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HISTORY OF
Bourbon County
KANSAS .
TO THE CLOSE OF 1865,
By T. F. ROBLEY.
FORT SCOTT, KANSAS.
1894.
Copyright:
By T. F. RoblEY, Fort Scott, Kansas.
1894.
The Monitor Book & Printing Co.
Fort Scott, Kansas.
1235C89
INTRODUCTION.
N preparing this book I have departed in many par-
ticulars from the ordinary course and established
custom of compilers of county histories. I have
endeavored to give the causes which led up to our
*. « early troubles, and to delineate, to some extent,
' the public sentiment and feeling of given periods.
I have kept in touch with the various Territorial Gov-
ernments, Administrations, Legislatures and prominent
public men, in order that the reader may have an intel-
ligent understanding of the situation. I have intended
this book to be of refreshing interest to the old settler,
and to be especially interesting and instructive to the
young men and women of Bourbon County.
T. F. Robley.
Fort Scott, Kansas, December, 1894.
SYNOPTICAL INDEX.
CHAPTER I.— Louisiana Purchase— Missouri Territory— Mis-
souri Compromise — Platte Purchase — Santa Fe Trail-
Cherokee Neutral Lands— New York Indian Lands 8
CHAPTER II.— Fort Scott Located— Colonel H. T. Wilson-
Sergeant John Hamilton— Military Road Completed— Bar-
racks Erected— Relics of a Past Era I7
CHAPTER III.— Annexation of Texas- Mexican War— Wilmot
Proviso— Compromise of 1850 21
CHAPTER IV.-1853-Postof Fort Scott Abandoned-Some of
the Early Settlers of Bourbon County-Time from 1854 to
1855 — Description of Frontier Life — Climate — Indian
Summer
CHAPTER V.— 1854— Mill of the Gods-Kansas-Nebraska Bill
— Kansas Territory Organized ^
CHAPTER VI.-1854-First Governor-FirstVElections-First
Fraud— First Legislature— Bogus Statutes— Samples of
Legislation— Government Buildings Sold 42
CHAPTER VII. — 1855 — Bourbon County Organized First
County Officers— Neutral Lands in Bourbon County— Fort
Scott Incorporated as a Town— More Elections— Second
Governor— Political Atmosphere of Bourbon County 53
CHAPTER VIII-,8 5 6-Tone of Pro-slavery Papers-Topeka
Constitution-Trouble Comniences-Texas Rangers-Expe-
dition to Middle Creek-Topeka Legislature-Governor
Shannon Resigns— Governor Geary Appointed— Territorial
Legislators for Bourbon County- Close of 1856 60
CHAPTER IX.— 1857.— Bourbon County Officials— New Towns
— Sprattsville— Mapleton— Rayville-Means of Communi-
cation ,
6 4
vi SYNOPTICAL INDEX.
PAGE
CHAPTER X.— 1857— Some More Politics— Dred Scott Decision
— Slaves in Bourbon County — Governor Geary Resigns —
Governor Walker Appointed— More Immigrants — Fort Scott
Town Company— U. S. Officers— Tenderfeet— Free State
Hotel 77
CHAPTER XI.— 1857— Public Sentiment— Lecompton Consti-
tution— Flection of October 5, 1857 — More Trouble —
Squatter's Court — Protective Society 86
CHAPTER XII.— 1857— The Conservatives— U. S. Troops at
Fort Scott — First Election on Lecompton Constitution —
Close of 1S57 90
CHAPTER XIII.— 1858— The Second Election on Lecompton
Coustitution — First Newspaper Established - First Grand
Ball— Trouble Begins Again— Object Lesson in Surgery —
Origin of Jayhawker 96
CHAPTER XIV.— 1858— First Manufactory in Fort Scott-
Marmaton Town Company — Uniontown — Leavenworth
Constitution — English Bill — Jayhawking Reduced to Plain
Stealing — Fight with U. S. Troops 104
CHAPTER XV.— 1858— Some Old Settlers of 1858— Improve-
ments Begin — Border Ruffians have an Inning — Marais des
Cygnes Murder — Efforts at Capture — Effects on the Border
—Feeling Against Fort Scott 114
CHAPTER XVI.— 1858— Public Meeting— Election by "Tail-
ment"— Meeting at Rayville — Protocol of Peace — Mont-
gomery Sized Up 119
CHAPTER XVII.— 1858— Some More Arrivals— After the Am-
nesty — Improvements Continue — Exit Lecompton Consti-
tution — Kansas is Free 1 25
CHAPTER XVIII.— 1858— Territorial Election- Governor Den-
ver Resigns — Samuel Medary Appointed— Amnesty Broken
—Ben Rice Arrested — Meeting at Rayville — Release of Rice
—Death of John H. Little 133
CHAPTER XIX.— 1859— Militia Organized— Jayhawkers Cap-
tured—Lawrence and Fort Scott get Acquainted— Amnesty
Law — County Seat Moved— Preparing for Another Consti-
tution—An All Around Good Year 141
SYNOPTICAL INDEX. vii
PAGE
CHAPTER XX — 1859— Delegates to Wyandotte Convention
—Big 4th of July— Grand Ball— Fort Scott Democrat
Revived — Vote on the Wyandotte Constitution — Other
Election Items 146
CHAPTER XXI.— 1860— Legislature Meets— Dayton Incor-
porated— Fort Scott Town Company Incorporated — Fort
Scott Incorporated as a City — First City Election — County
Election — Last Border Difficulties — Law Inaugurated. .... 151
CHAPTER XXII.— 1860— Arts of Peace— Population— First
Fair Association — N. Y. Indian Lands — Neutral Lands —
Troops Arrive— Land Sales — The Great Drouth 160
CHAPTER XXIII.— 1861— Kansas Admitted— State Govern-
ment — City Affairs — Impending Crisis — Public Meetings
—War — War Feeling in Bourbon County — First Troops Or-
ganized ... . 168
CHAPTER XXIV.— 1862— Fort Lincoln Fortified— Troops Con-
centrated — -Battle of Drywood — 6th Kansas — Fort Scott a
Military Post — More Politics 174
CHAPTER XXV.— 1862— Movement of Troops— Various Items
—Fall Elections 1 78
CHAPTER XXVI.— 1863-County Seat Returned to Fort Scott
—City Hall— Elections— County Officers 182
CHAPTER XXVII.— 1864— Political Feeling— Fortifications
— Raids on Drywood — Railroads — Politics — Price Raid —
Raids by Guerillas — Marmaton Massacre — Fort Scott in
Suspense — Public Meeting — General Election 198
CHAPTER XXVIII.— 1865— Lincoln— City Election— Muster
Out — The Schools— Business and Improvements— Fall Elec-
tion — Statistics — Population — The Close 210
HISTORY OF
Bourbon County, Kansas.
By T. F. ROBLEY.
CHAPTER I.
THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE.
,NE of the most important events in the history of
< the United States was the purchase of Louisiana
Territory from the Republic of France. The
treaty of cession was concluded at Paris on the
30th day of April, 1803, by and between the min-
isters of President Thomas Jefferson and Napoleon
Bonaparte, then First Consul of France. The far-
reaching effects of this cession on the future of the
whole civilized world, and its immense advantages to
the United States as a Nation, can scarcely be realized.
By this acquisition the United States added to its terri-
tory 1,160,577 square miles to the 820,680 square miles
of the original thirteen colonies, for which it paid a
sum amounting to less than twenty million dollars.
By this acquisition it added a grand inter-oceanic zone,
2 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY.
reaching down from the rugged coast of the North
Pacific to the crescent shore of the Gulf; down from
the regions of eternal snows to the clime of eternal
flowers.
The Republic moved at once into its place on the
map of the world as a Power of the first class — a
Nation with a big N. This was one of the few grand
victories won by the pen instead of the sword.
Conceive, if you can, the consequences if President
Jefferson, without the authority of Congress or of con-
stitutional law, had failed at the supreme moment to
say, in effect, to Bonaparte, "DEtat c'est moV "I
will take it."
England would undoubtedly have taken it from
France as she had successively taken Canada, Cape
Breton, New Foundland, Nova Scotia and portions of
Asia, and as she finally from Napoleon "wrenched the
the sceptre with an unlineal hand." The fear that this
territory would ultimately fall into the hands of Eng-
land, coupled with his great need of money at that
time, induced Bonaparte to make the proposition to
Jefferson to sell the entire province, just as he had
acquired it only a short time previously by retrocession
from Spain. And Jefferson, realizing its vital import-
ance to his country, and also the danger of delays, at
once closed the bargain on his own responsibility, as
has been seen, without the authority of the constitution,
which made no provision for incorporating foreign
territory, without the authority of Congress, which was
not then in session, but by an act as arbitrary and auto-
MISSOURI TERRITORY. 3
cratic as could have been done by the Czar of Russia.
On that subject Jefferson himself wrote :
"The less that is said about any constitutional diffi-
culty the better. Congress should do what is necessary
in silence. I find but one opinion about the necessity
of shutting up the Constitution for some time."
Nevertheless, for that act alone, if for no others,
future generations of his countrymen will place his
statue the very next to Washington's in the line of
historic marbles.
The territory was bounded on the east by the Missis-
sippi river south to the 31st parallel — about one degree
north of the city of New Orleans — thence east to the
Pardido river, which is now the west boundary of
Florida. The west country was the east and north
boundaries of Texas to the 100th meridian ; thence
north to the Arkansas river ; thence along the Arkan-
sas river to the "divide" of the Rocky Mountains to
and along the 106th meridian, to and along the 42nd
parallel to the Pacific ocean. The north line being the
present boundary between the British Possessions and
the United States.
MISSOURI TERRITORY.
In 1 81 2 the territory then known as the Territory of
Orleans was admitted into the Union as the State of
Louisiana, and by act of Congress in June, 181 2, the
balance of the Louisiana purchase became the Terri-
tory of Missouri. In March, 1819, the Territory of
Arkansas was created.
4 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY
MISSOURI COMPROMISE.
By act of Congress known as the Missouri Compro-
mise, approved March 6th, 1820, the Territory of
Missouri was erected with a view of admission as a
State.
Section 8 of that act provided that in all territory
north of 36 degrees and 30 minutes north latitude,
not included within the limits of the contemplated
State of Missouri, slavery should be forever prohibited.
PLATTE PURCHASE
The west boundary line of the State of Missouri, as
designated by that law, was as it now exists, except
that from the mouth of the Kaw river the line ran due
north to the Iowa line, instead of the Missouri river
forming the boundary as now. This territory between
the due north line and the Missouri river was known as
the "Platte Purchase." In June, 1836, Congress
passed a law adding the Platte Purchase to Missouri,
and this tract of land became slave territory, in direct
violation of the compromise of 1820.
SANTA FE TRAIL.
By an act of Congress of June, 1825, Major Sibley,
of the United States Army, was appointed to survey
and establish a wagon road from Independence, Mis-
souri, to Santa Fe, New Mexico, known as the Santa
Fe Trail. This was the first highway of civilization
to penetrate this then unexplored and silent desert.
CHEROKEE NEUTRAL LANDS. 5
And this within the memory of our old men ! But we
will go into no retrospect here. Get on a Santa Fe
train, which passes over subtantially the survey made
by Major Sibley, and the retrospect will come to you
much more forcibly than it can be written. Consider
that, then the valleys of the Kaw, Marias des Cygnes,
Neosho, Marmaton and Paint Creek were the favorite
hunting grounds of the Osages, Cheyennes and Arapa-
hoes. The wolves, deer, antelope and the migratory
buffalo roamed the wild prairie unfettered by wire fence
and unbalked by railroad crossing. And that only
seventy-five years ago. Even thirty years ago they
had not yet departed from the now confines of Wichita's
additions.
CHEROKEE NEUTRAL LANDS.
About 1825 the government began locating the
various tribes of the more nearly civilized Indians from
the East and South on reservations, by cessions, trades,
treaties, removals and retrocessions, up to about the
year 1852. In 1828 a treaty was made with the Cher-
okees, of Georgia, by which they were given the terri-
tory known as the Cherokee Nation, with a promise
also of the payment of $450,000. But this money was
never paid them, and in 1835 a supplementary treaty
was made by which they were granted, in lieu of said
sum of money, a tract of land bounded and described
as follows :
" Beginning at the northeast corner of the Cherokee
Nation; thence north along the Missouri state line
fifty miles; thence west twenty-five miles; thence south
fifty miles; thence east to the place of beginning."
(i HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY.
This tract, twenty-five by fifty miles was intended to
contain 800,000 acres.
This grant has always been known as the "Cherokee
Neutral Lands." It is said that the reason it was so
called was that the Cherokee Nation was slave territory
and the Cherokees being slave holders, they preferred
to have neutral ground between their nation and the
free territory north of 36 30', as provided for by the
Missouri Compromise. Consequently, instead of the
money due by the provisions of the treaty, they chose
in lieu thereof this "Neutral Land" as a bulwark
against freedom.
As these lands were partly contained in Bourbon
County, occasion will be taken to refer to them further
along in regular chronological order.
NEW YORK INDIAN LANDS.
On January 15th, 1838, the government set apart to
the various tribes of New York Indians a tract of
country described as follows :
"Beginning at the west line of the State of Mis-
souri, at the northeast corner of the Cherokee tract and
running thence north along the west line of the State
of Missouri twenty-seven miles to the southerly line
of the Miami lands; thence west so far as shall be nec-
essary by running a line at right angles and parallel to
the west line aforesaid to the Osage lands, and thence
easterly along the Osage and Cherokee lands to the
place of beginning; to include 1,824,000 acres."
This land was intended as a future home for the In-
dians of New York. These various tribes of New
NE W YORK INDIAN LANDS. 7
York Indians, consisting of the remnants of the Sene-
cas, Onondagas, Cayugas, Tuscaroras, Oneidas, St.
Regis, Stockbridges, Munsees and Brothertowns, were
called the "Six Nations."
As will be seen the balance of what is now Bourbon
County was contained within this tract of New York
Indian lands.
But it was never occupied by the tribes mentioned,
there having been but thirty-two allotments made to
them of 320 acres each, which were all on the Osage
river.
As this tract was not a grant in fee simple, like that
to the Cherokees, but designed to be allotted in
severalty to individual members of the tribes, and as
only thirty-two of them came west to receive their
share, the remainder of the tract finally reverted to the
United States.
Lieutenant John C. Fremont in June, 1842, left
Chouteau's trading post on the Marias des Cygnes
river, in what is now Linn County, on his first expe-
dition to the Rocky Mountains. He was accompanied
by Kit Carson as guide.
We now have a clear idea of the condition of things
in this country — physically and politically — as they
existed in that early day. The United States had
acquired a clear and unquestioned title to the domain;
many of the tribes of Indians in the Eastern and
Southern States, who were in the way of the rapidly
increasing population, had been given, and located on,
large tracts of land in this worthless, sterile desert,
totally unfit for the habitation of the white man, as it
8 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY.
was believed, where they could quietly work out their
own extinction.
The Nation was on a solid and enduring foundation;
peace reigned supreme, and, better than all, the
troublesome, vexatious and dangerous question of Af-
rican slavery had, in the minds of all men, been settled
peacefully, finally and forever.
FORT SCOTT LOCA TED.
CHAPTER II.
FORT SCOTT LOCATED.
N the year 1837, D >' an or der of Colonel Zachary
Taylor, a military Board of Commissioners, con-
sisting of Colonel S. W. Kearney and Captain
Nathan Boone, of the 1st U. S. Dragoons, was
ii appointed to lay out a military road from Fort
Coffey in the Cherokee Nation to Fort Leavenworth
on the Missouri river, and to select a site for a new
Post to be located somewhere nearly midway between
those two points, for the accommodation of the garri-
son at Fort Wayne, a post then existing near the
Arkansas line, about fifty miles south of the northeast
corner of the Cherokee Nation, which it had been de-
cided to abandon.
In reference to the location of the new post, the
commission reported much difficulty in fixing upon a
site. Several points were examined along Spring river.
Their first choice seems to have been at the place of
Joseph Rogers, a Cherokee Indian, living near the
present site of Baxter Springs. But Rogers thought
he was in the midst of a u boom,' 1 and he asked them
$1,000 an acre for what laud they would need of his
claim. They were not authorized to pay any such
1 HISTOR Y OF BOURBON CO UN TV.
sum, and considering also that it was more desirable to
locate the site on land not granted to Indians, they
moved on further north.
Bearing on the question of the selection of a site, a
copy is given of a letter from the War Department, as
follows :
' ' Mrs. H. T. Wilson,
Fort Scott, Kansas.
Madam :
Replying to your inquiry of the 6th inst. as to who
selected the site of the military post at Fort Scott,
Kansas, I have the honor to inform you that the site
was selected in 1837 by a Board of Commissioners,
charged with the duty of laying out a military road
from Fort Coffey to Fort Leavenworth, consisting of
Col. S. W. Kearney and Captain Nathan Boone, 1st
Dragoons. Their report will be found in H. R. Doc.
No. 278, 25th Congress, 2d Session, which report is too
lengthy to be copied.
There was some considerable difficulty in fixing
the site for the Fort Wayne garrison. The first point
selected was at Rogers' place on Spring river, but was
abandoned on account of the exorbitant price demand-
ed by its owner. Several other points in the immedi-
ate neighborhood, and up the Pomme de Terre or
Spring River, to the State line were examined, but
decided to be unhealthy. All the several points were
examined by Captain Moore, and other sites in that
vicinity had been previously examined by General
Taylor; and it was only after these different sites had
been determined as impracticable, that the position on
the Marmaton, which had been previously recom-
FOR T SCO TT L OCA TED. 1 1
mended by the Board in 1837, was finally decided upon
as a site for the new post.
I am, Madam, Very Respectfully,
Your Obedient Servant,
J. C. Kfxton,
Act'g Ass't Adj't General."
Considerable time was now consumed, presumably
in the process of red tape and in construction of the
military road from Fort Leavenworth south, so that it
was not until the 26th day of May, 1842, when the
garrison of Fort Wayne abandoned that post and took
up their march for the North. They arrived at the
new site which had been selected on the Marmaton
river on the evening of May 30th, 1842, where they
pitched their tents and called it Fort Scott.
These troops consisted of Captain B. D. Moore, in
command, Lieutenant William Eustis, Assistant Sur-
geon Dr. J. Simpson, and 120 enlisted men of compa-
nies A and C 1st U. S. Dragoons.
This command was soon after ordered on to Fort
Leavenworth, and were replaced here by a part of the
1 st Infantry. The officers with the infantry command
were Major Graham, Captain Swords and Assistant
Surgeon Dr. Mott.
Concluding the subject of the location of Fort Scott,
Adjutant General L. C. Drum of the War Department,
writes as follows:
" In reply to your letter of the 27th ultimo, address-
ed to the Secretary of War, asking certain information
regarding the early settlement of Fort Scott, I have
the honor to inform you that Fort Wayne, in the
12 HIS TOR Y OF BOURBON CO UN TV.
Cherokee Nation, was abandoned on the 26th day of
May, 1S42, and companies A and C, 1st Dragoons,
(which had formed its garrison) under the command
of Captain B. D. Moore, 1st Dragoons, three officers
and 120 enlisted men, marched to and occupied the
new site which had been selected on the Marmaton
river, twenty miles west of Ljttle Osage Posfoffice,
on the 30th of May, 1842, to which they gave the
name of Camp Scott, changed later to Fort Scott. The
only other officers present with the command on that
day were Dr. J. Simpson, Assistant Surgeon, and First
Lieutenant William Eustis.
I have the honor to be Very Respectfully,
Your Ob't Serv't,
L. C. Drum,
Adjutant General."
An army sutler came with the 1st Infantry named
John A. Bugg, who, by virtue of his position, acted
as postmaster.
COI.. H. T. WILSON.
On the 13th of September, 1843, Hiero T. Wilson
came up From Fort Gibson, where he had been located,
and went into partnership with Mr. Bugg in the sutler
business. They did business together until 1849, wneu
Mr. Wilson bought out Mr. Bugg and he went to Cali-
fornia. Mr. Wilson then became the sutler and U. S.
Postmaster.
Col. Wilson, as he was always called, was born in
Kentucky on the 6th day of September, 1806. He
went to Fort Gibson as sutler of that post soon after it
was established, and remained there about nine years,
COL. H. T. WILSON. 13
when he came to Fort Scott, as stated, in 1843. He
lived here continuously from that time to the time of
his death, August 6th, 1892. He was married to
Elizabeth C. Hogan, on the 28th of September, 1847.
They had three children, Virginia T., Elizabeth C. and
Fannie W. Virginia, the eldest daughter, now Mrs. W. R.
Robinson, was the first white child born in Fort Scott.
In Col. Wilson's residence in Fort Scott of nearly
fifty years, he filled a prominent place in the political,
social and commercial history of this part of the
country. He saw the insignificant military station,
and the wild and almost unknown surrounding coun-
try, with few bona fide white inhabitants nearer than a
hundred miles, pass through all the panoramic changes
from extreme frontier life to that of high civilization.
For many years his only associates were the few army
officers of the garrison; their days were passed with
few incidents or recreations, and at night they went to
sleep to the monotone howls of the prairie wolf.
After the Territory was organized Col. Wilson occu-
pied many political positions, and although he was not
what may be called active in politics, he was always
consulted, and had great influence in the councils of
his party. He was originally a Whig, and had great
admiration for Clay and Webster, but after their day
he associated himself with the Democratic party, and
during the war was a strong Union Democrat. During
the 6o's he was very active in promoting the organiza-
tion of the various railway companies forming to build
roads into Southern Kansas, and active in his efforts to
secure their construction to Fort Scott, which town
14 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY.
was always his pet and especial hobby. He was also
actively engaged in large mercantile affairs until 1868,
when he quit business. His life work was done. He
passed the remaining days of his ripe old age in the
peaceful calm of the home he had established so many
years ago.
SERGEANT JOHN HAMILTON.
Sergeant John Hamilton of the Ordnance Depart-
ment of the army, came with the first troops, served
his term of enlistment and remained a resident of the
town and country until after the war. He superin-
tended the construction of a good portion of the military
barracks, stables, etc., erected at Fort Scott in 1843
and 1844.
The military road from Fort L,eavenworth was com-
pleted about 1843. The pike, or grade, like a railroad
grade, was constructed across all river and creek bot-
toms, and can still be seen across the Marias des Cygnes
bottoms south of the Trading Post, and also across the
Marmaton bottom at the Osbun farm northeast of Fort
Scott.
BARRACKS ERECTED.
In the year 1843 preparations were made for the con-
struction of quarters for the officers and men, and the
necessary buildings for the quartermasters and com-
missary stores, ordnance supplies, etc. A .saw mill was
erected about a mile up Mill Creek to be run by water
power. This mill gave the creek its name. A brick yard
was made near the mill. Then a detail of men from the
BARRACKS ERECTED. 15
infantry was kept busy making brick, and sawing lum-
ber from the walnut, oak an ash logs cut from the
surrounding timber on Mill Creek and Marmaton, which
was very fine. Large trees, from one to four feet in
diameter were plentiful. A square called the Parade
Ground, now called the Plaza, was laid off, containing
about two acres of ground. It was evidently intended
that the points of this square should be due north and
south, and east and west, but they miscalculated by a
few degrees.
Around the northest side of the Plaza the buildings
for the officer's quarters were erected. These consisted
of four large double houses, 2]/ 2 stories high, with
frame-timbers of oak twelve inches square, walnut
siding and oak floors. The doors, door frames, lintels,
windows, mantel-pieces, etc., were of two-inch walnut.
The four blocks built for the officer's quarters are still
standing, as good as ever. They were built in the
uniform style of architecture which prevailed at all
military posts at that time., and are very superior in
construction. The most striking feature of these
buildings is the broad porches extending along the
entire front and also the rear of each, between the
second and third floors, reached by broad flights of
stairs at either end. The main roof projects and con-
tinues down over them from the attic story, and is
supported by seven large doric columns fourteen feet in
hight. These columns were made of solid walnut logs
turned down into perfect shape and then bored through
the center lengthwise to prevent checking or cracking
when the columns seasoned.
16 HIS TOR Y OF BO URBON CO UNT) '.
On the other sides of the Plaza, were the buildings
for quarters for the men, hospital, guard house, stables,
etc., and in the center of the Plaza was an octagonal
brick building for powder magazine. A well 90 or 100
feet deep was blasted down on the Plaza, which fur-
nished a fair supply of water.
After all this work was completed the soldiers had
but little to do, except an occasional scout, the guard-
ing of supply trains, and their daily drill which took
place sure, without fail, on all occasions and under all
circumstances. The rest of the time until taps, they
could play seven up, or perhaps straight poker. You
may not quite understand what that extinct species
of the game was. Well, they didn't draw. That was
the Mississippi steamboat game you have heard so much
about. It has been humed and will never, never be
exhumed. But it was part of western life at that time,
in the army, in the cabin on the prairie and in the
"cabin" on the river.
RELICS OF A PAST ERA.
Those Government buildings erected fifty years ago
stand to-day, and will stand indefinitely, as the relics
and emblems of a past era. The mind can hardly
conceive the vast changes which have taken place
in this country during the half-century since they
were erected. At this line of latitude the western
limit of the United States was the Arkansas river
instead of the Pacific ocean. The boundary line of
the Nation was almost exactly 150 miles west of
RELICS OF A PAST ERA. 17
Fort Scott. California, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico
and Texas had not then been acquired. The country
towards the setting sun west of the Missouri State
line was called, in a general way, the "Indian
Country." It was wild, desolate, silent, unknown.
The people, even those living the nearest to it believed
it to be a worthless barren plain, incapable of supporting
a white population and fitted only for the home of Ind-
ians and wild animals. These had possession then, and
it was presumed they would never be disturbed. An
occasional pioneer might " 'low it was gitten too much
crowded" in his neighborhood, and move on a little
further up the creek, but the idea of a general settle-
ment of the country had not been considered. They
concluded that the limit was about reached, and that
the country was fringed with a frontier that would
remain longer years than they took the trouble to think
about.
But war was soon to send the volunteer soldiers
trailing across it, enlightening them by actual contact,
and through them the people, as to the great possibili-
ties of this region as a habitable country. The boundary
lines were to be adjusted and this country, instead
of being on the very outer rim, was to become the
geographical center of the Nation.
18 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY,
CHAPTER III.
ANNEXATION OF TEXAS — MEXICAN WAR.
TjHDHE year 1844 passed without much incident bear-
tM ing directly or indirectly on the future of this
section of the country. The Republic of Texas
was not yet quite ripe but it was rapidly maturing
\ and would soon be gathered into the Union, and
"*" add its grand empire to the territory of slavery.
This occurred the next year — 1845 — anc ^ w ^ tn t ^ ie
annexation came the war with Mexico. The annexa-
tion of Texas was the cause of the Mexican war.
Texas claimed that its western boundary was the Rio
Grande. Mexico claimed that it was the river Nueces.
The United States "took the lawsuit with the property"
and made it a pretext for a war which was essentially
political and wholly unjustifiable. President Polk and
his advisers saw in this war a prospect for still further
acquisition of slave territory and the strengthening of
the slave power. The acquisition of Texas had whetted
the appetite of the Slave State men and the slavery prop-
agandists; awakened the desire and renewed their deter-
mination to absolutely control the future of the United
States. A mere equilibrium in territory and power
between the North and South was not enough. They
WILMO T PRO VI SO. 19
must have such a pronounced advantage that hereafter
their wish would be the law, subject to no make-
shift of a compromise. The north half of the Louis-
iana Purchase contained too many possibilities for free
States, and the preponderance of territory must be
gained now.
It is not the design to enter into the details of that
war, but to catch the spirit which actuated the already
powerful and rapidly increasing following of John C.
Calhoun. It formed one of the converging lines which
at that epoch were beginning to sweep through the
Republic, dividing and materializing public thought
and action, and leading up to and educating the people
to a realization of an impending crisis.
One of the principal events of the war, however,
which had a bearing on the future, was the winning
by General Taylor of the battle of Buena Vista, by
which he at once broke the back of the Mexican army
and overthrew the Democratic party at home; for that
battle made him — a Whig and a restrictionist — Presi-
dent of the United States, and put a curb, for a short
time, on their high ambition. But the additional ter-
ritory so much desired was gained by the acquisition of
New Mexico, Arizona and Utah, for which, by the
treaty of February 2, 1848, $15,000,000 was paid to
Mexico.
WILMOT PROVISO.
During the war, Aug. 8, 1846, President Polk made
an effort to stop it by a money proposition to Mexico.
20 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY.
He sent a message to Congress asking for an appropri-
ation to pay for territory to be acquired. A bill was
reported. David Wilrnot, Hannibal Hamlin, Preston
King and a few other Northern Democrats, who were
not of those John Randolph called "Northern Dough-
faces," held a caucus and decided among themselves
that, inasmuch as Mexico had abolished slavery some
twenty years before, all territory acquired from that
country should come in free. Wilmot therefore offered
the following proviso to the bill :
"Provided, That as an express and fundamental
condition to the acquisition of any territory from the
republic of Mexico by the United States, by virtue
of any treaty that may be negotiated between them,
and to the use by the Executive of the moneys herein
appropriated, neither slavery nor involuntary servitude
shall ever exist in any part of said territory, except for
crime, whereof the party shall be first duly convicted."
