A Sanguinary Struggle in Which There Were Pitched Battles, Midnight
Invasions and Massacres.
J. J. Lutz describes the early history of Kansas and the border war
for the readers of the Topeka Capital, as follows:
What is known in history as the Kansas war,
formed the skirmish line of the great rebellion. Like the civil war, it
was a four years' struggle, from 1855 to 1859. While not a very sanguinary
struggle, yet there were pitched battles, armed invasions, midnight assassinations
and massacres that equaled in barbarity that of the savage Indians. Forts
were erected and stormed, United States troops called out, the whole nation
stirred up and the eyes of the world turned toward "bleeding Kansas."
The number of lives lost in the four years' struggle has been variously estimated
at from 100 to 200. There is probably no complete list of the casualties,
and in my investigations I have been unable to find but fifty-five, and
that includes those killed on both sides. I do not propose within the limits
of this article to give anything like a complete account of the struggle,
but to notice briefly the different engagements and record the names of
those who fell on both sides as far as I have been able to ascertain them.
The opening scene of the Kansas tragedy was the killing of a pro-slavery
man by the name of Davis by a free state man, Bibbee, who lived at Hickory
Point, south of Lawrence.
While returning from the election held at Lawrence
for territorial delegate to Congress, November 29, 1854, with two others
on a wagon, they met a short distance south of Lawrence a half dozen rude,
boisterous fellows from Missouri, who had taken up claims on the Kansas
river. Kibbee, it seems, remonstrated them for destroying a shanty by the
roadside. Hot words followed. Davis attacked Kibbee with a knife, whereupon
the latter shot his assailant dead with a long range single barrel pistol.
The first action of the Kansas troubles in 1855 was when a free state man,
Samuel Collins, was killed by a pro-slavery man, Pat Laughlin, at Doniphant,
October 25. Some four weeks later, November 21, Charles Dow, a free state
man, was murdered by Franklin Coleman near Hickory Point, about thirteen
miles southeast of Lawrence. Out of this tragedy grew the bloodless Wakarusa
war, the threatened attack on Lawrence in November of the same year. From
700 to 1,000 free state men rallied to the defense of Lawrence which was
threatened by about 2,000 border ruffians from Missouri. The only casualty
growing out of the Wakarusa war was the murder of Thomas W. Barber, a free
state man, by a pro-slavery scouting party December 6, when he was returning
to his claim southwest of Lawrence.
The year 1856 can be called the battle
year in Kansas history, the first event of importance being the taking
of Lawrence, May 21. The Free State hotel and two newspapers were destroyed
and George Robinson's house burned. Sheriff Jones of Missouri was wounded.
Two other casualties occured about this time near Lawrence. On May 19 a
young man by the name of Jones was killed at Blanton's store, south of
Lawrence, by a pro-slavery party from Franklin. In the attempt to capture
Jones' murderers a Mr. Stewart, a young medical student from New York,
was killed.
On January 17 of this year, Captain R.P. Brown, a free state
man, was killed by a Kickapoo ranger named Gibson, near Kickapoo, his offense
being that he had assisted in the rescue of a man named Sparks form a pro-slavery
party who captured him on his way home from the election under the Topeka
constitution at Easton.
Another startling event was the slaying of five
pro-slavery men on Pottawatomie creek on the night of May 25-26 by a party
of seven men under John Brown. The victims were Allen Wilkinson, William
Sherman and a Mr. Doyle and his two sons. The massacre is known as the
Pottawatomie execution. Brown claimed it was in retaliation for the murder
of the free state men mentioned above. The Pottawatomie executions were
closely followed by the battle of Black Jack, five miles east of Baldwin
City, where John Brown, with twenty-eight men, defeated Captain Pate on
the 2d of June. Pate's loss was 26 prisoners. Dr. Graham, a free state
prisoner in the hands of Pate, was wounded. O.A. Carpenter, a Mr. Parmley
and Henry Thompson, a son-in-law of Brown.
