but set at liberty this
morning, so that this parade
of troops to enforce the law was simply
ridiculous. The boys,
therefore, joked and laughed with the
soldiers, hurrahed among
themselves, poked fun at the ninny who
held the writ. When
John Henri Kagi -- Newspaper
Correspondence 317
they were leaving town the boys gave
three cheers for the troops
and groaned at the process server with
as much hearty good-
will as ever a Galway Irishman did at
the same functionary.
Potter.
New York Tribune, Sept. 9, 1856.
Lawrence, K. T., Sept. 1, 1856.
On Friday night, Aug. 29, G. W.
Hutchinson and another
gentleman went to Governor Woodson at
Lecompton, to expostu-
late with him about the arrest by the
Ruffians of Mr. John H.
Wilder, who went to superintend the
shipment of goods belong-
ing to the firm of G. W. & W.
Hutchinson & Co. of which he
is a member. Also to ask Woodson to send
a protective escort
to Leavenworth, to see the goods safe
through to Lawrence. On
the return of these two gentlemen, they
were arrested a few rods
from the door of the Governor's office
by an armed mob and held
in prison ever since. It will be
remembered that that very same
day a hundred of the United States
troops were employed to set
two of their own Border-Ruffian spies at
liberty, in case they
found them arrested as they supposed
they would be; but let
it be borne in mind that peaceable
citizens who go to do busi-
ness with the Governor are arrested by a
mob close to his of-
fice, and he offers not even a single
deprecatory syllable! Wise
Governor! Pierce and Douglas will rise
up, and call thee blessed!
Saturday morning about one hundred of
the Free-State
forces at Lawrence were detailed to go
as an escort to meet
about one hundred emigrants who were on
their way to assist
in defending this and the surrounding
towns. They were over-
hauled near Lecompton by the United
States troops and ques-
tioned as to their intentions, etc. They
stated their object and
were allowed to pass on. They took the
California road and
met the train at Topeka. While between
Big Springs and Wash-
ington the escort intercepted and turned
back sixteen mounted
men under command of Judge Elmore. They
were doubtless on
their way to Lecompton to join
Stringfellow's Platte County
army, numbering about six hundred men
inclusive of Buford's
last installment. Yesterday the escort
came back here with the
emigrants, but as they had some valuable
stores they struck off
318 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
the California road, for the reason that
if Woodson was going
to use the troops to disarm them, which
was the report, he would
have to send them to Lawrence to do it.
It seems, from reliable
information, that Stringfellow's entire
army of 600 men was
drawn across the California road in
battle line to intercept them,
and take away their stores -- if they
whipped them. The whole
train reached Lawrence in safety.
On Saturday morning, Aug. 30, Gen. Lane,
instead of open-
ing the road from Lawrence to
Leavenworth, as my letter of
the 29th anticipated he would
do, went to render assistance to the
Free-State men of Prairie City, who had
another battle with the
Ruffians on that same morning at
daybreak. It seems that when
they got enough of them together at
Little Santa Fe, they started
on the Santa Fe road, and probably came
up into the Territory
as far as Bull Creek, where they
probably camped. There are
different rumors about the number of
them, and as I have heard
this Border-Ruffian army variously
estimated at from 600 to
2000, we will call it 1000 armed men, not including the
Northern
Division, which may be as many more. On
arriving at Bull
Creek this army must have been divided
up into three divisions,
for the reason that 500 were at
Osawatomie, 76 at Prairie City
and the balance at Bull Creek, on
Saturday morning. When they
separated and for what reason they did
so, we know not.
On Tuesday, Aug. 26, a company of
Free-State men under
command of Capt. Shore, surprised a camp
of Missourians on
South Middle Creek. There were about 50
Missourians, but
the attack was made by six Free-State
men. The former were
under command of an editor from Fort
Scott, Mo. They did
not fight long, for the rest of Shore's
company coming up at the
time, rather frightened them so that
they threw down their arms
and ran; fifteen of them being first
made prisoners, and two of
them killed. The spoils amounted to
three wagon-loads of stores
and some guns.
The next day they, in company with Capt.
Brown, followed
up the Missourians as far down as Sugar
Creek. They saw
that they were being chased, and made
toward Missouri, where
it is to be hoped they will stay. The
Free-State men here re-
ceived about seventy head of cattle
gathered, it is supposed, to
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper
Correspondence 319
sustain the Border-Ruffian army when
they could not steal any
more, and in case they got driven back.
This party of Free-
State men got back to Osawatomie on
Friday night, the 29th
August. On the same evening, the man who
carries the mail
from Osawatomie to Westport, returned to
Osawatomie, after
having been a prisoner at Santa Fe (new)
for ten days, charged
with the infamous crime of
Free-Stateism. He reported that
the Ruffians intended to attack
Osawatomie very soon; that is
was liable to be attacked at any time;
and advised the people
either to leave or defend it. This was
in the night, after most
people had gone to bed.
Osawatomie is situated in the fork
formed by and near the
confluence of the Marais des Cygnes with
Pottawatomie Creek.
On the banks of the creek the timber
grows to about half a mile in
width. The town was beautifully located,
and its residents have
proved themselves a brave people.
On Saturday morning, about eight
o'clock, a number of peo-
ple came into town with the news that
the Missourians had
come and were within two miles of the
town. No defense had
been anticipated, and the Free-State men
were but poorly pre-
pared to defend it. However, they
determined to do their best.
It must be recollected that their women
and children had been
removed for a long time, at least ever
since the town had been
threatened with destruction. The men
numbered about 35 to 40.
The Ruffians must have numbered 500 to
6oo, for when drawn
up in line of battle their line reached
from the timber of the
Marais des Cygnes to the timber of the
Pottawatomie, a distance
of at least three-quarters of a mile, at
the points where their align-
ment was made. They had two pieces of cannon, and were
mostly armed with United States muskets,
though many of them
had Kentucky rifles and Sharp's rifles.
The Free-State men ral-
lied at two or three points and fired
into them as best they could.
Capt. Brown was at one point with a
handful of men, Capt.
Shore at another point, and so they
fought manfully and gal-
lantly, against this fearful odds. At
last they were driven further
back into the timber, and their
ammunition gave out. A com-
pany of about fifty Ruffians advanced
into the timber and a few
Free-State men fought them till the
others escaped by means of a
320 Ohio Arch. and Hist.
Society Publications
private ford which the Ruffians forgot
to guard. At last they
closed upon them, and three men swam the
river while a com-
pany of fifty fired upon them. Two of
the three came out on the
other side; the other -- a Mr. Partridge
-- is supposed to be
killed. Capt. Brown is supposed to have
reached the private ford
and crossed over. If so, he is safe; if
not, he is killed. Five
Free-State men are known to be killed,
and the loss on the
other side is supposed to be twelve
killed and twenty wounded.
One of the Free-State men killed was a
son of Capt. Brown, but
he was killed before the battle began.
As soon as the Free-State men retreated,
the Ruffians ad-
vanced and sacked and burned the town, except
two houses,
which were those of Pro-Slavery men.
They then went away,
feeling quite patriotic, no doubt, after
such a noble achievement.
Was the satisfaction of burning a few
houses worth their thirty-
two killed and wounded? It must be borne
in mind that these
five or six hundred men were a wing of
the new Santa Fe army
which Atchison his been raising so long
and who make their
general headquarters, while in the
Territory, at Bull Creek.
I have not got the particulars of the
battle of Prairie City,
but will send them as soon as I can. It
is to this place that Gen.
Lane, with a part of his army, is gone,
and it is the great new
Santa Fe army he is going to meet.
News has just reached us that Lane drove
the Missourians
into Missouri yesterday. There was no
battle, but a general re-
treat. They (the Ruffians) number 2000 in all. In the
mean-
time, the Stringfellow wing at
Lecompton, numbering about 500,
are burning houses and "carrying
on" tremendously. If there are
any at Leavenworth they are very quiet.
We have had no com-
munication from there in over a week,
and it is supposed our
prisoners taken there are at Lecompton,
with Stringfellow's com-
mand.
This afternoon a company of dragoons
encamped in sight of
Lawrence. There are none at Lecompton
now. There are 800
guarding the Treason Prisoners.
Potter.
New York Tribune, September 12, 1856.
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper
Correspondence 321
Lawrence, K. T., Sept. 6, 1856.
Events come upon us so thick and fast
that it is quite dif-
ficult to keep track of them in the
order in which they occur.
The destruction by arson and pillage of
the houses and other
property of Free-State settlers in the
vicinity of Lecompton, on
the nights of Monday and Tuesday last,
which I noticed inci-
dentally in my letter of the 3d inst.,
has had an effect upon some
of the Pro-Slavery Volunteers from Missouri, as unexpected
to the great Gen. Stringfellow as it was
fortunate for the Free-
State Army. It seems that Col. Robinson
of St. Joseph's. Mo.,
so far forgot his allegiance to Border
Ruffianism and Bully
Stringfellow as to "file
exceptions" to this barbarous mode of
warfare, and said so to the leaders of
the Pro-Slavery camp at
Lecompton, in a manner which indicated
not only his sincerity,
but his extreme disgust of such
proceedings. He told them that
he came there with his men to fight for
a principle, and to stop
the burning and the outrages upon actual
settlers, and now he
had discovered that these very acts were
perpetrated by the men
of the "Law-and-Order" army.
He said, too, that if the game
was to shoot into houses where there
were nothing but a few
women and children; if this was the game
to be played, he, Col.
Robinson, was to be counted out. It is
further reported that
Gen. Stringfellow sent to the Colonel a
challenge, and that the
Colonel replied that he fought duels
only with gentlemen, and
that he pulled up the stakes of his
tents, and with his 130 men
marched the same day in the direction of
St. Joseph. This was
on Wednesday last. In the meantime, news
had reached the
Pro-Slavery camp at Lecompton that Gen.
Lane had routed the
Southern Division of the "Kansas
Militia", and they had re-
treated to Westport, Mo., and were
fortifying the town expect-
ing that Lane would follow them there.
But as we understand
this war to be one of defense, instead
of aggression, there were
no fears of Lane and his army entering
Missouri. The Ruffians
reasoned in their own way, probably, and
thought that Lane had
as good right to invade Missouri as they
had to invade Kansas.
Hence they fortified their stronghold.
News had also reached
the Ruffian army at Lecompton, by
dispatches from New Santa
Fe, of the battle of Osawatomie and its
results, which prove to
Vol. XXXTV-21.
322 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
have been far worse to the Ruffians than
I anticipated in my let-
ter of the 1st inst. They report thirty
of their men killed, and
as many wounded, while it is known that
but five Free-State
men were killed, with none wounded. The
difference between
the strength of the respective forces is
not so great as was at
first reported. There were but thirty
Free-State men against
three hundred Ruffians, ten to one,
instead of twelve to one, as
at first reported. It is believed that
if the Free-State men had
had a sufficiency of ammunition and some
extra side-arms, the
victory would have been theirs, even
with such fearful odds
against them. The battle of Osawatomie
was the decisive bat-
tle of this war, not only from its
material results, but from its
moral effect upon both parties. It
demonstrates to the country
that the Free-State men now in Kansas
are superior to the Ruf-
fians now or then in Kansas, both
in courage and in the use of
arms. In speaking thus, I have made no
invidious comparison,
for I believe if there is any
circumstance calculated to call out a
man's bravery, it is the defense of his
home against a heartless
and blood-thirsty invader.
Nothing was known in Lawrence of the
disaffection in the
Pro-Slavery camp, on Wednesday. On
Thursday morning a
man came over the ferry from the
direction of Leavenworth, and
stated, as well as he was able, that he
and two other Free-State
men had started from Leavenworth on
Monday, to join the
Free-State army in defense of Lawrence;
that they had been
taken prisoners on the road by the
banditti and taken into the
woods, and all three were shot. He fell,
insensible, and when
he recovered he found that the ball
(from an eight-inch revolver)
had lodged in the muscles of the neck.
The pistol must have
been held quite close up to his face,
because numerous particles
of powder had penetrated the skin,
making black spots. One
side of his face was awfully mangled. He
says he knows one
of the party. An Indian came with him
from the Delaware
Reserve, and corroborates the statement.
The unfortunate man
is in the hospital and will probably
recover. When he can talk
without pain, he will give more
particulars. The bodies of his
companions were found yesterday.
Speaking of the Delaware Indian Reserve,
reminds me of a
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper
Correspondence 323
very important item. It seems that the
Ruffians in and around
Leavenworth have been engaged in
stealing horses from the
Delawares, until they could not bear it
any longer; in short, the
indian element, in their manhood, called
for redress or revenge,
and that too, immediately. Accordingly,
on Wednesday last, a
delegation headed by Sarcoxie, their
chief, visited Gov. Wood-
son, and, after stating their
grievances, told him that unless im-
mediate measures were taken for their
protection, they would
raise five hundred braves and offer
themselves to Gen. Lane at
Lawrence, to assist in clearing the
Territory of their enemy,
the white Missouri horse-thieves. Gov.
Woodson told him that
they would be protected, and immediately
sent a company of
United States dragoons to the rescue.
The Delawares do not be-
lieve in the peculiar institution.
On Thursday, Sept. 4, in the afternoon,
the citizens of
Lawrence were again delighted with a
visit from Marshal Don-
oldson, some deputies, and four
companies of United States
dragoons. He had United States high
treason writs against
Gen. Lane, Col. Walker, Mr. Grover and
others, but as nobody
knew where these gentlemen were, the
doughty Marshal, after
perambulating the streets, and observing
to his satisfaction, or
dissatisfaction, the forts and-so-forths
of the city, quietly re-
turned with Uncle Sam to Lecompton,
probably to write an-
other postscript.
On the same day a regiment of Free-State
Volunteers were
ordered to cross the Kansas River, and
march up on its north
side as far as Lecompton. The object of
this force was to cut
off any retreat in the direction of
Leavenworth of the Pro-Slav-
ery forces at Lecompton. This Free-State
force numbering 150
men, armed mostly with rifles, arrived
at a point about a mile
north of Lecompton about dark. Col.
Harvey, who is in com-
mand of the 1st Regiment of Volunteers,
disposed his men in
such a manner as to cover the road for a
considerable distance,
thereby making it impossible for a body
of men numbering even
five times that of his party to retreat.
Here they lay on their
arms till daybreak, under one of the
most violent thunder and
rain storms of the season. In the
meantime, Gen. Lane with
the balance of the Free-State army, was
to have marched upon
324 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
Lecompton that night, and attack the
place at daybreak, if the
Ruffians refused to surrender. As was
already remarked, noth-
ing was known by either wing of the
Free-State army about the
disaffection in the Pro-Slavery army,
because the messengers
sent to find out had been taken
prisoners.
Owing to the drenching rain and the
severe thunder storm,
Gen. Lane failed to march at the
appointed time, and about 10
o'clock on Friday, the first regiment,
after making prisoners of
a few scouts of the Ruffian army, took
up their line of march
back to Lawrence. When within a mile of
the city, they were
met by a messenger telling them that
Gen. Lane had marched
upon Lecompton that morning and expected
them to cut off the
retreat of the Ruffians who might
attempt to cross the river on
their way to Leavenworth. But the
message was too late--the
men were fatigued and hungry -- and it
was thought best to march
forward to Lawrence to get some
refreshments and rest.
About two o'clock p. m. a messenger came
from Gen. Lane
directing that the First Regiment had
returned, to let them rest;
and, if repulsed, to be ready to march
to his assistance at a mo-
ment's notice. But no assistance was
necessary, for Lane had
taken possession of a hill overlooking
the entire city, and had
planted two pieces of artillery without
any attempted resistance
on the part of the Ruffians whatever.
This was about 4 p. m.
on Friday. Gen. Lane then deputed two of
his men to go into
the Ruffian camp, and make a demand for
the Free-State prison-
ers taken at Leavenworth and other
places. He also gave them
the necessary instructions how to
proceed. One of these men
was Chas. H. Branscomb, esq., of
Lawrence; the other was Cap-
tain James B. Cline of Osawatomie, the
same who was held a
prisoner in a Missouri jail and who a
week ago commanded con-
jointly with Capt. John Brown, sr., at
the battle of Osawa-
tomie. These gentlemen, bearing a flag
of truce, rode into
Lecompton, and halted before the
unfinished State Capitol, which
was for the time being used as a
Border-Ruffian fort. The Ruf-
fians were drawn up in line of battle,
and were mostly armed
with United States muskets. The
following is a verbatim re-
port of the interview:
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper Correspondence 325
Mr. Branscomb -- "Who has command
of the forces here
assembled ?"
Several Voices -- "General
Richardson."
Mr. Branscomb -- "Can
I see General Richardson?"
Here General Richardson stepped forward
and bowed.
Mr. Branscomb -- "General
Richardson, are you in command
of the forces here assembled?"
General Richardson -- "Well, I
don't know as I am."
An individual here stepped forward and
inquired as follows:
"General Richardson, do you still
retain the command?"
"No, I suppose not, I resigned this
morning," was the reply.
This individual then turned to Messrs.
Branscomb and Cline,
and said: "I am in command of the
forces here assembled and
am ready to receive any
proposition."
Mr. Branscomb -- "Who
are you, Sir?"
Individual -- "I am General
Marshall."
Mr. Branscomb -- "I am directed by
Gen. Lane, Commander
of the Free-State forces of Kansas, to
demand of you the un-
conditional and immediate release of all Free-State prisoners
now in Lecompton."
Gen. Marshall -- "We wish to make
no compromise with
Gen. Lane, only that he shall treat our
prisoners as kindly and
courteously as we treat his."
Mr. Branscomb -- "Do I understand
you to refuse to sur-
render the prisoners demanded?"
Gen. Marshall -- "Such is the
understanding."
Messrs. Branscomb and Cline were about
to return to Gen.
Lane's lines, when Gen. Marshall
requested them to wait a few
minutes. They did so. After a private
consultation with some
others, the General returned and gave
Mr. Branscomb the strange
intelligence that all the prisoners
demanded had been released
that morning, and that provision had
been made to obtain an
escort of United States dragoons to
attend them to Lawrence the
next day. He then told him that he made
a demand on Gen.
Lane for all the Pro-Slavery prisoners
which had been taken,
and asked Mr. Branscomb to state the
demand. This ended the
interview.
In the meantime, three different
messengers, at three differ-
326 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
ent times--the intervals must have been
very short--had been
dispatched to the camp of the United
States troops about two
miles from Lecompton, asking them to
come over and save their
city from the clutches of Gen. Lane and
his army. Col. Cook,
the officer in command, finally came
with a few of his company
and he and his staff reached Lane's
lines about the time the mes
sengers to Lecompton got back. Col. Cook
said to Gen. Lane
and his staff, "Gentlemen, you have
made a great mistake in com-
ing here today. The Territorial militia
was dismissed this morn-
ing; some of them have left, some are
leaving now, and the rest
will leave and go to their homes as soon
as they can." Mr. Par-
rott of Leavenworth City, who was twice
sent down the river
by the Ruffians, replied to him as
follows: "Col. Cook, when
we send a man or two men, or a dozen men
to speak with the
Territorial authorities, they are
arrested and held. like felons!
How, then, are we to know what is going
on in Lecompton?
Why, we have to come here with an army
to find out what is
going on. How else could we know?"
To this Col. Cook made
no reply.
An incident occurred here worthy of
record. Deputy Mar-
shal Cramer rode up to Lane's lines,
encouraged to perform this
act of bravery, doubtless, by seeing the
United States troops;
but his object was not apparent. He was
immediately taken
prisoner by our scouts, and as he was
passing Col. Cook he ap-
pealed to that gentleman for protection.
Col. Cook did not in-
terfere in his behalf, and the bogus
process-server was led to the
rear. He was shortly afterward released
and was the recipient
of some good advice from one of the
boys.
Some more conversation. of an
unimportant character took
place between Col. Cook and Gen. Lane
and his staff, and the
Free-State forces took up their line of
march to Lawrence, where
they arrived about 9 o'clock last night.
There are a number of
interesting incidents connected with
this Lecompton affair, but
want of time prevents me from writing
them. The mail runs
regularly to Westport three times a
week, but whether you get
these letters or not I cannot tell. THE
TRIBUNE comes "once
in a while".
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper
Correspondence 327
The people here feel sorry that the
House receded and did
nothing for them. They now intend to
rely upon themselves.
Potter.
P. S.--A report has just reached us that
the Topeka Volun-
teers have taken Tecumseh. No lives
lost. No particulars.
New York Tribune, September 19, 1856.
Lawrence, K. T., Sept. 8, 1856.
We have a lull once more, but it feels
like the lull which pre-
cedes a second storm. This time the
clouds are not so thick.
and the few that remain on the
Missouri-ward horizon are not
so black. The feeling of the people here
is this: let the storm
come, we have got our umbrellas up!
My last letter brought us down to the
surrender, or may we
call it the capitulation of Lecompton,
and the return to Missouri
of the "Kansas militia''. Whether
they all returned to Missouri
is a question of some doubt. It is quite
certain, however, that
130 from St. Joseph, under Col.
Robinson, did return, as the
quarrel mentioned in my last was one
that will not be easily healed.
The company or regiment which he
commands is known among
the Ruffians by the awe-inspiring name
of the "Tigers", their
uniform being supposed to resemble the
natural uniform of that
humane animal. Their name may be
intended to convey to in-
nocent and unsuspecting Free-State men
the human blood-loving,
raw-head-and-bloody-bones character of
the company. Be this
as it may, those who know Col. Robinson,
their commander, de-
scribe him as a gentleman in every
particular, but one who was
weak enough to be led by the
misrepresentation of Atchison,
Stringfellow and Company to take part in
the raid into the Ter-
ritory. He did so, with the
understanding that his mission was
to stop outrage and violence on the part
of the Abolitionists.
He was, therefore, but ill prepared to
see the shoe on the other
foot--to see law-and-order men commit
the outrages which he
was told belonged only to the depraved
and desperate Abolition-
ists; and still worse was he prepared to
see it counseled or
winked at by the great Stringfellow!
Hence their quarrel, fol-
328 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
lowed by a challenge, which was followed
by his refusal to fight
except with gentlemen; this last event
was followed by the
Colonel's return to Missouri with his
"tigers" -- tamed, doubt-
less, by the news of the battle of
Osawatomie. This brings me
to speak of Capt. John Brown, sr. It
will be remembered that
after the retreat of the Free-State men,
when their ammunition
was expended, Captain Brown was last
seen crossing a private
ford with a Sharp's rifle in one hand
and a revolver in the other.
As he was not seen afterward he was
supposed to have fallen,
and the people here mourned him as dead.
It was therefore with
much pleasure that they welcomed back on
Sunday last, the
venerable hero of Black Jack and
Osawatomie. Captain Brown
is a tall, gray-haired, blue-eyed man,
about sixty years of age,
and the expression of his countenance
indicates anything else
than the ferocious character in which
the Border newspapers
paint him. He reports that but one
Free-State man was killed
in the battle, but that two men were
murdered (one of them
his own son) before the battle, and one
after the battle, making
four in all. The Border newspapers
contain a list of the killed
and wounded on the Pro-Slavery side, and
their statement is
corroborated in part by Captain Brown.
They had thirty-three
killed, and thirty-seven wounded.
Captain Brown remained
around Osawatomie taking care of his
property and watching
with a few of his Company the movements
of the Borderers.
All is quiet in that part of the
Territory.
On Saturday last, according to the terms
of the Lecompton
settlement of the day before, fourteen
Free-State prisoners were
escorted by the dragoons to Lawrence.
There are two yet held
in Leavenworth, not included in the
terms, one of whom is Mr.
John Wilder, the other is the Rev. Mr.
Nute, who was re-
ported to have been sent down the river.
The same day, Gen.
Richardson, Commander-in-Chief of the
"Kansas Militia", had
the hardihood to ride into Lawrence
alone. He had an inter-
view with the Free-State leader, and
stated that he was on his
way to Westport to disperse the parties
who were coming into
the Territory. Gen. Lane took his
statements for what they
were worth, treated him kindly and
escorted him out of town.
Lane is reported to have told him that
if he (Richardson) found
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper
Correspondence 329
it difficult to disperse them, to bring
them up into the Territory
and he (Lane) would do it for him. He is
said to have ex-
hibited to Gen. Lane a Uriah Heep
humility. However, nobody
will be deceived by these protestations
of peace from such a
source. They have been made before with
the intention of get-
ting the Free-State men off their guard;
and until the great ques-
tion of Freedom or Slavery for Kansas is
settled, the Free-State
men will be as vigilant as now in
defending their homes against
outrages.
Today was that fixed upon for the trial
of the Treason pris-
oners, and a number of our citizens
went, unarmed, to attend
court at Lecompton; but when I left
there, at 4 o'clock this aft-
ernoon, no Court had appeared. The only
United States Ter-
ritorial officer there was
Deputy-Marshal Cramer, of whom men-
tion was made in my last. He commenced
using abusive lan-
guage to M. J. Parrott, esq., one of
Gov. Robinson's counsel, un-
til the "Stubbs" (unarmed)
entered town, and he then "hushed
up" of his own accord. He evidently
intended to get up a row,
till he saw it would not pay. Mr.
Parrott promised him an in
futurio hearing.
It is worthy of remark that although
Lane and his men
marched close by the now deserted house
of Gen. Clark, the
Pierce Indian Agent, the murderer of
Barber, not a particle of
property was destroyed belonging to him
except a few melons,
thus affording another instance of the
prudence of Lane and
the desire to keep an unblemished
record. Had Clark been there,
it might have been difficult to restrain
them.