This was the historic "Wilmot Proviso." The bill
passed the House with this proviso, but was talked to
death in the Senate and went over the session without
a vote. And the two Whig generals, Scott and Taylor,
went on with the war.
The Democratic party at that time contained no gen-
eral officer of the army who was regarded as competent
to conduct the war. A bill was introduced and passed
one house authorizing the President to place Thomas
H. Benton at the head of the army. But Benton had
too many personal enemies in Congress and in the
Cabinet, and the bill was finally defeated.
COMPROMISE OF 1850. 21
COMPROMISE OF 1850.
Congress in 1850 resumed its efforts to organize the
country acquired from Mexico into Territories but
without success. The whole matter was finally referred
to a committee of which Henry Clay was chairman.
The report of the committee formed the basis of a
compromise — sometimes called the "Omnibus Bill" —
the chief features of which were the admission of Cal-
ifornia as a free State, a territorial government for Utah
and New Mexico, and prohibiting the slave-trade in the
District of Columbia.
After a protracted discussion, a bill to organize Utafi
was passed, but the other measures of the bill went
over to the next session, when they were brought for-
ward separately and became laws, and the wrangle
of 1850 was thus compromised. The effect was to
allay the excitement that had so much agitated the
country. The minds of the people were lulled to rest,
and as 1851, '52 and '53 passed over without more than
a slight increase in the boil and bubble of the political
cauldron, it was hoped by all and believed by many that
the slavery question was not irrepressible.
Outwardly, at least, all was quiet on the Potomac.
22 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1853
CHAPTER IV.
THE POST OF FORT SCOTT ABANDONED.
^ORT SCOTT was garrisoned until April, 1853.
gjjp ^j ie droops were then withdrawn, and the post
practically abandoned. The buildings were left
iu charge of a sergeant, who, it is said, had in-
^ structions to permit their occupation by any re-
' spectable parties who would take care of them.
At any rate, they were so occupied as fast as people
came in. H. T. Wilson and John Hamilton and their
families were at this time the only residents and consti-
tuted the entire population of Fort Scott. Colonel
Wilson had the only store in this section of country.
It was in a story and a half log house situated near
what is now Market Square, about half way between
the head of Main street and the lower part of National
avenue. The few squatters within a radius of thirty
miles or more came here to do their trading, if they had
anything to trade. If they couldn't do any better,
they would trade stories about happenings "brick yonder
in Kaintuckey" or "Injianny," or whatever haven of
rest they may have come from.
SOME EARLY SETTLERS.
There were, of course, but few settlers up to the time
First Cabin Built on the Osage. 1854.
'^U±Ss^
Post Sutler Store.
1853] EARLY SETTLERS. 23
the Territory was opened for settlement in 1855. What
few there were gravitated to the streams bordered with
timber. They thought no claim was any account with-
out a timber attachment.
It is impracticable to give the names of all of the
earliest settlers, or anything of their biography. Several
of them left before and some after the border troubles
begau ; others before the war.
Among the very first settlers was Isaac N. Mills, who
located on his farm near Marmaton in 1854. He was
born in Kentucky in 1830.
W. R. Griffith also located near Marmaton in 1855.
He came from Pennsylvania. He was the first Super-
intendent of Public Schools. He died at Topeka, Feb-
ruary 1 2 th, 1862.
Ephraim Kepley located on the Osage in 1854. He
was born in North Carolina in 1825. He built the first
cabin on the Osage river, in Bourbon county.
Robert Forbes and his brother David settled near
Dayton in 1854, from Illinois.
D. T. Ralston, John Guttry, James Guttry, McCarty,
Fly, Mitchell and Coyle located in what is now Marion
township in 1855.
J. W. Wells came in 1855 from North Carolina.
Dr. J. R. Wasson, from Tennessee, located on the
Osage in 1855.
Bryant Bangness settled on Dry wood in 1855, from
North Carolina. Wiley and Jacob Bolinger moved in
on Mill Creek in 1855, from Missouri. Jacob Gross
came in with the Bolingers and settled on Mill Creek
in 1855.
24 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1853
William Hinton located on Osage in 1855, from Ken-
tucky.
Dr. T. K. Julian, from Tennessee, first visited Fort
Scott in 1854. Then he and his son T. B. Julian came
back to Bourbon county and settled near Mapleton in
1855. T. B. Julian afterwards moved to Uniontown.
Joseph Oakley, from New York, settled on the Mar-
maton near Fort Scott in 1856. He died after the war.
Asa Ward moved in on Moore's Branch in 1856, from
North Carolina.
Josiah Stewart located on Mill Creek in January,
1856. His sons, John J. and Amos came with him.
John J. Stewart has always taken an active and promi-
nent part in county affairs.
J. R. Anderson came to Bourbon county in 1856, and
located near Xenia.
Thomas Osborne, with his sons Robert and James
Osborne, moved here from Indiana and settled on the
Osage in 1855.
John McNeil settled on the Osage in 1856. Pat
Devereux in 1857. James and Timothy Hackett in
1857.
George W. Anderson and his son Jacob settled in
Marion township in 1857.
I. N. Crouch went into Franklin township from Mis-
souri. Joseph Oliver moved into Marmaton in 1857.
J. R. Myrick located near Dayton in 1857. J oa -b
Teague came in 1857 from North Carolina. Samuel
Stevenson and sons, I. S. and S. A., in 1856.
M. E. Hudson, Win. F. Stone, Adam Boyd, William
Deeds, E. A. Roe, Win. Baker, George Stockmyer,
1854] FROM 1854 TO 1855. 25
Michael Bowers, Henry Bowers, E. P. Higby, Ed.
Jones, D. R. Cobb, Ben. Workman, David Claypool,
Walker, Huffman, Hathaway, Kelso, Atwood and the
Endicotts were all early settlers, the most of them hav-
ing settled in this county as early as 1855.
THE TIME FROM 1854 TO 1855.
Up to the year 1855 were the days of profound peace
and quiet. The people enjoyed themselves after the
manner of the frontier to the greatest extent. They
all had good cabins, raised by the combined efforts of
their neighbors, which at once became palaces of hos-
pitality — that hospitality now almost obsolete. They
had plenty to eat — game of all kinds — deer, wild
turkeys, prairie chickens, fish from the streams, and
their gardens and "patches" produced all else necessary.
As the manners and customs of frontier life are now
things of the past, it may not be out of place to describe
something of the mode of living among the pioneers up
to the time the Territory was thrown open for settle-
ment. To go into one of their cabins and take a meal
with the family was a real satisfaction. The cooking-
was all done before immense fire-places. Cook stoves
were not unknown, of course, but you would rarely see
one. Their cooking utensils consisted of a big cast-
iron skillet, with a cover made with a flange to hold
live coals heaped on top, a tin coffee pot, possibly a
bright tin reflecting oven, with legs, and one side open
to be set near the fire to catch the heat, a big iron kettle
and some smaller iron pots, a long-handled frying pan,
26 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1854
iron spoons and knives and forks and some "tins." An
ordinary water "bucket" was kept on a sbelf in one
corner, with a. tin dipper or a gourd in it. Quite often
they had instead of the bucket what many even quite
old people of the present day have never seen. That
is a "piggin. " A piggiu was made like a pail with one
stave extending up about six inches with a rounded top
for a handle.
Let us drop in on one of these families, say late in the
fall of the year, and watch the wife get supper. First,
a good fire is made with a back log, and plenty of oak
and hickory wood on the andirons, which is allowed to
burn down till there are plenty of coals. In the mean-
time a pot, hanging on the crane, containing the meat,
is boiling. The skillet is placed on a bed of coals with
coals heaped on the lid, and will soon be ready for
baking the corn bread. In this instance it is corn
bread and not dodger, the corn meal probably grated on
a large hand grater, from new corn. It is made with
eggs and shortening. Dodger and hoecake generally
were mixed with eggs, venison gravy and milk also, but
it was after supper. The meat is now taken from the
pot, slashed across the rind, put in the reflector and
baked brown. Big potatoes, sweet and Irish, are all
this time lying in the hot ashes until their jackets are
brown. The coffee pot is on, some "rashers" are cut
from the "flitch" of bacon and the grease tried out;
eggs are fried, and "dip" is made. Everything is
timed to get done all at once, like the "wonderful one-
horse shay." Now everything is placed on the white
clothed table, together with dishes of cold meats, ves-
Tnvrr
'Come To Supper and Bring Cheers.
1854] FROM 1854 TO 1855. 27
sels of rich yellow butter, cream, sweet milk, butter
milk and honey. Supper is now ready. If like some
now standing on the Osage, the cabin is a double one,
with a wide open porch between ; the men folks will
be in the "sitting room," and ten-year-old Jimmy will
be sent in, and will announce in a loud voice, "Come
to supper, and bring cheers." Each man totes in his
"cheer" and sits at the table. Probably the man of
the house, brought up in the church of Peter Cart-
wright, will ask a blessing. If so, it may be something
like this : "Kind Father, we thank Thee for Thy many-
mercies. Bless these a-nourishments to our use. For-
give our sins. Protect us from evil. And in the end
save us, for Christ's sake." The words sounded like
simplicity itself. Heard from the lips of an Edwin
Booth, they would well up all the sweet idylic senti-
ments of Saint James.
Neighborship and hospitality were of the strong
tenets of the pioneer's character. All were welcome at
his house. No one was turned away hungry. Gold
and silver he had none, but such as he had he gave unto
all who came, the friend, the neighbor or the unknown
stranger.
He had but little communication with the "States."
He had no newspapers, and his library contained only
his old school books, Pilgrim's Progress and the Bible.
He knew but little of politics, but he could easily drive
center sixty yards, offhand, at the neighborhood shooting
match, where "first choice" was the hind quarter of a beef.
He heard more or less of the increasing and ominous
growls over the slavery question, but not until he sud-
28 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1854
denly found himself surrounded by vicious partisans
from the contending sections, did he realize that his
season of profound peace was over, that the harbinger
of a storm had appeared, which was destined to stain
the lintel of his cabin door with blood.
In these lame descriptions of our early settlers —
squatters they were to all intents and purposes — an
effort has been made to typify that class who kept to
the extreme border of our frontiers, a people whose
ancestors had steadily moved in westward front from
the Atlantic through the "dark and bloody ground," a
class then rapidly diminishing and who have now
finally disappeared forever.
This seems necessary also, in order that one may
realize all the conditions of a given period or situation,
and to understand how the people lived in all respects.
THE CLIMATE.
The climate was another feature of those days. It
was most delightful and enjoyable, especially in the
fall of the year. It has changed in these later years,
for civilization seems to have taken out the "wild
taste." The atmosphere probably contained no more
ozone than now, but it was wild ozone. It did not
smell to heaven laden with iron filings and the abrasion
of gold.
The immense prairies south and west — larger in ex-
tent than all western Europe — were annually burned
over. The smoke from the autumn prairie fires per-
meated the entire atmosphere which came up to us from
1854] INDIAN SUMMER. 29
the grand pampas of the southwest toned down into
superb Indian summer. But the wild prairies have
disappeared beneath the plow, and Indian summer has
disappeared with the Indian.
INDIAN SUMMER.
The beauty and grandeur of those autumn days can
scarcely be described. One felt a lazy exhileration,
and life here seemed the perfect ideal of existence on
earth. The woods have unfurled a million banners,
blended in all the colors of nature. The broad rolling
prairies seemed as if formed by the stilled waves of a
former and forgotten sea. The air, soft and dreamy,
laden with the scent of wild flowers, went out to meet
the coming day, whose rosy faced morn was ushered in
by the songs of the mocking bird and the sweet chro-
matic cadence of the drumming grouse. And
"The grey ey'd morn smiles on the frowning night,
Checquering the eastern clouds with streaks of light."
The sun makes his daily circuit through a sea of
smoky haze, until, hanging o'er the west like a huge
illumined globe — shielded by the translucent rays of a
glorious corona — he sinks below the horizon to the ves-
per song of the whipoorwill, and the gentle whisperings
of the southwest wind.
HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1854
CHAPTER V.
THE MILL OF THE GODS.
ff7E have now brought up the salient points of
*-<<&&• national history from the time when the United
State acquired title to the domain lying west of
the Mississippi river, insofar as they affect, di-
*.« rectly or indirectly, the soon to be formed Terri-
tory of Kansas. We have noted especially the
features affecting or bearing on the question of Slave
Territory or Free Soil, and endeavored to mark out, like
the "blaze" on trees through a forest for a new road,
the many conflicting impulses which dominated the
passions and prejudices of a great people.
It may be said that all this is unnecessary and un-
called for in the history of the local happenings of a
single county. We do not think so. These local
happenings, in fact the entire history of this county,
was essentially and peculiarly political, brought about,
controlled and "happened" as the resulting conse-
quence of national politics. The history of counties
in the old States might be written without so much
extraneous detail. But those counties had no ancestors.
They were progenitors. Bourbon County is their
child. Its history cannot be truly and fairly written
1854] THE MILL OF THE GODS. 31
without going back to the base-line and bringing up
the field notes.
The Louisiana Purchase was the base-line. The
agitation of the slavery question began almost with
that purchase. Slow at first, but gradually increasing,
like the dread disease of consumption, until in the
beginning of 1854, it had become the fevered and hectic
topic of discussion in the Northern homestead and in
the "big house on the lawn."
The National Legislature at that time was composed
of the best minds of the country. The ward politician
had not yet broken into Congress. The august Senate
contained no resultant mouse from the parturition of
local class sentiment, and no man of questionable per-
sonal honor had yet gained a seat. They were natu-
rally and necessarily strong partisans; the men from
the South were becoming bitterly so. There was an
underlying feeling that the North was growing up to be
the dominant power. They realized that, however dis-
tasteful, their candidate for the presidency must come
from the North. Charles Sumner had enunciated the
axiom, "Freedom is National; slavery is sectional;"
the Northern press was using the license of printer's
ink; the mud-sills were talking. All this angered
them. Free speech and free press they no longer toler-
ated. They struck out, like a blinded rattlesnake, at
every sound. Whom the gods would destroy they first
make intolerant. Henceforth concessions were to be
thrown to the winds; hereafter the policy was to be
aggression. The Fugitive Slave Law was not enough.
The Missouri Compromise — their own child, proposed
32 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1854
by them, passed by them, and approved by President
Monroe and his cabinet, of which John C. Calhoun
was one — now stood in their road and must be swept
away. The protesting hands of their Clays and Ben-
tons were raised against such action, but were struck
down by the spirit of Preston Brooks. The mills of
the gods grind slow, but they grind exceeding fine.
Tools were necessary for the work in hand, and, like
their Presidents, they also must come from the North.
KANSAS-NEBRASKA BILL.
On the 23rd of January, 1854, Stephen A. Douglas
of Illinois, introduced a bill for the organization of the
Territories of Kansas and Nebraska. This is known
in history as the Kansas-Nebraska bill. The important
features of the bill, affecting the Territory of Kansas,
are copied from Sec. 32, and are as follows :
"That the constitution and all the laws of the
United States which are not locally inapplicable, shall
have the same force and effect within the said Territory
of Kansas as elsewhere within the United States, ex-
cept the eighth section of the Act preparatory to the
admission of Missouri into the Union, approved March
6th, 1820, which, being inconsistent with the principle
of non-intervention by Congress with slavery in the
States and Territories, as recognized by the legislation
of 1850, commonly called the compromise measures, is
hereby declared inoperative and void; it being the true
intent and meaning of this act not to legislate slavery
into any Territory or State, nor to exclude it there-
from, but to leave the people thereof perfectly free to
form and regulate their domestic institutions in their
1854] KANSAS-NEBRASKA BILL. 33
own way, subject only to the Constitution of the
United States : Provided, That nothing herein con-
tained shall be construed to revive and put in force any
law or regulation which may have existed prior to the
Act of the 6th of March, 1820, either protecting, estab-
lishing, prohibiting or abolishing slavery."
And on this Mr. Douglas addressed the Senate, out-
lining and advocating what he called the "great
principles of squatter sovereignty, or non-intervention."
On the 3rd of March following, the Act passed the
Senate by 37 to 14, and on May 22d it passed the
House by 91 to 44, and President Pierce signed it on
the 30th day of May.
The South had chosen her path. "Her feet go down
to death; her steps take hold on hell." This was the
high-water mark of the slave power. The solemn com-
pact that had stood for thirty-four years was swept
away like a "rope of sand." The converging lines of
the irrepressible conflict were being drawn closer and
closer until the culminating point was reached at Appo-
mattox.
KANSAS TERRITORY ORGANIZED.
Kansas at last had a place on the map. It had been
partly surveyed and the boundary lines designated and
described. A governor and other Territorial officers
were soon after appointed, and this experiment of non-
intervention — this child of Squatter Sovereignty — was
set adrift, to be buffeted, smitten, disgraced, in the con-
fident hope that she would acquiesce in the demand of
that force which instantly jumped at her throat, and
quietly submit to be "sealed" to the South.
HIS 'TO "R Y OF BO URB ON CO UN TV. [ 1 854
CHAPTER VI.
THE FIRST GOVERNOR.
H. REEDER, the first Governor of Kansas Ter-
W^-' ritory, arrived at Fort Leavenworth, and assumed
the executive office October 7th, 1854. Soon after,
with a party of other officials, he made a somewhat
extended tour of observation through the eastern
T part of the Territory, and on his return that por-
tion was divided into "Election Districts."
The district which included Fort Scott was denomi-
nated the Sixth District, and the metes and bounds
were described as follows :
"Commencing on the Missouri State line, in Little
Osage river; thence up the same to the line of the Re-
serve for the New York Indians, or the nearest point
thereto; thence to and by the north line of said Reserve
to the Neosho river, and up said river to and along the
south branch thereof to the head; and thence by a due
south line to the southern line of the Territory; thence
by the southern and eastern line of said Territory to
the place of beginning."
THE FIRST ELECTIONS.
On November 10th, Governor Reeder issued a proc-
lamation for an election to be held in the Territory on
1854] THE FIRST ELECTIONS. 35
the 29th day of November for the election of a Delegate
to Congress. Fort Scott was designated as the place
for holding the election for the Sixth District. The
house of H. T. Wilson was named as the polling place,
and the judges appointed were Thomas B. Arnett, H.
T. Wilson and William Godfrey. J. W. Whitfield was
the Pro-slavery candidate for Delegate, R. P. Finnekin,
Independent, and John A. Wakefield Free State. In
this district Whitfied received the entire vote cast, 105.
Whitfield resided in Missouri at this time and made no
pretense of being a citizen of the Territory.
On March 8, 1855, a proclamation was issued by Gov.
Reeder, ordering an election for members of the Terri-
torial Council and House of Representatives, to he held
on Friday the 30th day of March, 1855. There were
to be thirteen members of the Council and twenty-six
Representatives, to constitute the "Legislative Assem-
bly" of the Territory. The vote was to be by ballot.
As there were yet no county or other municipal organi-
zations, the election districts were provided for in the
proclamation. The Sixth District remained the same
as in the election of November 10, 1854. The place
designated for holding the polls was the hospital build-
ing on the Plaza, and the judges of election appointed
were James Ray, William Painter and William Godfrey.
The proclamation also provided : J O
"That the Sixth Election District, containing two
hundred and fifty-three votes, will constitute the Fifth
Council District, and elect one member of the Council.
Also, that the Sixth Election District shall be the Sixth
Representative District and elect two members."
36 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1854
The result of this election was as follows : For Coun-
cil Fifth District, William Barbee, 343 votes. For
Representatives Sixth District, Joseph C. Anderson,
315, S. A. Williams 313, John Hamilton 36, W T illiam
Margrave 16. And the returns being in due form and
no protest filed, William Barbee for the Council,
and Joseph C. Anderson and S. A. Williams for the
House of Representatives, were by the Governor de-
clared duly elected.
Nevertheless this election was grossly fraudulent, not
only in this district, but in all others. It will be
remembered that the district was nearly 50 by 100
miles square. William Barbee, mentioned above, had
been appointed the January before to take the census
of the district, and about March 1, thirty days before
the election, filed his report giving the number of legal
voters as 253. Many of these voters would have had
to travel forty and fifty miles to the polling place. It
is not reasonable to suppose that they took such a
journey to vote. Most of the votes cast came from
covered wagons camped on the Marmaton bottom, "for
one day only," which Judge Margrave said, "just
swarmed over from Missouri." But there was no pro-
test in this district, and the men took their seats in the
Legislature.
Barbee had no opposition. He and Anderson and
Williams were voted for by the Pro-slavery men. Ham-
ilton and Margrave received the feeble showing of the
opposition.
William Barbee came here from Kentucky at the age
of 29. He was a very fair man, and lived here several
1854] THE FIRST LEGISLATURE. 3?
years. Barbee street in Fort Scott was named for him.
Joseph C. Anderson was never a resident of the dis-
trict from first to last. He was the author of the
"Black Laws" passed by this Legislature.
Samuel A. Williams was originally from Kentucky.
He came here first in 1854, and afterwards brought his
family, about six months before election, from Polk
County, Missouri, driving an ox cart, containing his
family, his chickens and two "cheers." He was no
"voter." He had come to stay. He was a good man,
a good citizen, and held many important positions.
He died at his home in Fort Scott, August 13, 1873.
John Hamilton was "left over" from the regular
army. He lived here in the town and in the county
until after the war, as has been stated.
William Margrave was born in Missouri, February
17, 1818. He came here in the fall of 1854, and was
appointed one of the first Justices of the Peace in the
Territory, and the very first one appointed in this dis-
trict. His commission bears date of December 5, 1854.
He has lived here continuously ever since that time,
and he is Justice of the Peace "'till yet." The Judge,
in his quiet way, has always performed the duties of a
good citizen, and always stood in the highest estimation
in this community. Margrave street in the city of Fort
Scott was named for him.
THE FIRST LEGISLATURE.
The first Legislature convened by order of the Gov-
ernor at Pawnee, near Fort Riley, on the 2nd of July,
38 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1854
1855. Pawnee was 100 miles west of the Missouri
State line at Westport. Governor Reeder said he took
it out there to get it out of the way of political influ-
ence and to keep the legislators unspotted from the
world. That was certainly the right idea and the right
place if he could have made them stay there, but he
couldn't do it. The statesmen said it was too dry, and
too far from their base of supplies ; and besides, as
there were no houses in Pawnee, or in forty miles of it,
they had to sleep in their wagons, or under them ; and
then again they had nothing to eat but jerked buffalo
and Pawnee macarroni. This latter was a very succu-
lent dish much sought after by the Pawnee Indians.
It was made from the small entrails of antelope and
fish-worms. The origin of this war-like tribe arose
from this dish. Most any body would. The statesmen
arose from it. Said they liked the legislature business
all right enough but this wasn't an adjourned session
of the Diet of Worms ; they were not elected on that
ticket. Said they didn't know what other Kansas
Legislatures might do — no man in his right mind could
tell, but as for their part they could not entertain
such a diet, anyway, without something to go with it,
and they didn't even have Bourbon County corn bread.
Besides, they wanted to be nearer home where they
could hear the honest coon-dog's deep-mouthed bay.
So next morning they hitched up and drove down to
Shawnee Mission, near Westport. That was as near
home as they could get without going "plum over"
into Missouri. Reeder could do nothing but set around
and scratch his head and pawnee. He finally followed
1854] THE BOGUS STATUTE. 39
them down to Shawnee Mission. He told them they
could not legally move, and could pass no valid
laws if they did. They told him to be quiet or they
would pass him — down the Missouri river on a raft.
That made him madder than ever and he called them a
lot of Border Ruffians. Then Stringfellow smote him
hip and thigh, "and they wrote a letter unto the
king," saying what a bad man this Reeder was, "and
the king dismissed him with contumely." But the
name give to them by Governor Reeder of Border
Ruffian stuck to those fellows, and their kind, even to
the third generation. Ainsi soit il.
THE BOGUS STATUTE.
The Legislature then went to work to pass laws for
Kansas. It was now the 16th of July. By the ist of Sep-
tember they had finished their labors which resulted in
the preparation of an immense code of "laws," which
have always been called and known as the "Bogus
Statute of 1855." This Statute was called bogus prin-
cipally because many of the members were not residents
of the Territory, and they were themselves bogus;
the elections were fraudulent in nearly every case, con-
sequently their office was bogus. The sessions were
held at Shawnee Mission against the will, order and
veto of the Governor who had the only legal right to
decide that point, as he claimed, consequently the
whole business really had no legal status or right to be.
But it was the prologue of the opening drama. The
Pro-slavery men here showed their hand and the true
40 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1854
spirit and intent of their party. They at once became
blustering, arrogant, defiant and overbearing, and con-
tinually sought to pick quarrels with, and embroil
every man into difficulties who opposed them. The
few scattering and unorganized Free State men, in
contemplation of such acts and such men, stood with
raised and outstretched hands as if warding off a blow.
SAMPLE OF LEGISLATION.
The Legislature did more by its drastic, ill-tempered
and senseless legislation to destroy the prospect of
making Kansas a slave State than did all the Emigrant
Aid Societies, John Brown and other Northern fanatics
put together. As a sample of their legislation and to
show the spirit which controlled the Pro-slavery side
on the threshold of the struggle, the following section
of their laws is quoted :
"Sec. 12. If any person, by speaking or by writing,
assert or maintain that persons have not the right to
hold slaves in the Territory, or shall introduce into
Kansas, print, publish, write, circulate, or cause to be
introduced into the Territory, any book, paper, maga-
zine, pamphlet or circular containing any denial of the
rights of persons to hold slaves in this Territory, such
person shall be deemed guilty of a felony, and pun-
ished by imprisonment at hard labor for a term not less
than two years. ' '
This made it a penitentiary offense for a person to
take a Free-State paper, or to argue the question with
a neighbor, even at his own fireside. The present gen-
eration cannot conceive that a body of educated and intel-
1854] SAMPLE OF LEGISLA TION. 41
ligent American men could have seriously placed such
a law, and a hundred of similar tenor and import on
the statute books of a State. But the indescribable
fanaticism on the question of human slavery had made
them, as a people, just that intolerant.
On the other hand the Northern people, as a people,
said to the South exactly this : We have made a con-
stant, consistent and honest effort to restrict slavery to
its present limits, and although the sacred compact
which has stood for a third of a century is broken
down, let us peacefully abide the provisions of the
squatter sovereign principle. And we now say to you
Southern people, and you may be fully assured that,
although we shall not desist from those open, honest
efforts which we have constantly made for restriction
and which efforts will be vigorously continued to make
Kansas a Free State, we shall neither openly or secretly
resort to any measures which can tend to disturb the
tranquillity of the slave States, or thereby to affect the
prosperity of the Nation. And thus at the commence-
ment of that most momentous era was the virgin Terri-
tory of Kansas handed over to those two contending
sections, who had "come to ope the purple testament of
bleeding war."
It looked dark for the side of Freedom. Its enemies
controlled the Administration ; they controlled all the
branches of the Territorial Government and they con-
trolled the front door through which emigration must
enter.
42 HIS TOR Y OF BOURBON CO UN TV. [1 854
GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS SOLD.
The buildings erected and the improvements made
by the Government at Fort Scott were estimated to
have cost $200,000. They were sold at public auction
on the 16th day of May, 1855, by Major Howe, Assist-
ant Quartermaster of the U. S. Army, for less than
$5,000 for the whole business. The officers quarters —
the four principal blocks of buildings, were disposed of
as follows : A. Hornbeck bought the first block, on the
west corner of the Plaza for $500. H. T. Wilson the
next for $300, E. Greenwood the next for $505, and J.
Mitchell bought the next building on the east for $450.
The other buildings were sold to different parties for
nominal sums. Of course, this not being a Government
Reservation, the title to the land on which these build-
ings stood did not pass by this transaction, and it was
so understood by the purchasers. But they concluded
to "let the hide go with the tallow," and take their
chances of acquiring title either from the Government
as pre-emptors, or, that some time in the future when
the town shall have been surveyed and platted, and a
legally incorporated town company organized, they could
obtain deeds. This plan was agreed on and was after-
wards carried out.
1855] BOURBON COUNTY ORGANIZED. 43
CHAPTER VII.
BOURBON COUNTY ORGANIZED.
ffPHE County of Bourbon was organized, together
L Mk with thirty-two other counties by the act of the
Bogus Legislature contained in Chapter 30, of the
Bogus Statutes. This Act or Chapter of that code
e /|V a was acted on and passed by the Legislature at the
T session held at Shawnee Mission, early in August,
1855, to take effect from and after the date of passage,
although the statutes were not compiled or completed
and published until, probably, October 25th of that
year.
In Section 4 of said Chapter 30, the boundary lines
of Bourbon County were fixed and described as follows :
"Beginning at the southeast corner of Linn county ;
thence south thirty miles; thence west twenty-four
miles ; thence north thirty miles ; thence east twenty-
four miles to the place of beginning."
These descriptions are very nearly correct, except
that the first sectional line is not quite parallel with
the Missouri State line, and the border sections along
that line are fractional, and there is a jog in the range
line on the west side of the county.
The Legislature, at the request of William Barbee
44 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1855
and S. A. Williams, who were both originally from old
Kentucky, named this county "Bourbon" — especial
brand not given. They thought, like the old boys used
to say : "Some is better than others, but it's all good."
So they gave it a good send off by giving it a good
name.