The next engagement occured near Lawrence,
which was at this time surrounded by a line of pro-slavery forts. These
forts were log cabins, sometimes barricaded and provided with loopholes
through which to shoot. The first of these "forts" to be reduced was a
block house at Franklin. It was captured on the night of August 12. The
loss of the free state side was one man killed and two severely wounded.
The free state men next turned their attention to Fort Saunders, on Washington
creek, twelve miles southwest of Lawrence. Major S.D. Hoyt, a citizen of
Lawrence, went to Fort Saunders on a peace mission and was foully murdered.
The fort was captured August 15, the enemy fleeing before their free state
assailants. The victors now advance upon Fort Titus, which was two miles
from Lecompton, the pro-slavery capital.
Captain Titus, whose log cabin
was converted into the fort bearing his name, was from Florida, and had
brought his slaves with him to Kansas. The free state forces were ! under
the command of Captain Sam Walker. A cavalry attack was led August 16 by
Captain Shombre, who was mortally wounded by a shot in the groin. Captain
Bickerton then opened with canon, whereupon the garrison of seventeen surrendered.
Captain Titus was wounded in the hand. The other casualties were two of
Titus' men killed and two wounded. One free state man was killed and six
wounded. On the 30th of August, 1856, was fought the battle of Osawatomie.
General Reid commanded the pro-slavery forces, which numbered about 400,
Captain Brown had fifteen regulars, as he called them, and twelve or fifteen
others. The victory was with the pro-slavery party, who burned the town
and put Brown's forces to flight. Brown's loss was five killed, viz: David
Garrison, George Patridge, Charles Kaiser, Theron Bowers and Frederick
Brown, a son of the Captain. Dr. Updegraff and a Mr. Collins were wounded,
and John Brown was struck by a spent ball.
A marble monument, unveiled
August 30, 1877, in the town of Osawatomie, the twenty-first anniversary
of the battle, records the names and deeds of the five men who fell there.
A man by the name of Williamson, whom neither party claimed, was killed
by the border ruffians. The pro-slavery loss is variously estimated. A
Missouri paper, soon after the battle, printed the following exaggerated
report:"General Reid made a successful charge! , killed thirty-one and
took seven prisoners. The notorious John Brown was killed. The pro-slavery
party has five wounded." The next movement was the third attack upon Lawrence.
The same force that burned Osawatomie, agumented to 2,700 men, under Reid
and Atchison, approached the town September 14, and skirmishing began.
The cause of this foray was the capture of the forts about Lawrence by
the free state forces. A force of United States troops, cavalry and artillery
was sent from Lecompton under Colonel Johnson next day and a collison was
averted.
A free state man, David C. Buffman, living
on the north side of the Kansas river, was murdered September 17 by the
border ruffians on their retreat to Missouri. The battle of Hickory Point,
thirty miles northeast of Lawrence, was fought September 13. A pro-slavery
party hastening to the attack on Lawrence was intercepted by a free state
force from Lawrence under Capt. Harvey. The pro-slavery party fortified
tow or three log houses and a blacksmith shop. After a six hours' combat,
in which a brass 6-pounder was used to bombard the log houses, the pro-slavery
party capitulated. One pro-slavery man was killed and several wounded.
In the rooms of the State Historical Society can be seen a sketch of the
battle of Hickory Point, drawn by Wm. Breyman.
Capt. Harvey's men, 101
in number, were intercepted and captured by the United States troops under
Col. Cooke on their return to Lawrence. The were incarcerated in the Lecompton
jail. A young man, a prisoner under Col. Titus by the name of Wm. Bowles,
died in a log cabin soon after. His death was reported to be the result
of confinement and semi-starvation. Another tragedy as a result of the
pro-slavery troubles was the murder of a Mr. Hoppe of Lawrence. The murder
was committed near Leavenworth, ostensibly because he was an abilitionist.
An inoffensive German who expressed his horror at the brutality exhibited
by the murderer of Hoppe was shot dead.