Nine o'clock at night -- A gentleman has just come from
Lecompton, who says that Jeffreys
Lecompte has arrived, and
the Court will be opened at 9 o'clock in
the morning. Post-
scriptum Donaldson came with him. I will be there, and keep
you posted. Potter.
Potter.
New York Tribune, September 19, 1856.
Lawrence, K. T., Sept. 15, 1856.
The dispatch sent to The Tribune
yesterday morning as the
mail was closing anticipated Gov.
Geary's interference with the
330 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications United States troops to protect Free-State men. It must be re- membered that on the 11th inst., as soon as Gen. Lane heard of the arrival of Gov. Geary and that Free-State men were to be protected, he left Lawrence and went to Topeka, on his way to Nebraska. On the following day we received the Governor's message and proclamation, and the people here discussed the merits of both for some hours in public meeting. The same eve- ning, and while the meeting was yet in session, news came of the enemy from two different directions. It seems that while |
|
the Free-State men were rest- ing, under the belief that Gen. Richardson would disperse the mob at Westport, which he promised to do, that treach- erous man was bringing them into the Territory, till their number amounted to about two thousand five hundred. They got within fifteen miles of this city before any person knew it to a certainty. They came up through the Shawnee Reserve to the Blue-Jacket Crossing, just as they did in December last, and encamped, |
JOHN W. GEARY. as they did then, on the Wakarusa Bottom. Their scouts were dis- covered by the people of Franklin, who soon communicated the fact to those of Lawrence. The facts were embodied in a dispatch, and sent the same night (Friday) to the Governor at Lecompton. On receiving it, he immediately started with 400 dragoons for Lawrence, where he arrived the next morning about daybreak. After breakfast he spoke a few words to the citizens, assuring them of his desire to promote peace and to protect the lives and property of all peaceably-disposed citizens. He said he would visit our city at an early day, and give his views of matters at more length. He was sorry that we were threatened with invasions, but he would see that there would be no more. As the ad- |
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper
Correspondence 331
vance guard of the Ruffians (80
horsemen) had retreated to
the Wakarusa, it was supposed that they
had gone home, and
so the Governor went back to Lecompton
and took the troops
with him. Yesterday morning about church
time, news again
reached us that the enemy were
approaching Franklin, which
place, ever since the battle there, has
been considered a Free-
State town. An officer of the Ruffian
army with two others rode
ahead of the rest to reconnoiter, but
happened to be taken pris-
oner by two young men of Franklin. When
they took them
they did not take the precaution to make
them deliver up their
arms, and as they rode along one of the
prisoners fired at his
captor and missed him. The act of the
Ruffian was such a
cowardly one that the Free-State man
immediately drew his re-
volver and shot him dead. Had all the
Ruffians been treated
thus who had been found violating the
rules of civilized war-
fare, there would have been less
scalping and other barbarities
to record.
About half an hour afterward the rest of
the scouting party
of eighty advanced and took possession
of the town, and burned
a house and a sawmill which belonged to
Free-State men. The
flames were distinctly visible at the
new fort lately built at
Mount Oread, which at this time (4 1/2
P. M.) was held by the
Cabot Guards, a company of young men of
Lawrence. This
company is composed mostly of business
men and is named after
Dr. Cabot of Boston. At 5 o'clock a long
defile of horsemen
were seen riding along the road from
Franklin to Lawrence, and
as there were but one hundred and fifty
to two hundred men
able to bear arms in Lawrence, it took
all the military tact of
our leaders to dispose of them in such a
manner as to make the
most effectual and bloody defense. In the meantime several
messengers had been sent to Gov. Geary
at Lecompton inform-
ing him of the state of affairs.
About 5 1/2 P. M. a company of
the mounted Ruffians num-
bering about 50, and another company
numbering about 40,
marched and halted outside of rifle-shot
distance of Lawrence.
For about an hour the firing between
them and our horsemen,
20 in number, was brisk. They had left
their first position and
took refuge in the ravine, when they
were followed by a part of
332 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
the "Wabonsie boys" with
Sharp's rifles. At dark the invad-
ers retreated to Franklin -- the whole
force of which this patty
was the advance guard--intending to be
ready to make the
grand "wipe-out" at the dawn
of the next morning.
In the meantime an affair of a very
serious character took
place in Lawrence. A fellow named
Vandervourt was arrested,
charged with being a Pro-Slavery spy. It
was asserted that he
had that day written three dispatches to
the Ruffians, informing
them of the deserted condition of the
town; that Lane had gone
away; that the citizens, on the strength
of the governor's mes-
sage, had gone home to their families
and their claims; that
there was hardly a soul left here, and
that if ever they wanted
to get possession of Lawrence, now was
the time. The letters
were said to have been addressed to a
Mr. Wallace at Franklin.
but as there were two Wallaces there,
one of the letters went to
the wrong man. By the rules of war, this
man Vandervourt
should have been hanged, but he will
probably be set at liberty.
He is now under guard, and we are
waiting for further proof
of his guilt or innocence. He is one of
Buford's men, but pro-
fessed to be a Free-State man. He is a
dentist by profession.
He protests innocence, and thinks it
very unkind of them be-
cause they will not allow him to help
defend Lawrence. He has
been long suspected as a spy, and till
lately has been pretty
closely watched. We leave the question
of his guilt to time.
which solves all such problems.
About 9 P. M. Secretary Woodson, Deputy
Marshal Cramer
and one of our mesengers came from
Lecompton with news that
the troops were coming down to Lawrence
to protect us. I have
been informed that this Woodson
purposely delayed sending, or
did not send at all, the proclamation of
the Governor to this
Missouri army.
About 11 P. M. the United States
troops -- about three hun-
dred and seventy-five in all -- arrived
at Lawrence. They placed
four pieces of artillery on the point
held by the Cabot Guards;
the cavalry took their position on the
plat between the latter
point and the Kaw River, a little
southeast of the city. Here
they still remain.
No further attack was made during the night;
but at 8 o'clock
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper
Correspondence 333
this morning a part of them were seen
advancing from Frank-
lin. The Governor and suite, having
arrived here early in the
morning, now rode down to meet them, and
they returned with
him to their encampment. He has been
with them all day; but
his professed attempts to disband them
have not been successful.
I have heard that their officers, except
Titus, Jones and some
others, agreed to disband and go home.
These last-named per-
sons swore they would not do so unless
he (Gov. Geary) would
first let them "wipe out"
Lawrence. Such is the talk; but when
they find that they will have to fight
the troops, that fact may
change their minds. About two hundred of
them, who say they
are citizens of Kansas, have marched up
to Lecompton ostensi-
bly to give up their arms; the
rest--twenty-six hundred--are
"Missourians" -- this is,
Southern invaders generally.
I will now explain why Lawrence was
found so defense-
less at the very time when her defenders
were most needed:
When Gen. Lane reached Topeka on
Thursday last he heard
that about 450 Ruffians were committing
depredations on the
Grasshopper and driving out Free-State
settlers. Accordingly,
with a force of 125 men of Topeka, he
marched in the direction
of their camp, and discovered them on
Friday in a log strong-
hold. He saw that nothing but artillery
could drive them out
without great loss to the attacking
party. He accordingly dis-
patched a messenger to Lawrence for
help. About 100 citi-
zens of Lawrence marched immediately and
took with them a
six pounder. They were commanded by Gen.
Harvey and in-
stead of going by way of Topeka, they
went across the country
to save about fifteen miles' travel.
In the meantime Gen. Lane retreated from
Hickory Point to
Pleasant Hill, a distance of ten miles,
to wait for the reinforce-
ments from Lawrence. While they were
eating supper a man
rode into camp with the Governor's
message. Gen. Lane read
it to his men and told them that in all
probability the forces at
Lawrence were disbanded and had gone to
their home; that they
would probably have no men to send to
his assistance, and that
probably Geary would clean out the nest
of Ruffians with the
troops, and so save the Free-State men
the trouble. He said
that he would take fifty and go on
toward Nebraska, and meet
334 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
the train of emigrants which was on its
way to Topeka--the
rest could go home and go to work.
While this was being enacted at Pleasant
Hill, Col. Harvey
and his men were marching to Hickory
Point -- as he supposed
-- to find Gen. Lane. He found the
enemy, however, and a bat-
tle ensued. After fighting for some
time, a cessation took place.
An agreement or treaty was signed by the
officers, by which it
was agreed that they would return
prisoners, horses, etc. on both
sides, and the Kickapoos would go home.
While our men were
marching home, they were all arrested
and disarmed by the
United States troops, and taken to
Lecompton. Dr. Cutter was
allowed to go home to Lawrence to take
care of a man-- Mr.
Baldwin -- who was wounded in the
battle. He brings the only
intelligence we have of the fight.
A large train of emigrants is expected
from Nebraska this
week. Gen. Pomeroy is expected with it.
Potter.
New York Tribune, Sept. 27, 1856.
Lawrence, K. T., Sept. 16, 1856.
I sent The Tribune, a few days
since, the statement of I. W.
H. Golden, who, with two others was shot
between here and
Leavenworth by the Ruffians. Sunday
morning another of these
men came into Lawrence, after having
wandered through the
timbers for twelve days without seeing a
human being, almost
without food and clothing, and suffering
from two severe wounds.
The United States troops who were sent
to look after their bod-
ies could find but one man, whom they
buried. Mr. Bishop,
who came here Sunday morning, supposed
the other two were
dead. I went to the hospital, and he
made to me the following
statement:
"My name is Thomas Bishop. I live
in Leavenworth. I was
formerly of Illinois, but was raised in
North Carolina. When
the town of Lawrence was threatened two
weeks ago, I started
in company with Mr. Golden and Mr.
Roberts--both citizens
of Leavenworth, to join Lane's army.
This was on Monday
night, Sept. 1. We stopped during
the next day with a friend
this side of Leavenworth, and the same
night we started for
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper
Correspondence 335
Lawrence, supposing it would be safer to
travel in the night than
during the day. We were all three
unarmed. When we got
about half a mile this side of
Tonganoxie's, in the Delaware Re-
serve, among the timber, we were
overtaken by a band of
mounted men and made prisoners. We were
led toward their
camp.
This was about (or perhaps after) midnight. They
talked to Mr. Roberts, who was quite a
young man (formerly
from Ohio), and asked him if he feared
death--if he would
like to die, etc., with the design of
scaring him. When they got
on the Leavenworth side of Tonganoxie's,
they stopped and held
some conversation. Three men then rode
close up to us. They
then shot Mr. Roberts. Mr. Golden was
shot; and when they
fired at me I fell down, although
uninjured. To make sure
work, they shot at us after we were
down, and the second shot
took effect in my arm, making a slight
flesh wound. I distinctly
heard them pronounce the others dead.
One asked if I was
dead. A fellow advanced and felt my
pulse and exclaimed:
'Dead? H--1 and d--n'. He then gave me a
blow over the
back part of the head with the butt end
of a musket. How long
I remained unconscious I don't know.
When I returned to con-
sciousness, which must have been within
an hour, I crawled to
the timber and lay there all that day.
At night I felt feverish,
and moved a little to find water, but
found none. The next day
and the next night were long ones to me,
but I finally reached the
Stranger Creek, and on Thursday night,
Sept. 4, I first found
water.
How I spent the time from that time till
now is more than
I can tell. In fact, it appears like a
dream, the whole of it; but
my head and arm feel very like
realities. The blow on my head
affected my sight so that I could see
only a very short distance. I
moved about from place to place during
the night. I lived
chiefly on hazelnuts, but found some
watermelons at Tongan-
oxie's. Tonganoxie, who is a Delaware
Indian, and who kept
a kind of halfway house between
Leavenworth and Lawrence,
had moved away for safety, so his house
was entirely deserted.
I hid in his corn and in the bushes for
several nights, but I
knew I would die soon from starvation if
I stayed there. I
heard human voices very often, but could
not distinguish whether
336 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
they were friends or foe, as my eyes
were so badly affected I
could not see. At last I determined to
find Lawrence, and on
Saturday, at dusk, I started from my
hiding place. I arrived at
the Lawrence ferry at midnight, but as I
was not sure of the
place I did not arouse the ferryman till
Sunday morning (the
14th). I then heard for the first time
that one of my compan-
ions, Mr. Golden, was alive and the
other killed."
Such is the statement of this man, which
agrees entirely with
the statement made by Mr. Golden
(formerly of Pennsylvania)
who was shot so badly in the mouth. They
are both in the hos-
pital, and though their wounds are not
dangerous, they require
medical attention and care. I have no
doubt but that many
cases of suffering, nearly as bad as the
horrible one just re-
corded, have never been made known to
the public, nor have I
any doubt whatever that many have
perished in Kansas under
circumstances of a character like those
described. How seared
must be the heart who can read such
outrages and say, "all is
quiet and peaceful in Kansas" and
think no more of it.
Gov. Geary has been a week in the
Territory, and his acts
thus far have been very far from those
which would indicate
a partisan. He has been impartial. He
has disbanded nearly
three thousand invaders who had this
city almost in their
clutches, and he has arrested about a
hundred Free-State men
(those of Col. Harvey), mentioned in my
last letter. These
will probably be released and disbanded
after the Missourians
are known to be out of the Territory.
Once released, these Free-
State men will return to their homes and
claims, which they
would never have been called upon to
protect had it not been
for the inefficiency or wickedness of
Shannon, Woodson and the
other appointees of Pierce. Reserving
comments, which might
do injustice to either party, it is due
to Gov. Geary to say that
he has shown a promptness of action in
these matters which jus-
tifies us in assuming, that whatever he
conceives to be right will
be "put through", a la
Jackson. Whether he will declare mar-
tial law-- without which he has no more
"power to hang any
man right up on the spot", than has
one citizen to hang another
-- whether he will disarm all the
citizens or not, the future alone
must tell. If he will only keep the
invaders out, and stop the
John Henri Kagi -- Newspaper
Correspondence 337
burning of property and murder, the
Free-State men do not care
how soon they are disarmed; but they
will have to be well as-
sured of this before they will part with
their arms. Those who
were disarmed will receive their arms
back as soon as they are
released, of course. About 100
Free-State volunteers of our
militia are holding themselves in
readiness to act under Col.
Cook of the United States army, by
request of Gov. Geary. The
Pro-Slavery men at Lecompton said they
did not want Geary or
any other man for Governor but Woodson.
He declared the
Territory in a state of insurrection and
rebellion at a time when
they wanted it done, as a pretext for
this last grand raid from
Missouri. I am satisfied that had Gov.
Geary been, here two weeks
sooner no proclamation declaring
rebellion would have been is-
sued. What nonsense to call men rebels
because they choose to
defend their homes from invasion! No, I
think Gov. Geary will
not allow himself to be caught playing
at "Tom-fool in the mid-
dle" with any faction or clique in
Kansas or at Washington
either.
I have just learned that this large body
of men who came
up to attack this city are a part of the
posse summoned in pur-
suance of the proclamation issed to Gen.
Coffee and others, but
as they were not in the Territory when
the "Northern Division"
was disbanded at Lecompton, no effort
was made by Acting
Governor Woodson to send to Westport,
Missouri, to tell them
this fact. Hence they came in, under
Gen. Reid, a member, I
believe, of the Legislature of Missouri.
After the visit of Gov. Geary to this
camp, and after they
had agreed to go home, about 200 of them
marched to Lecomp-
ton in order to take the ferry across
the river at that place. While
on their way, however, they still
continued their old tricks of
horse-stealing and murder. They got as
far up the California
road as Mr. Henry M. Simpson's house.
They wanted his horse,
but his wife got her arms around its
neck and would not part
with it.
"What state are you from?"
asked one of them.
"From Massachusetts."
"Did the Emigrant Aid Society pay
your expenses here?"
"No, Sir, they did not."
Vol. XXXIV--22.
338 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
"Is that your wife that hangs on to
the pony?"
"She is."
They thought it best not to steal the
horse, and the proces-
sion moved along.
At Wheatland, where Titus was to have
had his general
training, they committed no outrage,
although Postmaster Spicer
has several good horses. They probably
spared him on account
of his being like James Buchanan, sole
proprietor and only resi-
dent of Wheatland. When they had gone a
mile or two further,
they pressed a couple of horses
belonging to Capt. Thomes, into
whose house the "Northern
Division" fired, when occupied by a
few ladies, two weeks ago. Going on
still further they pressed
a horse belonging to David Buffum and
his brother, who is said
to be a deaf and dumb man. David Buffum
went out to remon-
strate against their taking his horse,
and was immediately shot
down. The pony saved by the fair arms of
a true-hearted woman
was then employed to procure a surgeon.
But the errand was
useless. Mr. Buffum was shot in the
abdomen, and although he
still lives, the wound is considered
mortal. Gov. Geary was on
the spot a short time after the murder,
as he happened to be on
his way from Lawrence to Lecompton when
the murder oc-
curred. I understand he is investigating
the circumstances, with
a view to bring the murderer to justice.
Speaking of murder reminds me of an
incident which will
illustrate the manner in which the
Buford brigade has been
"used up". As we were
returning from Lecompton's Court to
the camp on Wednesday last, accompanied
by some of the high-
treason prisoners and Marshal Donaldson,
we met a man with a
gun in his hand, inquiring for the City
Marshal. "What do you
want with him?" asked Mr.
Donaldson. "I want to give my-
self (hic) up," was the reply of
the drunken young man. "What
have you done?" we inquired.
"Why, I expect I have commit-
ted a regular (hic) full-blooded
homicide. I suppose I shot one
of my (hic) best friends."
"Where do you belong?" asked Don-
aldson, very uneasily. "I belong to
the militia, and we were on
our way to Atchison, and --" "What's your name, and where
are you from?" asked Donaldson.
"My name is Wells, formerly
of Georgia. The man I killed was Mr.
(hic) King; that's so:
John Henri Kagi --Newspaper
Correspondence 339
formerly a Floridian." "It's too bad," said we
abstractedly.
"Yes," said the murderer,
"It's a G-d d-d shame!" The mar-
shal took him into custody. This was the
result of a drunken
quarrel but it was the entire coolness
with which the fellow spoke
of the act which surprised me. The
record of this conversation,
verbatim, will illustrate many things
which space prevents recall-
ing, but which your memory will easily
supply.
The statement in my last that both
companies which attempted
to enter Lawrence on Sunday afternoon
were mounted is a mis-
take. Only one company was mounted, the
other was infantry.
I have just heard that David Buffum is
dead.
All except one company of the dragoons have
gone back to
Lecompton. The weather is fine.
Potter.
New York Tribune, September 27, 1856.
Lawrence, K. T., Sept. 19, 1856.
There is no doubt in the mind of any
person here, that the
Pro-Slavery party of Kansas, or rather
of Missouri, united with
the crimes of murder, arson and robbery,
that of base treachery
to the Free-State men by dishonorably
breaking their pledges,
and this explains some of the strange
events of the last ten days.
After surrendering the Free-State
prisoners at Lecompton, after
assuring Gen. Lane that the rabble
called the "Kansas Militia"
was disbanded and would be sent home
where they belong, after
assuring us that he was going to
Westport to disband and dis-
organize the mob and discountenance
their attempt to invade
our homes--after all this, Gen.
Richardson under the escort of
Gen. Lane, to whom these assurances were
made, rides through
Lawrence to Westport and unites with
others in encouraging this
raid which came so near blotting us from
existence on Saturday
last. The Ruffians at Lecompton acted
their part well. They
were civil, and some of them even
courteous to Free-State men.
Gov. Woodson, in conversation with me,
went so far as to ex-
press his regret at the unhappy state of
affairs in the Territory,
when he knew well that his infamous
proclamation was the
cause of it all. Still, it was lucky for
the "High Treason" pris-
oners that the week of our lethargy--the
week we slept upon
340 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
the above assurances--was their week for
trial. Had it been
a week earlier, there is no telling what
treatment they might
have met with from the fury of
Stringfellow's mob at Lecomp-
ton. While we slept-while the majority
of our forces had
gone to their homes believing that
Woodson and Richardson
would disband the Westport as they had
done the Lecompton
regiment, they were plotting with
Atchison the destruction of
our best town and its already
exasperated inhabitants. The Ruf-
fians well knew by their system of
espionage the exact position
of the Free-State men. They well knew
that Gen. Lane after the
treaty of peace at Lecompton (which he
believed was made in
good faith, and which was kept in good
faith on his part), had
gone to look after those dear, good
souls who had been sent
ostensibly to intercept him when he
should attempt to escape
from the Territory, but really to drive
back the trains of Free-
State emigrants who would come in on the
Iowa road to To-
peka. At the latter place Gen. Lane
heard of their whereabouts,
and so, with a small force, marched to
their rendezvous. He sur-
rounded them in one of their log-built
dens, and sent to Law-
rence for a piece of artillery and some
force to drive them out.
While waiting for these he got the
message of the new governor,
and concluded that he could do the job
much easier with the
troops than he (Lane) could do it with
his men. Lane accord-
ingly disbanded his men and went with
fifty to meet the train
coming from Nebraska. Meanwhile, Col.
Harvey marched from
Lawrence with 100 volunteers and a piece
of artillery, came upon
these fellows, fought them, made them
agree to leave, and then
returned himself with his company in the
direction of Lawrence,
when almost every man of his company
were made prisoners and
disarmed by the troops by order of
Geary.
In the meantime the Ruffians went up the
California Road
in order to cross the ferry at Lecompton
-- the same crowd who
coolly shot down Mr. Buffum, a cripple,
because he objected to
their stealing his horse -- instead of
going to Leavenworth to dis-
band, as they pretended they would do,
went up the north side
of the river to Topeka and attacked that
town. Such is the re-
port. At any rate, Gov. Geary has gone
there with the troops,
but what the result of his visit will be
I cannot yet tell. Whether
John Henri Kagi -- Newspaper
Correspondence 341
he will see fit to drive back the
emigrants known, to be on their
way into the Territory, time will show.
If he does, then he will
have shown his hand, a partisan instead
of the impartial governor
of the whole people. But we will not
anticipate; we hope for
better things.
What a beautiful sentiment was that of
Jeff. Davis in his
letter to Gen. Smith, where he says that
"patriotism and humanity
(why didn't he add Slavery?) alike
require that rebellion (and
the rebels, too, of course) should be
promptly crushed." Now,
you cannot appreciate this sentiment as
we can here in Kansas,
especially as we in Lawrence are those
whom "Patriotism and
Humanity", and Jeff. Davis and
Slavery, are so anxious about.
Jefferson Davis, I notice, also
recommends that in doctoring up
sick Kansas Gen. Smith must resort to
phlebotomy some, but
not enough to bleed the patients to
death. How kind!
At the battle of Oskaloosa -- the battle
fought by Harvey's
men-some documents were found which
threw some light
upon the army of the Ruffians, and the
means employed to raise
it. How strange it is that Southern men
kept up a continual
howl for half a year, in the halls of
Congress, about the New
England Emigrant Aid Society -- a
society which never paid the
passage of a man to Kansas -- but never
yelped once about the
Society which issued the following
circular:
"Charleston, S. C., Feb. 26, 1856.
"To,
"Dear Sir: We respectfully ask your
attention to the purpose
of the Society, the objects and officers
of which you will find
on the next page. It is unnecessary when
addressing Southern
men, to dwell at length on the grave and
pressing importance
of southern action in aid of the
Pro-Slavery party in Kansas.
Our immediate object is to inform you
that a Society has been
organized here, which hopes to initiate
an, earnest, systematic
and efficient effort in support of those
who are battling for
Southern rights. The endeavor, so far,
has been rewarded with
encouraging success. We would,
therefore, ask such aid as you
may be disposed to afford, and request
the fullest information
from you in regard to the temper and
action of your immediate
neighborhood. We would further suggest
that should there be
near you any men whose character and
enterprise make them fit
342 Ohio Arch. and
Hist. Society Publications emigrants, but who stand in need of pecuniary assistance to carry out their wishes, you would furnish us with a list of such names, specifying a knowledge of their qualifications. Such a communi- cation would, of course, be considered confidential, and is not intended as a pledge on our part to send them until after a full examination of our ability and their fitness. "We would beg you to regard this letter not as entirely con- fidential, but to be used only in private communication with your friends. "We have the honor to be, very respectfully, "W. M. Whaley, Chairman." "Attested March 5, 1856. "Theodore G. Barker, Secretary |
"S. Y. Tupper "W. D. Foster "J. M. Easton "C. J. Colcock "Theodore G. Baker "John Cunningham "W. H. Trescot |
A. W. Burnet W. E. Martin F. B. Richardson Wm. Lebby W. R. Tabor A. F. Browning James Simmons" |
Such is the circular. But let us turn the leaf and
see the "ob- jects and officers" of the Society of which it
speaks. What if it proves to be an "Emigrant Aid Society"?
But, no, it can't be that; the South was always opposed to such things.