McGee county was named for old Milt McGee who
was then a member of the Legislature, "from West-
port, Missouri." Everybody knew old Milt way up
to the6o's.
Anderson county was named for one of our first Rep-
resentatives, Joseph C. Anderson.
Wilson county was named for Col. H. T. Wilson, of
Fort Scott.
Bourbon County retained its original territory until
by act of the Legislature, approved February 13, 1867,
entitled, "An Act to define the boundaries of Bourbon,
Crawford and Cherokee counties," the boundaries of
Bourbon County were defined and described as follows :
"SEC. 1. That the boundary of Bourbon County
shall commence at the southeast corner of the county
of Linn ; thence run south, on the east line of the State
of Kansas to the southeast corner of section (24)
twenty-four, township (27) twenty-seven, range (25)
twenty-five ; thence west to the southwest corner of
section (23) twenty-three, township (27) twenty-seven,
range (21) twenty-one ; thence north to the southwest
corner of Linn county ; thence east to the place of
beginning."
By this act the county was cut down to about twenty-
five miles square.
1855] BOURBON COUNTY ORGANIZED. 45
In the Government survey of this State the base line,
or beginning line, for townships of six miles each was
made the north line of the State, and townships were
numbered from number one on down southward; and
the range lines, also six miles apart, were numbered
east and west from the sixth principal meridian, or
guide meridian, which is near the city of Wichita.
Bourbon County contains 407,680 acres of land. The
contour of the face of the country is high, rolling
prairie, with a general slope from west to east, the
general direction of all the larger streams being from
west to east, in common with the entire State. The
west line of the State has an altitude of between 2,000
and 3,000 feet. At the sixth principal meridian the
altitude is about 1,000 feet. At the east line of Bour-
bon County it is 650 feet.
The county is very well watered. The more consid-
erable streams being the Osage river on the north and
through the northern tier of townships. Mill creek and
Marmaton river through the central portion, and Paw-
nee and Drywood creeks in the southern part. There
is the usual amount of bottom land along these streams,
which are, of course, very rich, but these lands are not
especially desirable over those of the high prairie for
farming purposes, for the reason that they are colder
and harder to get into to work during a wet spring and
do not stand a dry time later in the season much better
than the high prairie, besides the high lands are, as far
as the soil is concerned, rich enough except on some
quarter sections scattered throughout the county on
which the stone is too near the surface. The soil of
46 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1855
the prairie lands is, generally speaking, of a limestone
formation and richer of itself than a sandstone forma-
tion. Under the black soil is about eighteen inches of
a dark brown sub-soil, then a stratum of three to eight
feet of yellow clay, then two to four feet of shale or
slate stone. Under that in a good portion of the county
is a layer of hard bituminous coal from eight to twenty
inches. This is especially true of the east half of the
county. Under all this is a solid stratum of pure lime-
stone from four to six feet in thickness, then comes a
stratum of from sixteen to thirty feet of soapstone.
Under that, on a limestone bedrock, water is generally
obtained. These strata vary, however — and in fact the
entire geological formation changes in certain sections
of the country. About the central part of the county
there are sections which are pure sandstone formation,
which contains an almost inexhaustible supply of the
very best quality of sandstone flagging. Limestone for
the manufacture of lime, and for building stone is easily
obtained in any part of the county. In Fort Scott, and
the neighborhood, is found extensive quarries of cement
rock, which produces the best grade of hydraulic cement.
THE FIRST COUNTY OFFICERS.
The Secretary of the Territory and Acting Governor
Daniel Woodson, appointed a part of the first officers of
Bourbon County, after its organization, on the 31st day
of August, 1855, as follows: Samuel A. Williams, Pro-
bate Judge, H. T. Wilson and Charles B. Wingfield
County Commissioners, and B. F. Hill, Sheriff. And
1855] NEUTRAL LANDS IN BOURBON COUNTY. 47
on the 2 2d of September, Governor Wilson Shannon
appointed J. J. Farley clerk of the Board of County
Commissioners, or County Clerk, as we call it now, and
John F. Cottrell, Constable, and Thomas Watkins
Justice of the Peace for Bourbon County.
On the 9th of November commissions were issued to
Wiley Patterson, Cowan Mitchell, Henry Miller and
D. Guthrie, as Justices of the Peace. J. J. Farley,
County Clerk, was appointed Register of Deeds.
Fort Scott was about this time designated as the
County Seat.
In November, 1855, tne Board of County Commis-
sioners met and divided the county into townships, as
follows: Little Osage, Timberhill, Russell, Scott and
Dry wood. The townships as they now exist are, Osage,
Freedom, Timberhill and Franklin on the north, Scott,
Marmaton, Mill Creek and Marion through the center,
and Drywood, Pawnee and Walnut on the south.
About the close of the year 1855, B. F. Thompson
and Branham Hill were appointed Justices of the Peace,
Alexander Howard and William Moffatt, constables, and
H. R. Kelso, coroner, in and for Bourbon County.
THE NEUTRAL LANDS IN BOURBON COUNTY.
The county of McGee, organized at the same time as
Bourbon, included what is now Crawford and Cherokee
counties, and was all Cherokee Neutral Land. A six
mile strip off the south side of Bourbon county, between
townships 26 and 27, and between ranges 21 and 25,
was also in the Cherokee Neutral Land. This strip is
more exactly described as follows :
48 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1855
The south >, of Township 26, of Ranges 22, 23, 24,
25. The east part of south % Township 26 of Range
21. The north 7< of Township 27 of Ranges 22, 23,
24, 25. The east part of 2 / z of Township 27 Range 21.
As will be seen hereinafter, a good part of these lands
were squatted on by settlers in direct violation of treaty
stipulations with the Cherokee Indians. In many cases,
however, the squatters were innocent of any intention
to trespass.
FORT SCOTT INCORPORATED AS A TOWN.
Fort Scott was incorporated as a town by Chapter 40
of the Bogus Statutes, which chapter was acted on and
passed by the Legislature on the 30th of August, 1855.
Section 1 of that chapter provides that the land
set forth and defined in the plat of said town shall be
incorporated into a town by the name of Fort Scott.
Section 4 provides that "the first Board of Trustees
of the town of Fort Scott shall consist of H. T. Wilson,
A. Hornbeck, Thomas Dodge, R. G. Roberts, F. De-
mint and Thomas B. Arnett."
Section 8 provides that the trustees shall have power
to collect taxes, regulate dramshops, to restrain and
prevent the meeting of slaves, etc.
But little is now known about some of the trustees.
A. Hornbeck was a merchant. He came in from Mis-
souri, and went back there after two or three years'
residence here. Dodge was an Indian trader, and had
been all his life. Thomas B. Arnett opened and kept
the first hotel ever in Bourbon county. It was in the
1855] MORE ELECTIONS. 49
house on the west corner of the Plaza, known after-
wards as the Fort Scott, or Free State Hotel. He fell
dead one Sunday, sometime afterwards, while attending
religious services in the Government Hospital building,
probably because, as town trustee, he had not been
strict enough in "regulating dramshops."
MORE ELECTIONS.
On the ist of October, 1855, an election was held under
provisions of the Legislature, for Delegate to Congress.
J. W. Whitfield was again the Pro-slavery candidate,
and received 242 votes in this county.
There was no Free State candidate, and the Free
State men took no part in this election.
A convention had been called at Topeka on the 19th
day of September, to take measures to form a State
Constitution. An election was held for Delegates to
the Topeka Constitutional Convention, on the 9th of
October. A. H. Reeder was also voted for by the Free
State men for Delegate to Congress. The town of Fort
Scott cast 27 votes. There appears to be no record of
a county vote.
The Convention met at Topeka on the 23d day of
October. A Free State Constitution was framed, and
an election for its adoption held on the 15th day of De-
cember. Again there is no record from Bourbon County.
The fact of the matter is, there were but few Free State
men in this county at that time. There were not
enough of them to form anything like an organization,
or even a circulating chain of intelligence among them-
4
50 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1855
selves. Each one was isolated from hig kind, and lived
like a rabbit in a burrongh. He kept his eyes and ears
open, but he kept his mouth shut. There were less
than 300 legal votes in the entire county, and not more
than thirty of these were Free State men. The first
immigration into this county was largely from the
Southern States. The territory lay adjacent to a slave
State, and it was natural that it should assimilate with
the peculiar institution of the South. Further north,
where the parties were more nearly equal in number,
the Free State men went to the polls ; they protested,
however vainly, against the fraudulent elections ; they
took concerted action for self-defense. Here they could
do neither. As yet they were in too great a minority.
They could only sit down and wait ; wait to see how
far and to what extent the Northern people would go to
meet the open defiance of the maddened and blinded
partisans of ultra pro-slaveryism ; wait for immigration
to reach down this far and give them help. It seemed
now to them like a losing contest. The migratory
hordes of the Pro-slavery party had, under the faint
pretense of "election," taken possession of the Terri-
tory, driven out the first Governor — an able, fair and
just man — and published to the world their statute of
"laws," which hung over the Territory for five years
like the web of a mammoth spider.
THE SECOND GOVERNOR.
Wilson Shannon of Ohio, was appointed to succeed
Governor Reeder. He arrived at Shawnee Mission and
1855] POLITICAL ATMOSPHERE. 51
assumed the duties of his office on the 7th of Septem-
ber, 1855, a few days after the adjournment of the
Bogus Legislature.
Governor Shannon had nothing to do with the elec-
tion of March 30th, 1855, and was, of course, in no
way responsible for the action of either faction; and,
although surrounded exclusively by Pro-slavery men,
bravely endeavored, during his short administration, to
do his duty as he saw it.
POLITICAL ATMOSPHERE OF BOURBON COUNTY.
The situation of Bourbon County during the years
1855, I ^56 and 1857 was peculiar. It was different
from that of any other county or portion of the Terri-
tory. The county was away down in the southeast,
isolated, and as yet out of the line and track of immi-
gration, and as yet out of the way of the partisan
troubles which held full sway in the country further
north. There were some men — their number could be
counted on your fingers — drifted in during these years,
who hung around here more or less, who were of the
very worst class; border ruffians themselves, and leaders
above all others of that ultra, uncompromising Pro-
slavery element whose politics was simply extermination
— extermination of Free State sentiment — extermina-
tion of Free State men, if that were necessary. These
were men like Dr. Hamilton, Captain G. A. Hamilton,
Alvin Hamilton, W. B. Brockett, G. W. Jones, G. W.
Clark. E. Greenwood, Sheriff Ben Hill and others.
But few of these made any pretense to citizenship, but
52 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1855
made Fort Scott one of their many stopping places or
headquarters. Their followers — their "men" — were of
that class they, themselves, called "poor white trash."
They were never able to own a slave and never expected
to be. They were that grade of men who saw everything
through the diseased perceptions of an incomplete
nature and a smothered intelligence. The men
from the South who came here as bona fide settlers
to make homes for themselves and families were of a
different grade. They were Pro-slavery, and desired as
a political question, that Kansas should come into the
Union as a slave State. They were thoroughly imbued
with the principles of Squatter Sovereignty, but had
no more idea or design of a criminal crusade in order to
accomplish their political ends than did Stephen A.
Douglas himself. They staid here law abiding men
during this first war; they staid here good Union men
during the Union war, and lived and died among us
under the flag of Clay and Benton, either the one or
the other of whom had been their household god since
the days of their youth.
As for the Northern men, a few of whom were now
finding their way into this county, they, also, were in
some sense different from their brethren further north.
They came without "aid" or other influence, except the
desire to build up a home. They came very generally
from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. They
were Free State men and finally voted for a Free State
Constitution. But they were not anti-slavery in the
sense of being Abolitionists. They did not want
slavery; they did not want free negroes; they simply
1855] POLITICAL ATMOSPHERE. 53
did not want any "nigger" at all. Many of them were
Democrats; many were Republicans; but they had no
desire to interfere with the "peculiar institution" of the
South further than to keep it out of Kansas. They
came here to make Kansas a State and to make it free.
It is not within the scope and design of this work to
detail the historical incidents and the public acts of
historical men or notorious characters outside of Bour-
bon County, except insofar as they concern or affect,
directly or indirectly our own local history. So far, an
attempt has been made to keep in touch with the prom-
inent men of those times, the animus of political
parties and the social bias of the contending forces.
It may be possible that the accurate and complete
history of our State can only be thus prepared, block
by block, and the checquered and mosaic tablet be
handed down to the future as the "History of Kansas."
54 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1856
CHAPTER VIII.
TONE OF PRO-SLAVERY PAPERS
■^rPHE year 1856 opened in the northeastern part of the
Territory and along the Kaw valley, in turmoil,
violence and murder. Armed factions were almost
daily coming into the couflict. The Free State
^ Ij 3 men were being armed and drilled for defense.
' The Pro-slavery men were being reinforced from
South Carolina, Alabama and the entire South, for the
openly declared purpose of overawing the Free State
men by violence and murder.
One sample of the tone of their newspapers at that
time is here given. The Kickapoo Pioneer, in speak-
ing of Free State immigrants, said :
"It is this class of men that have congregated at
Lawrence, and it is this class of men that Kansas must
get rid of. And we know of no better method * * *
than to meet in Kansas and kill off this God-forsaken
class of humanity as soon as they place their feet upon
our soil."
Bourbon County had as yet but little of this disorder
and violence. But the disturbing elements were to
come in very soon, and peace bid farewell for many years.
1856] TOPE K A CONSTITUTION. 55
THE TOPEKA CONSTITUTION.
The first political move of the year 1856 was the
election of officers under the Topeka Constitution,
which took place January 15. Charles Robinson was
the leading candidate for Governor, and M. W. Delahay
for Congress. W. R. Griffith of Bourbon County, was
voted for as State Auditor, but received less votes than
G. A. Cutler for that office. Griffith was also a member
of this Constitutional Convention.
The Topeka Constitution was not recognized by
Congress. The Legislature elected under it never had
any practical existence, nor was it expected to have, or
probably, intended to have. The conventions of Aug-
ust 14 and September 15 ; the elections of October 9,
December 15 and January 15, the Constitutional Con-
vention and the Topeka Constitution, were intended by
the Free-State leaders to serve — like toys given to im-
patient children — to occupy the minds of our Free-State
men; to solidify the growing " Anti-Pro-slavery "
elements of all shades in the North, and by publishing to
the world their platforms, resolutions and constitutions,
to furnish educating exponents of the principles, policy
and design of the Free-State party.
As was expected, some of the ultra Abolitionists were
dissatisfied. The word "white" was not eliminated
from the new Constitution ; its tone was for peaceful
solution, instead of for the aggravation of conflict as
they desired. They kicked over the traces, but they
were simply "cut out" and driven away.
The Free- State leaders at this time — among them
56 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1856
Charles Robinson, A. H. Reeder, M. J. Parrott, Joel K.
Goodin, M. W. Delahay — were strong men. The Con-
vention and the Legislature elected under it were
composed of good and true men. They raised here the
first signal light of Freedom, against which were already
breaking the black, seething waves of disunion.
TROUBLE COMMENCES.
The first invasion into Bourbon County by the Pro-
slavery men occurred in the spring of 1856. A party
of about thirty South Carolinians, headed by G. W.
Jones, came in and stopped temporarily in Fort Scott.
Under pretense of looking for homes, these men visited
most of the settlers in the county, ascertained where
they were from and their politics, what property they
had, and their means of defense, and made a complete
list of all the Free-State men. Then, later in the
season, about July, the Free-State men were again
visited, and were told they must leave the Territory.
A system of espionage, intimidation and arrest was
commenced. Their stock was driven off; their cabins
fired into in the dead of night, and they were often
taken under pretended arrest to Fort Scott, where they
would be advised that it was a much healthier country
further north for their class. The object was to so
harass and intimidate them that they would leave
their claims and such property as could not be easily
moved, and get out of the Territory, which the Pro-
slavery people had decided was their own by right, not
of discovery, but "non-intervention," and "Squatter
1856] TROUBLE COMMENCES. 57
Sovereignty." The matter was actually presented to
the masses of the South in the light that, as the re-
strictive compromise law had been wiped out, this was
slave territory; Free-State men were interlopers, and
had no more rights here than they had in South Caro-
lina. A Free-State man would not be allowed to live
in South Carolina ; why should he be here?
Anyway, their plans worked well. The Free-State
men were not strong enough then for resistance or
defense, and most of them left. This was in execution
of the concerted plans of Major Buford and his lieu-
tenant, G. W. Jones, who had arrived on the 7th of
April, at Westport, Missouri, with a large body of
armed men, some three hundred in number, from Ala-
bama, Georgia and South Carolina. Buford was a kind
of brigadier general in the army of invasion, and had
charge of the border, with the instructions, among
others, to search all steamboats coming up the Missouri
river, for Free-State passengers, and all emigrant wag-
ons coming from the East and North.
TEXAS RANGERS — EXPEDITION TO MIDDLE CREEK.
Late in the summer of this year a squad of fellows
came into Bourbon County from the south, who called
themselves "Texas Rangers." They were all well
armed and mounted, and wore spurs as big as a tin
plate. Their saddles were of the regulation Texas
pattern, with immense saddle blankets, with the "Lone
Star" worked in the corner.
Altogether, they were a very "fierce and warlike
58 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1856
people," and wanted to go right into the business im-
mediately. So, after laying around town two or three
days whetting up their bowie knives and running
bullets they got some of G. W. Jones' South Caro-
linians, added a few of the fellows who lived in Fort
Scott, and away they went, headed for Osawatomie, to
rout out John Brown. The company was under com-
mand of Win. Barnes, G. W. Jones and Jesse Davis.
They got up as far as Middle Creek in Linn County
where, about August 25th, they were met by Captains
Shore and Anderson with a company of Free State men
of about the same number. After a lively skirmish, in
which three or four volleys were exchanged, they let
go and skedaddled back to Fort Scott, pushing on their
bridle-reins and with saddle-blankets flying. They
had such big stories to tell about being closely pur-
sued by 2,000 yankees, who would soon be on them to
bum and murder, that everybody in town, men,
women and children, dogs and niggers, took to the
woods and laid out all night. It is said the Texas
Rangers never stopped till they got back to Red River.
Geo. W. Jones buried himself in the wilds of Buck
Run.
One of the recruits from Fort Scott on this expedi-
tion was a man named Kline, who had just started a
newspaper which he called the "Southern Kansan."
He had issued only two numbers of it when he felt a
call to help "advance the banner of the holy crusade."
He laid down the "shooting stick" to take up the
shooting iron. But it was an unlucky exchange, for,
at the first fire of "leads," the "devil" fired him into
1856] BOURBON COUNTY LEGISLATORS. 59
the "hell-box," and he remained in "pi" forever.
This was the only report in the "remark" column of
their muster-roll.
THE TOPEKA LEGISLATURE.
The Legislature elected under the Topeka Constitu-
tion met first on the 4th of March, and adjourned to
meet at Topeka on the 4th of July, 1856. At that date
they assembled and attempted to open a session, but
they were met by Col. Sumner of the regular army,
who ordered them to disperse.
SHANNON RESIGNS — GEARY APPOINTED.
Governor Wilson Shannon, who had now been in
office several months, became distasteful to the Admin-
istration and the Pro-slavery party, and retired from
office on the 21st of August, 1856.
Secretary Woodson, an implement of the Pro-slavery
people, became acting Governor until John W. Geary
of Pennsylvania, was appointed, and assumed the office
in September following.
TERRITORIAL LEGISLATORS FOR BOURBON COUNTY.
On October 6th, 1856, an election was held for mem-
bers of the second Territorial Legislature, which was
to meet the following January. In this county there
were to be two members elected. There were three
candidates in the field, who received votes as follows :
B. Brantly, 176 votes; W. W. Spratt, 127 votes; R. G.
60 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1856
Roberts, 60 votes. Brantley and Spratt were declared
elected.
These men were Pro-slavery. The Free State men
had nearly all been driven out, as has been stated, and
what few were left had neither disposition or opportu-
nity to vote. The Pro-slavery people also voted at this
election for J. W. Whitfield for Delegate to Congress,
and voted for calling a Constitutional Convention.
The closing hour of 1856 was the darkest hour for
freedom in Kansas. Its closing day marked the first
year of the preliminary struggle of the civil war. The
lines were being drawn and public sentiment solidified
throughout the Nation by the co-efficients of intoler-
ance, prejudice and hate.
1857] NEW TOWNS. 61
CHAPTER IX.
BOURBON COUNTY OFFICIALS.
"sTPHE county officers at the beginning of 1857 re-
£#k mained about as they had been in 1856. A. Horn-
beck was County Treasurer. The same Board of
County Commissioners, and B. F. Hill was still
J |j » Sheriff. The full representation in the Legislature
was : Blake Little in the Council, W. W. Spratt
and B. Brantley in the House. Blake Little had been
elected to succeed William Barbee, who died sometime
before. Mr. Little was quite an old man, and always
regarded as a good citizen. He was Pro-slavery in
politics. His son John H. and daughter Mary were
living at Fort Scott with him. He left here in 1859
and went to Arkadelphia, Arkansas.
NEW TOWNS.
The second session of the Territorial Legislature was
convened at Lecompton on the 12th of January. Among
the laws passed was an act incorporating the town of
Sprattsville in Bourbon County, an act establishing
a State road from Barnesville to Cofachique. Spratts-
ville was near where Dayton now is. It never advanced
in "growth and population" further than the survey
62 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1857
stakes for corner lots. It perished. It was located by
W. W. Spratt, who was that year in the Legislature.
The dense population in this connty at that time
seemed to require the "building up" of more towns.
Already foundations for future cities were being laid,
which in the near future were to become "busy marts
of trade," "manufacturing and railroad centers;" have
the machine shops and vote bonds, and have a mac-
adam tax, and a cracker factory. The probable location
of the depot was another question of vast moment. It
must not be so located that it would draw business to
one point of the town at the expense of another. That
must be guarded against. Everyone with a piece of land
suitable for an "addition" said he would guard against
it if it took half the land he had.
All these things were within the vision of the found-
ers, although the nearest railroad was yet two hundred
miles away.
MAPLETON LOCATED.
Mapleton was first located in May, 1857. The Town
Company were J. C. Burnett, E. P. Higby, Mr. Morton,
B. B. Newton, S. W. Cheever and D. Scott. This
Company soon afterwards abandoned the town project
and was dissolved.
Afterwards a new Company was organized by Wm.
Baker, Dr. S. O. Himoe, A. Wilson, John Hawk,
James Huffnagle and M. E. Hudson. This Company
first called the town Eldora, but after a time the name
was changed back to Mapleton. Dr. S. O. Himoe was
1857] MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. 63
appointed the first Postmaster on October 15th, 1857.
E. P. Higby was appointed early in 1858 and continued
the Postmaster for more than thirty years. E. Green-
field established the first store in 1858.
Mapleton has always been a prominent place in this
county. It is located in the beautiful valley of the
Osage, surrounded by an agricultural country unsur-
passed, and a thrifty, intelligent people.
RAYVILLE.
Rayville, of which considerable will be said here-
after, was located by the two Ray brothers. It was on the
Osage, about halfway between the points now known as
Ft. Lincoln and Mapleton. Rayville never became a
great manufacturing center, either; but they manu-
factured some Bourbon County history there. It had at
one time a store and a postoffice. But it finally per-
ished, also, and was laid "under the sod and the dew"
by the side of Sprattsville. It was too near Mapleton.
MEANS OF COMMUNICATION.
The means the people of Bourbon County then had
for mail facilities and communication with the outside
world were decidedly limited. They had a stage line
established between Fort Scott and Jefferson City, Mo.,
and the stage, an old bob-tailed "jerky," such as is now
to be seen only in "Wild West shows," made the trip
once a week; that is, when the creeks were not up and
there was no other preventing providence. This line
brought in the Eastern mail, and its arrival and depart-
64 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1857
ure were important events. Col. Arnett was the local
agent, and he conducted the business with characteristic
flourish. Three times a week they had a horseback
mail from Westpoint, Montevallo and Sarcoxie, Mo.,
Baxter Springs, Osage Mission and Cofachique. These
radiating lines indicated the importance already at-
tached to Fort Scott as a distributing point. All freight
came on ox-wagons from Kansas City, Mo., down the
old military road.
There were then but three saw mills in the county:
one on the Little Osage, near the future site of Fort
Lincoln; one on the same stream above Sprattsville,
and one on the Marmaton six miles west of Fort Scott.
There was an abundant growth of black walnut, syca-
more, cottonwood, oak, coffee bean, linn, etc., along
the Little Osage, Mill Creek, Marmaton and Drywood.
Goon Bass Fishing on Miij, Creek.
1857] MORE POLITICS. 65
CHAPTER X.
MORE POLITICS.
r>'T?HE Territorial Legislature in February, 1857,
passed an act dividing the Territory into three
judicial districts. The first step in the Lecotnpton
Constitution movement was taken February 19th
by the Legislature passing an act providing for the
election of delegates to a convention to frame a
State Constitution. The act provided for a census to
be taken, on the basis of which the Governor was to
apportion among the precincts the sixty delegates to
the Convention. The delegates were to be elected on
the second Monday in June, which was the 15th, and
were to meet at Lecompton on the first Monday in
September. Governor Geary vetoed the bill, but the
Legislature passed it over the veto, by a nearly unani-
mous vote.
On the 4th of March, 1857, James Buchanan became
President.
In his Inaugural Address he said :
"Congress is neither to legislate slavery into any
Territory or State, nor to exclude it therefrom, but to
leave the people thereof perfectly free to form and
conduct their own domestic institutions in their own
66 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1857
way. As a natural consequence, Congress has also
prescribed, that when the Territory of Kansas shall be
admitted as a State, it shall be received into the Union
with or without slavery, as the Constitution may
prescribe at the time of admission. A difference of
opinion has arisen in regard to the time when the people
of a Territory shall decide this question for themselves.
This is happily a matter of but little importance, and
besides it is a judicial question, which legitimately
belongs to the Supreme Court of the United States,
before whom it is now pending and will, it is understood,
be speedily and finally settled."
Two days afterward the Supreme Court handed down
the decision in the Dred Scott case. The gist of that
decision is this : The Missouri Compromise, so far as
it excluded slavery from the Louisiana Purchase, north
of 36. 30 was unconstitutional ; that Congress had no
power to prohibit slavery from any portion of the
Federal territory, nor to authorize the inhabitants
thereof to do so; that negroes are not citizens, and have
no rights as such. Or, in other words, that Kansas was
de jure Slave Territory, as it was de facto.
"Jeems" evidently knew on the 4th of March what
that decision was to be as well as he did on the 6th.
SLAVES IN BOURBON COUNTY.
At this time there were in Fort Scott and Bourbon
County about thirty negro slaves, owned by various
families from the slave States. They were legally held
as such under the Dred Scott decision. Kansas was
slave Territory.
Slaves were bought and sold in this countv as late as
1857] GEARY RESIGNS— WALKER APPOINTED. 67
August, 1857. The records of the county show that
Wiley Patterson purchased a negro woman slave of
James M. Rucker for $500.00 at that date.
GOV. GEARY RESIGNS — GOV. WALKER APPOINTED.
Early in March, 1857, Governor Geary sent his res-
ignation in a letter to St. Louis, the nearest telegraph
station, to be telegraphed from there to Washington.
He followed it himself soon after, and left the Terri-
tory somewhat hastily.
"He tuck his hat and lef ' very sudden
L,ike he gwine to run away,"
Geary was a good man. He took office a Pro-slavery
man, but he misunderstood what the Administration
and the leading Pro-slavery men in Kansas wanted.
He based his policy on the principles of justice and the
protection of all persons in their rights. That was not
what they wanted. They were also mistaken in their
man, and by denying him of all means of self-
protection in the matter of troops, etc., and by personal
assault and attempts at assassination, they finally drove
him from the Territory.
The Administration then concluded to put in a
Southern man for Governor, and Robert J. Walker was
appointed on the 26th of March. Walker, it is true,
was born in Pennsylvania, but he had spent the years
of his manhood in Mississippi. F. P. Stanton was
appointed Secretary and came first, in April, and took
charge as Acting Governor.
68 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1857
MORE IMMIGRANTS.
Bourbon County had now began to attract more
attention and become better known to the people of
the East and North. The few settlers who had found
their way down here "writ back." While their letters
did not bear any very encouraging word about the state
of political affairs or the peaceful condition of the
people, they did tell of a beautiful country, genial skies,
a spring that opened in March instead of May, and an
opportunity for getting land enough so that "John"
and "Mary" could both have a farm when they "come
of age. ' '
Fort Scott had also become one of the noted points
in the new Territory, and many young men were
attracted here to make this the starting point for their
future. A few who came were unfitted for the life of
pioneers. They generally came from the cities, and
as much on what they called a tour of adventure as
anything. But they found that even at the best hotel
the bed consisted of a straw tick and a buffalo robe, the
bath room was the Marmaton, and the means of washing
the face and hands were at the bottom of the back
stairs in a tin basin with hard water and soft soap.
They might have withstood all these luxuries, but
when they came to the dinner table that jarred 'em
loose. The "menu" consisted of cornbread, bacon,
fried potatoes and corn coffee with "long sweetnin'.
After wrestling with those delicacies for a short time
they would generally conclude they had seen enough
of the "border troubles" and skip back home fully
1857] MORE IMMIGRANTS. 69
determined to "go with their States" and let Kansas go
Free Trade and Woman's Rights if it wanted to, or go
to any other place, they were going home where they
could get some of "mother's cooking."