The board of commissioners appointed by the
territorial Legislature of 1859, composed of men of both sides, estimated
that the entire loss and destruction of property, including the cost of
fitting out the various expeditions, amounted, up to December 1, 1856,
to $2,000,000, one-half of which loss was sustained by the actual settlers
of Kanss. they reported 417 cases as entitled to indemnity. Their report
showed the amount of crops destroyed to be $335,394; property taken or
destroyed by pro-slavery men, $318,718; property taken or destroyed by
free state men, $94,529;buildings burned or destroyed, 73; horses taken
or destroyed, 368; cattle taken or destroyed, 533. As regards the loss
of life, they report as follows: "The number of lives sacrificed during
the period mentioned November 1, 1854 to December 1, 1856, probably exceeded
rather than fell short of two hundred." The year 1857 was one of caparative
peace in Kansas. No conflicts between armed bodies occured. It was not
without bloodshed, however. In January trouble grew out of Governor Geary's
refusal to issue a commission to Wm. Sherrard as sheriff of Douglas county.
Sherrard was a pro-slavery man. The trouble culminated in the wounding
of Joseph Shephard and John W. Jones, Governor Geary's clerk and brother-in-law.
Jones then shot and killed Sherrard.
In an election fray at Leavenworth,
June 29, Wm. Haller, a free state man, killed James T. Lyle, the pro-slavery
city recorder. The Kansas anti-slavery troubles were renewed in 1858 and
were confined mainly to Linn and Bourbon counties, which border on Missouri.
John Brown and James Montgomery harrassed the Missouri border with small
bands who were watching their opportunity to liberate slaves. With Brown
were several men who were from outside Kansas and who followed him to Harper's
Ferry. The Missouri bands were under a Col. Hamilton.
United States troops were sent to quiet the
disturbances, and in pursuing Montgomery two dragoons were killed. In May
a battle took place between Hamilton's and Montgomery's men. Montgomery's
loss was 11 killed and 5 wounded. Hamilton had 2 men slightly wounded.
On May 19, 1858, occured what is know in Kansas history as the Trading
Post massacre by the Hamilton and others who lived near West Point, Mo.
Ten free state men were taken prisoners. They were drawn up in line and
shot by the ruffians. Five were instantly killed and all the others except
one wounded. The murdered men were Wm. Stilwell, Patrick Ross, Michael
Robinson, John F. Campbell and Wm. Colpetzer. Those wounded were Wm. Hairgrove,
Asas Hairgrove, Chas Reed, Amos Hall and Chas. Snyder. One of the wounded
men was killed afterward. Whittier's poem, "La Marals du Cygnes," is founded
upon this tragedy.
On the 16th of Decmember Montgomery invaded
Fort Scott and liberated one of his men who had been confined in jail.
In the melee J. Blake Little, deputy United States Marshal, was killed
by Montgomery's men.
A military post of considerable importance
in connection with the operations in this section was Fort Snyder. It was
a log blacksmith shop by a spring in a rocky ravine with breastworks thrown
up around it. It was owned by a free state man and later a captain in the
Tenth Kansas regiment, Eli Snyder. Brown and Montgomery occupied the fort
at different times.
On the night of December 29 John Brown's band
made a raid across the border into Missouri for the purpose of rescuing
slaves. They were resisted by a slave owner named Cruise, who lived on
the Marmaton bottoms. Cruise was shot and killed by Aaron D. Stephens,
who was one of Brown's men who fought at Harper's Ferry. With Brown he
was captured and executed. John Brown loaded his nine Negroes in wagons
drawn by oxen taken from the slave owners and started nortward through
Kansas on his way to Canada. on the 29th of January, 1859, the fugitives
were stopped at Spring Creek, a little north of Holton, by a band of horsemen
from Leavenworth. A reinforcement of eighteen men was sent from Topeka
to aid Brown. On January 31 he drew up his men in line, charged across
the creek, capturing four men and five horses and putting the rest to flight.
This is known as the "Battle of the Spurs," and was the last battle of
the Kansas war.