But there is the inside: EXTRACTS FROM THE CONSTITUTION Article i. The name of this organization shall
be, "A Society for the Aid of the Slave Settlements of Kansas,"
and it shall continue until the question of the admission of
Kansas as a Slave State shall have been decided. Art. 4. The duty of the Executive Committee shall be
to pro- mote the emigration of such citizens as will go to
the Territory of Kansas with
a bona fide purpose of becoming inhabitants thereof, and aiding the constituted authorities in
maintaining the government and laws now in force in that Territory,
or such other laws as may be passed for the preservation
of slave institu- tions. And it shall be the further duty of said Committee to
pro- vide for raising funds and to adopt such measures as
they may deem judicious for carrying out the purposes of this
Society. Art. 6. Any resident of the State may become a member
of |
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper Correspondence 343 the Society by subscribing his name and contributing
such a sum as he may think proper to the purposes of the
Society. OFFICERS President -- Hon. James Rose Vice-Presidents |
Hon. J. Harleston Reid Chas. D. Carr, Esq., Hon. W. Porcher Miles, Secretary, Theo. G. Barker, Esq., |
Hon. Edward Frost, Wms. Middleton, Esq., Elias Vanderhorst, Esq., Treasurer, E. Harry Frost, Esq. |
Then follow the names of the Executive Committee,
which, I find by comparison, are the same as those who
signed the "not entirely confidential" letter above. Then follow the names of the Executive Committee,
which are gotten
up in a very "taking way." It is very curious that Mr. Frank Pierce did not mention it in his conversation
with the National Kansas Committee. CERTIFICATE Charleston, S. C., March 5, 1856. To all the True Friends of the Rights of the South. We hereby certify, That Mr. G. H. T. Alexander, the bearer of this, is a true Southern man in sentiment, and
emigrates to Kansas with a bona fide purpose of becoming an
inhabitant thereof, and aiding the constituted authorities in
maintaining the government and laws, now in force in said Territory,
and such other laws as may be passed for the preservation of
slavery in- stitutions, and we earnestly commend him to the kind
offices and friendly services of all who are maintaining the
rights of the South. (Here follow the names of the entire "Executive
Committee of the Society for the aid of the Slave Settlements
of Kansas", attested by Theo. G. Barker, Secretary.) Speaking of these South Carolinians reminds me of an
in- teresting event. It will be recollected that when the
Herald of Freedom was
destroyed, a red flag, with one star and "Southern |
344 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
Rights" on it was hoisted on the
building. It so happened that
when the same flag was being brought
into town as a trophy by
the Free-State men, the press and type
of the new Herald of
Freedom was coming in in an opposite direction. This was an
oiminous coincidence. The Herald will
be issued immediately, at
the usual rates, I believe. Mr. Brown,
no longer a prisoner, is
superintending his business himself.
But to return to the Southern army: After
these men get
into the Territory by the Aid Societies
of the South, it might be
interesting to your readers to know how
these patriots are fed,
and so I send you another of these
precious documents:
Headquarters 3d Regt. Kansas Militia,
ATCHISON, August 19, 1856.
Orders. No. I.
I. Each Captain of a Company composing this Regiment is
hereby required forthwith to provide his
command with a baggage
wagon or wagons (as may be needed), and
the necessary teams
for transporting the same, and to lay in
sufficient supplies of pro-
visions for the use of his men for a
campaign of two weeks.
2. Wagons, teams and provisions will be pressed
into this
service wherever the same may be found
not preoccupied by other
Companies of this Regiment, the Captains
giving receipts for the
same to the owners thereof.
3. Reports relative to the execution of
this order will be
male to the Colonel of the Regiment, on
Wednesday, the 20th
inst., and the whole Regiment will hold
itself in readiness to move
in military order from this place on
Thursday morning, the 21st
inst., at 9 o'clock a. m. By order of
COL. J. H. STRINGFELLOW.
A. MORRALL, Adjutant.
The second of these orders is
particularly Stringfellowish,
and considering that the receipts of the
Captain's are not "as
good as gold" and hardly worth the
paper upon which they are
written, it is quite a doubtful kind of
pay.
The man Vandervourt, who was arrested on
Sunday last
charged with being a spy was yesterday
discharged, no proof be-
ing found against him. There is no doubt
that there have been
regularly appointed spies in Lawrence
all summer. They are
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper
Correspondence 345
harmless, however, as all we do is
immediately submitted to the
world for its approval or condemnation.
Still there are times, as
for example last Sunday, when they might
injure us by bring-
ing upon us by surprise a much superior
force.
Potter.
New York Tribune, October 3, 1856.
Lawrence, K. T., Sept. 22, 1856.
I have been waiting for some days to
unriddle, if possible, the
mystery which hangs around the position
of Gov. Geary in re-
lation to the Bogus Laws. To me that
position is still a mys-
tery, and I therefore propose to tell
you what the people here
think about it, judging him solely by
his acts since he came into
the Territory. Some of these acts were
duly mentioned in my
last letter, and. the state of the case
will more fully appear by the
following statement of facts, made to me
by Lieut. George Earle
of the Lawrence "Stubbs", who
was made prisoner by order of
Gov. Geary.
I need not restate the circumstances
which led Col. Harvey
to start to Lane's assistance with a
force of over 100 men. It
appears now that the people here sent a
dispatch to Geary stat-
ing the case, and recounting some of the
outrages which that
body of Ruffians were every day
perpetrating upon Free-State
men, and asking him whether it would be
right to go to their as-
sistance. To -this Gov. Geary replied by
messenger, who never
reached Lawrence, that they must not go.
No messenger reach-
ing Lawrence, Col. Harvey marched on
Saturday night, and on
the next day (Aug. 14) at 9 a. m.
arrived at a place where
was a sawmill and improved claim
belonging to a Free-State man,
but now entirely deserted, where they
rested. This was six
miles from the Ruffian fort held by the
"Kansas militia". After
eating some roasted corn for breakfast
they started, and at about
11 a.
m. they got within. range of the fort. They placed the piece
of artillery in front, and were
supported by Captain Cutter's
company of infantry. The cavalry then
rode to the right of the
fort, and were immediately fired upon by
the Ruffians. The bat-
tle then commenced. The Stubbs were
placed in a ravine to the
right of the fort, the cavalry (who had
now dismounted) in a
346 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
cornfield within Sharp's rifle shot. The
battle raged, though not
incessantly, for about five hours, and
just as the artillery were
taking their third position, a flag of
truce appeared. The hostili-
ties now ceased, but Col. Harvey told
the flag-bearer that until
the black flag which floated over the
fort was taken down, he
would listen to no proposition. The flag
was immediately hauled
down and destroyed by themselves, each
protesting that he did
not help raise it. An agreement was then
entered into that they
would retire and disband peaceably.
There were three Free-
State surgeons along, and some of these
volunteered to dress
their wounds. They had three killed and
seven wounded. The
Free-State men had five wounded. They
(the Ruffians) num-
bered eighty men, armed with United
States muskets, knives and
revolvers.
At 6 p. m. the Free-State men marched
back to the place
where they had rested in the morning,
and in the mean time had
sent their surgeons to Lawrence with the
wounded. They
reached the mill where they intended to
camp over night. Col.
Harvey had been invited to eat supper at
the cabin of a settler a
short distance from there, and after
seeing that his men were
as comfortable as circumstances would
permit, he went there.
About 10 p. m., the guard discovered a
body of mounted men
on the hill overlooking the camp. On
being challenged, they
stated that they were United States
troops, Capt. Wood com-
manding. Capt. Wood rode down and
inquired if this was Har-
vey's camp. He was answered
affirmatively. He then inquired
for Harvey. Someone said he was not
there. He then ordered
the Free-State men to fall into line.
About fifteen did so. He
then informed them that they might
consider themselves prison-
ers. He was then asked upon what
authority he acted. He replied,
"By authority of the United States,
and by order of Gov. Geary."
He told them that they must lay down
their arms also. Capt.
Bickerton of the Free-State Artillery,
said that, of course, they
would not resist the United States
troops and would lay down
their arms, provided he (Wood) would be
responsible for them.
This was promised, and the prisoners
were marched, without
food, the same night in the direction of
Lecompton, where they
arrived the next morning (15th) at 8
o'clock. Here they were
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper
Correspondence 347
drawn up in line, and the Pro-Slavery
men began to try to taunt
them by calling them
"Abolitionists", and other names, and crow-
ing over their present position. They
were told that Lawrence
had been "wiped out" last
evening, and other things calculated
to excite them to a quarrel. But they
bore these insults calmly.
They were then marched to the camp of
the soldiers, and al-
though they called incessantly for food
and though one man
sank down from exhaustion, no food was
furnished them till 5
o'clock p. m. They were furnished with
hard bread and bacon,
and though this kind of fare was rough
and unusual, yet it must
have been sweet after a long march and
(with the exception of
some roasted corn) a fast of forty-eight
hours.
An incident happened at Harvey's Camp,
which is, perhaps,
worthy of record. Immediately after the
arrest of Harvey's
men, the Pro-Slavery guide who showed
Capt. Wood where the
Free-State camp was, rode off in the
direction of the Pro-Slav-
ery camp, intending, doubtless, to put
the Ruffians on their guard.
He was immediately followed by three
dragoons, they supposing
that he was a Free-State man who was
trying to escape. They
told him to halt, three times. He
refused to do so, and they
fired. He turned in his saddle and
returned the fire of the dra-
goons. They then fired once more and
shot him through the
heart. On bringing him to the light they
found it was their
guide. His body was taken to Lecompton,
tied to a feed-box
behind one of the wagons.
While crossing the ferry at Lecompton on
Monday morning,
quite a number made their escape, so
that when they were
counted, there were 101 instead of 125.
For shelter, the pris-
oners had only two small tents, which
would shelter, if crowded,
eight or ten persons. The balance had to
take the prairie for a
bed, and the heavy night dew for
covering. Lieut. Earle speaks
in high terms of the kindness of Lieut.
Colburn of the United
States army to himself and other
prisoners.
On Thursday, (Sept. 18), sixteen other
Free-State prisoners
were brought down from Topeka. On
Friday, fifty of them were
marched down to Lecompton to be examined
before Judge Cato.
They were lined around the court room.
and the citizens were
told to look at the prisoners and see if
they could identify any
348 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
of them. Several of the Ruffians who had
promised Col. Har-
vey to go home, stepped forward and
identified fifteen. The
Judge remanded all of them back to
prison till Monday, and said
that there would be no more witnesses
against them then. No-
tice was accordingly sent around to that
effect, so that Pro-Slav-
ery men can have a chance to trump up
charges against them.
The fifteen identified are charged with
murder, robbery, grand
larceny, and all other crimes in the
calendar. Of course all the
others will be identified.
On Friday night Mr. Earle with three
others, took advantage
of the intense darkness, and rolled
about a hundred yards, crawled
about as many more, and, as that brought
them outside of the
sentinels, they made tracks for home.
'Tis said others have
rolled out.
Pro-Slavery men, in the mean time, are
swearing to the own-
ership of Free-State horses and rifles
which they never owned.
Indeed, upon application to Donaldson,
they can sometimes be
had without an oath, and thus Free-State
men are being robbed,
while they have no chance to rebut the
oath or prove that their
property never was owned by its
claimants. On being remon-
strated with about this matter, Mr.
Donaldson made this reply:
"If you are released, you can apply
to the Courts for redress."
What consolation!
The murderer of David Buffum is still
unarrested and un-
hung. It is very singular that he is not
yet taken. Not a Pro-
Slavery man has yet been arrested in the
Territory by order of
Gov. Geary.
I have just heard from Lecompton. The
Free-State men
are in charge of Col. Titus, whom Geary
has enrolled as cap-
tain of a company, under command of Gen.
Smith. Of course,
the Free-State men will be well taken
care of by Titus. Geary
was down here today, I understand,
trying to raise a company
of volunteers to serve, like Titus,
under Gen. Smith. I think
the number (eighty-three) can be raised
tomorrow. But they
will never consent to be used to enforce
the bogus law, so that
he cannot ensnare them in that way at
least. The Free-State
men were not examined today before Cato.
They were re-
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper
Correspondence 349
manded back again till tomorrow. They
will be represented in
Court by M. J. Parrott and H. Mills
Moore, esqs.
I have refrained, thus far, from
commenting to the disad-
vantage of Gov. Geary upon these facts,
although these facts
are made the premises from which,
without a very intricate
mode of reasoning, it is assumed that
his influence is against
the Free-State cause. True, he may be
able to show the wis-
dom of his policy, and such wisdom may
be self-evident to the
Buchanan organs of the nation; yet he
will probably find that
there are other elements than
Buchananism at work in the popu-
lar heart. I have no doubt at all that
Gov. Geary means well,
but when we remember that he is
surrounded by the same batch
of Territorial officers which surrounded
Shannon -- when we
remember that these men will offer their
counsel and wield more
or less influence upon him -- when we
remember that these men,
from Woodson down to Cramer, hate with
malignant hatred
anything which looks like Freedom --
when we remember that
he was appointed by a puerile and wicked
administration, and
instructed by the head of a bloodthirsty
Department -- when we
remember all these things, and many more
as strongly to the
point as these, we are fearful that the
design of the President is
to crush out Freedom, and that even the
individuality of John
W. Geary may be submerged, and perhaps
lost, as Shannon's
was, in this grand effort.
Potter.
New York Tribune, October 3, 1856.
Lawrence, K. T., October 8, 1856.
The question is now being mooted here
very considerably
whether Gov. Geary is or is not a living
and walking Toombs
bill. The arguments pro and con are, to
say the least of them,
very interesting.
The Toombs bill proposed to amend and to
repeal certain
territorial laws--those which Gen. Cass
pronounced a "dis-
grace to civilization" -- but still
it acknowledged the validity of
the Legislature, which its framers knew
was the work of an
armed invading mob. What does Gov. Geary
say on this sub-
350 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
ject? Simply this, "that the people
have the right to ask the
next Legislature to revise any and all
laws." Well, we have a
Governor's assurance that at least one
of our rights is still left
us, namely, the right of petition; but
it is very evident that Mr.
Geary does not understand the position
of the Free-State set-
tlers of Kansas, if he thinks that
Free-State men will petition
a body elected under laws which they
repudiate. The power to
legislate, in the first place, was a
usurpation, and it follows that
all authority created by fraud is itself
a fraud. Still, the assur-
ance that we have the right to petition
is gratifying, especially
as we know that that right avails us
nothing at Washington,
whatever weight it might have upon a
nigger-driving Legislature
at Lecompton. The right of petition to a
Legislature elected un-
der the bogus code will never be
exercised. It is very plainly
seen that Gov. Geary acknowledges the
validity of the bogus
Missouri Legislature, because he is very
particular in saying to
people that the enactment must be
religiously observed. But
here are his own words: "In the
meantime, as you value the
peace of the Territory and the
maintenance of future laws, I
would earnestly ask you to refrain from
all violation of the
present statutes."
Gov. Geary in his inaugural address
devotes two very nice
paragraphs to the doctrine of
"popular sovereignty, "and gives
his idea of that doctrine (in which he
is a true believer) alto-
gether at loggerheads with the Toombs
bill. Whether he so
differs by instructions from
headquarters, or whether it is a mis-
take, or a new stroke of policy on old
Buck's account, we will
not stop to inquire. We know that the
Toombs bill proposed
to enact an election law for the
Territory, and on this point
Lieut. Gov. Roberts entered his protest
as a Democrat, and
showed the country the inconsistency of
the position of the Pro-
Slavery Senate. We know that Gov. Geary
holds the same opin-
ion of "popular sovereignty"
which every old line Democrat in
the country held -- which every Democrat
who came to Kansas
held "for a few days", till,
convinced of its absurdity, it was
given up in disgust, and afterwards
thought of only as an in-
fernal political hoax. So far Geary and
the Toombs bill do not
agree.
John Henri Kagi-Newspaper Correspondence 351 The Toombs bill fixed the enumeration of voters at a
time when the Missouri River was blocked to prevent
citizens of the Territory from returning who had been driven from
their homes by a heartless mob. So Governor Geary asked
Free-State men to take part in a popular election, after he had
arrested over a hundred Free-State voters, guilty of no crime but the love of Liberty. Here the action of Gov. Geary and the
proposed Toombs bill are identical. We are led to make these remarks in view of the
result of the election held here last Monday. The Free-State
men of this city, and, I believe, all over the Territory, refused
to take any part in the election. Monday morning, Sheriff Jones
came here with two men from Lecompton, and opened the polls at
the of- fice of James Christian, a Pro-Slavery lawyer who
lives here. I went in during the day and inquired who was
"running". Sher- iff Jones answered my question by handing me the
following: LAW-AND-ORDER TICKET For Congress: J. W. Whitfield. For Representatives: |
Jos. C. Anderson J. C. Thompson |
James Garwin G. H. Browne |
H. Butcher |
Mr. Christian, who is a good-natured little Irishman,
asked me to vote. I asked him how much I would have to pay.
He said, "Half a dollar." It was a dollar by
the act of the bogus Legislature, but the Pro-Slavery cause and tax are
both reduced one half since then. At night, when the polls closed
at Lawrence, there were seven "Law-and-Order" tickets
voted, and the "Law- and-Order" candidates may well be proud of
having received a unanimous vote in the "infected districts",
as they call it. At Lecompton they had a very fine time. The Ruffians
there polled 457 votes. At Willow Springs they polled 61
votes-- making in the entire county (Douglas they call
it) about 525 |
352 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
votes.
Not a Free-State man voted in this county, so that they
had it all their own way.
I have just heard of a very interesting
trick which they are
said to have practiced at Lecompton.
When a doubtful man,
one who they suspected was a little shaky,
went up to vote, his
name was written on the back of his
ticket, so that had he voted
on the other side of the goose he woull
have been spotted. In
this election, there was no need for
such precaution, as "the
goose" had but one side; still it
is illustrative of the vigilance of
these men.
New disturbances have broken out at
Osawatomie, in the
southern part of the Territory. J. H. Holmes of that place,
formerly of New York City, had an
interview with the Gov-
ernor in relation to these disturbances.
Mr. Holmes, in behalf
of the people of Osawatomie, asked Gov.
Geary if he would
allow the Free-State men to form a company for protection
against a band of guerrillas which still
existed in that part of the
Territory. Mr. H. told the Governor that
fifteen houses of
Free-State settlers had been burned, and
their owners, with their
families, had been driven away. Gov.
Geary replied to Mr.
Holmes, that if the Free-State men
formed a company, and
killed any Pro-Slavery men down there,
"they would swing for
it"--to use his own language. He
said that when the troops
(sent north to capture and take
prisoners the emigrants) return,
he would go with them to this scene of
trouble and "find out
about it". Another gentleman from
Osawatomie, whose name
I have forgotten, went to him last
Sunday on the same errand,
but received about as much satisfaction.
There are a great many
citizens leaving that part of the
Territory on that account; and
the worst of it is, they don't settle in
any other part, but gen-
erally go back to the state whence they
emigrated. Indeed, as
near as I can find out, there is not
much inducement for settle-
ment, unless a Free-State trading post
can be opened SOME-
WHERE ON THE MISSOURI RIVER IN KANSAS. I
have every reason to believe that the
western border of Missouri
from Arkansas north to Iowa, is
organized to keep out Free-
State settlement. Several men are known
to have gone to Mis-
souri after loads of provisions who
never returned. This re-
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper
Correspondence 353
mark applies only to men in southern
Kansas. Their teams have
been taken from them, and they have been
given their choice,
either to be shot or to go home to the
state from which they
emigrated.
I mentioned in a former letter the
removal of Thomas Shoe-
maker from the office of Receiver of
Public Funds for the Ter-
ritory, and the appointment of William
Brindle to that office.
I have just heard of an incident which
may serve to illustrate
how this Territory is governed and by
whom it is governed.
Early in the summer it seems that an
order came from the Sec-
retary of the Interior to the
Surveyor-General of the Territory
to open the Land Office for the sale of
the public lands. To this
order a certain functionary replied,
that he would be d--d if the
office would be opened by his consent
till that d--d Abolition
Shoemaker was removed. We know that the
office was not
opened, and we know that Mr. Shoemaker
is now removed, al-
though he was appointed at the instance
of Douglas. But his
crime was in not understanding
"Squatter Sovereignty" as Doug-
las does, and so they have now got a man
who does understand
it in just that light and no other.
Brindle is a well known small
politician of Northern Pennsylvania, but
becoming disgusted
with the Free-Soil majorities there for
a few years past, he left
the state and sets up for an "A No.
I" Border Ruffian at Leaven-
worth. It is said that he took part in
the scenes which re-
sulted in the death of Phillips. I do
not know that this is true
of Mr. Brindle -- I hope it is not -- I
would be sorry to have
the district from which we both
emigrated, disgraced in that
way. Well, his term of office will not
be a long one. Mr. Shoe-
maker is going to stump in
"Egypt" against Buchanan, and in
favor of Fremont. As he is a lawyer and
a good speaker, and
as he once had great influence in
Illinois as a Democrat, it is not
likely Old Buck will gain much by the
change. Gaius Jenkins,
esq., has also gone to Illinois to stump
for Fremont and Free
Kansas.
The Free-State men have called a
convention at Topeka on
the 13th inst., of the whole people, to
take into consideration the
propriety of forming an electoral ticket
under the Topeka con-
stitution. Whether this is good policy
time must determine.
Vol. XXXIV - 23.
354 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
For my own part I cannot see the utility
of it, except that a
vote on Fremont will determine the exact
strength of the Free-
State party in the Territory. Should we
be admitted as a state
in December, it is questionable whether
the electors of Kansas
would be allowed seats in the Electoral
College, especially if the
race were a close one.
Speaking of the race being close,
reminds me that Sheriff
Jones offered on Monday last to bet me
$1000 of his own, and
$10,000 of a friend of his that Buchanan
would be elected.
These were arguments which I could not
controvert on account
of not having the change, and so I was
silenced. On my hint-
ing that if I had the money I would bet
on 30,000 majority in
Pennsylvania for Fremont, he looked at
me as much as to say,
"Poor Abolitionist, he's crazy;
what a pity !" but made no reply.
At last Gov. Geary has offered a reward
of $500 for the ap-
prehension and conviction of the
murderer of Buffum, nearly
three weeks after the murder is
committed. Gov. Robinson of-
fered last April a reward for the
assassin of Jones of $500 the
next day after the affair. It is strange
that Gov. Geary should
wait till the murderer of Buffum could
get to his victim's antip-
odes before a reward is offered.
"Better late than never."
I have just seen a gentleman from
Wyandot who informs
me that at the election on Monday last
the Pro-Slavery men
polled over 200 votes, while
there are but forty odd legal voters
in the precinct. Not a Free-State vote
was cast there, nor any-
where in the Territory as far as heard
from. It is very evident
to me from the vote cast at Lecompton,
Wyandot and Leaven-
worth, that more than half the votes
cast are illegal votes. I
am, therefore, glad that the Free-State
men took no part in the
matter whatever, as it is not likely
they will ever receive fair play
from Pro-Slavery ballot-box stuffers,
and it is nearly certain
that they would not have received fair
play at this time.
Potter.
New York Tribune, October 18, 1856.
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper
Correspondence 355
LETTERS TO THE NATIONAL ERA
KANSAS.
The following letter from one of the
Free State prisoners
gives a most graphic account of the
oppressions inflicted in the
name of law upon the people of Kansas.
It explains some trans-
actions left obscure in telegraphic
dispatches.
IN PRISON AT LECOMPTON,
September 29, 1856.
To the Editor of the National Era:
Just at this time, perhaps, the
Freedom-loving people of the
States are congratulating themselves
upon the prospect of jus-
tice being at last dealt out to Kansas.
Such a boon would cer-
tainly be worth any rejoicing which the
devotees of liberty
could bestow; and surely no people on
earth could receive it
with more of gratitude than we. We too
have seen these pros-
pects, but only to see them vanish,
leaving in their stead noth-
ing but misery, pain, and sorrow. It was
known, previous to
the arrival of Governor Geary, that he
had been on intimate
terms with General Lane, and that he was
his friend in the af-
fair last winter between Lane and
Douglas. From this, we
thought we had reason to hope, and on
the evening of the 11th
inst., a few lays after the arrival of
the new Governor, and
while the people seemed filled with joy
over the liberation of
Charles Robinson, their own Governor and
idol, General Lane
came to Topeka, and, being called upon
by the troops and citi-
zens, made them a speech overflowing
with congratulations. He
said of the transactions of the few
weeks since his return to the
Territory, that "one
long-to-be-remembered campaign in the his-
tory of Kansas has closed -- favorably
to the cause of liberty,
but covering all over with shame the
great mob army which
came over with the avowed purpose of
subduing us forever.
Such a contrast between two opposing
armies has never before
existed. The enemy have outnumbered us
in every engagement;
they have been better armed, clothed,
and fed; and, being mostly
well-mounted, they have been able to
come into action with
freshness and vigor, while we have had
to meet them after long
356 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
forced marches on foot, with but little
food, and that of the
poorest quality. They published to the
world that they would
show no quarter; that every Free-State
man who fell into their
power should suffer death; and, cruel as
was the threat, it has
resulted in a terrible truth. But we
have murdered no prisoners,
burned no private dwellings; we have
sought but one thing,
Liberty, and endeavored to obtain it by the use of prudence and
humanity."
Speaking of Governor Geary, he said:
"I know him well, and believe that
he is true to us and to
our cause. He has promised all the
protection in his power, and
says he can call 50,000 militia to his
aid. He promises to dis-
band the present Territorial militia,
and to canvass the Terri-
tory, and enlist under a new
organization all the bona fide citi-
zens of whom military duty may be justly
required. I advise
you to enroll yourselves on certain
conditions, or, rather, in the
absence of certain conditions; that is,
if nothing is said concern-
ing obedience to the Territorial laws,
enlist; but if he requires
of you a pledge to support those
so-called lazes, tell him you
have no pledge to make. Geary has no
more doubts than we con-
cerning the invalidity of these laws,
yet he cannot positively re-
fuse to execute them. There is but one
course left for us to
pursue. Just let the wagon go on, while
we are getting in mo-
tion one of our own. Our Governor,
the one elected by our own
suffrages, will, in a few weeks, call
together the only legislative
body ever chosen by the people of Kansas
and in this and the
election of Fremont there is great hope.