During the fall of 1856 and the winter and spring of
1857, there were also coming in from the slave States —
aside from the followers of Buford — a large contingent
of men, who were good citizens where they came from,
and remained here to the end, good citizens and good
men. The country knew none better.
Biographies and biographical sketches of the old
settlers cannot be given in this volume. Their biog-
raphies would furnish material for a much larger book
than this. It may some day be prepared. An attempt
will be made in this book to give a slight sketch or
mention only of the more prominent men who took
hold of the throttle valve and helped turn on steam.
Among those who came in this spring were the
following :
Dr. John H. Couch, with his family, arrived May 30,
1857. Dr. Couch was born in Lexington, Kentucky,
April 8, 1827. He obtained a fine collegiate and med-
cal education in that State, and went from there to
Monroe, Wisconsin, where he married Miss Lillis
Andrick. He was a strong Democrat and never hesi-
tated to vigorously denounce what he thought wrong in
his party, or any other. His heart was big. Many and
many are the persons who have occasion to remember
his kind professional services, given without hope of
fee or reward.
John G. Stuart came July 1. He was born in Halifax,
70 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1857
N. S., February 10, 1834. He established the first
wagon shop in Fort Scott.
T. W. Tallman and family arrived on the 22d of
April, 1857. Mr. Tallman was taken at once for his
true worth as a man. He has held many positions of
trust and honor, with trust and honor. He went out in
the world at sixteen to shift for himself, and after these
long and busy years he feels that life has not been a
failure.
Dr. A. G. Osbun came this year (1857). Governor
Wilson Shannon married for his second wife Miss
Sarah Osbun, sister of Dr. Osbun. Dr. Osbun took no
active part in political affairs, but attended quietly to
the duties of his profession. In the latter years of his
life he was in partnership with Dr. Couch in the drug
business.
Mrs. Osbun and the family of girls and boys came to
the county the following year, after the doctor had
located here.
The following named persons also came in to Fort
Scott in 1857, most of whom came early in the year:
W. I. Linn, J. C. Sims, Dr. Bills and family, C. P.
Bullock, S. B. Gordon, Joe Price, Governor E. Ransom,
Receiver of the Land Office, his wife, son-in-law Geo.
J. Clark and family; the notorious George W. Clark,
Register of the Land Office, Tom Blackburn, Charley
Bull, Charley Dimou, Orlando Darling, Joe Ray, W. B.
Bentley, J. S. Calkins, J. E. Jones, A. R. Allison, J. N.
Roach and family of girls, John Harris and family, H.
R. Kelsoe and family.
The town at that time consisted entirely of the houses
18571 FORT SCOTT TOWN COMPANY. 71
around the Plaza, which had been built by the Govern-
ment. No new buildings had yet been erected. Imagine
the city, buildings, trees, etc., all cleared away and the
wild, unbroken prairie in their stead coming clear up
to the Plaza on all sides, and there you have Fort Scott
as it appeared at that day.
The business houses were not yet very numerous.
Colonel H. T. Wilson had the old post-sutler store,
southwest of the Plaza, Blake Little & Son occupied
the old quartermaster building, northwest corner of the
Plaza, and Hill & Son were in the old guard house.
There was one blacksmith shop and two saloons.
FORT SCOTT TOWN COMPANY.
About the ist of June, 1857, a party arrived at Fort
Scott, which had been made up at Lawrence, Kansas,
consisting of Norman Eddy of Indiana, Geo. A. Craw-
ford of Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, D. H. Weir of In-
diana, and E. W. Holbrook of Michigan. Their purpose
in coming to Fort Scott was, principally, to organize a
town company. The town had been incorporated by
act of the Legislature of 1855, as has been stated. A
"Town Company" had already done some wind work
and formed a "curbstone 1 ' organization, consisting of
C. B. Wingfield, G. W.Jones, S. A. Williams and others.
The Wingfield Company, as it was called, had no title
to any land described in the act of the Legislature in-
corporating the "Town of Fort Scott, 1 ' nor did anybody
else. Claims had been filed on the different parts of
sections by different parties, and the Wingfield company
72 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1857
designed to acquire title to the townsite under the
pre-emption laws.
On the 8th day of June, 1857, according to the original
record, the Fort Scott Town Company "made condi-
tional purchase, and took possession of the 'claims'
known as the site of Fort Scott," and organized the
company with the following named members : D. H.
Weir, D. W. Holbrook, E. S. Lowman, W. R. Judsou,
G. W. Jones, H. T. Wilson, Norman Eddy, George A.
Crawford and T. R. Blackburn.
The Wmgfield organization was kept alive, however,
with the view of holding good the pre-emption rights
of the individual members, until, on the 5th day of
January, 1858, at a meeting of the Fort Scott Town
Company the following action was taken :
"Ordered, That the idea of attempting to pre-empt
the property of the company under the two organiza-
tions of the Wingfield Company and the Fort Scott
Town Company be formally abandoned. And that the
members and interests of the Wingfield Company be in
form, as they are in fact, received into and merged in
the Fort Scott Town Company."
An outline of the early life of Mr. Crawford is given
at this point. From the day of his arrival in Fort Scott
his life is interwoven with the history of the town and
Bourbon County.
George A. Crawford was born in Pine Creek Township
Clinton County, Pennsylvania, on July 27, 1827. His
ancestors were well known and active in the Revolution.
He spent his boyhood in Clinton County, and received
his higher education at Clinton Academy. After he
1857] FORT SCOTT TOWN COMPANY. 73
had finished his education he went to Salem, Kentucky,
where he taught school, and in 1847 he taught in the
high schools of Canton, Mississippi. In 1848 he
returned to Pennsylvania and studied law.
Mr. Crawford was active and quite prominent in the
State politics of Pennsylvania, taking James Buchanan
as his political guide, and later, his personal friend
Stephen A. Douglas. And finally, in the latter days
of the life of Douglas, joining with him in the hearty
support of the Administration of President Lincoln.
As we have seen, in the spring of 1857, he came to
Fort Scott, where he at once identified himself with the
large Free-State immigration just then beginning to
come in from the North. He was soon recognized and
accepted as the head of the combined political sentiment
of men from all sections of the country — North and
South — who may be denominated, in the political
shading of that time, as the conservative "Anti Pro-
slavery party. He had, however, no better personal
friends than he found among such men as Col. Wilson,
A. Hornbeck, S. A. Williams, Blake Little, John H.
Little, Col. Arnett, W. I. Linn and others then here,
whose political prejudices were at that time in harmony
with the great leaders of the South.
Mr. Crawford had a more extended acquaintance and
close personal friendship with prominent men of the
Nation than any man in the West. He was familiar
with all sections and all men. Polished and peculiarly
social in his manner, he was as much at home in the
political and diplomatic circles of Washington as he
was in the squatter's cabin. Had his inclinations been
74 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1857
for a political career he could have easily attained great
prominence. But the bent of his disposition was to be
at the head of large commercial and manufacturing
enterprises. For this, he chose this State and
particularly Fort Scott as the basis of his operations.
He succeeded well for several years, considering the
disjointed period of civil war, and had laid the founda-
tion of his future hopes. But circumstances, which so
often attack the affairs of men, combined with the
elements for his overthrow. He saw his mills and
factories swept away by fire in an hour's time, leaving
him struggling and helpless in the quick-sand of
unrelentive fate. The divinity which shapes the affairs
of men could come to him no more. It had passed by
his door forever.
The lives of all men "are of few days and full of
trouble." They pass like the shadow of a summer
cloud. One falls ; the ranks close up and move on, and
only memory glances back. So with him.
His last resting place is in the Grand Canyons of the
Colorado. His monument is the memory of those not
yet fallen.
UNITED STATES OFFICERS.
The United States Land Office for this District was
located at Fort Scott in the Spring of 1857. Epapliro-
ditus Ransom was appointed Receiver, and G. W.
Clark, under the name of Doak, was appointed
Register.
On the 10th of July, Hon. Joseph Williams took the
oath of office before Secretary Stanton, as Associate
1857] MORE TENDERFEET. 75
Justice of the Territorial Supreme Court. He arrived
at Fort Scott soon after, bringing with him his wife
and four sons, Mason, Kennedy, Joseph and William,
and immediately entered upon the duties of his office.
He had lived many years in Muscatine and Burlington,
Iowa, where he had been on the bench "twenty-one
years a judge in Iowa" as he invariably instructed the
jury in his charge. He was a weak man, easily
influenced, and without personal dignity.
MORE TENDERFEET.
About the first of August, 1857, several more people
arrived who were afterwards active and prominent
citizens.
B. P. McDonald came to Fort Scott from Lock
Haven, Pennsylvania. He was then a boy of 17. He
took up a timber claim soon after his arrival here, and
after the sawmill started he employed men in cutting
and hauling logs to the mill where he worked as a
hand himself, and from the proceeds of his lumber he
made enough to start him in business with his brother,
Alexander McDonald. In 1861 the firm of A. Mc-
Donald & Brother turned their attention to freighting
in addition to their other mercantile business and
afterwards added a banking department. In 1867 he
purchased the entire business and continued it in his
own name until 1869. He then closed out the
business except the banking department, which he,
with C. F. Drake and others afterward organized into
the First National Bank. He was always foremost
76 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [J857
in aiding all railroad enterprises looking towards Fort
Scott, and in 1874 he took hold individually of a
railway project for a road in a southeastern direction
from Fort Scott, and after completing a section of
several miles he finally transfered it to the Kansas City,
Fcrt Scott and Gulf Railroad Company, and his
conception and original labors resulted in the con-
struction of the great trunk line to Memphis, Tennes-
see.
Charles Bull had arrived sometime before. He was
a youngish looking man then, and has maintained the
same personal appearance for the past thirty years. He
is now with the Zuna Indians. He was the most even
tempered man in the Territory, always excepting Joe
Ray.
Joseph Ray came from Michigan. He was another
of the young men who came here to seek his fortune,
only he didn't want any fortune except to be able to
give to anybody and everybody in need. That was Joe.
He was the life of any party or company, and had a
smile and a joke for every one on every occasion.
There is no man in the long list of the early settlers
who have passed away whose memory is kept greener
than is his.
William Gallaher arrived on the 1st of August from
Illinois, originally from Pennsylvania. He was also
quite a young man. He was, however, more lucky
than some of the other boys, for he got a splendid
situation soon after his arrival. He was appointed
postmaster — the third one for Fort Scott — which posi-
1857] THE FREE 'STATE HOTEL. 77
tion paid him over twenty-four hundred — cents a year.
But he went into the army and lost it all.
Charles Dimon came from New York. Charley was
a good fellow, but he had one bad habit, that was corns
on his feet.
Ed. A. Smith, Burns Gordon, Albert H. Campbell
and A. R. Allison were also boys of the class of '57.
They all graduated with honor in that school the like
of which will never again be opened. School is out,
and the teacher is dead.
THE FREE STATE HOTEL.
The boys who came in this year and the men who
had no families with them generally boarded at the
Fort Scott Hotel, or the "Free State Hotel," as it was
better known. It was under the management of
Charley Dimon, with Ben McDonald and Charley Bull,
and most any of the other boys, as clerks. Will Gallaher
kept his postoffice there. This hotel was the building
on the West corner of the Plaza, built by the Govern-
ment for officers quarters, and now owned and occupied
by Hon. William Margrave. It was first opened as a
hotel by Col. Arnett soon after the post was abandoned
in 1854, and was then the first and only hotel in the
county. In the Spring of 1857, it was run by the
Casey Bros. Later Charley Dimon took charge of it,
and continued in it until January, 1859.
This house is a historical landmark. In 1857 it
acquired the name of "The Free State Hotel," which
it retained for many years. If its walls could talk it
could beat this history all to pieces.
78 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1851
CHAPTER XL
LECOMPTON CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.
^TT was now the beginning of autumn. The spring
^or) season had opened favorably for the farmers, and
wherever they had been permitted to stay at home
and work, the prospect was good for abundant
\ crops. Everything seemed to be reasonably quiet in
' this part of the Territory, although it was a forced
quiet, and there was much feeling of unrest and appre-
hension among the people.
The political talk was about the approaching Pro-
slavery convention to frame a State Constitution, which
was to be held at Lecompton.
As has been noted, the Legislature had passed an act
providing for the election of delegates to this conven-
tion, on the 15th of June, 1857. The Free State men
had, with something like concert of action all over the
Territory, let the election of these delegates go by de-
fault. They felt that there was no chance for an ex-
pression of Free State opinions, and no guarantee that
it would be anything but a repetition of the villainous
frauds and outrages which had heretofore taken place
under the name of ''election."
The Free State men, however, began to realize that
1857] LECOMPTON CONVENTION. 79
immigration had in reality now placed their party in
the majority. Their confidence and courage were
strengthened, and hope renewed. But the delegates
were already elected.
If the Free State men had taken prompt and vigorous
measures to contest the election of June 15, attended to
the registration and seen to it that the lists were cor-
rected, and then mustered their forces at the polls with
a determined front, it is possible that they might have
elected a majority of the delegates, obtained control of
the Lecompton Convention, presented a Free State Con-
stitution to the people, who would have sustained it, and
the State have quietly passed into the Union, and the
pages of Kansas history been altogether changed.
The Convention met at Lecompton on the 7th of
September, 1857. Blake Little and H. T. Wilson were
the delegates chosen from this District. Little was
chosen President pro tern, of the Convention.
After several adjournments the Convention finally
completed their work on the 3rd of November, guarded
by 200 U. S. troops. It was provided that the election
on the adoption of this Constitution should be held on
the 21st of December; that the question should be
divided and that the ticket should read : "For the Con-
stitution and Slavery," and "For the Constitution
without Slavery."
The time for the regular meeting of the Territorial
Legislature was January 4, 1858, but Acting Governor
Stanton called an extra session which met on the 7th
day of December, 1857, and passed an act providing for
a vote on the entire constitution — a straight proposition
80 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1857
for or against — to be held January 4, 1858, and provid-
ing more thoroughly against fraud.
The elections were quite numerous this fall and
winter, and somewhat confusing unless attended to in
their regular order.
THE ELECTION OF OCTOBER 5, 1 857.
The election for members of the Territorial Legisla-
ture and for Delegate to Congress was held on the 5th
of October.
E. Ransom, of Fort Scott, ran against Mark Parrott,
the Free State candidate for delegate.
At this election there were again some indications of
fraud, especially at the Oxford and Kickapoo precincts,
and in McGee county. McGee county, for instance,
"cast" 1202 Pro-slavery votes against 24 votes for the
Free State ticket. Fraud was patent to every body.
There were not a hundred legal voters in the county,
all told. The original returns from McGee county were
seen by one or more of our Fort Scott men before they
were doctored and sent on to Lecompton. The lists
contained a total of exactly eighty-three names.
At this election Bourbon County voted as follows:
Dry wood precinct, Ransom 9, Parrott 3; Russell pre-
cinct, Ransom 12, Parrott 2; Fort Scott precinct, Ran-
som 99, Parrott 24; Sprattsville precinct, Ransom 33,
Parrott 47; Osage precinct, Ransom 22, Parrott 20.
Total, Ransom 175, Parrott 96.
The Governor issued a proclamation on the 22d of
October, rejecting the returns of the election precincts
1857] MORE TROUBLE. 81
where the most glaring frauds had occurred. This re-
duced the total vote for Ransom to 3,799, as against
7,888 for Parrott, and the certificate of election was
issued to Parrott, and he took his seat in Congress the
next December.
George A. Crawford was the Democratic candidate
for Territorial Council from this District, which con-
sisted of Bourbon and seventeen other counties, McGee
among them. Mr. Crawford went to Lecompton at
once, and in a conference with Governor Walker and
Secretary Stanton he advised the throwing out of the
fraudulent votes, although such action defeated his own
election.
MORE TROUBLE.
The wave of Free State immigration which had
rolled in over the northern part of the Territory now
began to reach down into Southern Kansas, and to be
felt in Bourbon County to a greater extent than ever
before. And the troubles which had prevailed in the
North for so long a time were to be also transferred to
the Southeastern border.
The Free State men who had been driven out in the
summer and fall of 1856, now began to return — many
of them coming back armed — and as they found that
their strength had been materially increased by the con-
siderable number of new settlers coming into the
county they had confidence that by organization they
could now maintain themselves and recover their claims
and much of their other property. Among their leaders
82 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1857
were J. C. Burnett, Samuel Stevenson, Captain Bain and
Josiah Stewart.
Notice was served on those who had wrongfully taken
possession of cabins and claims that they must leave.
Many did so at once, but others relying on aid and
assistance from the "Blue Lodges" of organized Pro-
slavery men which existed in Fort Scott and along the
border, refused to vacate.
As an illustration of those difficulties, the case of
Stone and Southwood is given. William Stone had
been driven off of his claim on the Osage, and his claim
and cabin were taken possession of by a man named
Southwood, a Southern preacher. When Stone re-
turned to assert his rights Southwood refused to vacate.
The Free State men, after considering the case, built
Stone another cabin, near Southwood' s, and moved his
family into it. The women of the two families, of
course, got into a small border war over the well of
water. This helped to aggravate matters and the Free
State men finally ordered Southwood to leave by a
certain time. Just before the time fixed to leave,
Southwood gathered a large number of his friends from
Fort Scott and along the border with the purpose of
driving Stone off. But the Free State men were right
on hand, and gathered at Stone's to resist the expected
attack. It was a first-rate opening for a good fight, but
the Pro-slavery party, after a feint of an attack that
night, drew off. They made much big talk, but they
found the Free State party too strong and determined,
and Southwood left.
The opposing forces, or factions, came near a col-
1857] SQUATTER'S COURT. 83
lisiou several times after that. Things looked ugly.
But for some reason the Pro-slavery men declined to
open the ball, and the Free State policy was to await an
attack.
Finally, a resort was had to the forms of "law."
A term of the U. S. District Court was commenced on
the 19th of October, 1857. I* was hdd in the south
room of the land office building, Judge Joseph Williams
presiding, S. A. Williams, Clerk, and J. H. Little, Dep-
uty U. S. Marshal. This court was in full sympathy
and control of the Pro-slavery party. Claimants
throughout the District took their cases before this
court, and Judge Williams in most of the "claim cases"
decided against the Free State man.
Free State men were often arrested on some trumped-
up charge and were held for excessive bail or refused
bail altogether. These arbitrary proceedings were very
aggravating to them and they instituted a "court" of
their own.
squatter's court.
What they called a "Squatter's Court" was organ-
ized for the District. A full complement of officers,
Judge, Clerk, Sheriff, etc., was appointed. The first
"court" was held at what was called "Bain's Fort,"
a large log house on the Osage river, a little northwest
of the present town of Fulton. It was built by old
John Brown and Captain Bain. Dr. Rufus Gilpatrick,
of Anderson county, was Judge, and Henry Kilbourn,
Sheriff. Here they tried causes in due form of law,
and meted out justice according to their best light.
84 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1857
The only reasonable ground for "exceptions" to be
taken to the proceedings was, perhaps, that as there
was no family Bible handy the witnesses were sworn
on "Dr. Gunn's Family Physician." But as this was
a court from which there was no appeal, exceptions,
though often taken, were rarely noted.
The existence of this rival court was not to be toler-
ated by Judge Williams and his friends, and on the
i2th day of December, 1857, he ordered Deputy Mar-
shal Little to organize a posse and dissolve it. Little
went up there with a few men but the court failed to
dissolve. On the 16th he again advanced on the works
with a posse of about fifty men. When near the fort
he was met by a party with a flag of truce headed
by D. B. Jackman. They held a parley, and were
finally informed by Little that if they did not sur-
render at once he would fire on them. The truce
party warned Little that if he advanced it would be at
his peril. They then returned to the fort, and Little
advanced to the attack and opened fire. Several volleys
were exchanged. The attack was repulsed. Some of
Little's men and horses were slightly wounded. He
then returned to Fort Scott. On the next day he in-
creased his force to 100 men and returned again to the
attack, but he found, on arriving at the fort, that the
garrison had escaped during the night, and the court
"adjourned."
One of the posse was named James Rhoades, who
started back to Marmaton, where he had been em-
ployed in Ed. Jones' saw-mill. On the road he met a
Mr. Weaver, a Free State man, and they got into a
1857] A PROTECTIVE SOCIETY. 85
quarrel. Weaver was unarmed. Rhoades carried a
loaded gun and was himself well loaded with that same
old Missouri whiskey. In the quarrel he attempted to
shoot Weaver, but Weaver got the gun away from him
and killed him with it.
A little before this time a difficulty began between
two of the Osage settlers. It was a claim fight. In
1856 a man named Hardwick came in there and took a
claim. Isaac Denton and his sons, James and John
Denton, came in about the same time. Hardwick per-
mitted James Denton to occupy a cabin on his claim
with the understanding that he was to vacate at a cer-
tain time. When the time came around Denton refused
to vacate. Hardwick was threatened, his cabin was
fired into, and he was forced to give up his claim and
get out. Soon after this Isaac Denton and a friend and
neighbor named Hedrick, were killed. Hardwick was
suspected of the crime and he fled the country. A year
or two afterwards he was arrested in Missouri for this
crime and delivered to John Denton to be brought
to Kansas for trial. On the way Denton shot Hard-
wick dead. Denton, in his turn, was killed at Barnes-
ville, by Bill Marchbanks, for the killing of Hardwick.
A PROTECTIVE SOCIETY.
Geo. H. B. Hopkins settled on the Osage in Septem-
ber, 1856. He lived neighbor to Hedrick when the
latter was called from the bed-side of his sick wife and
shot down in his own door. The Dentons also lived
in the same neighborhood. The killing of Hedrick
86 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1857
and Denton on account of the threats of the Pro-slavery
men that no Free State man should be allowed to raise
a crop or stay on his claim, caused Mr. Hopkins and
his neighbor, Mr. Denison, to start out and organize a
" Protective Society." A large meeting was collected.
Squire Jewell was made chairman. Hopkins, Jewell
and Denison were chosen a committee to draft by-laws.
At a second meeting, three days later, James Mont-
gomery of Linn County was present, but took no part
until the men present at the meeting showed their
hands by passing the following resolution :
"Resolved, That we, the members of this organiza-
tion, pledge ourselves to protect all good citizens in
their rights of life and property irrespective of politics."
Montgomery then arose and in a speech said : "I am
now with you and will be to the end. Some men must
be active in defense while others work. We have a
hydra-headed monster to fight, and I for one will fight
him and with his own weapons, if necessary." And
from that time dated the activity of Montgomery as a
partisan leader of the Free State men. He now pro-
posed to take the saddle.
After Isaac Denton and Hedrick were killed, old
man Travis, also a settler on the Osage, was arrested
charged with having something to do with their
murder. He was taken before the Squatter's Court at
Mapleton and there found not guilty. On his way
home he stopped at Dr. Wassou's, and that night the
house was attacked and he was killed. Dr. Wasson
was also shot in the arm and crippled for life. This
was done or instigated by Jim Denton.
1857] THE CONSERVATIVES. 87
CHAPTER XII.
THE CONSERVATIVES.
LL through these border troubles there was
^^ naturally and necessarily what may be called a
conservative resident element in Fort Scott and
throughout the county, of both the Pro-slavery
and Free State parties ; men trying to attend to
r business, improve their claims, make homes, and
carry on their daily avocations. These men were, as
they well expressed it, between two fires. And the
alarms, incursions, excursions and the retaliatory acts,
back and forth between the two parties were carried on
over the heads of these law-abiding men. It was a
difficult position, much harder to maintain in the
country than in town. These men were not conserva-
tive in the sense of being non-committal or even
non-partisan but as being "non-active" in the political
difficulties which did not concern their private affairs.
It is of no avail to speculate now whether or not this
factious, partisan border trouble was necessary or could
have been prevented. It was simply a matter of fact ;
it existed, and that is all there is to be said about it.
The Free State men were, in a large measure, on the
defensive. They either had to hold their ground or be
ft HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1857
driven out. Get out or fight. It was a "condition and
not a theory that confronted them," although it was a
theory which, in some sense, had brought them to this
country in the first place; the theory that they had a
right to go into United States territory, take a claim,
make a home and speak and vote as they pleased. And
they proceeded at once on the theory that the condition
they found was a theory, and that their original theory
should become the condition.
U. S. TROOPS AT FORT SCOTT.
The constant alarms occurring in the latter part of
this year resulted in the calling of a public meeting at
Fort Scott on the 13th day of December. E. Ransom
was made chairman. Resolutions were reported that a
vigilance committee of five should be appointed to take
measures to assist in the better execution of the law,
either by the organization of a militia company or an
appeal to the Governor and having United States
troops stationed here. The committee appointed was
H. T. Wilson, Blake Little, T. B. Arnett, G. A.
Crawford and J. W. Head. The committee rightly
concluded that it would be injudicious to try to organize
a military company at that time, and decided to ask
for troops, who were supposed to have no politics. At
their instance John S. Cummings, the sheriff of the
county, reported to Acting Governor Stanton that he
required the aid of U. S. troops in the execution of the
law, and sent the concurrent statement of Marshal
Little to the same effect. In response to this request
1857] VOTE ON LECOMPTON CONSTITUTION. 89
Captain Sturgis, afterwards a Union General, was sent
here on the 21st of December with Companies E. and
F. 1st U. S. Cavalry, and order was restored and
maintained for the short time they were here.
FIRST VOTE ON THE LECOMPTON CONSTITUTION.
Governor Walker, finding that his idea of fairness
and justice ran counter to that of the propaganda,
resigned his office on the 17th of December.
He had been absent from the Territory for some time
and Secretary Stanton had been Acting Governor, and
while so acting had called the special session of the
Territorial Legislature to change the date and manner
of voting on the Lecompton Constitution, and for that
act, and others not in the programme, he was removed.
J. W. Denver was appointed to succeed him as
Secretary, and took the oath of office on the 21st of
December, and became Acting Governor.
On December 21, the first election was held on the
Lecompton Constitution. At this election the Free
State men again abstained from voting, or giving it
any attention.
The vote in Bourbon County, as returned, was as
follows :
For the Constitution, with slavery, 366
For the Constitution, without slavery, ... 78
There were only nine votes cast against the constitu-
tion in the entire Territory. These were voted at
Leavenworth and the tickets read "To hell with the
Lecompton Constitution."
90 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1857
This election, besides being otherwise a farce, was
more or less fraudulent in every precinct in the
Territory, Bourbon County not excepted.
Bourbon County elected members of the State
Legislature under the Lecompton Constitution as
follows: Blake Little for Senator, D. W. Campbell
and J. C. Sims for the House.
Efforts were now being made at different points,
notably at Leavenworth, to organize a Free State
Democratic party, as Free State Democrats everywhere
repudiated the Lecompton Constitution, but no organ-
ization was effected in 1857.
Among the arrivals about the close of the year were
Alex McDonald, brother of B. P. McDonald, and E. S.
Bowen, who had purchased and shipped a sawmill,
which was on the road and would arrive in due time.
The mill machinery began to arrive about the middle
of the next month, and was to be erected at a site
chosen for it near the corner of what is now First
Street and Ransom Street, or maybe a little further
West towards Scott Avenue.
Lumber was going to be in demand, for building
would begin in the Spring, although the year 1857 was
closing in turmoil, excitement and uncertainty.
1858] SECOND LECOMPTON ELECTION.
CHAPTER XIII.
SECOND ELECTION ON LECOMPTON CONSTITUTION.
'HE year 1858 opened politically with the now
*^M almost periodical election on the Lecompton
Constitution. This one occurred on the 4th of
January, as was provided for, as will be remem-
bered, by the Territorial Legislature in the special
session of December, 1857.
In Bourbon County the vote was as follows :
For the Constitution with slavery 55
For the Constitution without slavery . . . none
Against the Constitution 268
The total vote in the Territory, as published, was:
For the Constitution with slavery 138
For the Constitution without slavery ... 23
Against the Constitution 10,226
There was little or no deliberate or prearranged fraud
in this election in Bourbon County. The Pro-slavery
men in their turn abstained to a great extent from voting,
but the Free State men went at it in great shape this
time.
No analysis of the vote can be made. It will be noted
that Bourbon County cast nearly one-half of the total
92 HISTORY Ob BOURBON COUNTY. [1858
votes in the Territory for the Constitution with slavery,
as they were finally counted. But the vote proved
nothing as to the relative strength of parties in this
county. If an accurate poll of the legal voters in the
county that day could have been taken for the Consti-
tution with slavery, or against the entire Constitution,
it would have resulted in about 250 votes for each side
of the question.
FIRST NEWSPAPER ESTABLISHED.
The Fort Scott Town Company fell heir to the press
and material of the "Southern Kansan," which was
started and two numbers issued by Kline, who went to
war, and got killed in 1856, as you have read.
This material was afterwards stored in the black-
smith shop of Arnett's corral, where it remained until
January, 1858, when it was resurrected under the aus-
pices of J. E. Jones. It was removed to the south
room of the second floor of the Land Office building,
where Joe Williams, jr., and Charlie Bull — scrub typos,
proceed to sort the pi, and make ready for the publica-
tion of the Fort Scott Democrat. The first number of
the Democrat made its appearance on the 27th of Jan-
uary, 1858, J. E. Jones, editor.
The publication of the Democrat was continued by
Mr. Jones until sometime in 1859, when he left town.