The Missourians have
promised to go home and cease their
depredations. If they do
so, we have little more to do. I am,
however, reliably informed
that some of our men are held as
prisoners of war at Iowa Point,
and to-morrow I shall go to their
rescue. There are also some
emigrants waiting at Nebraska City, for
an escort to this place.
For that purpose, I shall go there when
I shall have accom-
plished my object at Iowa Point. When I
return we will lay
clown the implements of war, and trust
for protection the newly-
appointed Governor, until such a time
when experience shall
have proven that our reliance has been
misplaced."
At noon the next day, agreeably to this
intentions, General
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper
Correspondence 357
Lane, with forty horsemen, left for Iowa
Point. On the road,
fifteen miles from Topeka, he was met by
a messenger from
Grasshopper Falls, with the information
that the Missourians
were then in that town, sacking and
burning everything in their
reach. The messenger had been dispatched
to Topeka for aid.
The enemy were estimated at from two to
four hundred in num-
ber. Lane, thinking it rashness to
attack them with the num-
bers he then had, yet desirous of
punishing them for their in-
solence, sent back to Topeka for
re-inforcements, while he went
on and encamped at Pleasant Hill, eight
miles further, and
within about ten miles from Grasshopper
Falls. The re-inforce-
ments, forty in number, left Topeka the
same evening about ten
o'clock and arrived at Lane's camp at
sunrise the next morning,
and all immediately started for Hickory
Point, to which place,
it had been ascertained during the
night, the enemy had with-
drawn. This place contained not more
than a dozen houses, and
is located some ten miles northeast from
Pleasant Hill. On his
way there, Lane was joined by twenty men
from Grasshopper
Falls. About noon, he arrived before the
place and at three-
quarters of a mile's distance from it,
drew up his men in line of
battle. Capt. Lenhart, with fifteen
mounted sharp-shooters, was
sent around to the other side of the
town, to harass the enemy
and cut off their retreat, in case they
should attempt to make
one. But the enemy had all withdrawn
into a blacksmith's shop
and to other log buildings, which they
had converted into forts.
Over the blacksmith's shop there waved
the black flag, the em-
blem of law and order. After
several shots from the enemy, an
irregular fire begun and was kept up for
an hour or more, with
no other effect than wounding six of the
enemy, killing one of
their horses, and wounding two others on
each side. Finding
it useless to attempt a storming of the
forts without cannon,
Lane dispatched a messenger to Lawrence,
instructing Colonel
Harvey to proceed with one hundred men
and the six pounder
Sacramento to Topeka, across the Kaw at
that place, and take
the Leavenworth military road -- the same by
which Lane had
gone -- for Hickory Point. In the
meantime he fell back to
Pleasant Hill, in hopes of drawing the
enemy out in pursuit of
him, and giving them battle before the
arrival of Col. Harvey.
358 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
It was about sunset when he halted at
Pleasant Hill and pre-
pared to camp. But here he was handed a
copy of the Inaugural
Address and Proclamation of Governor
Geary, issued two days
previous, upon reading which, he called
his men together, and
told them that, in consequence of this
proclamation, he had
changed his plans; that he, with the
cavalry, would go immedi-
ately to Nebraska, to escort down the
emigration from there,
and that the infantry should return to
Topeka immediately, and
disband. He said the probability was
that the people of Law-
rence had had a conference with the new
Governor, during which
an arrangement had most likely been
made, which would pre-
vent Col. Harvey's coming to his aid
with the cannon. But,
thinking it possible that he might yet
come, he sent back to To-
peka an order for him to return. But
Harvey, after consulta-
tion with the State Central Committee,
saw fit to disobey the
orders of Lane, so far as to go directly
to Hickory Point, through
the enemy's country, instead of the
route he had been directed
to go. On arriving at the town at 11
o'clock, the following day,
he was fired upon, and at once commenced
a cannonade upon it.
After keeping up a slow fire for three
or four hours, during
which one of the enemy was killed and
eight wounded on their
side, and four wounded on the other
side, and the fortifications
pretty much destroyed, the black flag
was struck, and a white
one sent up in its place. Harvey himself
went in to treat with
them, and they signed a written treaty,
the terms of which were,
that they should disband and go home,
never again to take up
arms against our cause. This they did
very willingly, and
would have done much more, had it been
asked of them. Har-
vey then got his command under way for
Lawrence, and en-
camped five miles from the scene of
action. Late at night they
awoke and found themselves surrounded by
two companies of
U. S. troops, who had been sent for by
some of the more treach-
erous of the defeated enemy. Harvey took
to his horse, which
was a fleet one, and fled; the rest were
all taken prisoners, dis-
armed, and marched to the camp near
Lecompton.
On Thursday, the 18th, U. S. Marshal
Donaldson, backed up
by two hundred United States troops,
came to Topeka, and ar-
rested twelve of her citizens -- among
others, your correspond-
John Henri Kagi-Newspaper
Correspondence 359
ent. Some of the arrests -- if they may
be called such, for they
were, in reality, nothing but seizures
-- were made in the pres-
ence of the Governor, who had come into
town a short time be-
fore the entrance of the troops,
and.while the persons so seized
were in private conversation with him.
In all cases, the Mar-
shal refused to show any writ or
authority whatever. We de-
manded to know the cause of our arrest,
but no one could tell
us. A guard was detailed for each
prisoner, and fifteen minutes
were allowed us, in which to arrange our
business, and prepare
to leave, for what length of time none
knew. We arrived at
camp about sunset, and were placed under
the same guard with
our comrades from Lawrence. Since then,
Company "Q", as
some wags of our number jocularly style
us, has daily been re-
ceiving additions--in all, twenty-one
new prisoners have been
brought in, making the whole number
arrested, up to this time,
one hundred and thirty-three. On Monday,
the 21st, we were
escorted to within a short distance of
the town by the United
States troops, and then turned over to
the bogus militia under
Colonel Titus, who marched us into town,
and quartered us in
a building one story and a half in
height, the siding of which is
cottonwood, placed upright, and so
shrunken as to leave cracks
between each board three-fourths of an
inch wide, and placed
around it a guard of ten men, several of
whom have stolen
Sharpe's rifles. One common cooking-stove accommodates --
I was going to say -- the whole number;
such, at least, is all we
have. Our cooking utensils and articles
of table furniture are
very few. While in the camp of the
United States troops, the
officers all treated us with the
greatest kindness, and many of
them, with all the privates, were
profuse in their expressions of
sympathy for us. In some instances, this
was manifested by
"material" aid. One evening, a
sentinel passed out three pris-
oners, and, in order to escape
punishment, deserted, and went
with them. During that time, the Marshal
refused to furnish
provisions for us, and the officers,
unwilling to see us suffer, gave
us a portion of the rations of the
soldiers, and thus kept us from
starvation. Since we have been in the
charge of Titus, we have
mostly been treated as though we were so
many swine. Titus
himself has been kind enough to us, in
consideration, it is pre-
360 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
sumed, of the good treatment he received
when a prisoner at
Lawrence, of which he often speaks. But
his duty is only to
prevent our escape; Marshal Donaldson's,
to supply our other
wants. The day we came from the
dragoon's camp, we had an
early though scanty breakfast of coffee
and crackers, but noth-
ing after that, until nearly eleven
o'clock at night, when the
Marshal brought us a basket of--well, he
called it bread. It
was made of horse-feed, which
Titus gave to Donaldson for our
use, and contained at least ten per cent
of pearlash--a perfect
wedge for the separation of soul and
body. Next (day, we had
to bake it for ourselves, and bettered
it some. After much en-
treaty, Donaldson went in search of some
sugar, coffee, and
saleratus. He returned with two pounds
each of the former, and
one of the latter; and giving it to our
commissary, remarked, that
"if carefully and economically
used, they would last a long time."
Occasionally, we were given a piece of
Missouri "bacon", but
of such a character that the more seldom
it came, the better for
us. Day before yesterday, however, the
Marshal brought us a
sack of flour, and yesterday another.
For this favor we are
indebted to the Governor, who, it is
said, threatened to release
us, unless better provided for. On the
18th eighty-eight of the
prisoners -- taken on their return from
Hickory Point, thirteen
having escaped--had an examination
before Judge Cato, and
were remanded to prison, to answer at
the next term of Court,
on a charge of murder in the first
degree. The next day. the
eight remaining of those arrested at
Topeka -- for we had depu-
tized and sent home four of our
number-were examined; and
then, for the first time, we found out
what were the charges
against us. They were for attacking and
robbing Osawkee.
We, like the others, made no defense
whatever, as we found in
the beginning that it would all be for
nought. After the examina-
tion, four were discharged. The Court
offered to admit the oth-
ers to bail, in the sum of fifteen
hundred dollars, to answer on a
charge of highway robbery in the
first degree. We refused to
give bail, as that might be construed
into an admission of the
legality of the Territorial laws - so
we, too, were remanded to
prison. On account of the court-room
being guarded by the
military, the four whom the Judge
discharged were kept for
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper
Correspondence 361
nearly an hour, and until a new writ was
gotten out and served
against one of them.
Governor Geary has several times been in
to see us. He
tells us that he sympathizes with us,
and will see that we have
a fair and speedy trial. Judge Cato was
accidentally shot in the
leg on Saturday night, and the Governor
has sent for Lecompte
to come and try us. We will
probably have our trial next week.
A great many have no faith in Geary --
in fact, the number
among us who have, is very small -- nor
is there any secret of
causes for this lack of faith.
When Colonel Cook took prisoners Colonel
Harvey's com-
pany, he made no attempt to arrest the
Pro-Slavery force at
Hickory Point, simply because he had no
authority from the
Governor to do so. And when on the same
day the Missourians
came up and attacked Lawrence,
threatening to demolish the
town, "troops or no troops",
nothing was done, further than to
quietly invite them to go home, and take
all their implements of
war with them. Further, while in the
camp of the dragoons, one
day, a company of Titus's Territorial
militia, in changing their
camp, passed within a few yards of the
sentries' posts, while
over them they carried a black flag,
with undescribable yells and
devilish pride. The soldiers could
hardly be restrained from
pitching into them, but the officers had
no power to "interfere".
Governor Robinson visits us
occasionally, and advises us to
remain and defend our characters and
past actions by our pres-
ence at court. Nothing can equal the
enthusiasm which the pris-
oners feel for him. He has been the
pioneer in suffering in
Kansas, and none who really love the
cause of Free Kansas can
complain of following him.
Yesterday, a company of United States
infantry relieved the
Territorial militia which has been on
guard over us. We felt
almost as if we were free once more. The
militia kept one guard
in the house, as a kind of spy, and
closely watched all visitors
coming in -- even ladies, and wives of
prisoners. Clothing com-
ing in to the prisoners was sneakingly
searched. The Topeka la-
dies sent us down some pies and cakes,
the other day. The guards
examined them, as though they expected
to find'a twenty-four
pounder or keg of powder rolled up in
some of them. But the
362 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
United States troops could not be
brought to such meanness as
this. All were sorry and disheartened,
when, at eight o'clock
this morning, the militia returned. The
Federal troops have all
left. It is said they have gone up to
Nebraska, to arrest Gen-
eral Lane and the emigration with him.
If they attempt it, he
will give them battle. He has been
hunted, as a wild beast, as
long as his spirit will bear.
At about eighty yards distance from our
prison stand two
cannon pointed at us, and it is said
both are heavily loaded with
grape and canister. Many of the
sentinels carry their guns
whole-cocked, and but a few days since
one of them attempted
to shoot a prisoner, without any
provocation whatever being of-
fered. They often remark, how they would
like to shoot us, and
that they would, if they could do so
without fear of revenge or
punishment. Last night, several of them
were overheard talk-
ing about going back South. They feared
the Missouri River
would be closed up before the term of
their enlistment was out,
so that they would be unable to get
home.
So far, let it be remembered, not a
single Pro-Slavery man
has been arrested, although many openly boast of the crimes they
have committed. One was asked the other
day, in the presence
of Judge Cato, whether he had killed any
Free State man, except
in honorable warfare. He replied, that he
had killed his share
-- all to the infinite amusement of the
Judge.
In my next, I will endeavor to give you
the name and nativity
of each of the prisoners.
K.
The National Era, Washington, D. C.,
October 16, 1856.
KANSAS
IN PRISON AT LECOMPTON,
October 4, 1856.
To the Editor of the National Era:
Since my letter of Monday, there has
been no visible change
in affairs in Kansas. In influence and
power, despotism still
seems to predominate; yet they have not
altogether been able
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper
Correspondence 363
completely to sever justice from hope.
There is no little bit-
terness of feeling among us, when we
think of our condition --
of being packed together, like beasts or
felons into a small,
damp, and loathsome prison, for nothing
but a difference in poli-
tical views, and a tenacity in upholding
them -- for the pretexts
used by our enemies are as false as the
assumption that liberty
is a lie. Yet the feelings of the
Bogus-Ocracy seemed terribly
ground at the buoyancy of spirit we
occasionally show, and ap-
pear to think we have no right to hope,
that our very souls
should be stricken with a terror of the
horrors they would gladly
inflict upon us.
Joseph C. Anderson, of Lexington, Mo.,
occasionally prose-
cuting attorney before the Court of
Judge Cato, said, the other
day, that nothing but a knowledge that
we could be rescued
at any time we might desire, or a belief
that we would not be
very severely dealt with, could account
for our uncrushed spir-
its, and often jubilant feelings; that
Lane would be here in a
few weeks, with several thousand armed
men, of which we were
perfectly aware; and that nothing but a
speedy and terrible ex-
ample would insure obedience to the
bogus law, and the safety
of the Union.
Five prisoners were released on Monday
evening, by order
of the Governor. The circumstances of
their arrest and im-
prisonment are these: One Fulton, who
says he is "Sheriff of
Calhoun County", some time during
the last campaign went with
a mob, and disarmed some Free State
people, living near Indian-
ola. He had also hired some oxen of
others of his neighbors,
and afterwards refused to give them up
to their owners. His
brother and two sons defended him in the
commission of these
outrages. The injured persons at last
combined together and
went to him, demanding their property;
with which demand he
found it his interest to comply. Since
the wholesale arrests of
the last few weeks commenced, this
Fulton laid in court a charge
against the persons aforesaid, of
"robbing his house of one yoke
of oxen, and other articles of personal property," for
which they
were seized and imprisoned. After a
week's anxiety and sus-
pense, they were brought up for
examination. Before this was
entered upon, however, Fulton came to
the prisoners, and in-
364 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
formed them of the sorrow he felt for
having them arrested,
saying that he should give no evidence
that might convict them.
He said he had been hasty in the course
he had first taken, and,
his cool reflection telling him how
wrong it was to seek revenge
upon his neighbors for such trifling
offences, he had changed his
determination. He hoped they would
remember him kindly for
his forbearance. The real cause,
however, for this change was as
follows: Evidence had lately been
obtained of his having stolen
several horses from his neighborhood,
and run the same off to
Missouri. Some of these horses belonged
to one of the prison-
ers whom he had had arrested, who, not
being one of the strict-
est of Free State men, threatening to
prosecute Fulton, the lat-
ter concluded it best to back out. Well,
the examination was
commenced, but Fulton telling the truth
about the matter, which
was not deemed sufficient to commit
them, the case was suspended
indefinitely, I believe. The affair
shortly afterwards coming
before the Governor, he ordered their
liberation.
This same Fulton had another man
arrested, on a charge of
stealing a cow. On examination, it was
proven that the alleged
theft was nothing more than a purchase,
although the purchase
money had not yet been paid.
The Court committed the defendant to
prison, until payment
should be made. The price of the cow was
thirty-five dollars.
He asked to be released by giving
security for the payment of
the sum in five days -- but the Court
refused. The officials have
a design in keeping him here, and he
will be kept until that de-
sign is accomplished, or until they are
compelled to liberate him.
Day before yesterday, one man was
discharged, and yesterday
four others -- the causes in each case
being similar to those
which actuated Mr. Fulton in that first
mentioned above. Oth-
erwise, they would all have been kept
imprisoned. Oh! that
the people of these States could know
the smallest proportion
of the wrongs perpetrated against the
people of Kansas by the
mob-born Barons who try to rule over
them.
Judge Lecompte arrived on Monday
evening, and the exam-
inations, since had, have been before
him. A prisoner from
Pleasant Hill was examined on a charge
of stealing three Shang-
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper
Correspondence 365
hai chickens, and recommitted in default of bail in the sum of
five hundred dollars.
All the prisoners, except one, have had
their preliminary
trials. Eighty-eight are committed for
murder, and fourteen for
highway robbery. Another was brought
upon a charge of rob-
bing a man of "three sacks of oats
and five acres of potatoes".
No evidence was found against him, but
the Court and prose-
cuting attorney say they will keep him
until they get some.
Spies, under the name of guards, are
still kept in the prison,
for the purpose of catching whatever
admissions we may make,
and using the same in court as evidence
against us. The threats
and actions of the militia, as well as
the citizens and hangers-on
about town, are causes of much annoyance
to us. No prisoner
dare, without great precaution, venture
to approach a window
or door at night. But an evening or two
since, three large stones
were hurled in at us, but luckily
hitting no one. The guard (s)
amuse themselves by punching us with
their bayonets when we
come near them -- and they often leave
their posts for the pur-
pose -- and by now and then taking sight
upon us with cocked
guns. A man living just across the
street got three guns in his
house one night, and gave directions to
his household to prepare
for three Abolitionists for
breakfast. He swore he would kill
ten of us before morning. By order of
the Governor, he was
put under guard for the night. Whether
his relish for an Aboli-
tion diet has in any way diminished, I
know not. Thirty Mis-
sissippians arrived here yesterday, and,
of course, most of them
were very anxious to get a fair view of
a "live Abolitionist";
so, the officials being disposed to
gratify them, they were brought
in to take a look at the caged lions.
Their conversation was of
the most insulting character possible.
Their words may be given,
but their manner of delivering them,
never. One of them ap-
proached a prisoner, and pushed up his
hat, at the same time
coarsely exclaiming, "Raise your
hat, God damn you; I come
from Mississippi." Many other of
their expressions were orna-
mented with jewels similar to the above.
These are character-
istic of the whole course of Ruffianism
in Kansas.
The Ruffians are making great
preparations for the election
which comes off on Monday. Four wagon
loads of whisky have
366 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
been brought into Lecompton alone, for
use on that day. They
will be left to have their fun all alone
-- the Free State men
will not vote. But of this the
Pro-Slavery party are not cer-
tain; and this, no doubt, accounts in a
great measure for the
arresting business, which has of late
been carried on so largely,
and which our enemies expected would
have been much more
extensive. Over seven hundred writs
for the arrest of Free
State men are now in the hands of
marshals and sheriffs. They
are a very numerous class here, but
their virtue cannot be said
to be in proportion to their number.
Deputy Marshal Cramer,
a few days since, refused to serve a
writ against a Pro-Slavery
man; but the Governor, hearing of the
affair, gave him to un-
derstand that he was no longer an United
States officer. An-
other of Donaldson's deputies took it
into his head that he had
to take and keep as his own the property
of any person whom
he might arrest--thus making himself a
confiscating General.
So the other day, after arresting two
men who had come in
from the country on horseback, he took
possession of their
horses. Complaint was made to Donaldson,
who said he would
inquire into the matter, and see
justice done. He himself after-
wards told me that he found the case to
be as represented; he
told the owners that he had sent the
horses home; but they have
not been heard from since.
Donaldson is as saintly an old hypocrite
as I ever knew. He
says that he takes sides with no party;
that he is neither Free
State nor Pro-Slavery, but merely in
favor of "law and order".
Nor am I sure but that he has at present
something more to in-
fluence him than political desires. He
receives from the Gov-
ernment three dollars and fifty cents
per week, for the board of
each prisoner under his charge, while
it costs him just one-
seventh of that sum! And yet he is always scolding about our
eating too much.
No little uneasiness is being felt, it
is said, concerning the
lately-avowed political opinions of
Judge Cato. I will explain:
Mr. Ritchey, of Topeka, an aide-de-camp
to General Lane, had
been examined before Cato last week, on
several charges --
among others, one of rescuing a prisoner
from the hands of a
bogus Sheriff. Mr. Ritchey admitted the
rescue; and, in a few
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper
Correspondence 367
plain, common-sense remarks, went on to
show "the invalidity
of the Territorial laws, and commissions
granted under them;
and that the so-called 'Sheriff' had no
more right to the custody
of the prisoner than he; and said that
when he saw a man in
the situation in which he found the
prisoner--who had a log-
chain around each ankle, and another
about his body, and was
compelled thus to labor in a saw-mill --
his ideas of duty
prompted him to the course he had
taken." The Judge listened
very attentively, and said, in reply,
"that he would not at that
time argue the validity of those laws,
but that, even considering
them of no binding effect, it must be
remembered that there was
a higher law -- one far above all laws
made by man" -- or "ruf-
fian", he is accused of having
mentally added. However, I do
not think this
"misunderstanding" will result in anything very
serious. I have before neglected to note
the arrival of the late
Vermont and Massachusetts emigrant
train, numbering about
150, under charge of Mr. Redpath. They
reached Topeka on the
26th ultimo. On learning of their
arrival, the Marshal, with a
squad of troops, went up for the purpose
of arresting Mr. Red-
path, on a charge of "invading
Kansas with a foreign army".
Many of this "army" are women
and children, who, I doubt not,
thought themselves highly dignified on
hearing themselves thus
styled. Mr. Redpath happened to be out
of town, and, I hear,
was much grieved at finding himself the
cause of so much trouble.
The next day, he came down, and had a
private interview with
the Governor, who, on being told and
satisfied that the great
"invading army" was merely a
company of emigrants, who had
come here with the honest purpose of
taking claims, bringing
with them agricultural implements for
their cultivation, building
them comfortable homes, and becoming
sober, quiet citizens,
but had brought arms with them for the
defense of their per-
sons and rights, he told them to have no
fears. He said that
they had an undoubted right to come in
this manner, and should
be protected in doing so.
A few days ago, Captain Walker was sent
for by the Gov-
ernor, who desired an interview with
him. The Governor wished
to get Walker to raise a company of one
hundred picked men,
drill them well, and have them in
readiness for any emergency.
368 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
They had not been long in conference,
before the Marshal en-
tered, and, apologizing to the Governor,
told him he was under
the necessity of proceeding to arrest
the Captain. Governor
Geary doubted the necessity, and so
informed the Marshal. He
told him that Captain Walker was here
under his safe conduct,
and should be molested neither here nor
while on his way home.
Some Ruffians who were near offered
their assistance to the
Marshal, but Titus, who has always given
Walker the credit of
saving his life at the time he was taken
prisoner, hearing of the
difficulty, came, and, putting himself
between the Marshal and
his desired victim, declared that the
Captain should be arrested
only over his dead body! The Marshal and
his friends then
withdrew, and Colonel Titus himself
escorted Captain Walker
out of town.
I have just learned that H. Miles Moore,
of Leavenworth,
was taken prisoner at Kansas City, on
Friday, by a squad of
Kickapoo rangers, and has since been
taken to Leavenworth, to
be tried for "high treason", I
suppose, at the next term of court,
which will commence on the 15th. The
object of this is easily
to be seen. Moore and Parrott are
engaged to conduct the de-
fence of the prisoners. The course of
the enemy is marked out.
Every witness who has appeared in our
behalf, or who it was
thought would do so with. effect, has
been arrested. Our coun-
sel are to be served in the same manner.
Parrott will soon be a
companion of Moore's. The game will then
be nearly at an end.
Scarcely a Free State lawyer in the
Territory will remain at lib-
erty, and what few there are will be
frightened into silence.
The next four weeks will decide the
question, whether Kan-
sas is to obtain justice in a peaceable
manner, or through the
medium of blood. By that time, the
Governor will have had an
opportunity of serving us, and of
proving himself able and will-
ing to protect us from outrage and
oppression. We are still
able to protect ourselves; and when this
question is decided, the
course of the Free State party will be
taken.
K.
The National Era, Washington, D. C.,
October 23, 1856.
John Henri Kagi -- Newspaper
Correspondence 369
KANSAS
IN PRISON AT LECOMPTON,
October 8, 1856.
To the Editor of the National Era:
I closed on Saturday with a postscript
stating that H. Miles
Moore had been arrested and taken to
Leavenworth for trial.
The Governor told me yesterday that he
had sent down a
detachment of troops to demand his
liberation, and arrest all
those concerned in his seizure. This is
the first time the Terri-
torial Government has gone to any
trouble on our behalf, and I
hope that Governor Geary may meet with
such success as not to
be discouraged by the result of his
first attempt.
But Ruffianism still holds her sway,
even here, under the
very eye of the Governor. On Saturday, a
man by the name of
Tillotson, who lives up on Grasshopper
Creek, came down to
bail out some of his neighbors who were
here in prison, and was
successful in getting out Louis Remick,
formerly from Illinois.
He offered himself as bail for another,
but the Court would take
him for only one-half the sum, which was
a thousand dollars.
Several weeks since, he had two horses
stolen from him, and be-
ing told that these horses were now in
the militia camp and that
they would probably be rode into town
the next day, he con-
cluded to remain over night, for the
double purpose of getting
his friend out on bail -- for he thought
the Court would finally
take him for the whole amount -- and
obtaining his horses. He
put up at one of the hotels, and retired
for the night. About
midnight, he was arrested and thrown
into prison. Asking the
cause, if he had committed any crime or
been guilty of any mis-
demeanor, he was told that he had not to
their knowledge been
guilty of any of these things, but that he
looked suspicious! In
the morning he was released -- by what
process, I know not.
The officials, learning the cause of his
staying -- that he in-
tended getting out a warrant for the
retaking of his horses --
frankly informed him that he must not
stay for any such pur-
pose; that he must leave immediately;
and that, again caught
here, he should be severely punished. At
this, he left without
more ado.
Vol. XXXIV -- 24.
370 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
This is a great country, and Kansas the
greatest part of it,
Ephraim Bainter and H. Bowles, both from
Indiana, got out on
bail the next day.
Samuel Updegraff, the young man whom I
mentioned in my
last letter as having been brought here
on a charge of stealing
"five acres of potatoes and three
sacks of oats", was brought up
for examination on Monday. But the
evidence again failing to
appear, the prosecuting attorney this
time was bound to have
some fun; and Mr. Probate Judge Wood,
before whom the ex-
amination was had, seconding him in
this, it was at once ar-
ranged that young Updegraff should be at
once examined on an-
other charge, which no one had yet
properly laid in. So the
machinery of the Court was put in motion
-- first handsomely
lubricated with whisky -- and a
committal was at last ground
out for stealing a store worth $5,000.
The evidence produced
went to show that Updegraff was in the
town of Tecumseh,
which was his residence, at the time, or
rather on the same day;
and this was all, but enough for a Court
which considered the
matter in no other than a political
light. One thing in this af-
fair is quite characteristic: the
employment of one Simms, a man
of considerable notoriety in the upper
country, who was im-
ported into Kansas by the renowned
Buford. It is only about
two months since he was engaged in
highway robbery. Four
unarmed men one day passed through
Tecumseh, where Simms
was then stationed with fourteen other
Alabamians, on their way
from Topeka to Lawrence, each having
with him trunks, satch-
els, etc., containing his wearing
apparel. As soon as they had
passed, eight of Buford's army, among
them was Simms, were
dispatched to ambush and rob the
travellers. Their defenceless
condition rendered them an easy prey.
The object was accom-
plished; but the men were allowed to
pass on. A little way
further, they met a company of Topeka
volunteers returning
home, and told them their story. On
arriving in town, the com-
pany halted, and demanded to know of the
citizens whether
they approved of this outrage; and if
not, what they were will-
ing to do about it, at the same time
intimating that unless the
offenders were punished by the citizens,
they would take the
matter in hand.
John Henri Kagi -- Newspaper
Correspondence 371
A meeting of the citizens was called,
and a committee of
five chosen to examine into the affair,
and express the feelings
of the people. This committee consisted
entirely of Pro-Slav-
ery men. Two of the committee (one of
which was Simms)
were concerned in the robbery; both
admitted this, and claimed of
the townspeople approval and protection.
Two others manfully
expressed their disapproval, and desired
to give the outlaws over
to punishment; but Judge Elmore, the
last of the committee, said
he did not know whether highway robbery
was justifiable or not.
It was then agreed that the matter
should rest until the next
day, when another meeting was to be
called. But the next day
new rumors and new battles came, and
thus the matter ended.
This is a tolerable specimen of all
cases where Pro-Slavery
men are on trial. At another time, Simms
came to Topeka to
assess the property of the people there,
having first sent up word
that he should take occasion to whip
every man who dared to
insult him, or refuse to enlist his
property. He had been in town
but a short time, when the small boys
began to gather about the
streets, in expectation of some fun.
Some of them talked of
attending the tar market; others of
buying geese; whether the
latter was intended as an honest remark
concerning commercial
affairs, or as an insulting comparison,
I am unable to guess.
But if there was any fun under way, it
was all spoilt, and the
departure of Mr. Simms precipitated, by
some of the older boys
borrowing a wagon, to which he had tied
his horse, and drawing
away the same, the horse following. At
this, Mr. Simms took to
his legs, and has not ventured to Topeka
since. His horse was
sent down to him the same day.
Election day was more quiet than was
anticipated. This was
owing not to any unfounded apprehension
of ours, but to the
policy of Governor Geary in locking up
the whisky, which I
mentioned in my last letter as having
been brought into town
on purpose for election day. As it was,
Gen. Whitfield could
barely get enough to treat four hundred
and sixty-odd men, as
they came up and voted, and then give
them one good hearty
drink at night, to end their glory with.
Gen. Whitfield made a
speech of two or three hours length,
which, as near as I could
learn, consisted simply of four great
topics -- four curses,
372 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
which are nothing new to you, I suppose,
as the Border Ruf-
fian Democracy throughout the States,
generally, entertain the
same opinions which Mr. Whitfield
expresses, viz.: Damn the
Emigrant Aid Society, damn Jim Lane,
damn dog-eater Fre-
mont; and, finally, damn any man who
prefers Freedom to Slav-
ery. In concluding the General said he
would like to fight Jim
Lane, with five hundred men on each
side. It was on the same
day, I believe, that an old woman seeing
five prisoners going
out under a guard after water, went and
reported fifty Yankees
were coming into town, which frightened
the militia almost to
death, and created general
consternation. Whitfield was in town,
but, being at that time rather
patriotically drunk, felt it beneath
his dignity to notice so small a number
of these "foreign cut-
throats"; at least, I saw him make
no demonstration.
About noon, a rumor reached us that 3000
Missourians were
on their way, to burn Lawrence and hang
us. Although this was
believed by most of the prisoners -- for
we have learned that
nothing is too hard against us to prove
a reality -- there was no
fear, no excitement. We have passed
through too many stirring
scenes, we have long since conquered the
terrors of death. I
suppose the rumor had no foundation,
except the coming over
of a few hundred Missourians, to vote at
precincts below Law-
rence.
The Free State men nowhere pretended to
vote. In Law-
rence, "Sheriff Jones", with
all formality, appointed three white
slaves the judges, and two others the
clerks of election. Seven
votes were cast -- five of them by the
Board. Under the bogus
laws, each voter must pay a poll tax of
one dollar before cast-
ing his vote. At Lawrence, Sheriff Jones
paid one half this tax
himself. The last batch of sixty
Mississippians, whose num-
ber I before erroneously stated at
thirty, all took their dollar's
worth of voting. Some, I understand, had
to vote several times,
in order to get their "money back
again". The militia all voted,
too, although more than two-thirds of
them told us that they did
not pretend to live in Kansas, that they
merely come here to
serve in the militia three months, and
then return home. They
were marched to the polls in squads of
ten, and returned in the
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper
Correspondence 373
same way, overflowing with whisky, glory
and patriotism --
equal parts of each.
I have learned that the Governor was
very anxious that the
Free State men should vote on Monday;
that it was his opin-
ion that we were "three to
one", etc. But we commenced the
struggle in which we were engaged from
principles of justice and
consistency, and we intend to maintain them to the end. A con-
vention will be held at Topeka next
Wednesday, the 16th, at
which a candidate for a delegate to
Congress and a Fremont elec-
toral ticket will be nominated, and a
day set apart for election.
What course the Governor and the enemy
will pursue with re-
gard to this, remains to be seen; but I
think the former will do
nothing officially to interrupt it.
One of the prisoners, who is a
Frenchman, and a good artist,
several days since sketched the inside
of the prison, and to-day
asked to leave to go out on the hill on
the southwest, and take
one of the outside. His request was
granted. They will be sent
East for publication. Lieutenant Pelot
and Sergeants Stanswell
and Miller, (the latter a Hungarian,)
who have always treated
us kindly, are on duty to-day. No other
officers would have al-
lowed this privilege.
I learn that Captain Walker has raised
his one hundred men
for a life guard to the Governor, who
compliments them very
highly.
K.
The National Era, Washington, D. C.,
October 30, 1856.
KANSAS
PRISON OF THE HUNDRED,
LECOMPTON, KANSAS,
October 15, 1856.
To the Editor of the National Era:
Things still move on in their wonted
course. A brave peo-
ple can be forced to acquiesce in a
system of Government for
themselves which they had no hand in
making, only by a strong
military power. Such has been the case in
all ages and with all
men, while they continue to be men, and
such is the case in
374 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
Kansas now. New prisoners are still
being brought in, and oth-
ers, after weeks of suffering, during
which they have contracted
diseases which will in many cases
accompany them to their
graves, beside the loss of time and
property, which the enemy
have plundered at the prisoners' homes,
while they are here for
nothing in truth but the crime -- in
Kansas it is crime -- of dar-
ing to wish and labor for the extension
of the rights of man, are
at last discharged, when the demons who
hold sway find they
have the wrong man. Gov. Geary is still
in favor of allowing
the people to govern themselves in all
things, unrestricted by any
power whatever, and yet, at the same
time, he asks us to sub-
mit for a little while to the
government of a foreign mob. By
that little while, he means until an
entire new Legislature could
be elected. To do this even would
require another year. But
this is not all. There are county
officers appointed to serve for
four years yet, and any law repealing or materially
modifying
the pretended one under which they were
appointed, would be
declared unconstitutional or invalid by
any and every one of our
Territorial or Federal Courts having
jurisdiction in the case.
To talk of such submission, to a people
who have once tasted
the sweets of liberty, is useless
hypocracy. We have already en-
dured war -- most horrible war --
for opinion's sake, and we
are willing, yes, anxious, to endure it
to the end of our lives,
rather than be for one hour the base
slaves which such submis-
sion would make us.
On Saturday last, the people of Topeka
first heard of the
confinement of William O. Fisher -- of
whose case I have once
before written you -- in
default of immediate payment of a debt
of $35, and on Sunday they sent down a
messenger, who paid
the money over to the Court, from which
he obtained an order
to the officer of the guard for Fisher's
discharge. It was dark
before he passed the outside post of the
sentinel, but fearing
they would drum up some new charge on
which to arrest him, he
took a bypath, and went all the way to
Topeka the same night
on foot, although he was thought hardly
able to walk, and had
been under care of the physician during
most of his imprison-
ment.
While these negotiations were going on
for the discharge of
John Henri Kagi -- Newspaper
Correspondence 375
Fisher, another prisoner, E. K. Moffet,
formerly from Ohio,
was making arrangements for
"pairing off" with him. He cut
a hole through the floor at the south
end of the prison, and at
night passed through it, and in a short
time succeeded in mak-
ing a hole in the wall, by which he
could pass through under an
elevated building on the south, between
which and the next
building there is an alley three or four
feet in width. The first
building is used as the guard building.
The sentinel's post ex-
tends from the south end of the prison
directly into the street,
leaving this alley about twenty-five
feet beyond the post. About
three o'clock on Monday morning, Moffet
crawled out into the
alley, and, after walking off very
quietly two or three rods, was
seen by the sentinel, who hailed him
with "Who goes there"?
"Officer of the night," responded
Moffet, considerably accelerat-
ing his gait. The sentinel called out
the sergeant of the guard,
who came out and fired twice, but by
this time the prisoner was
in the woods. Titus got out his
regiment, and scoured the hills
until daylight, but to no purpose. Every
morning, at eight
o'clock, all the prisoners are paraded
in front of the prison for
roll call and counting. As luck for us
would have it, the offi-
cers have always been very careless in
striking from the roll the
names of those who have been discharged.
Some two weeks ago, the officer of the
guard carelessly
erased the name of Charles Digges, whom
Colonel Whipple's
regiment, when sacking Osawkie, found in
prison at that place,
with three heavy chains about him -- all
for stealing his own
horse. At his examination for that
heinous offence, all the wit-
nesses admitted that the horse belonged
to Digges, and the com-
mitting justice granted the same, but
said he was guilty of two
offences which would answer his purpose
as well as if he had
stolen the horse. These were, that in
the first place he had
"neglected or refused recourse to the Territorial laws", and,
sec-
ondly, that "the d--d rascal
came from Chicago". Well as I
was going to say, it was arranged that
at roll call, Digges should
answer to the name of Moffet, the object
of which was to pre-
vent the officers and other authorities
from knowing the resi-
dence of the prisoner who had escaped; for, once knowing it,
we
thought it not improbable that they
might send spies to his house
376 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
to arrest him while paying a last visit
to his family before flee-
ing to the States. All the names were
answered to as usual,
which was a subject of no little
surprise to the officers. De-
termined, however, to ascertain who was
the missing man, the
prisoners were ordered to step in front
and form another rank
as their several names were called. But
this time, Digges saw
some Pro-Slavery men in the street, who
were looking at the
prisoners, and, well aware that they
would recognize him as not
being Moffet, no one answered to
that name; and after the call
was over, Digges was standing alone in
the rear. Colonel Titus,
who was present, after ascertaining his
name, and also finding it
marked on the roll
"discharged", asked him why he remained
here, and was answered by another
prisoner, that boarding was
cheaper here than anywhere else. This
was a settler. Titus
not relishing the idea of having hi s
friend Donaldson at
the expense of boarding prisoners who
were kept here illegally,
he ordered the guard to pass Digges out.
He did not stop to
take his extra clothes, and even forgot
his breakfast, which was
in waiting.
The troops came back on Monday from an
unsuccessful search
for Lane, up towards Nebraska. In reply to some questions
asked them by the prisoners, they said
they "didn't find him
much". They came upon a train of
emigrants to the number of
240, all of whom were taken into
custody, and marched under
guard to Indianola, a small town
opposite Topeka, and on the
north bank of the Kaw. Tuesday evening,
the Governor went
up and held a council with them. Finding
them to be peaceful
emigrants, he welcomed them "gladly
and heartily" to the en-
chanted land. He left under a shower of
cheers, and the emi-
grants left -- some for Topeka, others
for Lawrence and other
places. It is said that the Governor
spoke in a very compli-
mentary way of their conduct and
appearance.
I have written you of the seizures of
Babcock and Fay at
Topeka, and of Mitchell at Weston. The
two former were fur-
ther examined on Monday, and finally
discharged, the officials
apprehending they were getting into
greater difficulty than they
had sought. Captain Mitchell was brought
in by the Marshal
John Henri Kagi -- Newspaper
Correspondence 377
the same day. Annexed will be found his
statement of the whole
affair, which may be relied upon as true
in every particular.
The grand jury did not get together
until Tuesday. It con-
sists of eighteen men. Several members
are professed Anti-
Slavery or Free State men, one a member
of the Free State
Legislature, but a most stringent
black-law man, and but little,
if any, more to be relied upon than
avowed Pro-Slavery men.
But composed, as it was, wholly of our
enemies, or of those who
dared not proclaim themselves our
friends, the grand jury found
nothing in the testimony, taken before
Judges Cato and Le-
compte on our preliminary examination,
which would, in their
opinion, warrant them in indicting us.
Scores of witnesses have
been called, but as yet only two
indictments have been found.
These are against John Ritchey of
Topeka, for sacking the town
of Osawkie, on the 8th of September
last, and Ezekiel Whipple
of Lawrence, supposed by the enemy to be
Colonel Whipple of
Topeka, who commanded the second
regiment at Osawkie. Both
will be tried on Saturday. Whipple will
not attempt to disprove
his identity with the Colonel of
that name, but will confine his
defence to an alibi. In Ritchey's
case, the main question will
come up. The proof that he was a
participant in the affair is ir-
resistible. And were it less so, it
would make no difference.
The Free State party were driven by actual
war, and by im-
pending starvation, to take from
those who had brought these
calamities upon us, provisions and
necessary clothing, by the
same force which had been used in
attempts at our destruction.
Mr. Ritchey with others chose this
course in preference to star-
vation, and he is too bold and is too
conscious of the righteous-
ness of his cause, to shrink from any
just accountability.
During the preliminary examination,
before Judge Cato, of
the Hickory Point affair, seven of the
prisoners were identified
by witnesses present, as being concerned
in this battle. This morn-
ing, while we were on parade, several
who were in that battle,
on the side of the enemy, were brought
in to examine us for iden-
tification. They testified to
recognizing five more. Three of
these were doubtless there; but two,
Henry Hoover and J. H.
Kagi, were both at Topeka the whole
day of the battle, while the
378 Ohio Arch, and Hist. Society Publications
former resides at Pleasant Hill, ten
miles from Osawkie -- being
at that time twenty miles farther than
his home from the scene
of action. An alibi will be
proved in both cases. I think that
all arrested on the charge of being
engaged there, will be dis-
charged by Saturday, or early next week
-- probably, though,
to be re-arrested on some other charge.
One of the guards, who went with a
prisoner to the river
this morning for water, tried to get him
to run, saying he would
shoot over him. The prisoner recollected having heard some of
the guards saying they should attempt
some such game, if they
could get no other chance to shoot any
of us.
I learn, that while on his way to the
States, H. Miles Moore
has been again arrested by another mob
down at Lexington, or
some other point on the river. I can
give no particulars.
The authorities, receiving information
that some of the late
emigration would pass on their way to
Lawrence to-day by the
main road, which is three miles from
here, became fearful of a
rescue, took away the militia guard, and again placed over us
one
composed of regular troops. So they have
given up reliance on
the potency of their uniform for
protection. The militia are all
in camp, ten or fifteen rods back of the
prison.
K.
The National Era, Washington, D. C.,
November 6, 1856.
VOICES FROM THE POLITICAL PRISONS
OF KANSAS1
GREAT POLITICAL PRISON,
LECOMPTON, KANSAS, Oct. 19, 1856.
To the American People:
It is well known to the whole civilized
world, that, previous
to the arrival of Governor Geary in
Kansas, the Territory was
ravaged by a most direful civil war. It
is equally well known
that in all that terrible drama the
people of Kansas were alone
the sufferers, and that organized bands
of robbers and murder-
1 This letter probably first appeared in
the New York Tribune. It was
widely copied. The composition is
thought to be largely or wholly the
work of Kagi.
John Henri Kagi -- Newspaper
Correspondence 379
ers from an adjoining State were almost
the sole perpetrators.
In the beginning, they had wrested our
Government from us,
and made our laws; but finding us, as
should be every people
who have once tasted the sweets of
liberty, unwilling to fawn
to their dictates and acknowledge them
our lords, they used fire,
starvation, and the sword, to bring us
to submission. Having
no other recourse, our people were at
last compelled to resort to
the stores of our enemies for the
necessities of life.
As we have said, such was the condition
of things on the
arrival of our new Governor. He appeared
among us about the
1st of September, and was hailed as our
deliverer. The much-
lamented Major Hoyt, who had known Geary
in Pennsylvania,
in Mexico, and in California, assured us
that we might hope for
justice and protection. Geary's course
at Leavenworth City, and
the assurances of Mr. Adams, his
confidential friend and ad-
viser, together with our ardent hopes
for peace and rest, led us to
believe he would be our friend. All, at
least, were willing to
trust him, to act with him, and under
his advice. Nor was this
confidence in his friendship shaken by
his Inaugural and Proc-
lamation, which was issued on the 11th,
copies of which were
brought down to Lawrence the same
evening by Mr. Adams,
and read to the people. We therefore
determined to take no
offensive steps without his sanction.
At daybreak, on the morning of the 12th
of September, Gov-
ernor Geary, at the head of 400 United
States troops, rode up
to the fort on Capitol Hill, near
Lawrence, and asked who had
command of the place. Captain Bickerton
answered: "I have
the honor to command here at
present." The Governor then ad-
vanced, saying, "I am Governor
Geary, of Kansas; I have come
to prevent the effusion of blood. I have
heard that a body of
fifteen hundred men were marching on
Lawrence, for the pur-
pose of destroying the town." Geary was then asked if he
knew that to be a,fact, and replied that
he had "officially". Cap-
tain Bickerton remarked, that "if
there are no more than fifteen
hundreds, they will go back faster than
they came." With an
appearance of astonishment, the Governor
asked, "Don't you
expect to be governed by the
Constitution?" Captain Bickerton
responded, that the Free State men had
always been governed by
380 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
it. "Well," said the Governor,
"don't your people sometimes
burn houses and commit other
depredations?" "I should not
wonder if, by this time, some had become
so exasperated as to
do so," returned Captain Bickerton,
adding, as he pointed to the
brass cannon, "Sacramento",
"I was at Franklin, and aiding in
the taking of that; I was also at
Washington Creek, and at Titus's
Fort. We found Titus the evening before
engaged in robbing
houses and stealing horses, (and, he
might have continued "mak-
ing attempts upon the lives of our
citizens.") If the destruc-
tion of such dens of murderers and
plunderers is house-burning,
then are the Free State men
house-burners indeed." The Gov-
ernor said that he must see that the
laws (Territorial) be obeyed.
Bickerton replied, that the Free State
men could not do so, so
long as they believed Slavery to be an
evil, for they could not
even express sentiments in accordance
with their belief, with-
out exposing themselves to the heaviest
penalties. After some
further conversation about the
"laws", and their validity, the
Governor inquired as to who were the
constituted authorities of
Lawrence, and being answered that there
were no persons pos-
sessing that particular title, he
offered to "treat" with Captain
Bickerton. The Captain, however,
declined, and sent the Gov-
ernor into town, where he was warmly
welcomed by a large
number of citizens and other Kansas
settlers, who have taken
refuge in the place, the Governor
assuring them in a speech that
he intended to drive all lawless bands
out of the Territory, but
for the present advised the Free
State men to remain under arms
for their own protection, and not
disband until he should first
have accomplished his part.
While Lawrence was being visited by the
Governor, a band
of Southern marauders, under the lead of
one Robertson, made
a descent upon the town of Grasshopper
Falls, and after plun-
dering the same, set fire to it, burning
a considerable amount of
property. They then retreated to Hickory
Point, where they in-
tended to remain fortified until called
upon by the main body of
the "Law and Order" army, to
aid in the "wiping out" of Law-
rence. The day following, General Lane,
who had not yet seen
the Governor's proclamation, with
between 50 and 100 men, hap-
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper
Correspondence 381
pened to pass near Hickory Point, and at
the unanimous demand
of the citizens under him, led them to
an attack upon the forti-
fied ruffians; but having no artillery,
he found himself unable
to dislodge them without great loss, so
withdrew, sending to
Lawrence for re-inforcements. Lane's
messenger arrived at
Lawrence on the evening of the 13th.
Many wished to obey the
summons at once--others were in a
quandary. Robertson's
company would soon join the forces
before Lawrence, and must
be whipped then if not now. Which course
should be taken?
Mr. Adams, the friend of the Governor,
and who remained in
town after the departure of Geary,
privately advised many to
go, and publicly sanctioned the expedition,
remarking that he
would go himself, if he only had a
horse! This decided the
course of the people. They thought for
once that they could
defend their homes and friends with the
approbation of high
authority. A force of 120 was soon
raised, and marched under
the command of Col. Harvey. In the mean
time, Lane received
the Governor's Proclamation, so he
withdrew from Hickory
Point, and afterward disbanded his men;
but this did not deter
Harvey from making an attack upon the
fortified position, which
he did, completely routing the enemy,
killing one of their num-
ber, and wounding many others. Such, at
least, is the charge
against his men. On our return, we
encamped five miles from
the scene of action, where we were all
taken prisoners that night
by a detachment of United States
dragoons, under the command
of Captain Wood. Our forces numbered
101. No resistance
was made to the troops. After being
deprived of our arms, a
strong guard was placed around us. About
this time, the guide,
a Pro-Slavery man by the name of
Grayson, fearing that Cap-
tain Wood might possibly arrest the
other party also, as inti-
mations were made to that effect, broke
through the guard for
the purpose of giving them warning. He
was hailed by the sen-
tinel, but did not stop, at the same
time crying out, "Halt
yourself, G-d d-n you!" At this the
sentinel fired, but with-
out effect. Grayson returned it, the
ball taking effect in the sen-
tinel's shoulder. Two other sentinels
advanced and fired, one
shot going through the heart of Grayson,
killing him instantly.
382 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
This is the only foundation for the
story of a "great fight be-
tween the Abolitionists and the
Government troops", so much
circulated by certain parties.
The next day, we were marched to
Lecompton, where we:
were for the first week under guard of
the Federal troops. We:
were then. marched to the prison-house,
where we now are,
guarded by the Territorial militia,
nine-tenths of whom are non-
residents, and intend leaving the
Territory so soon as the time
of their three months' enlistment under
Geary is out. A num-
ber of other prisoners have been,
brought in since, charged with
various offences. A number have escaped
from this den of hor-
ror, a few have been discharged, and one
was released this morn-
ing by the Great Deliverer. Our number
is now ninety-eight,
eighty-seven of whom are held on the
Hickory Point charge,
The remaining eleven are suspected of
having been engaged in
feeding their starving families with
bread forcibly taken from
those who were endeavoring to destroy
them. Time and again,
the Governor has said that no action
should be taken concern-
ing political offences committed
previous to the issuing of his
Proclamation, yet more than once since
has he furnished that
portion of the Federal army under his
command, to make seiz-
ures of persons so charged. We are all
held, either against this
promise, or for following the advice of
one supposed to speak
authoritatively. And in all this time, not
a Pro-Slavery man has
been arrested, although Gov. Geary and the U. S. Marshal can-
not help but know of crimes and murders
without number, com-
mitted by the leaders of that party.
Even Geary's militia, after
the murdering of David Buffum, passed
through Lecompton un-
der a black flag, the emblem of pirates,
no one daring to molest
them. A large portion of our
number have families depending
upon our earnings for support, and
outstanding crops of great:
value going to waste or suffering heavy
loss.