THE FIRST GRAND BALL.
About the 1st of January, 1858, W. T. Campbell, who
with his family, had been living at Barnesvilie, whither
1858] TROUBLE BEGINS AGAIN. 93
he had moved from Kalamazoo, Michigan, came to town
and took charge of the Fort Scott or Free State Hotel.
Soon after, he gave what might be termed the opening
ball. All the elite of the city were present. One fiddle
furnished the music. Joe Ray "called," and "alamand
left" was heard at regular intervals until the "wee sma'
hour" of seven o'clock next morning. We don't re-
member very well all the ladies who were there, but we
do remember Miss Jemima Roach. Jemima was the
belle of the evening. For the benefit of the rising
generation we will give something of a description of
her ball costume, which will answer for a description
of all, for they were all about alike — cut off the same
piece in Colonel Wilson's store. Well, Jemima had on
a good warm linsey woolsey dress, with small check,
say, half- inch square, cut high neck and low sleeves,
trimmed with a feathery ruche of cut calico, and a dove
colored belt, a la cinch Mexicano. We believe the
dress was not cut bias anywhere, unless it was under
the arms. Just a good plain every day dress that would
do to milk in. Then good warm woolen stockings,
Government red tape garters, and good stout calf-skin
shoes, laced with buckskin strings. That's all. Sally
Duncan was the only one known to complain about a
thing at the ball. She said she "didn't like the durned
abolition callin' ; too much cheatin' yer pardners."
TROUBLE BEGINS AGAIN.
The troops remained here until the ioth of January.
1858, when they were ordered away, and then trouble
94 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1858
commenced again. Some of the Border Ruffians took
a squad out to where Mr. Johnson lived and abused
him, took some of his stock, and threatened to make
him leave. Johnson got word to Montgomery about it,
and asked him to come down and see about some fellows
whose names he gave as the leaders, who were then
stopping in Fort Scott. About the ioth of February
Montgomery was sighted by some of their scouts, com-
ing in sure enough, with a party of twenty men. Out
about the California ford on the Marmaton they were
met by a delegation to ascertain what he wanted. When
he told them who he was after, they informed him that
this particular man had leaked out into Missouri. But
Monty thought he would come in and see for himself.
So he did. But they were gone. Then Crawford and
Judge Williams and some others, invited him and his
forces to take breakfast at the Free State Hotel ; pre-
sented him the freedom of the city, so to speak — on a
tin platter. So the boys, who were in their "working
clothes," and not overly well dressed, took on a good
breakfast, and then went quietly home.
On the 15th, the men Montgomery had been looking
for returned, Brockett among them. Soon after that a
difficulty occurred between Brockett and Charley Dimon,
which might have resulted seriously, had it not been for
the firmness and courage of Colonel Campbell.
OBJECT LESSON IN SURGERY.
On the 28th of February a party under command of
Dr. Jennison and "Rev." Stewart, alias "Plum,'' went
1858] ORIGIN OF ' 'J A YHA WKER. ' ' 95
to the house of a Pro-slavery man uained Van Zumwalt,
on the Osage, and routed him out. When the door was
being opened — which was hung on wooden hinges and
opened outward — the muzzle of a gun was noticed being
poked out through the crack near the upper hinge.
Some one shot at it and Van received the ball in his
arm. He then surrendered. It was found to be a bad
wound, and Jennison, who was a very good surgeon,
then went to work and washed and dressed the wound,
giving the boys a clinical lecture as he went along,
explaining everything, and giving them instructions
how to proceed in similar cases which were likely to
to occur in the future.
If Van had been killed it is presumed Rev. Stewart
would have made a "few remarks" about the uncertainty
of this life, and said a few words for the repose of his soul.
The Jayhawkers always went well fixed in the matter
of the learned professions. They generally had a doctor
and a preacher along, and quite often a lawyer.
ORIGIN OF "JAYHAWKER."
On this trip the word, Jayhawker, originated. Jen-
nison had with him a regular all-around thief named
Pat Devlin. After the boys went into camp north of
the Osage, the next morning after visiting Van Zumwalt,
they noticed Pat coming in riding a yellow mule loaded
down with all sorts of plunder. In front of him were
hanging from the horn of the saddle, a big turkey,
three or four chickens and a string of red peppers,
behind him a 50-pound shoat, a sheep-skin, a pair
of boots and a bag of potatoes.
96 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1858
"Hello, Pat, where have you been," asked Doc.
"O'ive been over till Eph. Kepley's a-jay hawking."
"Jayhawking? What in thunder do you mean?
What kind of hawking is that?" said Doc.
"Well, sor, in ould Oirelaud we have a birud we
call the jayhawk, that whin it catches another birud it
takes deloight in bully ragin the loife out ov it, like a
cat does a mouse, and, be jasus, Oi bethot me Oi was
in about thot same business mesilf. You call it 'forag-
ing off the iuemy,' but, begobs, O'ill call it jay-
hawking."
"All right," laughed Jennison. "We'll call it 'Jay-
hawking' from this on." And so it was.
This same Pat Devlin took a claim on the Osage
some time before the incident related, laid a foundation
for a cabin on it and prepared for pre-emption. But
his inclination to jayhawk overcame any desire he may
have had to become a farmer, and, in consequence, he
was away so much "on thot business" that he for-
feited all right to his claim. John Hintou, of the Osage,
then jumped the claim, built a cabin and moved his
father and mother and family into it. Among the
family was the old grand father, a man about 85 years
of age, who was bed-ridden and helpless from rheuma-
tism. One day Pat was riding by the cabin, and on
examination, he found that the family were all away
from home except the old man. What did he do then
but turn in and first tearing the roof off the house he
rolled the logs off one at a time clear down to a level
with the old grand pap's bed, leaving him there in the
weather, alone and utterly helpless.
1858] FIRST MANUFACTORY. 97
(A
CHAPTER XIV.
FIRST MANUFACTORY IN FORT SCOTT.
^BOUT the 30th of February, 1858, McDonald's
saw-mill was completed and steamed up for the
first time. The boys thought this was a proper
occasion to steam up likewise, and Alex. McDon-
ald "gave a party" that night. Egg-nog was
* the principal ingredient. Ben. McDonald, John
Little and Ed. Smith were chief cooks and did the
mixing. They thought they had plenty of fuel when
they started in, but Ben said they run out of Polk
County sour mash, and towards the last he had to chuck
in some bay rum. Anyway, they laid the boys all out,
bottom side up. They didn't know whether they were
border ruffians or prohibitionists. Joe Ray said the next
day, they had to dust their hats with slick powder and
put them on with a shoe horn.
The boys had lots of fun at this saw-mill. Ben was
head sawyer and Joe "bore off" the slabs, when he
couldn't get Charlie Osbun, or some one of the other
boys to do it for him. Joe wasn't lazy, but he was awful
tired. They sawed cottonwood lumber sometimes.
Cottonwood was great lumber to warp. Joe said it
would often curl up and crawl off in the bushes and hide.
7
98 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1858
MARMATON TOWN COMPANY.
On the 6th of February, 1858, an act was passed by
the Legislature incorporating the town of Marmaton.
W. R. Griffith, W. B. Barber, W. H. Krotzer and
Horatio Knowles were named as the incorporators. On
the nth of February another act was passed incorpor-
ating the Town Company of Marmaton. The
incorporators were T. R. Roberts, J. E. Jones, Orlando
Darling and Charles Dimon. This Company spelled
the name with an "i" instead of an "a" thus:
"Marmiton." The correct way to spell the name of
the town and the river is as the Town Company had it.
The name was given the river by the French fur
traders who were here before any other white people.
The word means scullion, or kitchen boy, the one that
empties the pots and slops. But the people of the
town and township preferred to spell the name
" Marmaton," and they petitioned the County Court to
have the spelling of the name changed, and it was so
ordered.
UNIONTOWN.
Uniontown was laid out in 1858, by Aleph GofF, W.
W. Wright and B. F. Gumm, who were members of
the Town Company. Uniontown took the place of
"Turkey Creek" post office, which was a well known
point in the early days of the Territory, when it was
in "Russell" Township. It is surrounded by as fine
an agricultural country as there is in the county, and
the settlers, old and new, are of the best class of people.
1858] THE ENGLISH BILL. 99
THE LEAVENWORTH CONSTITUTION.
The Legislature on the ioth of February, 1858,
passed an act providing for the election of delegates to
another State Constitutional Convention. The election
was held on the 9th of March. W. R. Griffith was
delegate from this county. The Convention met at
Minneola on the 23rd of March, and after organizing
adjourned to Leavenworth, where the first session was
held on the 25th of March. On April 3d the "Leaven-
worth Constitution" was completed. The prominent
feature of this Constitution was that it nowhere
contained the word "white."
The Leavenworth Constitution did not figure to a
great extent in the history of Kansas. President
Buchanan had, on the 2nd of February, 1858, trans-
mitted the old Lecompton Constitution to the Senate
and recommended the admission of the State under it.
This he did in the face of the known and often expressed
opposition to that Constitution by both the Free State
Republicans and the Free State Democrats.
THE ENGLISH BILL.
Congress, being unable to agree on the question,
finally appointed a conference committee, and on the
23d of April, W. H. English, of Indiana, reported for
the committee what is known as the "English Bill."
This act provided that the Lecompton Constitution be
again resubmitted to a vote of the people; provided
stringent regulations for securing a fair vote, and
provided for an immense grant of lands to the State for
100 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1858
various purposes, aggregating nearly six million acres,
as a straight bribe to the people if they would adopt it.
We will vote on this proposition as quick as we can
get around to it.
JAYHAWKING REDUCED TO PLAIN STEALING.
Everything being somewhat quiet this winter in the
"political" circles of this section, Montgomery decided
to retire from the field, and do a little work in the way
of improvements on his farm in Linn county when
spring opened. There were others, he thought, who
could continue the watch on the border and keep the
upperhand of the Border Ruffians in this part of the
Territory. The man principally relied on to do that
was a Methodist preacher called Captain, or "Rev."
Stewart, the same man mentioned as having had a hand
in the Van Zumwalt affair. Stewart had about twenty
men, who mostly lived north of the Osage river, when
they had any home at all. For awhile everything went
off all right. But very soon brother Stewart "back-
slid," and he and his gang began stealing horses right
and left, and running them off up north. They gave
themselves up to plundering, robbing and stealing from
everybody and anybody. They pretended to be Free-
State men — called themselves so — but any man who
had a little property was a Pro-slavery man in their
eyes, and "all horses were Pro-slavery."
They committed so many villainous outrages that the
settlers, of all parties, began to leave the country. Many
came in to Fort Scott for protection. It seemed like
1858] JAYHAWKING. 101
the country would be depopulated. The Governor was
appealed to for troops by Judge Williams and others
and on the 26th of February Captain George T. Ander-
son came down with two companies of the 1st U. S.
Cavalry. But he could not do much good ; he could
not guard each individual, and he could not catch the
thieves. He told the settlers who applied to him for
protection that they must come in to Fort Scott. That
was a difficult matter, too, for those who had property,
especially stock. They could not well bring that in to
town. This plundering and stealing was aided and
participated in to some extent by a few of these very
U. S. soldiers, who were sent here to protect the people.
Edward Wiggin, who now lives on his farm about four
miles north of Fort Scott, came here with Capt. Geo.
T. Anderson, as a private in Company "I," Anderson's
company. He says there was a small squad of his
company, giving their names as Bill DeBost, Jim Sim-
mons, Henry Sad wick and some others, who soon fell
in with the idea of playing "Jayhawker," and influ-
enced by some of the old Border Ruffians, repeatedly
made stealing raids out into the county, in which they
represented themselves as "Stewart's men," and Free-
State men. A. Hyde, who after the war located in Fort
Scott, and was at one time City Marshal, and who our
citizens familiarly called Cap. Hyde, was also a member
of Anderson's company. Through the influence prin-
cipally of Ed. Wiggin and Cap. Hyde the thieves
mentioned were driven out of the company for this
stealing business.
In the meantime, all this thievimr and indiscriminate
102 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [J858
plundering was casting an odium on the Free State
party and giving it a bad name among those who were
not in the saddle.
Things came to such a pass that Montgomery again
took the field to straighten them out. As soon as he
appeared Stewart and most of his gang left this part of
the Territory for a while and that sort of business
ceased for some time.
FIGHT WITH U. S. TROOPS.
Montgomery remained in the field. The Southeast-
ern border was infested by Border Ruffians of the worst
class, many of whom had been driven down by the
Free State men further north and had lodged along the
Missouri State line. They were making their last
stand here. Hamilton was their General-in-chief. It
was an idea of theirs to use the United States troops to
accomplish the capture of old Jim Montgomery. They
had out their spies, and on the 21st of April it was
ascertained and reported to them that Montgomery was
in the Marmaton valley. Captain Anderson was at
once urged by the Border Ruffian crowd to go out and
bring him in. Anderson, like many of the regular
army officers, was himself an ultra Pro-slavery man
and would have liked nothing better than to have
gotten hold of Montgomery. He did not require much
urging, and soon started out with a detail of men to
capture him. About six or eight miles out, in the
Isaac Mills neighborhood, they sighted old Jim sure
enough, riding leisurly along, with about twenty men,
Western House, or Pro-Suvery Hotel.
Narrow Defile on Paint Creek. 1858.
1858] FIGHT WITH U. S. TROOPS. 103
and they took after him full tilt. It had not yet
become customary to fight United States troops by
either faction, and Montgomery having no desire to
commence the practice "skeedaddled." But being
close pressed he turned up Yellow Paint Creek to a
good narrow defile for defensive purposes which he knew
of, quickly dismounted his forces to fight as infantry,
and coolly awaited the onslaught of Anderson's troops.
Anderson paid no attention to the order, three times
given, to halt, but opened fire without dismounting,
badly wounding one man, John Denton. Montgomery
replied with a volley, killing one soldier named Alvin
Satterwait, wounding one or two others and killing a
soldier's horse, which fell on him pinning him to the
ground, and also killing Anderson's horse. The
regulars then retreated to town, and the irregulars went
on about their business.
This was the first and only time United States troops
were fired on during the border troubles. The Free
State party had always been careful to avoid placing
themselves in the light of rebels, or as resisting the
bogus Territorial laws. This affair was not similar to
that of Thermopolyae or the Alamo, for "Thermopolyae
had one messenger of destruction; the Alamo had
none," but it might easily have been, had Anderson's
force been of similar disproportion.
Captain Anderson resigned soon after this, and when
the war broke out he went into the rebel army and
became a Brigadier General. He had a brigade at
Pittsburg Landing. Captain Hyde was also in that
battle as a private in the regular army. On the first
104 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1858
day of the battle Hyde was wounded and left in the
hands of the Confederates, where he was accidentally
thrown into the presence of General Anderson. They
knew each other at once, and Anderson caused him to
be taken care of until the second day, when the tide of
battle, surging past where he was, left him in the
hands of his friends.
The second in command under Montgomery in the
Paint Creek fight was Aaron D. Stevens, then going
under the name of Captain Whipple. More will be
said of him hereinafter.
>^i «
1858] SOME OLD SETTLERS. 105
CHAPTER XV.
SOME OLD SETTLERS.
tMONG the men who settled in this county in the
Spring of 1858, was James F. Holt, who went out
to where William Holt was located on Turkey
Creek. Mr. Holt was born in Tennessee, April
15, 1819. He was postmaster at Turkey Creek,
and held other important positions and was a well
known figure in our county affairs. William Jackman
came from Pennsylvania and settled at Rockford. Guy
Hinton, A. Wilson and his brother M. Wilson came out
from Ohio, and located at Mapleton. Frank M. Smith,
from Tennessee, settled near Mapleton. Charles Elliott,
from Ohio, was quite a prominent man; he served as
County Treasurer one term. D. B. Jackman, Attorney-
at-Law, first went to Anderson county, but located "all
along the Osage" in 1858. He was prominent in
"Squatter Court" affairs. E. G. Jewell and D. Jewell
settled on the Osage. E. G. Jewell, a very promi-
nent man, was one of the vice-presidents at the organ-
ization of the Republican party at Osawatomie, May
18, 1859. H. Hickson, from Ohio, settled on Mill
Creek. W. R. Clyburn, from Indiana, settled on Dry-
wood. The Custard family, from Pennsylvania, and
106 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1858
J. B. Caldwell from the same State, settled on Drywood.
C. H. Haynes and family as noted by the Fort Scott
Democrat, arrived in March, 1858. He soon afterwards
purchased an interest in the saw-mill, and some time
afterwards he and Mr. Jenkins moved the mill to the
Marmaton river, northeast of the Plaza. Captain
Haynes entered the service at the beginning of the war,
as a lieutenant in the 6th Kansas, and in 1862 raised
and commanded Co. B, 14th Kansas. He was married
to Miss Jennie Hoyle, December 20, 1855.
John J. Stewart, who has already been mentioned as
having come here in January, 1856, had now grown to
manhood, and taken a claim on Mill Creek near Cen-
terville. He married Miss Elizabeth Harbin in Febru-
ary, 1856. During the war he served first in the 6th
Kansas, and afterwards raised and commanded Co. C,
of Colonel Eaves' battalion, and was all through the
Price raid of October, 1864. He has repeatedly repre-
sented the Mill Creek District in the Legislature, and
has served two terms as County Treasurer. He finally
moved to Fort Scott, and was one of the principal
founders of the well known State Bank.
Charles W. Goodlander arrived in Fort Scott on the
29th of April, 1858. He came in on the first trip of
the stage on the line between Kansas City and Fort
Scott, just opened by Squires of Squireville, and which
was to try to run tri-weekly thereafter. Goodlander
had learned the carpenter trade, and desired to work
at that business here; but not finding work just then,
he took the job of carrying the mail to Cofachique,
which then existed near where Humboldt is now. On
18581 IMPROVEMENTS BEGIN. 1<>7
his trip he found the postmaster at Turkey Creek away
from home, and the lady of the house, Mrs. Holt, was
washing. She gave him the key and told him to
change the mail himself. He did so, and found the
mail consisted of one lone copy of the N. Y. Tribune.
He got an occasional job at his trade, and would often
carry the necessary lumber from the sawmill on his
back. After a while he built a shop of his own. He
felt then like he was an independent citizen, and
dreamed of the time in the far distant future when he
would be worth a fortune of ten thousand dollars.
That was the objective point which he hoped some day
to attain. Like a good number of the men who came
to Bourbon County in an early day who are recognized
as among the leading citizens in the town and county,
he was a poor boy, with only industry, integrity, native
will power and good hard sense as the capital with
which he commenced life. And like these men also,
with whom he has often joined hands in local enter-
prises after the hardships of those disjointed times, he
soon became a powerful factor in the advancement of
the interests of the city and county.
E. L. Marble and Robert Blackett were already here.
George Dimon, Dick Phillips and A. F. Bicking arrived
in April, 1858.
IMPROVEMENTS BEGIN.
For a good while there was not much business going
on in Fort Scott, and the young men found it difficult
to get steady work. They did what they could find to
do in the way of odd jobs, and when business got too
108 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1858
slack and collections slow, they would "accept a posi-
tion" on the jury of the United States Court. That
was richness. The pay was $2.50 a day in gold.
All the boys resorted to the jury when it became
necessary to make a payment on board and washing,
especially board. The washing didn't worry them.
The jury was about the only means of raising ready
cash.
The saw mill had been running since the ' 'opening
night," sawing up oak logs into flooring and dimension
stuff, and large walnut logs that would now be worth
$100 each, into siding and fencing. The cottonwood
lumber was all corralled or lariated out.
Building operations now commenced on Market street.
W. I. Linn was the first to begin. He built and opened
a saloon in the structure afterwards occupied by Linn &
Stadden as a grocery store. J. S. Calkins put up a
small building further east, and the town company an-
other, opposite the head of Scott avenue, and alongside
the alley running toward the corral. George J. Clarke
and Will Gallaher also erected a small log building on
the rear of the lot afterwards occupied by Riggins.
Further out, Roach had erected the celebrated "Fort
Roach." Ben. McDonald and Albert Campbell built
a small house on Williams, street. Market street,
then Bigler street, was not opened for some time, owing
to Ben Hill's lot fence. His house was on the street,
back of the Western Hotel. J. C. Linn commenced,
but never completed, a three-story frame on the corner
now occupied by the stone block on Wall and Main
1858] RUFFIANS HAVE AN INNING. 109
streets. Kelly's blacksmith shop stood on the point of
the triangle between Wall and Market streets.
RUFFIANS HAVE AN INNING.
During the winter and early spring of 1858 there was
much friction between Free-State men in Fort Scott
and the ultra Pro-slavery party. The latter formed
themselves into a secret society called the "Bloody
Reds," which extended into the border counties of
Missouri. Dr. George P. Hamilton was the head. The
Western Hotel, then known better as the "Pro-slavery
Hotel," was their "official" headquarters, although
their favorite meeting place was at the house of Thomas
Jackson, in Vernon County, Missouri. The Pro-slavery
Hotel — now torn down — was on the opposite corner of
the Plaza, directly facing the Free-State Hotel.
The "Reds" had a special spite against George A.
Crawford, Will Gallaher and Charles Dimon, and they
decided to commence operations by driving them out of
town. On the 27th of April they received the follow-
ing note addressed to them :
'Gentlemen : — You are respectfully invited to leave
town in twenty-four hours.
"Geo. P. Hamilton."
Crawford sent this verbal answer : ' 'I don't exchange
messages with horse-thieves," and the crisis was on.
There was no longer room for both factions. One or
the other must go. The Free State party, numbering
about twenty-five well armed men, decided they would
stay, fight all comers and take the chances. Both
110 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1858
parties assembled at the Free State and Pro-slavery
hotels, respectively, and neither ventured out. B. F.
Brantley and J. H. Little called on the Free State party
and informed them that if the worst came they could
count on them. But they felt doubtful about the
soldiers, as, it will be remembered, Montgomery had
killed one of them only a few days before, but E. A.
Smith went into their camp and ascertained that they
would at least remain neutral. Nevertheless, Brockett
had secured three of them and secreted them in the
Western Hotel. But the next day they were arrested
and taken to camp under guard.
This state of affairs continued until the next night,
when the "Reds" raised the siege, and the most of them
left, never to return, and were not heard of again until
the Marais des Cygnes massacre, in which they were
the leading actors.
THE MARAIS DES CYGNES MURDER.
The Marais des Cygnes massacre occurred on the
19th of May, near the Trading Post. A body of
twenty-five Border Ruffians, under the leadership of
Captain Hamilton swooped down on the valley of Mine
Creek, in Linn County, and gathering up eleven Free
State men took them across the Marais des Cygnes
river to a lonely ravine, formed them in line, and
repeatedly fired into them, killing five outright and
leaving all for dead.
Ten of these Border Ruffians were well-known in
Fort Scott. They were the Hamiltons, W. B. Brockett.
1858 J MARAIS DES CYGNES MURDER. Ill
Thomas Jackson, Harlan, Yealock, Beach, Griffith and,
Matlock. The others were probably here more or less
but their names are not certainly known.
The Marais des Cygnes murder was in some respects
the most atrocious that had yet occurred in the Terri-
tory. It was a blow from organized extermination. The
effect of this murder in the North was very great. It
was taken up with more than usual feeling by the press,
and the details were read in every Northern household.
It was the blazing text of orators and the burning
theme of poets. Altogether, it did much to shatter the
elements of conservatism in the North, and shape a
final crisis.
The nearest a parallel was the Pottawatomie murders
committed by old John Brown and his sons, on the 24th
of May, 1856. Brown went to the houses of his victims
in the dead of night, and killed them one at a time.
The men killed, five in number, were also unwarned
and unarmed. It is true they were Pro-slavery men,
but — a third of a century has passed away.
The actors of that time have taken their rightful
places in public estimation. As for old John Brown,
the prediction of his intimates did not take place that
"the gallows would become as glorious as the Cross."
About the time of the massacre Montgomery was in
Johnson County, but arrived that night at the Trading
Post, where he found about 200 men assembled. The
next morning a pursuit was organized with Sheriff
McDaniels, R. B. Mitchell and Montgomery at the
head. They left for West Point, a town about twelve
miles north, where it was believed Hamilton had taken
112 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1858
refuge. But they failed to find any of the gang, but it
is believed some of them were there hidden away by
the citizens. Search has kept up and the border
guarded for sometime.
That fall Matlock was captured and taken to Paris,
Linn County, for trial, but he escaped. In 1863 Wm.
Griffith was arrested in Platte County, Missouri, and
taken to Mound City for trial. He plead "not guilty"
and set up the Amnesty Act as defense, but the jury-
found him guilty, and Judge S. O. Thatcher of this
district sentenced him to death, and he was hanged
October 30, 1863. Asa Hairgrove, one of the survivors
of the massacre, acted as hangman.
THE EFFECT ON THE BORDER.
After the Marais des Cygnes murder the people all
along the border were naturally much excited. They
felt that this massacre was, in some sense, different and
more alarming than any outrage that had yet occurred.
They were used to hearing of murders, collisions
between two factions, the sacking of towns, and of
assassinations, but in these cases they were often
the outcome of personal difficulties, or the animus was
directed against persons or communities particularly
objectionable. In this instance, however, they saw this
armed band, sweeping in a semi-circle through the
country, picking up one at a time these men who were
absolutely inoffensive and driving them to slaughter.
It looked to them like their enemy was organizing for
a forlorn hope, a last final struggle, the delivery of the
1858] THE EFFECT ON THE BORDER. 113
last venomous stroke of expiring energy. They did
not know the day they, themselves, might not receive
the stroke. Their fears were not altogether groundless.
It is now known that this was only the first act of a
pre-arranged plan for general murder and destruction.
The people felt much incensed against Fort Scott.
The citizens of the town had, however unwillingly,
permitted these Border Ruffians to make it their regular
stopping place and silently acquiesced in the establish-
ment of their headquarters. The stigma naturally
attached itself.
The Governor, it is thought, realizing that there
might be retaliatory measures taken by the Free State
people, which must result in innocent bloodshed, had
for that reason ordered a Deputy United States Marshal
down to arrest Montgomery, or any other probable
leader in such movement, and thus nip it in the bud.
At any rate, Deputy Marshal Sam Walker was sent
down here and arrived at Rayville on the 29th of May,
with writs for Montgomery and some others. When he
got to Rayville he found a large body of men who were
being addressed by Montgomery in favor of proceeding
to Fort Scott and executing vengeance on some few
still there who were then believed to have been impli-
cated with, and known to be in sympathy with the
Hamilton crowd. On looking the ground over and
feeling the sense of the people, Walker saw that was
not the time or place to arrest Montgomery. But he
made himself known, and, addressing the meeting, he
informed them that if they would get out warrants for
the arrest of G. W. Clark and others and furnish him
1 14 HISTOR Y OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1858
with a posse, he would go to Fort Scott and make the
arrests. The reply was that Judge Williams would not
issue the writs. He told them to get warrants from a
justice of the peace then, and, although it might not be
strictly legal, he would arrest the parties nevertheless.
This proposition was acted upon. He was furnished
with the warrants and a posse of forty-four men.
Montgomery went along. On Sunday morning, May
30th, they entered Fort Scott, found G. W. Clark, and
after considerable bluster on his part, arrested him.
By this time Clark's friends had assembled in consider-
able force, and Montgomery, knowing there were writs
out for his arrest, concluded it would be discretion for
him to "leak out." A demand was now made by
Clark's friends that Mongomery be pursued and
arrested. Walker, after consulting with Captain Na-
thaniel Lyon, who was then stationed here, and then
present, decided to do so. He turned his prisoner over
to the military, overtook Montgomery and brought him
back. After Clark's friends had taken a good look at
"Old Jim Montgomery," Walker left with him for
Lecompton for trial. But at Rayville he was overtaken
by a courier from Lyon informing him that Clark had
been released by Judge Williams. This action dis-
gusted and angered Walker, and he immediately turned
Montgomery loose.
At the time Clark was arrested feeling was running
very high. It was critical. Had Clark seriously re-
sisted arrest, Walker would have killed him, when
Walker would in turn have been riddled, and there is
no telling where it would have stopped.
1858] AMNESTY. 115
CHAPTER XVI.
AMNESTY.
Governor j. w. denver, on the 9th day of
June, 1858, left Lecompton for a trip down the
border, with a view of making a personal effort
for the conciliation of the people. He was ac-
companied by Charles Robinson, Judge John C.
* Wright, A. D. Richardson and others. On their
road down they visited James Montgomery at his home
in Linn county, and he joined their party there.
They arrived at Fort Scott on the 13th. On the next
day, the 14th, a public meeting was held on the Plaza,
in front of the Free State Hotel. The people had gen-
erally been notified that the Governor would be here
for the purpose of trying to arrive at a basis for a treaty,
and if possible to conclude terms of peace between the
factions, and to agree on an amnesty for all past politi-
cal offenses against the law by men of both parties. It
seemed like every man in the county was there. The
Governor had asked to meet them, and they came, but
they, as well as the people of the town, were distrustful
and excited.
Governor Denver made the first speech in a quieting
and conciliating tone and manner, which had a good
lift HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1858
effect. He was followed by Judge Wright, of Law-
rence, and B. F. Brantley, of Fort Scott, in the same
strain. After they got through Gov. E. Ransom took
the stand. Ransom was quite an old man. He had been
Governor of Michigan, and was a man of more than
ordinary intelligence, although narrow-minded and
bigoted in his views, and had always been thoroughly
Pro-slavery in feeling. He began his speech by a ter-
rific denunciation of the Free State people for having
brought on the condition of affairs that then existed.