We come now, at last, to speak of a
subject too immediate,
too vital, to admit of our passing it
unnoticed, yet too full of
horror to dwell upon We allude to our
treatment and condition
since our confinement here, any
description of which must come
far short of the terrible reality A few
of our guard will ever
John Heri Kagi--Nespaper
Correspondence 383
be remembered by us with emotions of the
deepest gratitude for
their kindness, but the greatest portion
of them are drunken,
brawling demons, too vile and wicked for
portrayal. Times
without number have they threatened to
either shoot or stab us,
and not unfrequently have they attempted
to carry out their
base and hellish threats. Several nights
have the guard amused
themselves, throughout their different
watches, by cursing us,
throwing stones at the house, breaking
in glass, sash, etc. Two
large cannon stand planted but a few
yards from our prison,
and two nights has the match been swung
several hours in the
hands of the gunners, with orders to
discharge both, heavily
loaded with shot and slugs, upon us, in
case our friends should
come in sufficient force to avenge our
wrongs. These, however,
are only slight, compared with other
insults and sufferings heaped
upon us daily. Most of us are poorly
clad, few have any bed-
ding. Our prison is open and airy, yet
small, and, without, sur-
rounded with unearthly filth; within,
all is crawling with vermin
--all--everything--mixed with misery.
When youths, we
listened with doubt to the dark stories
of the Jersey prison ships,
and the black hole of Calcutta, never
dreaming that we should
at last be a sad, actual part of their
counterpart! More than
once have we prophesied to one another,
that all would not leave
this charnel-house alive. Our assertions
have been verified.
Several have been dangerously sick, one
has died. His name
was Wm. Bowles, formerly from St.
Charles, Mo. He labored
with us nobly for our God-given rights,
and it was with feelings
of unutterable sorrow that we parted
with him. After an illness
of two days, he left his sufferings this
morning at I o'clock.
Before his death, we requested the
officers of the guard to have
him removed to a place of quiet. We
talked and became tired,
yet nothing was done. Last night, all
the physicians in the town
were sent for, and each refused to come.
Dr. John P. Wood,
who is also Judge of Probate and
Committal Justice, could not
come, "because he was sick";
yet he was seen that evening, as
well as the following morning, doing
hard labor. Others had
reasons, we know not what. Dr. Brooks
was sent for five times,
but, as he was at a card-table, playing
poker, he swore he "would
384 Ohio
Arch. and Hist. Society Publications not leave the game to save every G-d d-d Abolitionist
in the Ter- ritory."
Many thanks, however, are due to Mr. Caldwell -- a Pro-Slavery man, and Marshal of the town of Lecompton
-- for the kind aid he gave us. The Governor paid us a visit yesterday morning, which
is the third since our incarceration. We showed him young
Bowles, and told him we feared this was the beginning of an
epidemic which would prove fatal to not a few. We showed him
out scanty clothing. He said that the Grand Jury, which
was in ses- sion all last week, would probably finish its
business by night; that all against whom no bills were found would be
immediately released; and that, although he was going away, and
should be absent several days, yet he should leave orders that
all those re- tained should be provided with every comfort that
could be pro- cured. But the Grand Jury has not ended its
examination, and none can tell when it will. Sickness and death of
the most horrid forms are in our midst; the scrapings of
Pandemo- nium surround us; we can see nothing left us but an
appeal to the last tribunal, with God as our judge, and our
jury the great American people. We are willing to suffer, if
necessary, for the cause of Liberty and of Kansas; but is it
necessary? Will you answer to God, and let us hear your decision? Note. -- Of course, every prisoner whose name is here
at- tached is not personally knowing to every
individual statement; but every statement here made is known by many of
us to be composed of actual facts, and all are satisfied of
their truth. To the name of each subscriber is attached his former
residence: ILLINOIS |
Thomas Hankins, Dover Aaron D. Ray, Linden Thos. Leeson, Rock Island J. G. Ketcham, Bloomington G. N. Neff, Bloomington Absalom V. Vickers, Bath J. W. Jordan, Ogle County A. S. Gates, Hamilton J. W. White, Farm Ridge Thomas J. Aliff, Carlisle Gilbert Tower, Goodall |
Isaac Gray, Chicago Geo. Smith, Winnebago Co. William H. Gill, Elizabeth Adam Bauer, Schuyler Co. William Cline, Peoria James Conley, Half Day P. Stevens, Bloomingdale A. M. Humphrey, Bristol C. Hay, Oswego Jesse F. Pyle, Schuyler Co. |
John Henri Kagi-Newspaper Correspondence 385 |
OHIO |
J. H. Kagi, Bristolville S. Vogelsong, Hanoverton. H. H. Easter, Highland County E. R. Fally, Mount Gilead Thos. Bowers, Chillicothe Josiah G. Fuller, Oberlin J. T. Yunker, Warsaw A. J. Payne, Cleveland |
T. W. Porterfield, an old soldier under Jackson, aged 72 William L. Ware, Eaton C. A. Sexton, Wellington Edw'd Cottingham, Eaton Giles Smith, Delaware Albert F. Bercard, Kirtland |
IOWA |
Jacob Fisher, Jefferson Co. Resolved Fuller, Wiscotta E. A. Jacobs, Oskaloosa G. A. Eberhart, Muscatine |
O. Langworthy, Grinnell Oliver C. Lewis, Davenport D. H. Montague, Davenport |
INDIANA |
A. G. Patrick, Greencastle John Lawrie, White County Samuel Dolman, Grant Co. Wm. Updegraff, Fulton Co. Wm. G. Porter, Brookston |
J. Sinex, Richmond John Ritchie, Franklin Henry Hoover, Huntington N. Griffith, Hancock Co. |
MASSACHUSETTS |
C. L. Preston, Worcester L. D. Coleman, Southampton Henry Hurd, Lowell Art. W. Dale, Fitchburg A. C. Soley, Worcester |
E. D. Lyman, Southampton John Lugrue, Springfield Stafford J. Pratt, Boston H. York, West Brookfield A. H. Parker, Clinton |
NEW YORK |
T. J. Dickinson. Newburg C. J. Auchinvole, Buffalo H. N. Dunlap, Buffalo J. J. Howell, New Hartford Jared Carter, Saratoga |
H. N. Bent, New York C. C. Hyde, Hornellsville A. Cutter, Monroe County J. R. White. Morrisania G. H. Powers, Oneida Co. |
RHODE ISLAND |
E. D. Whipple, Providence |
PENNSYLVANIA |
T. P. Brown, Allegheny County Geo. R. Pinney, Rockdale Joseph J. Boyer, Coatsville |
Wm. Kerr, Canonsburg J. B. Haines, Philadelphia Milton Kinzle, Lebanon |
MISSOURI |
Thos. Varner, Buchanan County David Patrick, Lexington N. G. C. Beyman, Cooper County |
MISSOURI M. J. Mitchell, Liberty Jas. H. York, Buchanan Cour Joseph Hicks. Platee County |
WISCONSIN |
C. S. Gleason, Albany R. D. Nichols, Koshkonong Walter Florentine, Rock County Vol. XXXIV - 25. |
E. Jenkins, Spring Prairie William Butler, Sauk County |
386 Ohio
Arch. and Hist. Society Publications MICHIGAN |
Samuel Stewart, Detroit John W. Stone, Detroit |
Roswell Hutchins, Troy |
MAINE |
F. B. Swift, Brunswick Thos. Bickerton, Portland |
C. H. Calkins, Hainsville |
VERMONT |
O. M. Marsh, Woodstock |
John L. King, Brattleboro' |
CONNECTICUT |
Alonzo Crawford, Union |
The National Era, Washington, D. C., November 6, 1856. KANSAS WHOLESALE PRISON, LECOMPTON, KANSAS. MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1856. To the Editor of the National Era: The process of "crushing out" still
continues. This horrible prison is yet full to overflowing, and the terrible
suffering within its walls remains unabated. One week ago, Friday night, ten, or fifteen United
States sol- diers came into town from their camp, and remained
until quite late, when they started for home, pretty well
intoxicated. At a short distance from town, they fired off their
revolvers. The reports were heard in town and in the camp of the
militia, and then ensued such a scene of confusion and disgrace as
I never before witnessed. "Lane's coming, Lane's
coming," resounded from one end of the town to the other. Titus ran
through the streets like a lunatic, screaming out orders to his
men, as though the safety of the Union itself depended upon, the
capacity of his lungs. The two cannon, of which I have before spoken,
were drawn nearer to the prison, and freshly loaded. The
guns' crew stood by with match in hand, all ready for a gallant
defence -- of what? We shall see, if we have not already seen.
Titus gave orders, that if another gun were heard, both cannons
should be discharged against the prison. He also sent
messengers to the people residing in the adjoining buildings,
requesting them to |
John Henri Kagi -- Newspaper
Correspondence 387
go into their cellars, or to some other
place of safety, to avoid
injury, at the same time informing them
of the orders he had
given. This disgraceful drama consumed
three or four hours.
After the militia were all formed in
line of battle, some became
suspicious of having to fight somebody
besides defenceless pris-
oners, and it soon became observable
that many of them had im-
portant business in camp, for Titus was
heard ordering his cap-
tains to "place a guard over the
cowards, to keep them from
running." In this strain he continued for some time. But,
luckily for us, the drunken soldiers,
who had so alarmed the in-
vincible army, had discharged all their
pistols, and were too
drunk to reload them; for Captain
Donaldson, son of the Mar-
shal, who had command of the artillery,
has since told us, in con-
versation about the matter, that his
duty would have been to
"obey orders". But as the
regulars went home, the mule-itia,
as some call them, did the same, lying
down to pleasant sleep
and dreams of glory. On the following
morning, a note, stating
the particulars of the affair, and
signed by several prisoners, was
sent to the Governor. He called shortly
afterwards, but, in
reference to it, only remarked that the militia
were not United
States troops, and that we should know enough of military dis-
cipline not to be alarmed at anything of
that kind.
During this visit, the Governor said
that the Grand Inquest
would probably be discharged that day,
and that he had left
strict orders that all against whom no
bill were found should
be immediately released, and the
remainder provided with bed-
ding and whatever else was necessary to
our comfort. But
what was the result? The Governor left
the same day with 150
dragoons, and has since been scouring
the country about Prairie
City and Osawatomie, telling sweet
stories to the people, while
Deputy Marshal Tebbs, who accompanied
him, was arresting
them for political offences. The Grand
Jury is still in session.
and may still be for weeks -- will
surely be as long as there is
a Free State man in the Territory not
under indictment. All
our original number except three have
been indicted, and are
probably only in, the beginning of their
sufferings.
The following Sunday morning, one of our
number died, and
was freed forever from the hands of
tyranny. He was a young
388 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
man named William Bowles, formerly from
St. Charles, Mis-
souri. We tried to get a place of quiet
for him, but could not.
Only one of the officers seemed to take
any notice of his dan-
ger or our wishes, except Sergeant
Stansell, who did all in his
power, but he had his superiors. The
night previous to the death
of Bowles, no physician could be got.
Dr. Brooks was playing
"poker", and said he
"would not leave the game to save all the
G-d d-d Abolitionists in Kansas".
The reply of the others sent
for was similar to this. Physicians from
Lawrence now visit
us every day or two, and' we shall not
pretend to call upon any
of the heathen hereafter. It is a
miracle to me, why more have
not died. The whole air is filled with
disease--sickness is seen
in every corner. Our prison before our
entrance was used as a
barrack for the militia, who left behind
them lice, bed-bugs, etc.,
of every kind, which have so increased,
on account of our hav-
ing no opportunities for preserving
cleanliness, until now all is
a mass of vermin.
That day was deemed appropriate for
sending forth an ap-
peal to the American people. It was
written in great haste, read
to all the prisoners, gathered in the
lower room, each of which
attached his own, name to the memorial.
But one copy was writ-
ten; this was sent to the New York Tribune,
and will probably
be published in the daily edition of
that paper, so that others will
get it through that quite early.
During the past week, eighty-six of
Harvey's company were
indicted under two bills -- one for
murder, and the other for
manslaughter, at Hickory Point. One of
the enemy who was
wounded at that place has since died,
which is the origin of this
last bill. The other two -- for there
are eighty-six of Harvey s
men still here in prison -- have been
passed over, whether in-
tentionally or not, I am unable to tell.
Four prisoners from the
Grasshopper Creek country, and M. J.
Mitchell, of Topeka,
who was arrested by a mob at Weston,
Missouri, were indicted
under another bill, for assault upon
Hickory Point with intent
to kill--whom, it has not yet been
ascertained--on the day
Lane first attacked that place. Three of
them were tried on
Friday, and acquitted, but immediately
arrested on another charge
--they have not yet been told what. A
bill has been found
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper
Correspondence 389
against one other prisoner for the
Osawkie affair. Two were in-
dicted for this, but one of them, E. C.
Whipple, has since been
found to be the wrong man. These two,
Ritchey and Kagi, will
be brought up to-day for trial, but both
will ask for a continu-
ance, as the only witnesses by whom they
can disprove some un-
true changes in the indictment are
absent in the States. Charles
Sexton, who was committed with the
others charged with be-
ing at Osawkie, is yet here. Perhaps no
bill will be found against
him. The charge against him is his
offering to pay for some
oats, taken by Lane's men on his return
from Hickory Point.
Two others were held subject to
indictment--one for being at
the sacking of Tecumseh, the other for
robbing the Santa Fe
train. On Friday, the District Attorney
entered a Nolle prosequi
in the case of William Breyman, one of
the eighty-six, indicted
for murder and manslaughter. He had been
very sick, and I
think it was mostly owing to this that
he was released, although
some think they intend to use him as
evidence for the prosecu-
tion. This will be of no injury to the
defendants, for they will
prove by him, as well as by some of the
enemy themselves, that
they did not commence the fight.
One new prisoner was brought in on
Friday, and four others
yesterday. The former was Elias Roak, a
Kentuckian, now a
resident of the bogus county of
Doniphan. He has been indicted
for an assault, with intent to kill,
upon one Rogers, a member
of the Grand Jury now in session. In a
dispute about political
matters, Rogers drew a revolver upon
Roak, who, seeing his dan-
ger, immediately fired at his
antagonist, slightly wounding him.
The four brought in yesterday are Elizur
Hill, from Sylvester,
Wisconsin; Hiram McAlester and
Washington Buchannan, from
Philadelphia; and John Wilson, from
Urbana, New York. All
are old residents of Kansas. They were
brought in by thirty
of the troops who went out with Geary.
The Deputy Marshal
had writs, he said, for all the Free
State men in and around
Prairie City. Geary is trying to find
old Captain Brown; when
he gets him, I will let you know.
Neither of those four men
know for what they have been arrested,
and probably will not
for weeks.
Marshal Donaldson has written a letter
to Carey B. White-
390 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
head, of Doniphan, telling him that six
or seven of us would be
hung, and the rest sent to the
penitentiary.
Another of the Deputy Marshals says,
upon high authority,
that Governor Geary has made
requisition upon Governor Price,
of Missouri, for the penitentiary of
that state to keep us in the
coming winter. I give you this as his word only.
I have neither time nor room, nor have I
the opportunities
for learning the particulars of all the
outrages still going on
without, entirely unnoticed by the
officials, and hardly hinted at
by our Free State friends. The house of
a prisoner from To-
peka, and the saw-mill of a Free State
man in Tecumseh, have
lately been torn down, and the same
course is being carried out
over the whole Territory; yet all is
quiet, say our enemies, and
our friends, through fear and stupor,
are almost led to believe
it themselves. When shall this reign of
terror cease? Dark
tyranny and deep wrong seem to have
crushed us out forever.
K.
The National Era, Washington, D. C.,
November 13, 1856.
KANSAS
WHOLESALE POLITICAL PRISON, LECOMPTON,
NOVEMBER I, 1856, 3 P. M.
To the Editor of the National Era:
When I wrote on Monday, I was in
momentary expectation
of being called upon, with Mr. Ritchey,
for trial. But our case,
for some cause unknown to me, was laid
over, to make room
for that of Ephraim Bainter, who was
several weeks since un-
der confinement here, from which he was
released on bail. He
had been indicted with the four other
Grasshopper boys, tried
last week, charged with a felonious
assault upon Hickory Point,
the first day of the fight at that
place. Less proof was brought
against him than was produced at the
trial of the others. It
was proven that the others were not only
at the fight, but that
they were engaged in it. This was far
from the case with
Bainter, who was not shown to be within
a half a mile of the
place, nor to have had anything more
than a shot-gun, which he
John Henri Kagi -- Newspaper
Correspondence 391
did not discharge during the day. Yet
the jury, Tuesday morn-
ing, returned a verdict of "Guilty
of an assault with intent to
kill". This was not at all unexpected to him nor surprising to
me, after having heard some of the
satellites of power--sup-
posed to speak that which they know
concerning these things --
remarked that Bainter and the old man
Porterfield would be con-
victed and hung, and hung anyhow. Bainter
was remanded to
prison. An arrest of judgment will be
asked by his attorney,
for the purpose of procuring a new
trial. This is the first rip-
ened specimen of the fruits of Geary's
peace in Kansas. Alas,
what a terrible peace. Such a
peace followed the subjugation of
betrayed Hungary, and the butchery of
thousands of her chil-
dren. And in France, the concentration
of power in the hands
of Robespierre, or the Napoleons, was
followed by just such a
peace as this. The people of Kansas are
beginning to ask, "Will
the people of the North see us suffer
forever?" "Will they
longer see peaceful settlers from the
North fight, unaided, ar-
mies from the South?" "There is no peace."
Now is the most
critical period in the history of
Kansas. We are sleeping on a
volcano, which may at any moment
overwhelm us with the fire
and smoke of a civil war which has never
had an equal. Some
still hope, not through reason, but in
defiance of it.
Governor Geary is still absent from
Lecompton, and is said
to be now at Fort Riley. He does not
wish to be here, and will
not, I think, until after the
adjournment of the court. He has
no anxiety to see for himself the
partiality of the other officials;
so he avoids their presence and ours. He
has much more pride
than wickedness; and this, with
his anxiety for the preservation
of the Democratic party, is the key to
his course here.
Next came the Hickory Point case. On
motion, of the pros-
ecution, the indictment was quashed, and
another presented, dif-
fering from the first only in charging
two persons unknown to
the grand jury with being principals in
the commission of the
alleged offences; whereas the former
designated Porterfield and
Cutler as the principals. In each case,
the others held for that
offence are charged with being accessories.
Tuesday afternoon,
fifteen, who had not been, identified as
being at the fight, went
to trial under this indictment. Out of
thirty-two jurors and
392 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
twenty-one talesmen, a jury was at last
selected, and on Tues-
day morning the examination commenced.
This has just closed.
Some sixteen witnesses were examined on,
the part of the pros-
ecution, but nothing was proven against
them, further than that
they were arrested five miles from
Hickory Point, the night after
the battle. Their own men--officers at
that time--testified
that the firing was commenced by the
enemy, and that, too, when
they considered themselves in, no danger
from our men. They
said they were there for a "free
fight", and that after they had
been decently whipped, no honorable man
of the number would
make complaint against us, or willingly
give evidence. In the
cross-examination of Secretary Woodson,
that official admitted
that the two companies of Southerners at
Hickory Point held
no authority from the Government; that
none of the officers had
been commissioned -- none of the men
been mustered as mi-
litia or the posse of any officer. This
entirely overthrows the
claim set up by the letter-writers in
the service of the Ruffian
party, that Robertson's and Lord's
companies were regular or-
ganized militia, and had met that day to
muster out of service,
agreeably to the Governor's
proclamation. It was also shown,
by the same and other witnesses, that
when a Free State man
named Fuller, who had escaped from the
enemy, who had the
day before the fight taken him prisoner,
came to ask the Gov-
ernor to disperse the marauders at the
Point, Governor Geary
refused to, do so; and when told that if
he did not disperse them
Colonel Harvey would, he said that
Harvey might go and kill
them if he wished, but hoped that while
he was doing so he
would get killed himself. But little
evidence was offered by the
defendants.
During this examination, Judge Lecompte
laid down a rule
to me quite new, and I presume it may be
so to others. On the
day of the battle, James York, one of
the fifteen now on trial,
had with two friends business with
General Lane, in search of
whom they passed through Pleasant Hill.
At this place they
took dinner. Mr. York rose from the
table sooner than the
rest, and after he had left the room,
his two friends, in answer
to some queries of the landlord, told
him that they were in
search of Lane. Now, on trial, the
prosecuting attorney wished
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper
Correspondence 393
to bring in this declaration as evidence
against Mr. York; but
Lecompte refused to grant this request,
unless it could first be
shown that the declaration was made in
the hearing and with-
out any dissent on the part of York. He
said that if it could
be proven that York assented to a desire
to be in the company
of Lane on that day, he should charge
the jury to find him guilty
of murder. Whoever heard of such
outrageous atrocity! Pleas-
ant Hill, where they stopped, is ten
miles from Hickory Point.
At night, while on his way home, York
stopped at Harvey's
camp, and was there taken prisoner with
the others.
Although the boys were all arrested by
Captain Wood, "by
authority of Governor Geary", Deputy
Marshal Cramer while
on the witness stand said he was
"along", and considered the ar-
rest made by himself, and professed to
be able to identify all the
prisoners taken.
The prosecution will commence their
pleas immediately, and
the trial will probably be brought to a
close sometime next Mon-
day.
Samuel Holman, who has been six weeks a
prisoner, has just
been indicted for coppering the Santa Fe
train. I have already
given you the particulars of his case.
The four Prairie City boys brought in
last Sunday have been
trying all the week to get an
examination, so as to get out
on bail; for court adjourns next week,
and the Hickory Point
case will probably occupy the time till
then. But all their en-
treaties are of no avail, and they
remain here in suffering, their
families at home in the same condition,
and their crops and
other property going to waste -- all for
preferring that Kansas
should be a free state.
Mr. Rock, for shooting at a man to save
his own life, is re-
fused either a trial at this term, or
bail, which he is willing to
give, and can, to any amount. He is a
Free State man, and the
man who unsuccessfully attempted to
murder him for saying
that our difficulties were commenced by
missionaries, is a Pro-
Slavery man. This accounts for much in
other cases, as well
as in his. The three hundred dollars per
week which the United
States marshal makes by keeping us here,
will go far towards
making up the remainder.
394 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
Two Pro-Slavery men have been arrested
this week. I'll tell
you all about it. The first was Jacob
Hurd. I have not been
able to learn upon what charge he was
arrested, but the fol-
lowing facts will give some intimation
of the cause. He has a
brother named Henry, a strong Free State
man, who was ar-
rested with Harvey's company, but
escaped, after being brought
here. Inquiries were made for Hurd, and
it being learned that
a man of that name lived between this
and Lawrence, a "dep-
uty", having no acquaintance with
him, was sent down for his
arrest. He was kept here a day or two,
and then liberated by
some peculiar process known only to
Border Ruffian courts.
They probably learned the facts as I
have stated them, and their
sympathy broke his bonds. The name of
the other I do not
know. He has been a long time committing
depredations on
the road to Leavenworth and on the
stranger; but at last he mis-
took his prey, who, instead of being an
Abolitionist, proved to
be a Pro-Slavery man, who made complaint
to the grand jury.
Eleven bills were found against him,
most of them for arson
and attempts at murder. He was at once
admitted to bail in
the sum of fifteen hundred dollars, or
less than one hundred and
fifty for each crime. Titus subscribed
with him. "Law and Or-
der" men will endeavor to show by
this that the courts are de-
termined to deal out impartial justice
to men of all parties, but
the facts in this case will hardly admit
of that supposition. Free
State men, for less offences, are
absolutely refused bail at all.
There is said to be a clause in some of
the bogus laws, mak-
ing it the duty of the grand jury to
inspect and report the con-
dition of the prisons within. the
jurisdiction of the court, at each
session. In compliance with this
provision, the grand jury day
before yesterday paid us a visit. Their
entrance was rather
abrupt, and I was glad of it, for they
had an opportunity of
seeing our real condition. Here were two
or three dozen men
sleeping upon the floor, with a borrowed
blanket thrown over
each. They were a part of those who had
walked the floor and
swung their arms the whole long night
before, to keep from
freezing. There were a score more, racked with sickness, roll-
ing upon the filthy floor-- one moment
cursing their oppressors
--the next, breathing low prayers for
the desolate and destitute
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper
Correspondence 395
loved ones at home. And, lastly, yonder
were the remainder,
stripped half naked, cleansing
themselves of vermin, the blood
running down their writhed backs in
great streams. "0 God!"
said one of the jurors, "this is
too horrible; and had I seen it
before, I never could have been induced
to do as I have done."
And I believe he spoke as he felt, or as
nearly so as possible.
Major Bickerton told them he was glad
they had come to see
their own work, and hoped they would
profit by it. He re-
minded them of the Koszta affair and the
Cuban prisoners; how
this Government had twice carried itself
to the very verge of
war, once for the protection of a single
individual whose citi-
zenship was of but a few months
duration, and at another time
in rescuing from punishment Americans
who had invaded a
neighboring and friendly nation, in
direct violation of law, in-
junctions and proclamations of both--all
this merely because
they were, what it was once an honor to
be, American citizens,
while we are to be hung for defending
our own homes and blood.
"Ah, there is wrong
somewhere," replied many. They prom-
ised to reprimand the marshal for his
conduct, and compel him
to provide better for us in the future.
The next day he brought
enough ticking for a dozen mattresses,
and, with a load of hay,
a few have fixed beds in which they can
rest with comparative
comfort. In fact, I never before slept
so soundly and sweetly
as I did last night.
For three or four days, the marshal --
old Donaldson -- has,
by alternate threats and offers
of bribes, been endeavoring to
compel or persuade one of our men to
betray us, and give evi-
dence for the State; but we keep no such
men, and to-day gave
Donaldson warning that he must never
come again upon such
an errand.
We have again, a free press in Kansas.
The Topeka Tribune
has arrived, and the Herald of
Freedom has risen. May they
long do noble battle for our rights.
At the adjourned Nominating Convention
at Big Springs, on
Monday, Reeder was put forth as a
candidate for Congress.
But the cold weather now coming on will
keep many from the
polls; and then there will probably be a
deputy marshal at each
place of holding election, with his
pockets full of writs; then,
396 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
considering the hundreds and thousands
of our men who have
been driven from the Territory, our vote
must certainly be a
small part of that which really belongs
to us.
But I am almost frozen stiff -- my
fingers have no more feel-
ing than the pen -- and I must close
before I have half done.
K.
The National Era, Washington, D. C.,
November 20, 1856.
KANSAS
WHOLESALE PRISON, LECOMPTON
NOVEMBER 5, 1856.
To the Editor of the National Era.:
I closed on Saturday with an account of
the trial of the fif-
teen Hickory Point boys up to the
resting of the evidence. In
this and other proceedings at court, I
have been compelled to
gather my information from the prisoners,
attorneys, and offi-
cers of the court, as I cannot myself be
present, and therefore
must be very brief.
The pleading was commenced by District
Attorney Grover,
who was followed by his brother, a
small-brained simpleton,
also for the prosecution. Putnam and
Lamb followed for the
defence, the latter continuing his
speech until after midnight.
Both these men are Pro-Slavery. The
former is a Louisianian,
and was one of the enemy's lieutenants
at Hickory Point. He
became disgusted with the course of his
party, and, in the spirit
of a noble foe, offered his aid to his
slandered and oppressed
enemy. Mr. Lamb was also at that fight,
though unwillingly,
and has forever severed himself from the
legions of "law and
order". He is the same that
interfered and saved the life of
Pardee Butler at the time of the second
outrage committed upon
him, at Atchison. For this generous act, Stringfellow, too
cowardly to meet his antagonist in. open
manly battle, hired a
boy to secretly shoot Lamb -- promising
to pay the boy $300
if he nicely performed his task. The boy
made the attempt, but
shot himself while cocking his pistol in his pocket. No one could
be found to take care of and nurse the
boy, but Lamb, who at-
John Henri Kagi -- Newspaper Correspondence 397
tended him until he recovered, and to
whom he told the whole
story.
The forenoon on Monday was consumed by
Mr. Stevens in
a masterly speech. In the afternoon, Mr.
Parrott spoke an hour
or two. Through fear of prejudicing the
jury, neither alluded
to any extent to the origin of the
difficulties -- the subversion of
our Government, and the subsequent
outrages, by which only
the Government forced upon us could be
sustained. In this, I
think they erred; for I do not believe
it would have had any bad
effects, but perhaps much good.
A. J. Isaacs, Attorney General, closed
the case about dark.
The jury immediately retired, without
any regular charge from
the Judge. In fact, he gave none except
a few gems now and
then concerning disputed points, raised
during the examination,
some of which I have already given you.
At 10 o'clock P. M.,
the jury returned a verdict of "not
guilty". Lecompte ordered
that eight should be discharged, saying
that new bills had been
found against the other seven. Those discharged were J. L.
King, D. Patrick, J. Ketcham, J. H.
York, T. Bowers, J. Pyle,
George Neff, and J. Conley.
Some wags about town, who saw them
make their exit,
proposed to take a game of euchre on
their coat-tails. Those of
the acquitted who remain, have all been
subpoenaed as witnesses
against those yet to be tried. They may
make at this; they may
not.
Ephraim Bainter has received his
sentence. It is six years
imprisonment--I cannot tell where. He is
yet with us. Mr.
Roak was yesterday tried and convicted
of an assault with in-
tent to kill, for not letting a
Pro-Slavery man, one of the grand
jury, blow his brains out. His sentence
is imprisonment for two
years.
Late Saturday night, an old man named
Isaac Davis was
brought in from the Wakarusa country,
arrested on a warrant,
issued under an indictment for arson,
for burning the shanty of
a Pro-Slavery man. Mr. Davis has been a
settler in Kansas for
nearly three years. He came from
Petersburg, Menard County,
III., where he occupied an influential
and honorable position,. He
was considered one of the best men--not
a fighter--in the
398 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
Wakarusa valley. For the last six weeks
previous to his ar-
rest, he had been confined to his house,
and the greater part of
the time to his bed, by severe sickness;
yet, during this time,
and while he was in, the most dangerous
condition from his ill-
ness, he is alleged to have committed
this offence. He can neither
get the benefit of a writ of habeas
corpus, nor a trial. But this
is nothing new in Kansas.
And now, as I am writing, another is
turned in. Upon in-
quiry, I find the facts to be these:
About the time court opened
here, Mr. Marshal Davis--for that is his
name--was sum-
moned to appear before the grand jury, on
Monday, the 21st of
September. Now, the 21st came on Tuesday, and which day to
come was a puzzler; so he concluded to
go on with the gather-
ing of his crops. But yesterday the
marshal with four dragoons
made a descent upon him. He was escorted
to Lecompton, and
imprisoned INDEFINITELY for contempt of court. He was
formerly from Massillon, Ohio. This is a
Kansas edition of the
Passmore Williamson case.
Since I commenced writing, Adam Bauer,
one of those tried
and acquitted on Monday, but retained on
another charge, has
been released, by what process I am
unable to tell. But the
cause is not so much of a secret.
Before, several attempts were
made upon his life and the lives of his
family, his house robbed
and laid in ashes, his crops ruined, and
his stock driven off, and
lastly himself driven to the forests for
a home. He was a quiet
and thrifty settler on Stranger Creek.
Many of those engaged
in the commission of these outrages have
been hanging about
court of late, and some of them
recognized him at the trial, and,
apprehending that he had recognized them
also, and that he
would endeavor to cause their arrest,
they secured his release,
so as to get him out of the way.
General McLane, Atchison's adjutant in
the late invasion
which resulted in part in the
destruction of Osawatomie, and
now chief clerk in the Kansas and
Nebraska Surveyor-General's
office, was in to see us last Sunday.
The Delaware trust lands
are to come into market in a few days.
More than half of the
settlers on these lands beyond the
Stranger are Free State men,
nine-tenths of whom have been driven
from their claims, and
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper
Correspondence 399
cannot return without greatly
endangering their lives; ten or fif-
teen are prisoners. Now, McLane tells a
story that will prob-
ably be heralded at the East as a real
demonstration of the pop-
ular sovereignty of the Delaware people.
He says that the set-
tlers on those lands--although a
majority are Pro-Slavery,
which is, of-course, the case since the
banishment of the Free
State men--have clubbed together for the
purpose of prevent-
ing anyone from bidding against the actual
settler. But Mc-
Lane, when pushed closely, was compelled
to admit that this as-
sociation will not recognize as
actual settlers anyone, especially
a Free State man, who is not now on
the land. Speculators from
Missouri will be allowed to buy such
vacant claims, with all
their improvements. This is a conspiracy
that I have for a long
time been expecting, but I had never
looked for one so perfectly
organized as it now appears to be, nor for such boldness of
avowal on the part of its founders.
I have been talking some with Colonel
Titus concerning our
prospects, election matters, etc. Now
that the great election is
over, what I relate cannot be doubted,
on the score that it is pre-
pared for electioneering purposes. For
this I am glad. The
people of the North may now be induced
to inquire into the af-
fairs of Kansas; and when they once do
so, they will find that
the half has not been told. Titus does
not intend to remain
here. When asked if the result of the Presidential
election would
not affect his course, he replied,
"No! I will not live in a
Free State; but if Fremont is elected,
this will surely be one;
so I shall leave; while, if Buchanan
succeeds, he will do my
work for me." Titus is not a fool, nor does he speak unad-
visedly.
I see it stated in Eastern papers that
bills have been found
against "Sheriff Jones,
Stringfellow, and others of the Pro-Slav-
ery leaders. Now, there is no truth
whatever in these reports.
No complaint has been made to the grand
jury, and it would
have made no difference if there had. I
do not say that they
will indict no Pro-Slavery man for
wrangling among the enemy;
and their avaricious designs for petty
rewards from the Gov-
ernor may procure the indictment and
arrest of a few, as they
have already of one, whom I mentioned a
short time since; but
400 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
I do say that no Pro-Slavery man will be
punished for any out-
rages committed on Free State men,
either before or since the
Governor's proclamation. Mark my word
for this. Jones is
still at large, and not only so, but he
is a member of Governor
Geary's household. There are two
companies of militia here,
under Colonel Titus. One is commanded by
John Donaldson,
son of the United States marshal of that
name. He was his
father's deputy at the sacking and
bombardment of Lawrence
last May, and consequently the real
leader of that whole gang.
One Wallace is captain over the other
company. These two
men are on guard over us one day each,
alternately. In com-
pany with Clark, when he murdered Dow
last winter, was Dr.
Wood, now United States commissioner,
who assisted in do-
ing the deed, and shielding its
principal perpetrator. All these
men are now here in Lecompton daily, and
daily they boast of
their crimes. I might mention hundreds
of similar cases, but
these are of notoriety; and if the
actors are not punished, there
is certainly no probability of the
punishment of others.
But the grand jury cannot be said to
have been an idle one.
In diligence it equalled the Shawnee
Legislature. But such
diligence! To-day, a new bill was found
against John Ritchey,
for robbery of the mail. This morning,
J. H. Kagi was indicted
in two or three more bills. Although all
the alleged offences are
bailable ones, yet Judge Lecompte refused
to admit them to bail
in any sum. Bail would have been useless for Mr. Kagi, how-
ever, as three new indictments were this
afternoon found against
him, for participating in the battle of
Fort Titus last summer.
One is for arson, another for
manslaughter, another for mur-
der. This makes the number of
indictments against him, in all,
only eight, which seemed to have
also been found against over
seventy others, for participating in the Titus affair.
For several days past it has been common
talk about town,
that Major Bickerton and a few others,
probably myself among
the number, are to be hung, whether
convicted or not. This is
no surmise. I have it from a Pro-Slavery
lawyer, who, in con-
nection with Parrott and Stevens, is
employed by us, and who
would be far from telling us anything
liable to discourage us,
if it were not strictly true. For the
purpose of receiving an im-
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper
Correspondence 401
partial trial, as well as for our safety
both during and after it,
we shall all, except twenty, who will go
to trial to-morrow, ap-
ply for change of venue to Tecumseh,
which is mostly Free
State -- the country around is
altogether so-- and where, being
only five miles from Topeka, we may
stand some chance for
justice. Court adjourns here next
Saturday, and sits at Tecum-
seh the following Monday.
Geary has not yet returned, and will not
be here until after
the adjournment of court. He does not
wish to be cognizant
of its high-handed proceedings. Before
he went away, many of
the boys, not versed in law, expressed
to him an aversion to be-
ing tried under the Territorial laws,
but a perfect willingness to
be tried by the laws of the United
States. Geary told them that
he had seen to that; and that they would
have nothing to do
with the Territorial laws; that it would
be as they wished. They
could not be made to believe to the
contrary, until the district
attorney, during the trial, took up a
volume of the Shawnee
Statutes, and said, "These are
the laws that will bring you down."
Whether the Governor meant to use
downright deception, or
whether he was really so ignorant of law
as he must otherwise
have been, I leave others and time to
determine. I state only
the facts.
A new stroke of policy has been
determined upon by the
Governor, more outrageous and damnable
than, with my pro-
found contempt for Geary, I had ever
deemed him guilty of con-
ceiving. He says, if, after a certain
time, "all persons (by this
he means Free State men) against whom
there are warrants,
refuse to be taken, or persist in
keeping out of the clutches of the
marshal, THEY SHALL BE DECLARED OUTLAWS, AND
ALL 'GOOD CITIZENS' ORDERED TO SHOOT
THEM
WHEREVER FOUND." This was
unexpected, even to me,
who have long since learned to be
surprised at nothing. Let
John W. Geary once attempt to put this
threat into execution,
and he will see scenes in Kansas,
compared with which the con-
centrated terrors of all past ages would
be but pleasant dreams.
But little sleep was had in this prison
on Sunday night. The
marshal had a few days before got us a second stove,
and around the two crowded over one
hundred prisoners, won-
Vol. XXXIV--26.
402 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
dering if the friends they had left in
the States, in the enjoy-
ment of peace and luxury of every kind,
ever thought of Kansas
and her suffering children. Snow fell to
the depth of several
inches. Bitter cold winds whistled
through the broad cracks of
the prison, and all but froze hearts
warm with patriotism, hearts
which no danger could ever quail.
There are ninety-six of us here now,
representing almost
every trade and profession in life. There
are carpenters, cabinet-
makers, blacksmiths, machinists,
engravers, sailors, miners, mer-
chants, painters, Daguerrean artists,
printers, preachers, lawyers,
editors, and reporters, besides many
others. But one for any
length of time ever led a military
life--that is, Major Bicker-
ton, who served many years as a gunner
on board a ship in the
United States navy. His services have
been of very great value,
in disciplining the citizen army of
Kansas, especially the artil-
lery portion of it. This is why he is
singled out for vengeance.
K.
The National Era, Washington, D. C.,
November 27, 1856.
KANSAS
WHOLESALE PRISON, LECOMPTON,
NOVEMBER 8, 1856.
To the Editor of the National Era:
I have already written you of the trial
and acquittal of the
first fifteen of the Hickory Point boys,
and I believe told you
that twenty more would go to trial on
Thursday morning. At
any rate, such was the case. As I
feared, little care, or much
less than was taken in the former case,
was used in selection
of a jury. This was owing to too great
confidence, inspired by
the success in the former one. In other
respects, the trial was
a mere repetition of the first--the same
counsel on each side,
the same witnesses, and the same
evidence. The prosecution
tried hard to get additional evidence,
but were unsuccessful.
Bribes and threats in profusion were
offered to many of the pris-
oners, in order to induce them to turn
State's evidence--of-
fers being made to enter a nolle
prosequi in their cases, as an
additional bribe. Only one accepted the
offer, but he was not
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper
Correspondence 403
there for the purpose of fighting. He
was one of the men who
waited on the Governor, and afterwards
went in advance of
Harvey's party, with a copy of the
Governor's proclamation to
the enemy, hoping that they would
disperse upon reading it, so
that no fighting would be done. But they
had already received
it. He then left for Harvey's camp,
engaged in the battle, and
became too busily engaged to make
acquaintances; and leaving
the company before their capture by the
United States troops
he started that night for home, where he
was arrested several days
afterwards, he was unable to swear that
these were, to his own
knowledge, the same then on trial. So
nothing was gained
through him. I stated that those who
were acquitted at the
other trial, but retained on new
charges, were all subpoenaed as
witnesses in this. Well, they were taken
up to court Friday
morning, but refused to be sworn. After
considerable parley-
ing, to no purpose, the Judge (Lecompte)
ordered that they
should be separated from the rest of the
prisoners, and placed
in a tent out on the prairie, where they
should remain without
food, water, or fire, until they would be sworn and testify.
One
of them (Mr. Fally) nobly replied,
"Well, Judge, you may put
me down for about ten years." A
second snow had fallen, and
the day was the coldest of any we have
yet had. Their suffer-
ings must have been extreme, but they
hung out till late at night,
and until the case went to the jury,
when, they were brought back.
Every one of them would sooner have died
than give testimony
against their comrades. The jury hung
out until daylight next
morning. The verdict returned was for
manslaughter. All had
been indicted for murder in the first
degree; but the Judge
charged the jury that if there were no
evidence to show that
the prisoners had been in the fight,
they could not find them
guilty of murder; yet, if they really
thought the prisoners were
there, they should find them guilty of manslaughter. Of
course,
the jury had an idea that they were
there, and, agreeably with
their own desires, gave a verdict in
accordance with the charge
of the Judge.
I have remarked that in this trial our
friends were not so
careful in the selection of jurors as in
the first. Had there been
no other cause, this alone might
have been sufficient to account
404 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
for the difference in the termination of
the two trials. But I
shall write you again on Tuesday, giving
you a piece of informa-
tion of the most shocking character, and
which does not concern
Kansas alone. I have not time to give it
now.
All the other Hickory Point boys have
obtained a change of
venue to Tecumseh. I think they will be cleared there; but if
they remained here, all would be certain
of being convicted.
Updegraff and Dolman have gone out on
bail. Haines and
Lewis, whose names by some mistake were
not included in the
Hickory Point indictment, were
discharged this morning, im-
mediately after the adjournment of the
grand jury. The Gov-
ernor, who had returned Thursday night,
gave Haines his
Sharpe's rifle, but refused Lewis his
musket, on the ground that
none but United States troops had a
right to carry one. Lewis
brought the musket from Iowa, and had
owned it for years. Of
the hundred rifles and fifty or more
revolvers, scarcely one re-
mains: all have been stolen by the
militia or their friends, or
given to them. Judge Lecompte has
declared his intention to
confiscate the arms of all the
prisoners, whether convicted or
not.
Marshal Davis, arrested for contempt of
court, has been
discharged. Isaac Davis was to-day taken
up to court, and in-
formed that he would not be further
prosecuted on the charge of
arson, but was told there was another
indictment against him,
the character of which he could not
ascertain. Besides this, one
man from Topeka, four from Pleasant
Hill, and four more from
Prairie City, are kept here after the
adjournment of court, al-
though no indictment has been read to
them, and several are
not aware of charges against them. There
is probably no charge
at all against Mr. Sexton, of Topeka.
It is rumored that the twenty-two
already convicted will be
separated and put at work next Monday.
This seems almost
impossible, as the twenty have given notice
of an appeal. But
a Lecompte administers the "laws of
Kansas", which relieves all
surprise.
A Pro-Slavery man, named Hay, was
arrested day before
yesterday, charged with the murder of
Buffum. Your readers,
perhaps, already know the particulars of
that murder. but I
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper
Correspondence 405
will repeat them, to show that the
language used by Geary in
reference to it was not inapplicable.
After Gov. Geary had
coaxed the two thousand seven hundred Missourians before
Lawrence to leave the place, the greater
portion returned to Mis-
souri; and a small portion -- one or two
hundred -- came up to
Lecompton to join the militia. Between
these two places, they
passed the house of Buffum. One of the
Ruffians took a liking
to Buffum's horse, and went into the
field to get it; and being
remonstrated with by Buffum, he
deliberately raised his gun and
shot him. The Governor came along a few
minutes after, and
wrote down the dying words of poor
Buffum, and pronounced
it the most base and cowardly murder of
which he had ever
known. This was the same company that
afterwards passed by
us while we were prisoners in the
dragoons' camp, flying over
them the flag of pirates. Well, a man
said to be this same base
and cowardly murderer was arrested, as I
have told you. He
was kept with us until this morning,
WHEN HE WAS RE-
LEASED ON BAIL. Let this be contrasted
with the cases of
Ritchey, Mitchell, and Kagi. When the
latter was held on noth-
ing but a false charge of robbery, the
same court refused to ad-
mit him to bail. Ritchey and Mitchell
are now held on charges
of robbery, and of assault with intent
to kill, and the same Judge
(Lecompte) declares they SHALL NOT BE
RELEASED ON
ANY BAIL, HE CARES NOT HOW LARGE. Pro-Slavery
MURDERERS are set loose upon people,
while all prominent
Free State men, against whom any petty
charge, however false,
can be trumped up, are to be confined
INDEFINITELY in this
loathsome, death-generating prison.
These things are producing a great
disaffection among the
Government troops; indeed, such has
existed among them for
a long time, but it has increased of
late to a great extent. When
the Prairie City boys were in the
custody of the troops, the of-
ficer who had command of the detachment
several times told
them to go home, and the guards did the
same thing.
At one time, when they stopped for the
night, they gave the
prisoners revolvers and guns, and sent
them out alone to kill
chickens and get other game. The
prisoners did not leave, sim-
ply because they had committed no crime,
and therefore expected
406 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
to get an acquittal upon an immediate
examination, and then re-
turn to their homes, without fear of a
re-arrest or further mo-
lestation. But in this they were sadly
mistaken, as the sequel has
shown. Some of the militia even have
caught a passing streak
of virtue, and swear terribly about the
"one sided" business of
arresting.
Last Wednesday, I spoke of the
representation of the various
trades and professions. Since then, I
have looked around among
my fellow prisoners, and find that there
is not one among us who
cannot both read and write. There is
scarcely a man who has
not an excellent common school
education; fourteen are gradu-
ates of colleges. What more is wanting to show the high charac-
ter of the "Hundred Free State
prisoners?" Among us, there
is a boy only fifteen years old. His
name is Walter Florentine.
Several times he has been offered his
liberty if he would give
evidence against the rest, but each time
he received the proposi-
tion as an insult. He has a brother who
is one of the chief mu-
sicians at Fort Riley. On the Governor's
recent visit to that
place, this brother importuned him in
tears for the release of
Walter. On the Governor's return, his
private secretary, Mr.
McAlister, visited the prison, and asked
Walter if he wished to
he released. He replied that, dearly as
he loved liberty, he asked
no favors which would not be given to
the others. Noble boy!
He has fought bravely beside his fellow
prisoners, and now
if necessary he can die with them like a
man, as he is, despite
his age!
We have at last got a small room,
between the guard room
and the prison, for a hospital. Only
four are now confined in
it, although there is scarcely a well
one among us. I am barely
able to walk, and many others are in the
same way. The four
who are in the hospital are afflicted
with the consumption, which
they have contracted here in prison. One
of these, a cupper,
Mr. Fisher, from Pleasant Hill, knows
not the charge against
him. He lay so long on the floor before
he was taken to the hos-
pital, that the skin became worn from
the joints, so that the
bones now protrude through the flesh,
presenting an aspect truly
deathlike. Away up the Grasshopper, on
whose beautiful banks
he had commenced what he thought a happy
home, suffer his
John Henri Kagi-- Newspaper
Correspondence 407
wife and child, for he is a poor man,
and his daily labor, now
robbed from him by the minions of
Pierce, is the only recourse
he has for the support of those
"loved ones at home". His wife
is sick, her cabin neither chinked nor
daubed, and his only Free
State neighbors-- widows--as destitute
as herself. This is
life in Kansas, under Geary's rule.
The family of Mr. Hicks is in a similar
situation, Mr. Hale
has no family. The other is S. J. Pratt,
a piano-forte maker,
formerly from Boston. He was one of the
founders of Law-
rence. The fight at Hickory Point is the
only one in which he
has been engaged in Kansas. He was
always known as one of
the most peaceable, conservative men in
town, and went on that
expedition only because he thought the
safety of Lawrence and
the liberties of Kansas demanded it. An
affecting incident took
place last Sunday, on the visit of his
wife and their four lovely
children. It was the only time she had
been able to visit him,
for she too had been marked by
consumption for a victim, and
is now in the last stages of that
disease. Both husband and wife
will soon meet in another world. They
will there, in each oth-
er's love, enjoy that happiness which
this Government has
driven from them by the sword, and
consumed by fire. As they
parted, he kissed his almost orphan
children, and then they em-
braced. "Ah, Stafford," said
his wife, "we shall never meet
again on earth;" and none could
doubt, who witnessed the sor-
rowful sight. The Governor was implored
to let him be carried
home, that he and his wife might die
together. But of what
use are our implorations? Whatever may
be the medium, tyr-
anny has no leniency. It is time for the
people of Kansas and
of the country to know this.
We have had but one opportunity to bathe
since our impris-
onment; that was six weeks ago. We had a
large tub of our
own when taken at Hickory Point, which
we might have used
for this purpose; but this too has been
stolen by those who have
taken our rifles. They will neither
return it nor give us another.
Beside cooking our own food, we have
also to do our own wash-
ing. This we have been compelled to do
in small buckets --
the same we kept our water in, for
drinking, until a day or two
since, when Mr. Caldwell obtained leave
to loan us a tub. Mr.
408 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
Caldwell is the same man spoken of in
our memorial a few
weeks ago. By an error of the
compositor, the name Marshall
was connected with his. Mr. Caldwell is
city marshal. He is
about the only human man in
Lecompton.
No one is allowed to see the convicted
prisoners. Mr. Hurd,
of Lawrence, a brother of one of them,
was here this morning,
but could not obtain admission; nor was
he allowed to speak to
him from the street, or send in a
message.
I am closely watched, and will hereafter
have greater diffi-
culty than ever in getting out
communications. My becoming
known was the only cause of the eight or
ten last indictments
found against me. Let this work. I shall
still do my duty, not-
withstanding their threats. There is a
good time coming, I yet
hope, for it's a long Lane that has no
turning.
K.
The National Era, Washington, D. C.,
November 27, 1856.
KANSAS
WHOLESALE PRISON, LECOMPTON,
NOVEMBER 11, 1856.
To the Editor of the National Era:
Last Saturday I promised you the key to
the causes which
produced the different results in the
two late trials of Free State
prisoners. I now proceed to fulfill my
promise.
Colonel Titus, it is well known, was an
old Cuban filibuster.