He had only fairly started on this tirade when he was
interrupted by Judge Wright who stepped in his front,
facing him, and denied the statements he was making
in a very sharp and emphatic manner. Governor Den-
ver, whose attention had been called away for a
moment, then sprang in between them, and sharply
told them that sort of thing must stop, and speaking
to Ransom, he said: "Governor Ransom, you area
much older man than I. I did not expect this kind of
conduct on your part ; I had a right to expect some-
thing different from you. You must stop that kind of
talk. You must take your seat and be quiet." And
he did take his seat, and kept quiet.
This account is in Governor Denver's own words. In
an address published by the State Historical Society,
Governor Denver continues the account of this day's
proceedings as follows :
' ' To make a long story short, I prevailed upon all
the county officers of Bourbon County to resign their
offices, and then I told the people, that while I had the
right to appoint any man I pleased to fill the vacancies,
1858] AMNESTY. 117
that I desired an expression of their wishes in the
matter, and that I wanted them to hold an election
right then and there, and that I would receive it as
instructions as to whom to appoint to those offices.
They asked me how they should do it. I told them to
set up their candidates, place them out at one side of
the public square, one here and another there, and let
their friends form a line on the right and on the left.
They placed their candidates out, and I gave the word
to march. The people then formed. I then appointed
two men to count them. They then counted them and
reported to me the number they had found for each can-
didate. The first was for Sheriff, I think. Then for
the next office we went through the same ceremony,
and the election was held in that way. I gave them a
certificate of appointment, and as soon as I got back to
Lecompton I sent them their commissions."
This was a critical day in Fort Scott. The men of
all parties and shades of politics, Border Ruffian, Jay-
hawker, Pro-slavery, ultra radical Abolitionists, Free
State Republicans and Free State Democrats were all
here together and facing each other. Before the speak-
ing they had already began to divide and separate into
parties, and at that moment the exchange of hot words or
any offensive act would have precipitated a bloody battle.
The officers "elected" that day were as follows: For
Sheriff, Thomas R. Roberts; for County Commissioners,
or County Supervisors, as they were called, Thomas W.
Tallman of Fort Scott, M. E. Hudson of Mapleton,
Bryant Bauguess of Drywood, Jacob J. Hartley and
Joab Teague of Marmaton. These men were given
certificates of election by the Governor, who afterwards
sent them their commissions from L,ecomptou.
i 1 8 HIS TOR Y OF BO URBON COUNTY. [1 858
At the first meeting of the Board, held soon after,
Horatio Knowles was appointed Clerk of the Board,
and some townships were organized.
PROTOCOL OF PEACE.
After the election the meeting was adjourned to meet
at Rayville on the next day. At Rayville Governor
Denver addressed the crowd, and after the speech he
proposed the following as a basis for a treaty of peace :
i. Withdrawal of troops from Fort Scott.
2. The election of new officers for Bourbon County
without reference to party.
3. Troops to be stationed along the State line to
guard against invasion from Missouri.
4. Suspension of the execution of old writs until
their legality be authenticated by the proper tribunal.
5. Montgomery and his men, and all other bodies of
armed men on both sides to abandon the field and disperse.
After Governor Denver had concluded, Montgomery
was called for. Montgomery was recognized as the
party of the second part by the treaty making powers;
the leading and representative spirit of the aggressive
and self-protecting element of the Free State men of
Bourbon County. The men at this meeting were not a
band of marauders. They were men who lived and in-
tended to continue to live in this county, and they had
determined to have peace if they had to fight for it.
There was a hush of intense interest when Mont-
gomery took the stand.
He immediately accepted the terms of the Governor's
proposition. He continued, thanking the Governor for
1858] MONTGOMERY SIZED UP. 119
the interest he had taken in their affairs, the evident
spirit of justice by which he seemed to be actuated ;
that peace, so long a stranger to this part of the country,
was above all things, what he and the people most
desired, and that if the Governor redeemed the pledges
that day made, he would retire to his cabin and use his
best efforts to prevent any further trouble.
The moderate Pro-slavery men, and the more
conservative men of all parties were satisfied with the
amnesty, as they called it, and for several months all
seemed to strive to preserve the peace and tranquility
which was thus restored.
MONTGOMERY SIZED UP.
James Montgomery in the general estimation of the
people, is often rated and classed with J. H. Lane, John
Brown and C. R. Jeunison. He ought not to be so
held. He was a different kind of a man. Their lives
were in no ways parallel. He was no coward, assassin,
crank, fanatic or murderer.
"He wore no knife to slaughter sleeping men."
His sincere desire was to see Kansas a free State.
He was in spmpathy and co-operation with the men
who made Kansas a free State. He was an instrument
of the men who were holding at bay that party and
that principle which were attempting to force slavery
upon Kansas by the most outrageous violation of all
personal and political rights. He was of the Free
State party who were "holding the fort until the
Republican party could arrive."
120 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1858
CHAPTER XVII. .
SOME MORE ARRIVALS.
N the first part of June, 1858, William Smith and
) wife arrived at Fort Scott with their son William
H. and daughter Mary. The elder son, Edward
A., was already here. Mr. Smith was born in
« Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1810. He was a printer
by trade and worked for some years for Harper
Bros, in New York, after his arrival in this country in
1830. "Uncle Billy Smith" was a man of strong,
sturdy qualities, somewhat "set in his way," but with
a large heart and warm sympathies. His wife, "Aunt
Jane," was a noble, Christian woman. Mrs. Smith,
with Mrs. Alec McDonald, organized the first Presby-
terian church in Fort Scott, in the next November after
their arrival.
John F. White came early in June, from Pennsylvania.
He was absent from Fort Scott most of the time for two
years or more, conducting the general store of George
A. Crawford & Co., at the Trading Post. Then he
returned and opened a store of his own. He was
afterward, County Treasurer for four years. Jack was a
noble man.
Charles F. Drake arrived June 17, 1858, from Mt.
1858] AFTER THE AMNESTY. 121
Vernon, Ohio. He came just after the Denver meeting
and compromise, having walked into town from the
Osage, and arrived here dusty, ragged and hungry.
Finding a rather peaceful condition of things just then
he decided to remain, and soon after started a small
hardware store and tin-shop, the first one in Southern
Kansas. Thus he commenced pounding and soldering
together the elements of his successful future. He,
however, always found time to "be into" and help
engineer nearly all the enterprises which have since
been inaugurated in Fort Scott.
Our railroad enterprises have all felt the necessity of
having the assistance of C. F. Drake, and most of them
his signature also. He placed the Foundry on its feet
and held it up for some years. He built the first
Cement works, aided in the details by A. H. Bourne,
Dr. B. F. Hepler and B. F. Gardner. He helped
establish the First National Bank, and later, the Bank
of Fort Scott ; he shouldered largely the responsibility
in the erection of the Water Works and Sugar works,
and has built his share of the fine business houses in
the city.
Mr. Drake is a man of much more than average
financial ability, and his life might well be taken as a
model by any young business man.
AFTER THE AMNESTY.
In the latter part of June, 1858, Capt. Nathaniel
L,yon, then in command of the United States troops
at Fort Scott, wrote to Governor Denver that: —
122 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1858
"The agreement made by the people here on the
occasion of your late visit has been entered upon in
good faith, and to this time fully observed."
The newly appointed Sheriff, T. R. Roberts, at once
commenced active work against the horse-thieves,
especially the gang running with our old acquaintance
"Rev." J. E. Stewart, who had again returned. This
man Stewart and his men had rendezvous on the Osage
and on Drywood, and were sheltered and protected
quite as often by men claiming to belong to one side as
the other.
A considerable number of horses and other stock
stolen by organized bands of theives, were recovered
during the summer and returned to their owners by
Sheriff Roberts. The Fort Scott Democrat of date of
July 8th, has this to say: "Sheriff Roberts has recov-
ered nearly all the horses stolen by Rev. J. E. Stewart."
One day Sheriff Roberts and his posse were out to
arrest some men who had been with Stewart the spring
before, and who had now slipped back again. Rube
Forbes was one of them, and he was one of the men
Roberts wanted. Dave Forbes, a brother of Rube, was
along with the posse. When they got up near Maple-
ton, they met Rube, or saw him at some little distance
in the road. They all knew him at once. Rube knew
them also, and fixed himself for a run by throwing
away everything loose and tucking his Sharp's rifle
down under his leg. Dave, as soon as he saw him,
rushed his horse in front of the posse and shouted to
Rube to run. Then facing the posse and raising his
revolver, he said: "Gentlemen, that man is my
1858] IMPROVEMENTS CONTINUE. 123
brother; the first man that attempts to shoot him is a
dead man." And he held that posse until Rube had
time to get away.
Soon after peace was restored, Geo. A. Crawford
made a trip to Washington to effect the removal of Geo.
W. Clark, who had been so long in the Land Office.
This he succeeded in doing, although Clark was the
pet of somebody near the Administration, who immedi-
ately secured for him a fat appointment in the U. S.
Navy. But this section of country was rid of him for
all time.
G. W. Clark was at heart a bad man. His methods
were sneaking and underhanded. He held his office
under false pretenses and under a false name, the rec-
ords of the Land office bearing his name as Doak. He
planned and instigated more devilment among his class
of rabid Pro-slavery men than any other man on the
border. He was not in the Marais des Cygnes murder,
but he was in the secret council that planned it in the
"dark recesses" of the Western Hotel. Had he and
his friends then in Fort Scott ever obtained what they
thought to be a sufficient advantage, their first stroke
would have fallen on Crawford, Gallaher, Dimon, Mc-
Donald, Campbell, Tallman and others, instead of the
wholly unprotected and unwary men who formed that
fated line on the banks of the Marais des Cygnes.
IMPROVEMENTS CONTINUE.
During the summer the work of improvement went
on satisfactorily. Hill & Riggins and W T ilson, Gordon
124 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1858
& Ray erected their new stores on Market street and
occupied them. The Democrat had moved to the sec-
ond floor of the Town Company's building; the Com-
pany occupied the front room, and the post-office the
back room of the lower floor. Two Swedes erected the
great barn-like building at the Southeast corner of the
Plaza, one of them — the big one — packing most of the
lumber from the mill on his shoulders, and C. F. Drake
occupied the east room for his stove and tin store.
William Smith erected a dwelling at the corner of Scott
avenue and Locust street. Charley Goodlander put up
his shop on the east side of Scott avenue.
EXIT LECOMPTON CONSTITUTION.
Governor Denver had designated the 2nd of August,
1858,! as the day for the election on the Lecompton
Constitution, as submitted by the provisions of the
English Bill.
The election took place on that day, with the follow-
ing result in Bourbon County :
Against. For.
Rayville, 53
Sprattsville, 18
Mapleton, . . . ' 84 . . . 1
Marmaton, 41 ... 4
Osage, 30
Mill Creek, . 26
Dry wood, 50 ... 13
Fort Scott, 81 ... 19
Total, 383 .
37
1858] EXIT LECOMPTON CONSTITUTION. 125
The total vote in the Territory was :
Against the Constitution, 11,300
For the Constitution, 1,788
Majority against, 9,51 2
And that was the last of the Lecompton Constitution.
It was born in iniquity and shame; left in all its squalor
on the steps of the White House; there reclothed, a
bribe for its adoption hanged around its neck and then
returned to the place of its nativity, only to be spurned
into a timely grave.
Thus perished the last hope of the incipient Confed-
eracy that they could ever add Kansas to their territory.
They gave up the fight. The struggle was over. Kansas
was free.
126 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1858
CHAPTER XVI1L
AMNESTY BROKEN.
cj*ry?HE regular election for member of the Territorial
§kt Legislature was held on October 4, 1858. Bourbon
County was in the 12th District. Thomas R.
Roberts was elected the member for this county.
On the 10th of October Governor Denver resigned,
T and Hugh S. Walsh became Acting Governor until
the appointment of Samuel Medary, of Ohio. Governor
Medary arrived at Lecompton on December 17th and
assumed the office of Governor.
The truce agreed to in June had been generally ob-
served and nothing objectionable to any party occurred
until in November, when stealing commenced again.
The houses of Poyner and Lemons, two farmers living
north of Fort Scott, were robbed, and many other dep-
radations were committed. It is not known who com-
mitted all these robberies, but they were generally laid
onto "Montgomery's men." Some of the robberies
were probably committed by men who had, at some
time or other, been with Montgomery. There was no
"politics" in it more than there would be now days in
any plain case of stealing, nor had it anything what-
1858] AMNESTY BROKEN. 127
ever to do with the amnesty agreement further than a
tendency to "stir things up."
About the 17th of November, 1858, a man named
Ben Rice, who had figured more or less as a Jayhawker
was arrested on old indictments for crimes committed
before the amnesty. It was said one indictment was
for the murder of old man Travis who had been killed
on the Osage nearly a year before. The arrest of Rice,
although it was made by a Free State officer, on an
indictment found by a grand jury, partly, at least,
of Free State men, was regarded by many as a deliberate
rupture of the treaty of peace and amnesty, which
would be followed by the indictment and arrest of all
who had been active in the border difficulties, and that
the revival or resumption of the execution of old writs
for past offenses of a political nature would fall only on
men of the Free State party, as most of the men of the
Pro-slavery party who were liable under the law for
crimes and misdemeanors had been driven out or had
voluntarily left the Territory.
Montgomery also regarded the arrest of Rice on such
an indictment as a violation of the agreement with the
Governor of June 15th. He argued that all offenses
committed prior to that date should be "amnested."
The other side claimed that the agreement was, substan-
tially, that for past offences no arrests should be made
except on duly authenticated indictments by grand
juries. Such in fact was the real spirit and intent of
the Denver agreement.
Then followed a couple of weeks of uneasiness and
growing dissatisfaction, when a meeting was called at
128 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1858
Rayville to endeavor to quiet things down again. W.
R. Griffith was president, J. C. Burnett and Rev. M.
Brockman, vice-presidents, and J. E. Jones, secretary.
Montgomery, in a speech interpreted the June agree-
ment, claiming that amnesty was of the essence of that
treaty, etc. A motion that offenses committed prior to
June 15th be referred to grand juries of the proper
counties was lost. On the other hand, a motion to
forcibly release Rice was also lost. There was some
further discussion, but it was impossible to agree on
any line of action, and Montgomery determined on the
release of Rice.
RELEASE OF RICE — DEATH OF UTTLE.
On the night of the 15th of December, 1858, a party
with the purpose of releasing Ben Rice from custody
assembled at the house of old manWimsett, about three
miles west of Fort Scott on the Marmaton river. The
leaders present were old John Brown, Montgomery and
Jennison. These men had with them their lieutenants
and particular followers which they had brought down
with them from Linn County, of about fifteen men each.
On the Osage they were joined by some twenty more
and five or six were added to their force on the way
down through the county, making the aggregate
number at Wimsett's sixty-eight or seventy men. They
also brought down a small cannon, then owned by the
Mound City people — now in possession of the State
Historical Society — which they called "Betsy." Alec
Howard, of Osage, hauled Betsy down in a two-horse
wagon.
1858] DEATH OF LITTLE. 129
A general council was then held by the prominent
men to arrange details. The question of who should
command the expedition came up. Brown wanted to
lead. He claimed he was the oldest man and oldest in
the border war and should have command. He defined
his plan of campaign as the absolute destruction of the
town and the killing of all who resisted. Hazlett,
Whipple, Kagi and some few others supported Brown.
Montgomery claimed that he should lead; that the
people of the Osage country, in both counties looked to
him and relied on him, and he knew their wishes; that
he had been their representative in the Denver agree-
ment, and in all the public meetings at Rayville and
other points; that the sole and only object of the expe-
dition was the release of Rice, and that not a single
house should be burned or a man killed, and finally, in
the most arbitrary manner he declared that he was and
would continue in command. Jennison had nothing to
say. He was there to go in with anybody and run his
chances. He afterwards, in a published "sketch of his
life" claimed that he was the leader, but his leadership
began after the store was broken open and the goods in
sight. The party then started for Fort Scott, crossing
the Marmaton at the California ford. Brown remained
at Wimsett's. The affair had assumed too insignificant
proportions for the great "Liberator" to fool with,
especially if he couldn't boss the job.
After their arrival at the edge of town, at the house of
J. N. Roach, called "Fort Roach" by the boys, which
was a log house near the present corner of National
avenue and First street, thev halted and there formed
1 30 HIS TOR Y OF BO URBON CO UN TV. [ 1 858
into three squads of twenty men each. It was now
just daylight, between six and seven o'clock. On
reaching the Free State Hotel, where they had previ-
ously ascertained Rice was kept, the first division
passed quietly by the right to the rear of the house,
the second squad to the left, and the third mounted the
big flight of stairs in front and passed on up to the
third story, where they found Rice and quickly released
him. While this was going on a tragedy was being
enacted in the building just across the alley from the
hotel. This building, still standing, was built by the
Government for quartermaster's stores. It is a long, one-
story frame house, and was at this time occupied by
Little & Son as a general store. A partition had been
run through lengthwise, and the part next to the hotel
was the storeroom, and the other part was occupied by
the Little family. The store had a front entrance and
also a side door. John Little and George A. Crawford,
for that night, were sleeping in the store. The noise
made by the rescuing party aroused their attention.
Just then they heard some one cry "Jayhawkers ! "
Then Little grabbed his gun, opened the front door a
few inches and, seeing an armed mob, fired on them,
lodging a load of duck-shot in the heavy overcoat worn
by Hazlett. Kagi, standing near Hazlett, instantly
fired at the door, putting a ball through it just above
Little's head. Little then locked the front door and
went to the side door, placed a goods box against
it and mounted it in order to see through the transom
what was going on. The glass in the window was
dusty and he took his white handkerchief and was
1858] DEATH OF LITTLE. 131
cleaning a spot so he could see out better, when Capt.
Whipple, standing about at the corner of the hotel,
seeing the handkerchief moving, fired at it with his
Sharp's rifle. The bullet struck Little in the forehead,
and he dropped to the floor and expired in a few
minutes. Then the uproar commenced. The Jay-
hawkers thought there were armed men in the store.
The cannon was brought up to bear on the house.
Some one shouted that there were women and children
in the house. Then the doors were all opened or
broken down, front and rear. They found no one in
the front part of the store but Mr. Crawford and the
dying Little. They assisted Mr. Crawford in carrying
Mr. Little around to the part of the house in which the
family lived.
In the meantime several citizens had made their
appearance, and as fast as they did so they were arrested.
Colonel and Mrs. Wilson, in the next house to the hotel,
came out on the porch and were ordered down on the
sidewalk among the other prisoners. Alec McDonald,
living in the next house to Colonel Wilson's, came out.
Jeunison, standing on the sidewalk in front of Wilson's,
ordered him to surrender and come down there. Mc-
Donald declined the invitation and darted inside the
door just as Jennison let go at him with his rifle. The
ball is in the door now.
Montgomery, seeing Mrs. Wilson, thought he saw in
her face a resemblance to Dr. Hogan, who had once
befriended him when they all lived in Missouri. On
ascertaining that Dr. Hogan was her brother, he at
once released her and the Colonel and promised that
132 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1858
their store should not be disturbed, but "requested"
that the Colonel furnish some of his men with break-
fast. The Colonel ordered breakfast at the Western
Hotel for thirty, but the men did not stay to eat it.
The jayhawkers on breaking open Little's store, seeing
the dry goods, boots, saddles, etc., began to help them-
selves. Jennison was in there. He took one of the
new saddles, turned it over on the floor and piled dry
goods and things on it, then buckled the surcingle over
them, poked his gun through the bundle, shouldered it
and walked off. He looked liked the cuts in newspapers
and hand-bills of those days advertising slaves.
C. F. Drake, Crawford and others went to Montgom-
ery and tried to have him stop the stealing. He did
try to, but the fellows had got a taste and he could not
control them. He did, however, succeed, like in time
of a big fire, in "confining it to one block."
Little made a fatal mistake in firing the first shot into
the mob. While it cannot be stated without question
that if there had been no resistance or show of arms
there would have been no bloodshed or firing on un-
armed citizens by the rescuing party, it is altogether
probable that such would have been the case. There
was a bad element along, headed by Jennison, who only
awaited an excuse like being first fired on to shoot at
any body they saw, or commit any depredation.
George Stockmyer, Mr. Tabor and Mr. Johnson,
living in the neighborhood of Dayton, learned of the
proposed attempt to release Rice the day before, and
with a view of preventing probable trouble, started
that night for Fort Scott with the intention of inform-
1858] DEATH OF LITTLE. 133
ing the proper officers and getting them to release Rice
in advance of the mob. But they were prevented for
some reason, and did not get in until too late.
The tragic death of John H. Little was much regret-
ted by all who knew him, not only in town, but
throughout the country where he was well acquainted.
Every body knew ''Little & Son," and Little's Store.
He was a man of strong Pro-slavery prejudices, but of
late he had nothing to do with politics, but was attend-
ing strictly to the business affairs of the store.
The right name of the man who shot Little was
iVaron D. Stevens, who was then going under the
assumed name of "Capt. Whipple." He had a singular
history. At the age of fifteen he went into the Mexi-
can war and, young as he was, he distinguished him-
self for undaunted courage. After the war his command
started home across the plains. One day an officer was
grossly abusing a private soldier. Whipple witnessed
it as long as he could stand it and then turned in and
whaled the officer nearly to death. For that Whipple
was sent to Leavenworth, tried, and sentenced to be
shot. But he escaped. In January, 1856, he turned
up at Topeka, got in with the boys, and was made
Captain. Later he joined John Brown and died with
him for the Harper's Ferry business, as did also the
men called Ka<>i and Hazlett.
134 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1859
CHAPTER XIX.
MIUTIA ORGANIZED.
cj'TPHE incidents which had occurred during the last
<PM of December renewed the excitement throughout
If the county. The citizens of Fort Scott and the
neighborhood made application to Governor
I}* Medary for troops. The Governor having no
* troops to send advised the organization of home
militia to act with the Marshal in enforcing the law.
They acted on his suggestion and the organization of
militia companies was begun about the first of the
year. John Hamilton, the old sergeant of the regular
army, who was here when the post was established in
1842, was captain of the first company, and C. F.
Drake lieutenant. Another company was organized by
Alex. McDonald, W. T. Campbell, A. R. Allison and
W. C. Denison. Two or three other companies were
started; they had plenty of men for officers, but they
ran out of men for privates. They finally concluded
that, as the weather was pretty cold anyway, they
would let old John Hamilton run the military depart-
ment. Being an old- soldier he immediately brought
matters into military shape, with roll-call, guard
mounting, drill, etc. Their arms were all private
property and were of as heterogeneous a character as
1859] MILITIA ORGANIZED. 135
could well be imagined — flint-lock muskets, rifles of
every imaginable pattern, shot-guns, carbines and pistols.
On application of Governor Medary a quantity of
smooth-bore muskets were sent to the end of the Pacific
railroad, whence, during the month of January, 1859,
they were escorted to Paris by a company from Linn
County. On the trip, Captain Weaver, in charge of
the party, in drawing a loaded gun from a wagon, was
accidentally shot and killed.
The greater part of the month of January was spent
in drilling. The force was divided into three com-
panies under Captains Hamilton, McDonald and
Campbell. J. E. Jones, A. McDonald and W. T.
Campbell were appointed Deputy U. S. Marshals. The
men were all regularly mustered and sworn in.
Sunday morning, January 30, 1859, a company of
fifty men started for Paris after the new arms. The
trip occupied four days and on their return preparations
were at once made to go in pursuit of the Jayhawkers.
The entire mounted force marched at midnight on the
4th of February. Hamilton's company reached the
Little Osage, near the present Fort Lincoln, at daybreak.
For three days they scoured the Little Osage country
clear to its head, riding almost continuously, and
returned to Fort Scott at midnight of the 7th with
about a dozen prisoners, completely worn out.
After a few days' rest they proceeded with their
prisoners to Lawrence, where they were to be tried.
The difficulties in Southeastern Kansas early engaged
the attention of the Legislature, to whom the Governor
had presented his version of the matter. To remedy
136 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1859
the evils in this part of the Territory the jurisdiction
of Douglas county was extended over the infected dis-
trict, and all persons were ordered to be brought to
Lawrence for trial, away from the scene of strife. That
is the reason these prisoners are being taken there.
LAWRENCE AND FORT SCOTT GET ACQUAINTED,
Continuing their journey they camped at Black Jack
on the night of the 14th. Next morning, at the Waka-
rusa, Marshal Campbell met them with the news of the
passage of the "Amnesty Act," and the captives were
turned loose. The wagons and most of the men at
once set out on their return to Fort Scott. Some,
desirous of visiting Lawrence, since they were so near,
and with no suspicion of the reception they would
receive, rode on. As they quietly pursued their way
up Massachusetts street, and had almost reached the
Eldridge House, the cry was raised in the crowd that
Hamilton, their Captain, was the Hamilton of Marais
des Cygnes fame. In a moment they were beset by a
fierce mob numbering several hundred. Resistance was
useless. Putting spurs to their horses they dashed for
the prairie. But the mob was ahead of them. As they
galloped down New Hampshire street they received a
perfect avalanche of bullets, brick-bats, rocks, mud and
sticks. In a short time they were completely hemmed in,
and then there was nothing for it but to surrender. But
everything was explained after awhile and they were
treated with the greatest consideration during the
remainder of their stay in that city.
1859] COUNTY SEAT MOVED. 137
One good result of this affair was that Lawrence and
Fort Scott became better acquainted, and the bad im-
pressions and prejudices of both towns which had
existed against each other were, to a great extent, re-
moved. Fort Scott's opinion of Lawrence was that it
consisted principally of jayhawkers and thieves, and
Lawrence was entirely certain that Fort Scott contained
nothing but Border Ruffians, with Doc Hamilton as
Mayor and Brockett as Police Judge. When they
found that the Fort Scott people were, like the best
men of their own town, only interested in the peace
and prosperity of Kansas, they felt most kindly towards
them, and from that day both communities drew a
clearer line between "jayhawkers" and good citizens.
The ' 'Amnesty Act' ' mentioned was passed by the Leg-
islature only a short time before, and was to this effect :
SEC. i. That no criminal offenses heretofore com-
mitted in the counties of Lykins, Linn, Bourbon, Mc-
Gee, Allen and Anderson, growing out of any political
difference of opinion, shall be subject to any prosecu-
tion on complaint or indictment in any court whatsoever
in this Territory.
"Sec. 2. That all actionsnowcommencedgrowingout
of political differences of opinion, shall be dismissed. ' '
This act, taking effect immediately after its passage,
pardoned and liberated all political prisoners then in
custody within the designated limits.
COUNTY SEAT MOVED.
In the winter of 1859 the county seat was moved from
138 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1859
Fort Scott to Marmaton City. There was a combina-
tion of circumstances which effected this removal.
There was a feeling that the records and other property
of the county would be more secure away from Fort
Scott. There was also considerable feeling of animosity
against that town, as the result of old prejudices, and it
is probable, also, that a scheme for a real estate specu-
lation, headed by T. R. Roberts, the Representative in
the Legislature, had something to do with it. At any
rate the records were moved, and the first meeting of
the County Board was held on the 25th day of February,
1859. At this meeting the townships of Freedom,
Franklin and Marmaton were organized.
The people of Fort Scott sat still and saw the records
and offices moved away without much protest, as they,
even then, relied on their "natural advantages" for the
future of their town. But C. F. Drake and a few others
realized the necessity for having the County Seat at Fort
Scott, if it was in future to be the principal town in the
county, and they went to work to recover it, as will be
seen hereafter.
PREPARING FOR ANOTHER CONSTITUTION.
On the 7th of March, 1859, Governor Medary issued
a proclamation calling an election for or against holding
a Constitutional Convention, in order to ascertain
whether or not the people wished a State government.
This election was held on the 28th of March, 1859.
It was the first step under the movement for the Wyan-
dotte Constitution.
1859] AN ALL-AROUND GOOD YEAR. 139
Bourbon County voted as follows :
For a Constitutional Convention 333
Against a Constitutional Convention 47
Majority for 286
The total vote in the Territory was :
For a Constitutional Convention 5>3°6
Against 1,425
Majority for 3, 881
This was a very light vote. There was but little
division of public sentiment on the question, and no
contest at the polls. Everybody was in favor of a State
government, except a few bad smelling politicians, old
time Jay hawkers and Border Ruffians, whose "political
principles" had degenerated into the sole desire to see
the country kept embroiled and the field kept open for
plundering, thieving and guerrilla warfare.
AN ALL-AROUND GOOD YEAR.
The spring of 1859 opened and continued fairly sea-
sonable, except there was a little too much rain.
Even up to June the rivers and streams, from the
Marais des Cygnes down, were often past fording, and
sometimes out of their banks. But, nevertheless, the
prospect for growing crops was good, and there had been
much more planting than ever before.
Emigrants were coming into tbe Territory in large
numbers, although that year the "Pike's Peak" excite-
ment was at its height, which diverted much the larger
1 40 HIS TOR V OF BO URBON CO UN TV. [1859
stream of emigration to the gold fields of the Rocky
Mountains.