Major Bickerton -- one of the
prisoners--who once resided in
Nicaragua, remarked, in presence of
Titus, a few days previous
to the first trial of Hickory Point
prisoners, that he should like
to return to that country, and inquired
if some of the others
would not accompany him. Several
expressed their willingness
to go, in case Kansas became a slave
State, and a few said they
would go anyhow, for the sake of
adventure. At this, Titus
unfolded himself, and said, "Well,
Major, if any of your boys
wish to go to Central America, it's
all right. I have just re-
ceived a letter from General Wheat, of
New York, who is about
to raise an expedition destined for some
of those parts. Read
John Henri Kagi-Newspaper
Correspondence 409
it to the boys--meaning the prisoners--but
do not let it go out
of your hands. Keep the matter secret."
Now, that no one else may suffer on
account of my desire
to furnish the Era with the
latest news, filibustering and all, I
. will tell you how I obtained a copy of
the letter. After Bick-
erton had once read it aloud to the
prisoners, I called for a
second reading, and at this took advantage of a pretty
thorough
knowledge of phonography, and
reported the letter, verbatim.
It did not go out of the hands of
Bickerton, nor is it now pub-
lished with any complicity of his. Here
it is:
New York, Oct. 4, 1856.
MY DEAR SIR: Having heard time and again
that you
had been killed, I am glad to see by the
papers that you still live.
I see that you have a large command, and
am glad of it. I am
now organizing a brigade to go to
Central America. I have
made my arrangements to be in New
Orleans by the 15th or
20th of November. I have ample
transportation for two thou-
sand men. I have about 200 from Kentucky,
200 from Ten-
nessee, 300 from Mississippi, 300 from
Louisiana, and about 200
from Alabama. Now, I want to know
whether you can furnish
500 men, such as you have now under your
command? If so.
I will furnish them with transportation
to New Orleans. If
they will bring their arms with them, it
will be better. Should
you decide to go, write to me forthwith,
and let me know. Write
me how many men you can get, what number
are armed, and
how. I am not going to Nicaragua, but
to a place where there
is plenty of money, and just enough
of fighting to make the time
pass off pleasantly. As soon as I hear from you favorably, I
shall start immediately to join you at
such point as you may in-
dicate, so that we may lose no time in
embarking the men. I
wish you, of course, to command the
regiment, organizing it
upon United States regulations. Direct
your answer to me at
Louisville, Kentucky. When we meet. I
will be able to give
you some details, and would do so in the
letter, but am afraid
it might fall into other hands ere it
reached you. Suffice it to
say, that you have my word for it, that
it is the best expedition
that I have ever been engaged in. I
resigned my commission
410 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
of General of Brigade in Mexico to take
command of this. For-
tune invites. Shall we decline? No! Then
write me as soon
as this reaches you, and give me the
glorious answer "Yes".
Should you meet General J. C. Anderson,
from Georgia, re-
member me to him, and tell him I should
be delighted to have
him along, with some of his brave boys.
If you can get 1000 men, I can take care
of them.
Now, as ever, your fellow-soldier,
C. R. Wheat.
The italicizing is all my own.
It was on the 13th of October that Titus
showed us this let-
ter. From that time on, to within a day
or two of the second
trial, he visited us almost daily, and
never left without enjoin-
ing us to "keep in good
spirits". He sent General J. C. Ander-
son to see Gen. Richardson, who was also
implicated in the af-
fair, to get what money he could, for
transportation and other
purposes. On his return, a few weeks
since, Titus tells us he
had secured two hundred thousand
dollars! That he was to be
in St. Louis with his men by the first
Monday in December. He
said that nearly al this militia has
agreed to go, taking with them
the United States arms, I suppose, of
course. He said that the
Government was implicated in the
matter, and if Buchanan was
elected, it would remain so; and that
therefore we need have no
fears of being apprehended by the
authorities while on the way.
He said, that they had once conquered
Nicaragua and San Sal-
vador, (the latter I have since learned
is the destination of the
expedition,) everything was arranged to
strike a blow at Cuba.
Several times he told us that he would
use all the influence in his
power to get us released; but if he
could not do it in court, he
would let us go.
This accounts for the acquittal of
the fifteen who were first
tried. We let him flatter and make promises, while we did
neither. I betray no confidence or trust
in giving you the par-
ticulars of this affair. I would have
given them earlier, but I
knew Titus would become enraged, and do
my comrades as much
injury as he would otherwise be capable
of doing them good,
and I did not wish to imperil my
friends. But now a change of
affairs has taken place. Titus has read
the "Appeal to the Amer-
John Henri Kagi-Newspaper
Correspondence 411
ican People", sent out by the
prisoners a few weeks since, and
now declared himself our open enemy. He
read it a day or more
before the trial of the twenty prisoners
who were convicted, and
declared he would do all in his power to
bring about such a re-
sult, and said he would do his mightiest
to convict and hang us
all. When he foolishly thought of making
money out of us, he
offered to let us go, in case the
court would not. But when we
dared to tell the truth in danger, he
promises to hang us.
Some may ask, why we did not keep still,
and procure our
release by an implied assent to his
desires? Simply, because we
would rather die than use any such moral
deception. We are
imprisoned for honorable deeds; and if
ever we are released, it
must be by honorable action on our part.
I may give you more
about this expedition hereafter. Gov.
Geary knows that such an
expedition is on foot here, and in all
probability knows many of
the particulars concerning Titus's
connection with it; yet he has
taken him closer to his bosom, having a
few days ago appointed
him one of his aids.
The Governor is now at Fort Leavenworth,
for the purpose,
it is said, of preparing a place for the
Free State convicts, who
are yet here in charge of
"Sheriff Jones", who is drunk four-
fifths of his time.
I learned that one company of the
militia will be disbanded
next Saturday, and regular troops
brought to guard the con-
victs and the prisoners who were unable
to get a change of venue
to Tecumseh, until taken to the Fort;
while the other company
will guard the fifty prisoners to
Tecumseh, and while there.
John Wilson, of Prairie City, was
yesterday released, by giv-
ing bail of one thousand dollars, to
appear at the next term of
court in this place, although there is
no indictment against him,
as I mentioned last week. There was no charge against him.
There are three others here from Prairie
City, in the same sit-
uation. Wilson's wife died during his
imprisonment, and some
of his friends came up as bondsmen, that
he might see her once
more before she was laid in the
blood-saturated soil of Kansas.
One cause of her death was her anxiety
for her husband, but
Geary is her murderer.
A proclamation has been issued by the
Governor, fixing
412 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
upon the 20th inst. as a "day of
thanksgiving for the peace which
reigns throughout Kansas". What
damnable and inexcusable
sacrilege! Last night, Capt. Donaldson
brought in a copy, which
he read to the prisoners. Whether this
was at the request of
the Governor, he alone, perhaps, can
say. The boys groaned it
down; and why should they not? It was
the most cowardly and
disgraceful insult that has ever been
offered us. Had I seen
it, I should have snatched it from him,
and committed it to the
flames, even at the risk of my life. Ask
us to rejoice at our own
enslavement! The day will come when a
sweet revenge will wipe
out all such wrongs as these.
I have just learned that some of the
militia, a few days ago,
arrested a Free State man up towards the
Nebraska line, and
that the prisoner was afterwards rescued
by a large body of his
fellow-citizens; that the Governor will
send to the point at which
this affront took place the whole
disposable force of the army
in Kansas. This may all be a mere rumor
-- I have not time
to inquire into its truth at present. If
it proves true, the war
has again commenced.
Lane is eagerly expected by our people;
and the Ruffian of-
ficials are beginning to look for him
with a large army. He
was to leave Philadelphia the night of
election,, come by railroad
to Burlington, and from there to Topeka
by relays of horses,
already engaged. He is looked for
Wednesday night, the 12th.
I do not think there will be any
immediate change in affairs on
this account.
K.
The National Era, Washington, D. C.,
November 27, 1856.
AFFAIRS IN KANSAS
The latest dates from Kansas are to the
3d inst. The Free
State militia under Capt. Walker had
been disbanded accord-
ing to their own request. Sixteen of the
Free State prisoners,
tried for murder in the first degree,
had been acquitted.
From the Kansas documents accompanying
the President's
Message, it seems that Governor Geary,
on the 20th September,
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper
Correspondence 413
addressed a letter to the Governor of
Missouri, in quite flatter-
ing terms, but specifying numerous
outrages committed by citi-
zens of Missouri in Kansas, and closing
as follows:
Your Excellency will readily perceive
from the above the cause
of grievance; and you will much aid my
efforts to restore order
in this distracted Territory by issuing
a proclamation forbidding
all robbers, incendiaries, and
murderers, now infesting this Ter-
ritory, to take refuge upon your soil,
upon pain of being declared
outlaws and bandits, and making such
other suggestions as you
may deem advisable to aid the cause I
have so much at heart.
I also desire your Excellency to cause
to be released from cap-
tivity the son of 0. C. Brown, Bambridge
Fuller, and any other
persons, if there be any such, who have
been forcibly carried from
this Territory into the State of
Missouri.
The requests of Governor Geary, so
reasonable and so po-
litely urged, it would seem, never met
with any response from
"His Excellency".
The following letter, from our
well-informed correspondent
in Lecompton Prison, is full of
interest:
PRISON AT TECUMSEH, KANSAS
DECEMBER I, 1856.
To the Editor of the National Era:
All the untried prisoners remaining at
Lecompton last
Wednesday morning were this day brought
up to this place. Be-
fore we left, another of the convicted
prisoners had escaped,
and the others had been taken to a new
prison, a log-house, six-
teen by eighteen, just in, the outskirts
of Lecompton. Captain
Hampden, the Warden, had made a sort of
Second Warden of
Mr. Samuel Stuart, one of the prisoners
lately from Detroit,
and a relative of Senator Stuart, of
Michigan, and he now goes
about town purchasing provisions, and
doing whatever he
chooses, on his parole of honor. Since
the departure of the mi-
litia we have all been guarded by the
regular troops.
Five of our number escaped the night
before we were brought
here. Captain Mitchell was among the
number who left; sev-
eral preferred to stay a few days
longer, as there was a pros-
pect of our being shortly brought here,
where we could have
414 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
better quarters and fare, and be where
we could view the prog--
ress of the trial of our friends.
Besides those who escaped since I last
wrote, Colonel Titus
released two of the prisoners on his own
responsibility, and
wholly without any legal process, thus
showing his opinion of
the validity and binding qualities of
the pretended Territorial
laws. The first he released was E. R.
Fally. Titus's excuse was,
that Fally had shown him great kindness
when he--Titus--
was a prisoner at Lawrence. The other
was Mr. Butler, who
told Titus, the last day that his
militia guarded us, that he could
not go with him to Nicaragua unless
he would let him out.
Titus immediately took him past the
guard, and told him to meet
him at Leavenworth or St. Louis. I think
by this time Butler
has concluded not to go to Central
America. Without approv-
ing of such deception, it may have
served to show that the bogus
laws are considered a mere farce, even
by the Pro-Slavery lead-
ers themselves.
Some new arrests have lately been made
in and around Os-
awatomie. Five men were brought in from this region last
Tuesday night. They were arrested nearly
a week before. They
were among the earliest settlers of
South Kansas. Their names
are Samuel, William, and Henry Kilbourn,
formerly of Chilli-
cothe, Ohio; James Townsley, Fallston,
Md.; and William Par-
tridge, from Vinland, Winnebago County,
Iowa. This last is a
brother of the Mr. Partridge who was
murdered after the bat-
tle of Osawatomie, while crossing Marais
des Cygnes. Each of
these men is charged with some eight or
ten horrid crimes, which
have never been committed by anybody.
In a former letter, written during the
trial at Lecompton,
I spoke of a young lawyer, named Putnam,
who was one of
Captain, Robinson's company at Hickory
Point, but who was
afterwards engaged as assistant counsel
for the prisoners. His
company was also engaged in the burning
of Grasshopper Falls.
The Pro-Slavery officials told him, if
he acted as our counsel,
they would have him arrested for this
affair, and they have made
good their word; he is now a prisoner
with us. Captain Robert-
son and the remainder of the company are
at large; no one com-
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper
Correspondence 415
plains against them, no official would
arrest them. This is the
way law is administered in Kansas.
I have once told you that thirty-one of
the prisoners first
sent up here made their escape a few
days after their arrival.
My former statement of this affair was
incorrect. The other
sixteen did not wish to go, and for this
reason managed to get
in a room by themselves. Those who
escaped were in two
rooms, with a hall between them. The
affair was all arranged
between the two parties, and the hole
cut nearly through the
outside wall, which was of brick, and
sixteen inches in thick-
ness, in each room, several days before
their hasty departure.
The night of their departure, the
remaining bricks were re-
moved, and a comic song, with a chorus
of "Pop goes the wea-
sel", was struck up, and sung by
those in each room alternately,
and at each repetition of the chorus,
one of the prisoners would
"pop" out. By this means, the
prisoners in all the rooms could
tell whenever one went, and from what
room. The loud and
boisterous singing, too, drowned the
noise made in getting out,
and kept down suspicion. A sentry walked
up and down by
the side of the building, but he was
watched through the grat-
ing; and whenever he had once passed the
"hole in the wall",
and had his back towards it, "pop
went the weasel". When
all who wished to go had gone, H. N.
Dunlap, who had refused
to go, crawled out, to see if the boys
had all got off safely.
While looking about, the sentinel caught
him and called the ser-
geant of the guard, who came, and
brought the prisoner back to
the room, by way of the door, on opening
which he swore rather
fluently, and declared that if he had
known so many had es-
caped, he would have shot Dunlap instead
of bringing him in.
He is about the only Pro-Slavery man in
the company. There
was but one of the prisoners in the
other room, when he opened
the door to that. This was little Walter
Florentine, who had
been sung to sleep, and thus failed to
get away.
The trial of fifteen of them who
remained, commenced on
Wednesday. The other was discharged by a nolle prosequi.
The cause was this. It will be
recollected that when the prison-
ers were brought up here for trial, the
marshal compelled them
416 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
to walk, although there was hardly a
well man among them.
Two soon gave out, and were left lying
on the road until the
soldiers' baggage wagon came up, and
took them in. Several
others were so fatigued, that severe
illness was the result. One,
a boy, about sixteen years old, named
Oliver Langworthy, has
gone blind in consequence. The nolle prosequi was rendered in
his case, more for the purpose of
getting him as a witness than
to remunerate him for the outrages he
had received. But in this
they failed; for when he was called as
witness, he was not here.
By consent of the parties, the evidence
given at the other trials
at Lecompton was admitted here. There
was but little addi-
tional testimony. The case went to the
jury about four o'clock
on Friday night. At first they were
nearly equally divided; but
there were some solid men on it, and
those at last brought the
others in, and about six o'clock the
next morning a verdict of
not guilty was returned. Other indictments had been found
against others at Lecompton, but they
were discharged on the
Hickory Point affair; and the other
indictments not being here,
the officer in command of the troops on
guard refused to hold
them longer, although requested to do so
by the deputy marshal.
Court adjourned here late Saturday
night, but it is intimated
that it will sit again immediately after
the adjournment of the
Supreme Court, which opens at Lecompton
to-day. Perhaps we
shall be tried at that time, but no one
can tell. We are held
pretty strongly now, and stand a good
chance of remaining
Uncle Sam's guests until spring. Myself,
and the eight others
who came up with me from Lecompton, are
confined in a brick
cell, twelve by fourteen feet square,
and ten or twelve feet high.
The floor is of brick, and the light
forces its way through a win-
dow about two feet square, thickly
barred each way. A small
stove keeps us quite comfortable. The
six other prisoners are
confined in a room of the same size and
description, just opposite
the hall. They have a cooking-stove,
however, on which we do
all our cooking. We trade our rations of
flour to a baker, re-
ceiving bread in exchange. We fare much
better than at Le-
compton. Several families have offered
to bake our flour for
us, asking nothing for their
trouble. Mr. Osborn, who keeps a
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper
Correspondence 417
Free State Hotel here, sent his little
girl in yesterday morning,
with a pan full of handsome, warm
biscuits; and in the after-
noon, his wife, with some other kind
ladies, brought us some
pies. The people every day bring us
newspapers, books, etc., and
inquire after our health and concerning
our wants.
Speaking of the feeling of the people
here towards us, re-
minds me of the fears of the Governor
concerning the boys who
were released on Saturday. In some way
he got an idea that
the people up here would not allow a
sentence against the boys
to be put into execution; and to prevent
any difficulty about the
matter -- for of late he
has been frightened out of his desire
to multiply difficulties, for the
purpose of humbling our people
by pardons -- he secretly sent up to
several of the leading citi-
zens, begging of them not to
rescue the prisoners if convicted.
I have already spoken of the
difficulties between Geary and
Donaldson. It now appears that Titus did,
under the Gover-
nor's orders, re-arrest Hayes, the
murderer of Buffum. It is
now said that Hayes has sued Geary for
damages, to the amount
of $10,000 and that Lecompte now holds
him in heavy bonds, to
appear at the coming session of the
Supreme Court, to answer
to some patent charge which Lecompte has
invented. I do not
know how this can be, and therefore give
it as a mere rumor,
and for what it is worth. Donaldson
tells me that he sent his
resignation to Washington some two weeks
ago, with a recom-
mendation in favor of someone else --
who, I did not learn.
Titus, with his militia, left Lecompton
on Wednesday morn-
ing, for Leavenworth, where he is
directed to await the orders
of General Smith, who will pay them off,
and disband them.
The company at Lawrence will also be
disbanded this or next
week. Nearly all of Titus's militia will
go with him to Nic-
aragua. He will leave St. Louis with
five hundred men.
K.
The National Era, Washington, D. C.,
December 18, 1856.
Vol. XXXIV -27.
418 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
THREE LETTERS TO THE KANSAS TRIBUNE
TECUMSEH, JAN. I, '57.
MESSRS. EDITORS:--A large ball is
to come off here to-night,
for which the whole town is alive and
busy with preparation.
The chief manager of the affair is Mr.
Pardee, and as far as
he is concerned it will not doubt be
conducted in a gentlemanly
manner. But a principal part will be
taken by the officials, such
as Cato, Donaldson and Fain, and the
ex-officials Lecompte and
Elmore, which, with the whisky necessary
to their attendance
and the former violent character of the
town, has caused the
festival to be looked upon as rather
odious in the eyes of the
people of Topeka and Lawrence. Numerous
invitations, I am
told, have been extended to the people
of both these places, and
also to those of Lecompton. It is
expected that the people of the
latter town will turn out quite
liberally. The ball is to be held
in the upper room of the court house.
The prisoners partook of quite a feast
on Christmas; the
luxuries being furnished by the good
people of Tecumseh, by
way of contributions, together with
fifty cents, which it is said
Marshal Donaldson managed in some way to
give. He says he
always meant to be liberal toward the
boys, and does not see,
after this last kind act, how they could
think of leaving him.
Still he cannot help doubting their
gratitude occasionally. A few
days since he was frightened out of his
senses by discovering a
few loose brick in the wall. The prisoners
were about as much
amused at his fright and ravings as they
would have been to es-
cape. The brick had been loosened by the
prisoners who es-
caped several weeks since, but who
afterwards chose another
place. There was no danger of an escape
as there is a guard
kept stationed in the room with them all
the time. The Mar-
shal's office is in the room adjoining
the prisoners' cell. For
some reason a brick was taken out of the
partition between these
two apartments by some of the former
prisoners. Every night
Donaldson stations himself at this hole
to listen to prisoners'
eulogy upon his character. Whenever the
boys are aware of his
presence they have a dish of
conversation served up for his espe-
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper
Correspondence 419
cial benefit, and I hope it does him
good; he needs it. Since his
astounding discovery of their attempted
escape, he will allow
none but Mr. Carter to go out into town.
No one is allowed
admittance to the prison except
ex-prisoners, unless in the ab-
sence of Donaldson, in which case Mr.
Pardee, who has lately
been made deputy Marshal, and Lieut.
Higgins, the command-
ing officer of the guarding troops,
treat visitors with the utmost
kindness and respect.
Donaldson told me a day or two ago that
I had wofully mis-
represented him in speaking of the
stealing of arms from the
Osawatomie people. I alluded to no one
in particular, but to
marshals in common, and did not at that
time know who was
the Marshal or deputy who committed
these acts. Donaldson
wished me to rectify the matter in my
next letter and I promised
to do so. He says that he didn't do any
stealing THAT time,
but that it was all done by one of his
deputies, a Mr. Jones, who,
I learn, is a relative of the
Governor's. "Yes," said Donaldson
triumphantly, "it was the
Governor's brother-in-law who did all
that. All right, I suppose."
K.
(The Kansas Tribune, Jan. 5, 1857.)
LAWRENCE, JAN. 17, 1857.
The plot laid for me by Murphy, Emory and
other Stringfel-
low men, aided on by Judge Elmore and a
few others who pro-
fess to hold "conservative"
opinions and to entertain a respect
for the views of their political
opponents, has at last succeeded
in driving me from Lecompton. I was
unable to be in the con-
vention the last night of its session,
and in all probability I am
indebted to this fact for the
preservation of my life. For once
during the evening, upon its being
reported that I was in the
hall, the mob with Elmore at their head,
made a rush for the
place where I was supposed to be, with
the avowed purpose of
assassinating me. They however soon
found to their discom-
fiture that the "d-- abolition
reporter" wa'n't there. The honor-
able Judge, however, sent me his
compliments in a very gen-
tlemanly manner, by one of my friends
who happened to be pres-
ent, with the very pleasant information
that he intended shoot-
420 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
ing me at the first convenient
opportunity. I would inform Mr.
Elmore that his regards are most fully
appreciated.
The Bogus Legislature, have now got
fairly at work, and
are likely to do as big a job as they
performed last year. There
is but little of their proceedings that
is of interest to the peo-
ple. Yet there have been two bills
introduced which show that
that body has not relinquished their
determination to oppose, and
finally drive out our citizens from the
land of their adoption.
One of these bills proposes to grant
additional powers to the
Judiciary, allowing them to admit or
refuse bail for any offense,
at their discretion; the other, to
change the boundaries of the
first or second Judicial District, so as
to throw Lecompton into
the second or Topeka District, thereby
giving the Marshal the
opportunity of selecting Jurors from the
former place to try
Free State men at Tecumseh, as there is
at present no Pro-Slav-
ery stronghold to select from.
Partridge and Cushing, two of the Free
State convicts lately
under confinement at Lecompton, escaped
Thursday night. They
were kept in the same building with the
other prisoners, but unlike
them, were kept chained together most of
the time, and guarded
by one of the old militia, hired by the
master of convicts for the
purpose. As near as I can learn they
were not without help
from this place. They brought away the
chains and locks with
which they had been bound. Yesterday a
Deputy Marshal came
down with two dragoons in search for
them, but finding this not
exactly the proper season or weather for
hunting partridges with
any prospect of pleasure, they returned
to Lecompton to-day.
Gov. Geary was very anxious to have
Partridge return--said
he would reprieve him in a few days and
then he would be again
at liberty with none to molest him. This
is rather cool when
considered with his promise to Partridge
before his arrest, that
if taken, convicted and sentenced, he
should be immediately (re-
leased) and his declaration since his
arrest that "he was one of
the worst men and principal agitators in
Kansas, and should re-
ceive no sympathy from him."
Another petition for the release of the
Free State convicts,
has been got up here, quite numerously
signed, and sent up to the
Governor. It takes a very different
stand from that recently cir-
John Henri Kagi--Newspaper Correspondence 421 culated by Brown. It does not beg for their forgiveness as an act of mercy, but asks or demands their release as a matter of justice. It takes a correct and manly stand, and the only one that can be taken by the people without a sacrifice of principle. K. (The Kansas Tribune, Jan. 26, 1857.) |
|
NEWSPAPER CORRESPONDENCE
LETTERS TO THE NEW YORK TRIBUNE
TOPEKA, KANSAS, July 14, 1856.
Do you know for what Mr. J. Speer,
Editor of The Kansas
Tribune, and a dozen or more others -- some of the best men in
Kansas--have been compelled to flee from
their families and
homes and become exiles in a strange
land? If you do not, the
sub-joined letter will initiate you into
the secret. How the
original letter was obtained I know not,
but I have seen it, and
the following is a verbatim et
literatim copy:
LECOMPTON,
April 20, 1856.
"Maj. J. B. Donaldson:
"My dear Sir: Sam'l N. Wood is now
in Lawrence, and I
wish you to send me the writ against
him. I arrested him yes-
terday, and he was rescued from my hands
by a mob. The Gov.
has called upon Col. Sumner for a
company to assist me in the
execution of the laws. I have writs
gotten out against Robinson
and some twenty others.
"In haste, y'r ob's, SAM'L J. JONES."
Well, the writ against S. N. Wood was
sent to "Y'r ob's", but
when he went to arrest that gentleman
legally, he found him --
not at home. He before arrested, or
attempted to arrest S. N.
Wood, without a warrant or any show of
authority whatever, but
"some twenty others" not being
clear-sighted enough to perceive
any difference between a private citizen
and a bogus second-
handed Sheriff acting without the
"papers", took occasion to give
him their views upon the subject and he
concluded to leave. But
the same spirit (bad whiskey) that makes
a packed Grand Jury
find an indictment against a hotel and
two printing presses, and
try ex parte and order the destruction
of the same for being
nuisances, all at one heat, made a
preliminary Grand Jury and
(292)