Bourbon County, however, in spite of the troubles,
trials and vexations she had passed through, in spite of
the marauding of irresponsible men, which had cast an
odium on her good name, and in spite of the heretofore
almost lawless condition of society, was, nevertheless,
receiving a fair share of good farmers and good men.
The valleys of the Osage, Marmaton and Drywood were
filling up, and the high open prairie was being intruded
upon by the cabin and corral. Towns were springing
up, — Dayton, Xenia, Uniontown, Rockford, Cato, — all
with at least a store, and a post office.
The names of all who settled in the county that year
should be recorded here, but it is impossible. They
came in too thick.
Fort Scott received a good increase in population
during 1859, also. Among the many coining in that
year was C. W. Blair.
Charles W. Blair located in Fort Scott in the spring
of 1859. He was born in Georgetown, Ohio, February
5, 1829. He studied law when a youth and at the age
of twenty-one was Prosecuting Attorney for his county.
December 25, 1858, he was married to Miss Katherine
Medary, daughter of Hon. Samuel Medary, who was
soon afterwards appointed Governor of Kansas Territory.
He was accompanied to Fort Scott by his old law
tutor, Hon. Andrew Ellison, and they entered imme-
diately upon the practice of law, which has been the
occupation of his life except the interim during the
late war. Blair was always a Free State Democrat,
1859] AN ALL-AROUND GOOD YEAR. 141
and after Sumpter was fired on he was a War Democrat
in the full sense of the term. He began his war
service by raising the first company of soldiers organ-
ized in Fort Scott. Afterwards, he passed through the
several grades of Major, Lieutenant-Colonel and Colonel,
and in the latter part of the war was promoted Brigadier
General, at the special request of U. S. Grant. His
star was, in part, gained on the bloody ridge of Wilson
Creek, when, after the incompetent "political General"
Sigel was crushed and his guns taken, and he discovered
he was fighting Americans, the rebel host turned in
full force on the main line — when, after the noble
Mitchell and Deitzler, of the First and Second Kansas,
had fallen badly wounded, Lieutenant-Colonel Blair
took command of both those stunned and shattered
regiments, rallied them into line on the right of the
Iowa men and advanced to the ringing call of Lyon :
'Come on, brave men, I will lead you."
142 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1859
CHAPTER XX.
DELEGATES TO THE WYANDOTTE CONVENTION.
o'TPHE election of delegates to the W3'andotte Con-
§M> stitutional Convention occurred on the 4th of June.
The candidates for delegates from Bourbon County
were J. C. Burnett and W. R. Griffith, Republicans,
and Ezra Gilbert and Hugh Glen, Democrats. The
election resulted as follows :
J. C. Burnett, 281
W. R. Griffith, 294
Ezra Gilbert, 229
Hugh Glen, 229
In the Territory 14,000 votes were cast. The Repub-
licans elected 35 and the Democrats 17 delegates. The
Convention was to meet at Wyandotte on the 5th of
July, 1859.
Affairs in Bourbon County were now quiet. Peace
had apparently come to stay. As the 4th of July ap-
proached the people decided to celebrate in the good
old-fashioned way. Meetings were held, committees
appointed and all the preliminary arrangements made.
They proposed to invite everybody to come and partic-
ipate, and give them a good dinner. The preparations
were on an enormous scale. There were loads of cooked
1859] WYANDOTTE CONVENTION. 143
beef, pork and mutton, mountains of bread; immense
quantities of cake and pie, prepared by the ladies. A
four-horse wagon load of ice was brought from the
Marais des Cygnes at a cost of 10 cents per pound, for
manufacture of lemonade. The ground selected was
in the bottom, just west of the point of the bluff back
of town, near the big spring. Governor Ransom was
President of the Day; Hon. Jos. Williams, Colonel
Judson, Judge Farwell, M. E. Hudson, Thomas Helm,
W. T. Campbell and Colonel Morin, Vice-presidents;
Rev. Mr. Thompson, Chaplain; Mason Williams, Reader;
L. A. McCord, Orator.
The crowd was immense; the usual proceedings were
had; all were filled, some of them apparently for a
month ahead.
A GRAND BALL.
In the evening there was a "grand ball" at the Fort
Scott Hotel. Again Joe Ray "called," assisted by C.
W. Goodlander. The boys were supplied with "invi-
tations" printed on small sheets of note paper, with
display type and gold-tinted letters, gotten up in the
very best style of the job office.
The boys would take these "ball tickets," fill in the
name of their "first choice," and in the event that she
was already engaged or couldn' t go, would fill out another
invitation and send to some other girl. Keep trying.
The colored people had a ball that same night, just
in the rear of the hotel. They didn't have to go to the
expense of music or the trouble of "calling." They
just waited till the white folks started up, and then
went at it with a whoop.
14-4 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1859
THE FORT SCOTT "DEMOCRAT" REVIVED.
Sometime before this, J. E. Jones had suspended the
publication of the Democrat, and left town. The Town
Company, who owned the material, was desirous that
the paper should be revived, so negotiations with that
end in view, were opened with William Smith and his
son, E. A. Smith, who decided to give it a trial. The
first number under their management was issued on the
14th of July, 1859, an d they continued its publication
regularly until the summer of 1861, some time after the
breaking out of the war, when E. A. Smith left the
editorial chair and went into the army.
In 1882 he published in one of the city papers a
considerable amount of excerpts from the Democrat,
something in the diary form, which he said "was not
designed as a connected narative or history, but rather
as data which may aid some one else in such a work."
These data were principally in reference to events which
occurred in Fort Scott, and were of great assistance in the
preparation of this work, especially in the matter of dates.
The advertising columns of the first number of the
Democrat show at that time a very respectable business
community. Of lawyers there were Ellison & Blair,
William Margrave, S. A. Williams, John C. Sims, C.
P. Bullock, Richard Stadden, Williams & Bro. (Mason
and Wm. M.,) James J. Farley, George A. Crawford, and
L. A. McCord ; there were doctors J. H. Couch, A. M.
H. Bills, and A. G. Osbun. E. A. Smith was County
Surveyor. General merchandise was represented by H.
T. Wilson, Hill & Riggins, George A. Crawford & Co.
1859] WYANDOTTE CONSTITUTION. 145
John S. Caulkins was in the clothing, Malone in the
grocery, and C. F. Drake in the stove and tinware busi-
ness. Then there were Robert Blackett and Daniel
Funk, tailors ; C. W. Goodlander and Dennison &
Waterhouse, carpenters ; John G. Stuart, carriage and
wagon maker ; E. L. Marble, boot and shoemaker ; Tom
Huston, saddle and harnessmaker ; Fort Scott Hotel, B.
B. Dillon, prop. ; Western Hotel, Linn & Harris, props. ;
Harry Hartman, bakery and ice cream saloon.
WYANDOTTE CONSTITUTION.
The Wyandotte convention completed their labors on
the 4th day of October, 1859.
The vote in the Territory was as follows :
For the Constitution 10,421
Against 5,530
The vote in Bourbon County was :
For the Constitution 464
Against 256
This was the Constitution under which the Terri-
tory was finally admitted into the Union a's a State.
On the 8th of November an election was held for
delegate to Congress, and for Territorial Legislature.
In Bourbon County the vote was as follows : For
Delegate, M. J. Parrott, Republican, 368; S. W. John-
son, Democrat, 251. For Representative, H. Knowles,
Republican, 359; G. Hubbard, Democrat, 259.
On the 6th day of December an election was had
under the Wyandotte Constitution for State officers,
10
146 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1859
Representative in Congress and State Legislature, to
take effect when the Territory should be admitted as a
State. Charles Robinson was the Republican and
Samuel Medary the Democratic candidate for Governor,
Martin F. Conway, Republican, and J. A. Halderman,
Democrat, for Congress; W. R. Griffith of Bourbon
County was the Republican candidate for Superintend-
ent of Public Instruction. The entire Republican
State ticket was elected by about 7,900, against 5,400.
The vote in Bourbon County on Governor — and about
the same on the other officers — was: Robinson, 275;
Medary, 149. J. C. Burnett, Republican, was elected
for State Senator by 270, against Geo. A. Crawford,
Democrat, 141. Horatio Knowles was elected Repre-
sentative by the same vote.
A District Judge was also elected December 6th,
under the Wyandotte Constitution. Bourbon County
was to be in the Fourth District with Allen, Anderson,
Douglas, Franklin, Johnson, Linn and Lykins, (after-
wards Miami). Solon O. Thatcher, Republican, and
James Christian, Democrat, were the candidates. The
vote in this county was substantially the same as
for Governor, and Solon O. Thatcher became our first
District Judge.
Judge Thatcher served until 1864 when he resigned,
and Hon. D. P. Lowe, then of Linn County, was
appointed to fill the vacancy.
Epaphroditus Ransom died at his residence in Fort
Scott, Nov. nth. B. B. Dillon died on the 16th.
Mr. Rankin organized a Presbyterian church in Fort
Scott. It was composed of John S. Caulkins, Mrs. A.
McDonald and Mrs. Win. Smith.
Near Bandera on the Marmaton.
Residence, near Marmaton, of W. R. Griffith, First State vSupt.
of Public Instruction. 1861.
1860] LEGISLATURE MEETS. 147
' CHAPTER XXI.
LEGISLATURE MEETS.
t;T[?HE Territorial Legislature met at Lecompton on
§*k the 2d of January, i860, but soon after adjourned
to Lawrence. The town of Dayton was incorpo-
rated by an act of this Legislature, approved
February 18, i860. The Dayton Town Company
consisted of George Stockmyer, D. J. Patterson,
E. Kepley, George A. Crawford, O. Darling, C. E.
Cranston, J. S. Dejernett and Amos Stewart.
FORT SCOTT TOWN COMPANY INCORPORATED.
On the 27th of February, i860, the Legislature passed
an act incorporating the Fort Scott Town Company.
The company had been in existence since January,
1857, but had not up to this time been incorporated by
law. Geo. A. Crawford, W. R. Judson, Joseph Wil-
liams, E. S. Lowman, H. T. Wilson and Norman Eddy
were named in the act of incorporation.
FORT SCOTT INCORPORATED AS A CITY.
On this same date — February 27, i860 — an act was
passed with the following title :
148 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1860
"An act to amend an act to incorporate the town of
Fort Scott." Section First provided:
"That all that district of land described as follows,
to-wit : — The southwest quarter, the west half of the
southeast quarter, the southwest quarter of the
northeast quarter and the southeast quarter of
the northwest quarter of Section Thirty, Township
Twenty-five, of Range Twenty-five, be and hereby
is declared to be a city by the name and style of the
City of Fort Scott."
The act also provided that the first election should
take place on the second Monday of March, i860. A. R.
Allison, S. A. Williams and C. F. Drake were named
inspectors of said election.
FIRST CITY ELECTION — COUNTY ELECTION.
The city election took place according to law, and
resulted in the choice of the following officers : Mayor,
W. R. Judson; Councilmen, H. T. Wilson, C. W. Blair,
John S. Redfield and George A. Crawford; Clerk, Wm.
Gallaher ; Recorder, Wm. Margrave ; Marshal, Richard
Phillips; Assessor, John S. Caulkins; Treasurer, A.
McDonald; Street Commissioner, A. R. Allison. At
this election, the first in the new city, 81 votes were
cast. W. R. Judson failed to qualify as Mayor, and
Joseph Ray was elected to that position, and became
the first Mayor of Fort Scott.
On the 10th of September, i860, Joseph Ray, as
Mayor, purchased the town-site of Fort Scott from the
United States, consisting of 319 11-100 acres, as
described in the act of February 27th, incorporating it
LAST BORDER DIFFICUL TIES. 149
as a City. The patent afterwards issued by the
Government for the land described is dated July 10, 1861.
About the 1st of April, i860, a county election was
held at which the following named county officers were
chosen : County Commissioners, Isaac Ford, Lester
Ray, G. W. Miller; Probate Judge, H. Knowles;
Assessor, J. N. Roach; Treasurer, J. Aitkin; Register
of Deeds, W. H. Norway; Coroner, Dr. Freeman.
THE LAST BORDER DIFFICULTIES.
In May, i860, the notorious "Pickles" of Linn
County, a general all-round thief, was arrested and
brought to Fort Scott for trial for theft. His real name
was Wright, but he got his nick-name of "Pickles"
for having, in one of his expeditions, stolen a two-quart
jar of pickles and devoured them as he rode along.
When taken into court he plead guilty to the charge of
horse-stealing, and was at once sentenced to the
penitentiary, as an act of discretion, to avoid falling
into the hands of an Osage Vigilance Committee, who
had assembled in town, headed by old Billy Baker with
a rope. Some of Pickles' gang came down as far as the
Osage and endeavored to raise a rescuing party, after
the Ben Rice fashion, but they soon abandoned the
project. The day for that sort of thing had passed.
The vigilance committee mentioned, or anti-horse thief
society, as they called themselves, which had been
formed up about Mapleton, came into town to look
after the Pickles trial, with an eye open for a possible
attempt at rescue.
150 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1860
Pickles fared better than did a man named Guthrie,
who, some time before this, was found with a horse
supposed not to belong to him, and was taken from the
hands of a constable and hanged by this committee.
They also got hold of Hugh Carlin, who had given the
settlers on the Osage a good deal of trouble, and in the
early part of July he was taken from the house of A. F.
Monroe, without giving him time to dress, and that
was the last of Hugh Carlin.
In these hangings a young man named L. D. Moore
was particularly active as a member of the committee.
On the night of the 16th of November he was visited
by Jennison, with a squad of about twenty men. Upon
arriving at Moore's house, Jennison kicked open the
door and shot Moore before he had time to get out of
bed. This murder was in retaliation for the hanging
of Carlin. Although Moore, who had settled on the
Osage in 1857, was a Pro-slavery man, politics had
little or nothing to do with his death. It was a kind
of an afterthought — a finishing up job of Jennison's,
who two days before that had started out on a circuit in
Linn county, first hanging old man Scott in his own
door yard, in the north part of that county, the next
day hanging Rus Hines near the Missouri State line,
east of Mine creek, and winding up with the killing of
Moore. The first two were killed on the pretext that
they had aided in the return to the owners of runaway
negroes, and Moore was killed because he was, as Jen-
nison said, "a little too conservative."
There was, in the fall of i860, a secret society
organized in Linn county, which they called the "Wide
1860] LAST BORDER DIFFICULTIES. 151
Awakes." It probably existed to a more or less extent
all along the border. In Linn county it was especially
strong. Nearly every Free State man in that county
joined it. The fundamental principles of this society
were opposition to the enforcement of the Fugitive
Slave Law; to take measures on all occasions to nullify
its provisions; to uphold the officers, sheriffs, etc., in
its nullification; to forcibly prevent the return of fugi-
tive slaves, and, when they got over into Kansas, to give
them a bag full of grub and show them the north star.
The society did not, however, propose to take violent
measures in the case of men who were aiding and assist-
ing in the execution of the law. But Jennison and a
few with him took the general feeling as a license for
him to do so, and the death of Scott and Hines, and
indirectly that of Moore, was the result.
In Bourbon County all these murders, by both
parties, caused a decided revulsion of feeling, not only
against the Jayhawkers, but all other species of mob
violence, vigilance committees, protective societies,
etc., in all forms. The point was passed where any-
thing more of that kind would be tolerated. The
disposition and determination of the public mind was
to inaugarate law, to establish the forms and prece-
dents they had been accustomed to in the old States,
and thus bring order out of the utter chaos which had
so far reigned from the day the Territory was organized.
It was not hoped that this could be accomplished in a
day, but it was, nevertheless, practically so, for these
were the last outrages perpetrated under the guise
of " Free State" or "Pro-slavery."
152 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1860
CHAPTER XXII. •
THE ARTS OF PEACE.
oCT?HE idea of improving their homes, establishing
§M schools amd churches, instituting county fairs,
building railways, etc., began to take possession
of the people. Hardly a week passed that there
^ was not an enthusiastic meeting in the interest
' of some line. Among the proposed roads were
the " Tebo and Neosho," afterwards the Missouri,
Kansas and Texas, the "Fort Scott, Neosho and Santa
Fe." and the "L,ake Superior, Fort Scott and Galves-
ton." There was some talk of the "Hudson's Bay,
Fort Scott and Honduras," but they considered that it
would be too nearly a parallel line and would interfere
with the business and carrying trade of the Lake
Superior, Fort Scott and Galveston route, so that
project was dropped.
The question of an Agricultural Society, County
Fair, etc., received due attention. At a meeting held
at Marmaton on the 14th of June, at which A. G.
Osbun was President, and W. R. Griffith, Secretary, it
was resolved to form an association to be known as
"The Bourbon County Agricultural Society." J. M.
Liggitt, A. Decker, and Judge Farwell were appointed
1860] N. Y. INDIAN LANDS. 153
a committee to draft a constitution and report at the
next meeting.
At the next meeting the Bourbon County Agricul-
tural Society was fully organized by the election of the
following officers: President, Dr. A. G. Osbun; Vice-
President, Richard Stadden; Secretary, Wm. R. Grif-
fith; Treasurer, Isaac N. Mills; Executive Committee,
H. C. Moore, Aaron Decker, Ezekiel Brown, Harrison
Martin and S. B. Farwell. The first annual exhibition
was to be held at the residence of Mr. Griffith, near
Marmaton, on the 24th and 25th of October.
The Fair was held according to programme, and was
better than could have been expected under the circum-
stances. There had been no rain for a year, but they
did the best they could. They were a little short on
big pumpkins and long corn, but the show of live stock
and fancy work was very good.
POPULATION — N. Y. INDIAN LANDS.
During the spring of i860, Will Gallaher took the
census of this part of the Territory, and returned the
following statistics: Number of inhabitants in Bour-
bon County, 6,102; deaths during the year ending June
1, i860, 101; mills and manufacturing establishments,
9; farmers, 1,200. Inhabitants on the Cherokee Neu-
tral Lands, 2,025.
As was stated in the first part of this book, the num-
ber of Indian claims allowed on the New York lands
was thirty-two, equal to 10,240 acres. This tract had
been located in the neighborhood of Barnesville. The
1 54 HISTOR Y OF BO URBON COUNTY. [1 860
residue of the tract, comprising a million acres of the
best land in Kansas, was turned over to the General
Land Office as public land, subject to entry and sale,
about the 20th of June, i860. The plats were at the
Land Office in Fort Scott, and settlers commenced
filing and pre-empting.
In reference to those thirty-two allotments, in several
instances the occupying Indians were driven off at the
time the Free State men in the same locality were
driven out in 1856, and some of them never returned.
Their lands were taken possession of by white settlers,
who were afterwards permitted to acquire title from the
Goverment. The Indians so driven off* afterwards ap-
plied to the Court of Claims for compensation, and
their claims were allowed thirty years later.
ON THE NEUTRAL LANDS.
By this time a large number of settlers had gone onto
the Cherokee Neutral Land, squatted on claims, built
cabins and made other improvements. They were
trespassers by law and by treaty stipulations, but they
claimed the usual pioneers equity in Indian lands, and
had the moral support, at least, of all the other settlers.
On October 27, i860, the agent of the Cherokees,
with a body of troops, commenced the work of driving
all the settlers off the Neutral Land. Orders to that end
were issued by the Commissioners of General Land
Office in the spring, but on a representation of the facts
temporarily suspended. The present move was entirely
unexpected. From 75 to 100 houses were burned, and
1860] ARRIVAL OF TROOPS. 155
as many families rendered destitute. These were in
outlying settlements. When the agent reached Dry-
wood he found the settlers united and determined, and
concluded to give them one month's grace. There
was not a Cherokee on the land, and, moreover, there
was no desire on the part of the Indians that the whites
should be disturbed.
Delegations were sent to Washington by the business
men of Fort Scott in the interest of the settlers on the
Neutral Lands in Bourbon County. Colonel W T ilson,
who was familiar with the Cherokee people, went to
Tahlequa to ascertain the feeling of the head men in
reference to a sale of the Neutral Land. But the
matter was not quite ripe. In several instances the
settlers on the Neutral Land married Cherokee women,
thereby becoming "squawmen" — legally Cherokees —
and entitled to a "headright," and thus securing their
claims. Old man Hathaway, on Drywood, was one
instance in this county.
As has been noted, there was a very large immigra-
tion into this county during the winter and spring of
i860, "too numerous to mention." Among the many
who came to Fort Scott that spring must be noted the
arrival of John S. Miller and family on the 5th of
March. Mr. Miller was from Pennsylvania, of the old
"Pennsylvania Dutch" stock, and was a most excellent
man and citizen. He was active in business circles,
and in the affairs of the city, township and county.
ARRIVAL OF TROOPS.
About the 1st of December, i860, General Harney
156 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1860
and staff arrived. The command came the next day.
It numbered about 180 men. The offieers were
Brigadier General Harney, Captain Jones, A. A. G. ;
Lieutenant Armstrong, Aid; Lieutenant Tidball, A. A.
Q. M. ; Swift and Brewer, Surgeons; Lieutenant Mul-
lins, ist Dragoons; Captain Barry and Lieutenants Fry,
Bargar, Sullivan and Perry of the artillery.
The Jennison "circuit" detailed some pages back,
had occasioned a great scare, and the troops came here
for the purpose of protecting the border. The Governor
of Missouri had also sent a brigade of Missouri militia
to the State line under command of Gen. D. M. Frost,
afterwards of the rebel army, and of "Camp Jackson"
fame. One purpose of having troops at Fort Scott was
to be present at the laud sales which occurred on the
3d of December, i860. Only fourteen 80-acre tracts
were disposed of, at prices ranging from $1.25 to 5.50
per acre. The attendance was very large. The lands
were all offered by 12 o'clock, and the people went
home satisfied their claims were safe for another year.
THE GREAT DROUTH.
The year i860 is known as the "dry year." The
long drouth really commenced in the latter part
of 1859. The year 1859 up to August or September
was very seasonable. Crops were all made and the
yield was immense. It was most fortunate they were
so, for the crops of 1859 saved the people in the next
year. Corn turned out from sixty to ninety bushels to
the acre. Even sod corn made an immense yield.
1860] THE GREAT DROUTH. 157
The Fort Scott Democrat of November 10, 1859, is
the authority for the statement that "Mr. Buckner,
living between Marmaton and Mill Creek, this season
raised six hundred bushels of corn on seven acres
of sod." Wheat and oats were good. Prairie grass
grew to a height of from three to four feet.
The immigrants coming in that spring and summer,
seeing the rich overflow of a bounteous harvest, and
the summertide of glorious verdure, hearing on every
side the gurgling springs and brooks as they trilled in
limpid silver down the ravines, thought that this was
in truth the Elysian fields, the abode of the blest, and
they felt like sending up their voices in grand diapason
of the vox humana. If such was the natural condition,
they thought, if vegetation existed in such luxuriance,
if every "draw" contained a spring and every ravine
was a creek, it certainly surpassed any country of
which they had ever dreamed.
But the scene was to change.
About the 1st day of September, 1859, it quit rain-
ing. The 1st of January, i860, came, but still no rain
or "falling weather." The winter crept along, not
very cold but very dry. Spring came, and still no rain.
The farmer plowed as usual for crops, which were
planted at the usual time, but no rain yet. Corn and
other crops sprouted and came up, but no showers
gladdened the tender shoots. The wind blew inces-
santly from the southwest. Occasionally a cloud would
come over about the size of a ten-acre lot, and it would
sprinkle a little. Sometimes a bank of clouds would
loom up in the northwest in the evening, shake their
158 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1860
heads and disappear. On the 16th of June a thunder
shower came up, and it lightened and thundered and
blowed and raged, and it rained — a little; so little that
it was only an aggravation.
Corn made a brave effort to grow. It was pitiful to
look at. It held up its withered blades as if imploring
the brazen heavens to let down rain. The poor, little
spindling stalks grew up about three feet high, tasseled
out, and then died. During the first part of July the
thermometer ranged from 98 to 104 degrees in the
shade. In the sun at midday is was 132 . By the
middle of July the heat was simply awful. It is a
matter of record that on the 13th, and for weeks after
that, the thermometer often went up to 112, 113 and
114 degrees in the shade. There was a wind — almost
a gale sometimes — but it came up, seemingly, with a
spiral twist — hot, scorching, withering, like a blast
from a seething furnace. People sought their houses
and closed the doors and windows to keep it out. The
foliage on the trees withered up and blew off. The
prairie grass, which had grown up about three inches
high, turned brown and was dry enough to burn. It is
said that eggs would roast in the sand at midday — were
actually so roasted. There is no doubt of it. The
thermometer was 146 degrees in the sun. Thus the
terrible drouth continued day after day, week after
week, month after month.
Springs, wells, water everywhere, gave out. The
farmer sought the lowest "draw" on his place and dug
down for water, sometimes with partial success. The
creeks and larger streams were perfectly dry except in
1860] THE GREAT DROUTH. 159
the large "holes," which, ordinarily from ten to fifteen
feet in depth, were reduced to muddy, stagnant puddles.
There would often be a stretch of a mile or more be-
tween these pools in which the bottom of the river was
dry and dusty, and the dry leaves, lately fallen from
the trees, would rustle and swirl in the little whirl-
winds as they swept up and down the river bed.
In the latter part of September or first part of October
the drouth was partially broken. It rained a little.
The rains were not general or heavy, but it rained
enough to freshen up the stagnant pools, and form
many small ones. Stock water was not so scarce, and
once more the cow and yoke of steers could have
enough to drink.
The drouth had lasted for more than a year. Dates
of its beginning and ending vary with localities, but
it may be said, in general, that there were from
twelve to fourteen calendar months during which time
the total rainfall did not exceed one inch.
Of course all crops were practically a failure. In
fields around the base of the mounds, which in ordinary
years are wet and springy, and in some places in the
low bottom lands some corn was raised, in some
instances as much as five bushels to the acre, of little
wormy-ended nubbins. Sorghum sugar cane did better
than any other crop. In fact, it made a fair yield
where planted, and all that fall the creak of the cane
mills could be heard in neighborhoods where they had
been fortunate enough to have planted cane.
In the year before, a good crop of cane had been
raised on a small patch of ground on the farm of Dr.
160 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1860
A. G. Osbun. In harvesting the cane that fall the
seed had rattled out over the ground and in the spring
it came up quite a thick "volunteer" crop. It grew
that season about four or five feet high, being so thick
on the ground, and was cut and put up like hay, and
fed to the horses and other stock that winter.
Unfortunately but few farmers in this county had
sorghum seed, and but little was planted. In Linn
County this crop was quite general and very good. The
farmers there made any amount of molasses, but some
had nothing to "put it on." Children were often seen
eating sorghum molasses off a chip instead of their
much loved crust of corn bread.
This general failure of crops of course caused much
suffering, especially as winter approached and the store
of old corn in the country became more nearly ex-
hausted. Many were compelled to leave the country
temporarily, to seek subsistence. In such cases where
the family had a claim it was the tacit understanding
that their claims should be protected until their return
the next year.
Efforts were begun that fall in the direction of secur-
ing aid. Delegations were sent East to represent the
facts and solicit help. Considerable aid was received
in this county, but not as much as in that part of the
country contiguous to the Missouri river, up which all
freights had to come at that day. From here it was a
round trip of two hundred miles to Wyandotte.
There were a few intermittent rains and snows during
that fall and winter, but the flood gates were not opened
and the streams flushed until early in April, 1861.
1861] STATE GOVERNMENT. 161
CHAPTER XXIII.
KANSAS ADMITTED.
@?ANSAS was admitted as a State on the 29th day
^ of January, 1861. It came to the fireside of the
Union only to witness the frowning and wayward
sisters of the South departing, one by one, across
' the threshold, out into the darkness — out into the
coming storm. But Kansas came not in the
innocence of childhood, nor like "a fair young girl,
with light and delicate limbs and waving tresses," but
"like a bearded man ; armed to the teeth, one mailed
hand grasping the broad shield and one the sword ; its
brow, glorious though it be, is scarred with tokens
of old wars." On its shield was written, Ad Astra per
Aspera ; on its sword, Excalibur Expurgatorius.
The Territorial probation was at an end. The
untried and unexampled task set before it had been
accomplished, not as designed by the spirit of the past
ages, but as marked out by the advancing rays of the
Nineteenth Century.
STATE GOVERNMENT.
The Territorial Legislature adjourned on the 2nd
day of February, to meet no more.
11
162 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1861
Governor Charles Robinson was sworn into office on
the 9th day of February, as the first Governor of the
State of Kansas. He convened the State Legislature,
elected under the Wyandotte Constitution, on the 26th
day of March. The members of that Legislature from
Bourbon County were : J. C. Burnett, of Mapleton,
Senator. Horatio Knowles, of Marmaton, S. B. Ma-
hurin, of Scott, and J. T. Neal, of Osage, were the
Representatives. James H. Lane and S. C. Pomeroy
were elected United States Senators on the 4th day
of April.
GITY AFFAIRS.
The population of the City of Fort Scott was now
about 500. At the regular spring election for muni-
cipal officers the result was as follows : — Mayor, Joseph
Ray ; Councilmen, H. T. Wilson, J. S. Redfield, A.
McDonald and Chas. W. Blair ; Clerk, William Galla-
her; Treasurer, C. W. Goodlander ; Recorder, J. S.
Miller ; Assessor, A. R. Allison ; Marshal, R. L. Philips;
Street Commissioner, J. G. Stuart.
The vote was 83, which indicated about the popula-
tion of 500, as stated.
IMPENDING CRISIS.
The Southern States had now nearly all seceded and
their Provisional Government was in full operation at
Montgomery, Alabama.
Still, the people of Bourbon County, in common with
the entire North, laid the flattering unction to their
1861] IMPENDING CRISIS. 16.1
souls that in some way, or by some means, the impend-
ing war might yet be averted. The Governor of the
State had appointed four commissioners to the Peace
Convention, two of whom had voted for peace and
compromise. Meetings were held in various parts of
this county, all of which expressed sentiments of con-
servatism, and especially a spirit of conciliation towards
the people of the neighboring State of Missouri living
along our border. The leading Democratic citizens of
Fort Scott united with the Republicans in a letter to
James H. Lane, inviting him to come down and make a
speech. He accepted, and came about the 15th of
March, and spoke at a public meeting that day.
The attendance at the meeting was very large,
and included many citizens of the adjoining portion of
Missouri. Lane advocated the cultivation of amicable
relations between the people of the two States. He
advised the belligerent portion of the Kansas people to
"get a bag of meal under the bed, a ham in the cellar,
and a dress for the baby," before engaging in a war
which would be certain to desolate and impoverish the
whole country.
A few days afterwards — about the 20th — a large and
enthusiastic meeting of the citizens of Linn and
Bourbon Counties, Kansas, and Vernon County, Mis-
souri, was held at Barnesville. It was presided over by
H. G. Moore, Sheriff of Bourbon County. Byron P.
Ayres, of Linn County, was secretary. James H.
Lane, W. L. Henderson, A. B. Massey, J. T. Neal,
Ben Rice, George A. Crawford, Chas. W. Blair, C. W.
McDaniel, Geo. A. Reynolds, and A. Burton were
164 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1861
appointed a committee on resolutions. The resolutions
were conservative throughout. General Lane after-
wards addressed the meeting in about the same tenor as
in his speech at Fort Scott.
The circumstances attending this meeting, — the con-
gregation of a mass of men who had been so long in a
whirling eddy of sectional discord, — the appointment
on working committees of men who had heretofore
entertained such widely differing opinions, — is worthy
of historical note.
The old order of things had passed away. The
public mind was adjusting itself on new lines ; the
political atmosphere was clearing up — clear as a bell,
and the bell had but one tone.
On the 12th of April, 1861, was fired the first gun of
the civil war. By a singular coincidence the deed was
performed by an old fellow with whose name we have
become quite familiar. It was Ruffian. He was
probably not the "Ruffian" of our acquaintance, but
his act in pulling the lanyard over that old smooth-
bore Napoleon gun, which fired the first shot against
Fort Sumpter, was the climax of the political doctrine
that had been taught, not only to our Border Ruffian,
but to the entire people of the South. The firing of
that gun was the natural and logical sequence and
culmination of that spirit — that political essence —
which the people of Kansas had contended against for
four long years, and which the Government, and the
1861] WAR FEELING. 165
people of all the other states were to now take up on an
appeal, and enter into a gigantic trial of another four
year's duration.
The artillery "heard around the world" on that
April day opened the greatest conflict the world has
ever seen. It was the grandest, most momentous
sound ever heard on earth. Artillery is God's own
music. The reverberating thunder of artillery, the
steady tread of contending hosts — fierce, bloody war —
these are God's instruments for the advancement and
civilization of the human race, and have been since the
days of Joshua.
Every war in every nation, — every war between
nations, — cuts through the film of ignorance on the
eyes of the people, and advances the banner of regener-
ation and disenthralment. The real camp followers
are freedom, tolerance, invention, science. War breaks
the fetters of the serf and the slave ; it unyokes the
woman from the plow team ; it casts off the wooden
sabots of the listeners to the Angelus.
THE WAR FEELING IN BOURBON COUNTY.
After the war had actually commenced, — after the
first "overt act," as we called it, the conservatism, the
doubts, the hesitation, of our people were laid aside,
together with their politics. The Democrat, the only
newspaper in the county, came out early and declared
that it abandoned ail party affiliations and announced
itself "for the constitution and the union, and a
supporter of the new Administration so long as it shall
166 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1861
labor in the direction of their perpetuity." That was
the universal sentiment. If war must come the feeling
was not only to prepare for it but to prosecute it to the
end. Our people realized, also, more nearly than
those of other sections of the North the full import
of what was to come. The "Ninety Day" theory
of Secretary Seward met with no believers. The
opinion was, also, often expressed, that the war would
result in the extinction of human slavery on this
continent.
On Thursday night, April 24th, there was a Union
demonstration, the most enthusiastic yet held in the
town. The demonstration was entirely impromptu —
nine-tenths of those who took part in it being aroused
from their slumbers at midnight. As each one joined
the procession he was greeted with three cheers,
followed by three times three for the Union. "The
Red, White and Blue," "Star Spangled Banner,"
"Yankee Doodle," "Hail Columbia," and other
patriotic airs were sung amid the wildest applause.
All party feeling was buried beneath the glorious plat-
form of National Union. It was a scene worthy of our
town, and one long to be remembered with feelings of
deep emotion by every true and loyal citizen.
At a meeting held in the office of C. W. Blair, Esq.,
Wednesday evening following, two volunteer com-
panies were organized and the following officers elected;
First company — Captain, C. W. Blair; First Lieutenant,
A. R. Allison; Second Lieutenant, R. L. Phillips;
Third Lieutenant, Chas. Bull; Ensign, Wm. R. Judson.
Second company — Captain, A. McDonald; First Lieu-
1861] WAR FEELING. 107
tenant, Charles Dimon; Second Lieutenant, William
Gallaher; Third Lieutenant, A. F. Bicking; Ensign,
O. S. Dillon. The officers were elected by the com-
bined vote of both companies, leaving each man to
decide afterwards with which company- he would con-
nect himself.
There were two companies formed in Drywood town-
ship about this same time, under command of Captains
Henry Coffman and E. J. Boring, and one company on
the head of Lightning Creek officered by John T. Mc-
Whirt, Roswell Seeley, John Tully, John F. Gates
and Sam McWhirt.
The first two Fort Scott companies were finally con-
solidated, and called themselves the "Frontier Guard."
The boys started for Lawrence to be mustered into
the service. At Lawrence Captain Blair was promoted
to Lieutenant-Colonel of the 2d Kansas, which was to
be the regiment of the Fort Scott company. After a
few days rest at Lawrence, the regiment left for Kansas
City for muster-in. When they got to Wyandotte,
about June 1st, most of the Fort Scott boys concluded
they had seen enough service and returned home.
The larger part of them, however, went into the army
afterwards. "Frontier Guard No. 2" was raised soon
afterwards by W. T. Campbell, and a company was
raised on Mill Creek by Captain Hall.
All this was the usual preliminary business that
occurred at that time all over the country, with the
object of not only testing who really wanted to go to
war, but who were prepared at short notice to leave
home for an indefinite time.
168 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1861
The Fourth of July had now come, and was quite a
gala day in Fort Scott. It had been arranged that Fort
Scott Guards, Nos. i and 2, should have a parade and
drill, and several companies from the surrounding
country were invited to join them. The company from
Dry wood (cavalry,) Capt. Boring, and Mill Creek com-
pany, (infantry,) Capt. Hall, responded to the invitation.
At 10 a. m. the Guards formed at their respective
armories, and after a little marching and counter-
marching, went out to meet and escort in Captain
Boring's company. The field music was excellent.
The Drywood boys were received with hearty cheers
and escorted into town, where the Mill Creek boys
were met and received with like cordiality. After din-
ner the cavalry was drilled by Captain John Hamilton,
and the infantry had a battalion drill under E. A.
Smith. At five o'clock the battalion was dismissed,
and all parties returned to their homes, mutually
pleased with the Fourth of July and each other.
On the 5th day of July the battle of Carthage
was fought. This occasioned great alarm and appre-
hension. We had a war sure enough and it was
getting uncomfortably close.
Shortly after the Carthage affair General Lyon
authorized Captains W. T. Campbell and W. C.
Ransom to raise two companies of one hundred men
each, to serve as Home Guards. Then two other com-
panies were raised by Captains Z. Gower and Lewis R.
Jewell, and these four companies were the origin and
foundation of the Sixth Kansas Cavalry.
1861 ] BA TTLE OF DM Y WOOD.
CHAPTER XXIV.
BATTLE OF DRYWOOD.
•5'rPHE proximity of war in Missouri led J. H. Lane,
§Ml who was posing as Brigadier General of Volunteers,
If in command of Kansas troops, to "fortify" Fort
Lincoln, on the Osage River. The work done
<l « there, in a military or common sense view, was
t simply idiotic. He went down on the very
lowest bottom land of the river, where he threw up an
earth-work about the size of a calf-pen and then
blazoned it forth as a great military fortification.
In the latter part of August a considerable force was
being concentrated at Fort Scott. Old Jim Mont-
gomery had of course, by this time, gotten a regiment
together, and five companies of the Third Kansas
under him arrived on the 20th of August. Other
Kansas troops arrived from time to time until the
aggregate force was about two thousand men. Fort
Scott was now headquarters for General Lane's brigade.
The rebel Generals, Price and Raines, were operating
in Western Missouri with several thousand men, and
contemplated an attack on Southeastern Kansas. On
the 1st of September General Raines with his division
approached within twelve miles of Fort Scott, on the
170 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1861
southeast, and a scouting party came within two miles
of town and captured a corral full of mules, and drove
in Lane's pickets. A force of 500 cavalry with one 12
pound howitzer, was sent out the next day to reconnoitre.
They ran into the rebel pickets and drove them across
Drywood creek, where they were reinforced, and quite
a rattling good skirmish was fought, until the ammu-
nition of the Union forces gave out, when they fell
back in good order on Fort Scott. The official reports
give the Union loss in this action as five killed and
twelve wounded. The rebel loss was about the same.
In the meantime the infantry force occupied the
heights east and southeast of town. These troops were
reinforced by an impromptu company, organized that
morning, of such men as McDonald, Drake and the
other citizens who were not already in line on the hill.
This company was sworn into the service, drew arms
and ammunition, and marched to the front in two rows
like regulars. They still belong to the army. They
were never mustered out. Some of them have their
arms yet. Drake says his old musket is down in the
cellar now, with the same load in it he put in on that
day. Some of these days a little Lieutenant may come
along and order them out on advance picket with three
days' cooked rations, or he may order them to the
Soldier's Home. They never drew pay. They are
presumably entitled to back pay and bounty up to date.
They are certainly all entitled to pensions by reason of
rheumatism, superinduced by exposure while in line of
duty. But they did their full duty that day, and if there
had been a fight would have held on as long as anybody.
1861] THE SIXTH KANSAS. 171
The entire force waited on the crest of the hill until
night for the expected attack of General Raines. About
dark a raging thunder storm — which follows after all
great battles— came up, and the boys, concluding that
it would affect the rebels just as it did them, returned to
town and sought shelter in camp.
That night General Lane ordered the entire force to
fall back on Fort Lincoln, twelve miles north, on the
Osage, leaving Fort Scott to the mercy of anybody
that might come along. A scouting party of fifty men
could have gutted and burned the town without oppo-
sition. Lane displayed here his usual cowardice when
confronted by real danger. It is said that he would
have burned the town himself — had actually ordered
the torch applied — but he was prevailed on by the
citizens to wait at least until the rebel force had crossed
the State line. Of course, there was great commotion
in town. The non-combatants, women and children —
excepting Mrs. Wm. Smith, Mrs. H. T. Wilson, Mrs.
John S. Miller and one or two others, who decided to
wait awhile, — were loaded into wagons and driven out
west toward Marmaton. The torch was ready to be
applied to every building in town on the first appearance
of the rebel troops on the summit of the eastern hills.
But they did not appear. General Raines was at that
moment nuking a forced march on Lexington, Mis-
souri, by ;i'i order that day received from General
Price, and Fort Scott thus escaped utter annihilation.
THE SIXTH KANSAS.
The Sixth Kansas Cavalry was organized at Fort
172 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1861
Scott on the 9th of September, 1861. A large part of
this regiment was Bourbon County men. W. R. Judson
was Colonel. The first Lieutenant-Colonel was Lewis
R. Jewell, who was killed at the battle of Cane Hill,
Ark., November 28, 1862. W. T. Campbell was then
promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel, and served through
the war. Wyllys C. Ransom was Major. C. O. Judson
was Adjutant until March, 1862. Isaac Stadden was
then Adjutant until August, 1862. The Quarter-
masters were successively Geo. J. Clark, S. B. Gordon,
Charles W. Jewell and Levi Bronson. Dr. John S.
Redfield was surgeon until February 21, 1865, when
he was mustered out and returned home. Capt. John
Rogers, Captain of Company K, was killed by bush-
whackers near the south line of this county on the 2nd
of June, 1864. John G. Harris, lieutenant of Company
K, was badly wounded at Cane Hill, Ark., by a ball
passing clear through his neck. He recovered, and
after the war was Sheriff of Bourbon County. The
other line officers of the Sixth Kansas who lived in
this county have been mentioned.
Jewell County in this State was named in honor
of Colonel Lewis R. Jewell, when that County was
organized in 1867, at tne instance of Samuel A.
Manlove, who was that year a member of the Legisla-
ture from Fort Scott.
Fort Scott was again established as a military post
and a depot of supplies. From two thousand to ten
thousand troops were making transitory stops here,
arriving and departing and shifting about as the
necessities of the case seemed to require. Long wagon
1861] SOME MORE POLITICS. 173
trains of Government supplies, — hardtack, bacon,
beans, rice, coffee and sugar, of the Commissary depart-
ment, and blue uniforms, boots and shoes, blankets,
etc., of the Quartermaster department were constantly
coming and going, and the grand chorus of a thousand
voices from the mule corral was the first thing heard in
the morning and the last at night.
SOME MORE POLITICS.
In October, 1861, the Republican State Committee
was petitioned by a large number of voters to nomi-
nate a State ticket, and a special and emphatic request
was made in the petition that a patriotic and energetic
man be named for Governor on a war platform. They
claimed that Governor Charles Robinson was impotent
and inefficient, and that by the terms of the State
Constitution his term of office expired January 1, 1862,
notwithstanding the enactment of the Legislature
extending the term. The committee in response to
these petitioners nominated a full State ticket with
George A. Crawford, of Bourbon County, for Governor.
There was no other ticket in the field for State officers.
The location of the State Capital was to be voted
on, and members of the Legislature were to be elected.
The election was held on the 5th of November. Mr.
Crawford and his ticket received more than one-half as
many votes as the total vote polled on the State
Capital question, but the State Board of Canvassers
refused to canvass the vote. Mr. Crawford took the
case to the Supreme Court, and it is the first case
174 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1861
reported in the First Kansas reports. It is held by the
Court that the act of the Legislature of May 22, 1861,
provided for the election of Governor at the general
election of 1862, and that the election of the Crawford
ticket was null and void.
Topeka received the majority of the vote cast for
State Capital.
Eli G. Jewell and Geo. A. Reynolds were elected to
the Legislature from Bourbon County.
On the 2nd of December, 1861, General J. W.
Denver was ordered to Fort Leavenworth, and placed
in command of the Kansas troops.
1862 J VARIOUS THINGS. 175
CHAPTER XXV.
VARIOUS THINGS.
N the Spring of 1862, a considerable force was con-
) centrated at Fort Scott, consisting of the 1st and
6th Kansas, the 9th, 12th and 13th Wisconsin, the
2nd Ohio Cavalry and Captain Rabb's 2nd Indiana
; Battery. The 5th Kansas Cavalry, which had been
camped at Barnesville all winter was placed under
command of Col. Powell Clayton. In the early spring
this regiment was marched through Fort Scott to Dry-
wood. It remained there a few days, when Clayton got
permission to take the regiment out of this department,
and he hustled it off down on the lower Mississippi.
Sam Walker, who has been mentioned several times
during the border troubles was Major of this regiment.
James Montgomery was Colonel of the 3d Kansas, and
afterwards he was transferred to the command of a
colored regiment in South Carolina, where he probably
renewed his acquaintance with Buford and the Ham-
iltons, or at least with their kinfolks.
Speaking of the Hamiltons, nothing reliable is known
of that particular group, after the war began. They all
probably went into the rebel army. It is said that in
the fall of 1861, Captain Bain, with a portion of the
176 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1862
6th Kansas, captured several persons over in Missouri,
and on his way up he camped one night about two
miles south of Arcadia. The next morning, after they
had broken camp and started on the march, Bain took
a detail of men, and, selecting out seven of the pris-
oners, took them off to one side of the road and killed
them. Bain gave it out that they were with the Ham-
ilton gang at the Marais des Cygnes murder. That was
possibly true, but it was more probable that they were
Bain's personal enemies
The Kansas troops had now been in the service sev-
eral months, and they began to think they were old
veterans. Most of them had quit writing letters to
their folks more than twice a week, and they had all
learned the best manner of cooking beans, and pre-
paring hard-tack so that it would seem like something
else. Their ideas of war were somewhat changed
before they got through with it.
On the ioth of May, 1862, a small newspaper called
the Fort Scott Bulletin was established.
In the spring of 1862 the people of Fort Scott let the
city election go by default, and it was not until in
August that they discovered they had missed a chance
to vote. Then the council ordered an election to be
held on the 25th. J. S. Miller was elected Mayor, H.
T. Wilson, P. P. Elder, William Smith and C. F. Drake,
Councilmen; J. E. Dillon, clerk: J. F. White, Marshal;
C. W. Goodlander, Treasurer; A. R. Allison, Assessor,
and J. G. Stuart, Street Commissioner.
On the 1st of June Lieutenant Colonel Lewis R.
1862] VARIOUS THINGS. 177
Jewell was placed in command of the Post of Fort
Scott.
About July, 1862, Rube Forbes, whom we have
already had occasion to mention, and a man named
Troy Dye robbed the store of E. S. Scott, at Xenia.
This caused a great commotion among the settlers
of that neighborhood, and they raised a posse, headed
by Captain Vansycle, late of Co. "I," Sixth Kansas,
and Lieutenant Ford of the same company. They got
after the thieves in close chase. Dye got away but
they run Forbes into a very dense brush patch about
four miles south of Mapleton, where he was sur-
rounded. The brush was so thick they could not see
Rube but they charged in as far as they could and fired.
Rube instantly returned the fire and Captain Vansycle
fell dead. He fired again and Lieutenant Ford fell
badly wounded. The lieutenant was at once taken up
by Charles Love, J. R. Anderson and others, and
carried on a coat to a house about half a mile distant,
and was soon afterward taken to his home near Union-
town where he died. At the third fire by Rube, E. C.
Buck was badly wounded in the neck, and came
near dying. About that time a company of soldiers
arrived, who fired a volley into the brush where Rube
was and his dead body was dragged out.
On the 15th of July, 1862, the first number of the
Bourbon County Monitor was issued at Marmaton by
David B. Emmert.
The Second Kansas Battery was raised in Bourbon
County by C. W. Blair, early in the summer.
The officers were C. W. Blair, Captain ; E. A. Smith,
12
178 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1862
D. C. Knowles, A. G. Clark, and A.Wilson, Lieutenants.
This was known through the war as "Blair's Battery."
FALL ELECTIONS.
The general election in the State was held on the 4th
of November, 1862. Thomas Carney, Republican, of
Leavenworth, was elected Governor. He received
exactly 10,000 votes. The opposition candidate was
W. R. WagstafF, of Paola. His vote was 5,463.
The vote in Bourbon County for Governor was 413
to 86. This county was the Fourteenth Senatorial
District. Isaac Ford was elected Senator by 431 votes,
against 33 votes for E. Williams. There were four
Representative Districts in this county, the 50th, 51st,
52nd and 53rd. In the 50th D. B. Jackman received
41 votes, L. D. Clevenger, 26. In the 51st J. Hawkins,
62 ; W. T. Jones, 37. In the 52nd, D. R. Cobb received
the entire vote, 97. In the 53rd, C. F. Drake received
the entire vote, 205.
City Hall and Court House, 1865.
1 8B3] CO UN TV SEA T RE TURNED. 179
CHAPTER XXVI.
COUNTY SEAT RETURNED TO FORT SCOTT.
T THIS session of the Legislature C. F. Drake
introduced and had passed a general county seat
law, providing for elections for county seats on
petition to the County Court, etc. On the passage
of that law the City Council of the City of Fort
Scott, of which Mr. Drake was also a member,
proposed to the County Court that the city would build
a City Hall and in the event that the people, at the
proposed election, voted to re-locate the county seat at
Fort Scott the use of the City Hall would be given to
the county for county purposes. The proposition was
accepted by the Board of County Commissioners, and a
special election for county seat was held on the nth
day of May, 1863. The result of the election was as
follows : Fort Scott received 700 votes ; Centerville, on
Mill Creek, 279 votes; Mapleton, 14 votes; Fort Lincoln,
1 vote, and at a meeting of the Board of County Com-
missioners on the 16th of May 1863, the last one held
at Marmaton, Fort Scott was by proclamation declared
the county seat. At this meeting there were present
T. W. Tallman, Isaac Ford and E. A. Toles, Commis-
missioners and David R. Cobb, County Clerk.
180 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1863
The city council then took steps for the erection of
the City Hall. The location decided on was the
South-east corner of Locust and Jones streets, now
Second Street and National Avenue. The building
was to be of stone, two stories high. The contract was
let to Goodlander & Allison for the sum of $3,900. It
was completed that fall, except the railing around the
spiral stairway, which was never finished. Good-
lander made one for it but it didn't fit, and he threw it
under the work bench, then he convinced the council
that railings were out of style, anyhow.
At a meeting of the City Council held on December
14, 1863, it was on motion, ordered "That the City
Marshal notify the county officers that the City Hall
was in readiness, and request them to occupy the same."
The county officers then moved in. The County
Clerk, Treasurer and Register of Deeds occupied the
lower story. The District Court was held in the upper
story. And that was the Bourbon County court house
for nearly thirty years. When court was not in session
the upper story was subject to be used for miscellaneous
purposes. Religious services were held there nearly
every Sunday by some Denomination which had, as yet,
no home of their own. Political meetings and con-
ventions caucused and pulled wires, and long-haired
itinerant cranks would occasionally loosen the plaster-
ing in expounding their wonderful theories. During
the 6o 1 s amateur dramatic clubs often "played" under
the management of John R. Morley, Geo. Clark and
Ken Williams, in a repertoire from "Black-eyed
Susan" to "Hamlet." A "Masquerade Ball" was
1803] COUNTY SEAT RETUkNED. 181
given at least once a year. The "Masques" were
varied, most life-like, and always thoroughly original.
But few incidents of local interest transpired during
the year 1863. There was not much done in the way
of improvement either in the town or county. The
erection of the woollen factory by Geo. A. Crawford
was the most important. Fort Scott being a military
post, a telegraph line was constructed from Fort Leav-
enworth, and the people had means of communication
with the outside world, without having to depend on
the often delayed trips of the old "jerky" stage, which
the boys said was a "tri-weekly, — it went out one week
and tried to get back the next." Sometimes it didn't
do it. The stage fare between Kansas City and Fort
Scott was "ten dollars and carry a rail." Sometimes,
when the roads were real good, a man passenger would
not have to walk and carry a rail more than a third
of the time. When they were very bad he walked all
the way, carried his rail, and paid his ten dollars just
the same. So. But then he had the privilege of being
whirled into town and landed at the Wilder House
with a grand flourish. That was worth something.
A good portion of the men of Bourbon County, in
common with those of the balance of the State, were
in the army. The total number of Kansas troops in
the field by the middle of this year was 9,600. A large
number went in after that date. Nearly every man
living in Kansas during the war was in the service in
some shape. If not in the volunteer service he was in
the home guards or State militia.
On the 4th of July, 1863, E. A. Smith was pro-
182 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1863
moted to Captain of the 2nd Kansas, or Blair's Battery,
and Blair was assigned to the 14th Regiment of Kansas
Volunteers as Colonel. He was soon after promoted to
Brigadier General, and ordered to Fort Scott as com-
mandant of the post. He remained in command of
this post until April 28th, 1865, when he was succeeded
by Gen. U. B. Pearsall, who remained in command
until the close of the war.
ELECTIONS.
The general election in the State was held on the 3rd
of November. District Attorneys, Legislators, and a
part of the county officers were to be chosen. Samuel
A. Riggs was elected District Attorney for the Fourth
Judicial District, consisting of the counties of Allen,
Anderson, Bourbon, Douglas, Franklin, Johnson, Linn
and Miami. The Representatives for Bourbon County
were Wm. Stone, R. P. Stevens, D. R. Cobb and J. G.
Miller. County Treasurer, James Aitkin; Sheriff, H.
G. Moore; Probate Judge, Wm. Rose; Register of
Deeds, E. B. Norcross. The new County Board was
organized on the next January: T. W. Tallman, E. A.
Toles and J. F. Holt, Commissioners, and J. S. Em-
mert, County Clerk.
Fort Blair, Built in the Street at the Corner of Scott Avenue and
First Street in the Spring of 1864.
1864] POLITICAL FEELING. 183
CHAPTER XXVII.
FORTIFICATIONS.
N the early part of 1864 several extensive fortifica-
) tions were commenced, and finished that spring.
These were quite heavy, well constructed earth-
works. "Fort Henning" was located on Second
* street, between National Avenue and Judson street.
"Fort Blair" was on First street between Main
street and Scott Avenue, and contained the block house
uow standing across from the post office. l 'Fort Insley ' '
was on the extreme point northeast of the Plaza. There
were some barracks and fortifications commenced on the
hill southeast of town, and some rifle pits on what we
now call Tower Hill. The old Government Hospital
building was used for a hospital, and the old guard
house was again utilized for the original purpose.
Dr. Van Duyn was the surgeon in charge of hospitals
at this post during 1864.
POLITICAL, FEELING.
There was but little partisan political feeling in this
County at that time. Public sentiment may have
found vent, to some extent, in the action of the City
Council at a meeting held January 2, at which Coun-
184 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1864
cilmen Dimon, White and Drake caused the following
order to be spread upon the minutes :
'•''Ordered: That the Street Commissioner cause
a sidewalk to be built from the corner of Wall Street,
etc., and provided, that said walks be of two planks
one foot wide, 12 inches apart, 2 X / Z inches thick,
slightly elevated, and pinned to terra firma like h — 1."
The old party organizations were kept up, but the
sentiments of all were simply for the Union and
for the suppression of the rebellion.
At a large Democratic convention held May 23rd,
1864, in the City Hall, for the purpose of electing
a delegate to the State Democratic Convention to
be held at Topeka, the following resolution, among
others, was passed :
"Resolved, That we will vote for no man for Presi-
dent or Vice-President who is not pledged to devote all
his powers to the suppression of the rebellion, and
maintain and defend the Constitution of the Union
from all aggression from secession traitors of the South
and conspirators of the North."
The meeting was presided over by Robert Blackett.
O. Dieffenbaugh was secretary. Charles Bull was
chosen delegate to the State Convention.
John E. Himoe, of Mapleton, brother of Dr. S. O.
Himoe, while on a trip up the Missouri river, about
April 1, 1864, was taken down with the smallpox. He
was landed at Boonville with a nurse. While there he
became delirious and one night, escaping from the
house in that condition, he tried to break in through
the window of a neighboring house, and the man inside
1864] RAIDS ON DRY WOOD. 185
naturally took him for a burglar and shot him dead.
Mr. Himoe was at that time County Surveyor of
this county.
RAIDS ON DRYWOOD.
About the 20th of May, 1864, Henry Taylor, a noted
guerrilla of Vernon County, Mo., made a raid in the
Drywood valley. He had a large company with him,
some say as many as eighty men. He entered Bourbon
County on the south, and first went to the house of
William Custard, about ten o'clock at night. Custard
had been in bed, but by some means he got warning of
their approach, and he and his brother, Rufus, made
their escape, just in the nick of time. Taylor run into
the house and, in the search, he felt in the warm bed,
which Custard had just left.
Taylor then robbed several families and committed
other depredations. Finally, on his return out of the
county he went to the house of Louis L. Ury, at the
place where Garland is now, and surrounded it. There
were in the house, Mr. Ury and his wife, his son Joe
Ury, and the young children, Newt and the two girls,
now Mrs. Homer Pond and Mrs. John Withers, and a
Mr. T. Cartmell. Taylor had with him Mike Kelley,
John Gwynn and several other prisoners that he had
picked up, and intended to get Mr. Ury and his son
Joe. After capturing the men folks he moved Newt
and the two girls out into the corner of the yard
preparatory to burning the house. Just theu George
Pond, James Pitts and Fred Carpenter, a scouting party
from the 3d Wisconsin Cavalry, run onto them and
1 86 HIS TOR V OF BOURBON CO UNTY. [1 864
commenced firing, and Joe Ury, as soon as he heard
the guns, picked up a stick of wood and knocked
Taylor down. When Taylor got up, he called out
"shoot the prisoners," and made for his horse. Some
of the others of the gang fired at the prisoners, two
balls striking Mr. Louis Ury, who was standing in his
door. Then the entire party lit out for Missouri,
leaving all the prisoners. Mr. Ury's wounds were
found to be very serious. His leg had to be amputated
and he lingered until the 2nd of July, when he died.
The summer before this occurred, this same Taylor
captured a man by the name of Tom Whitesides from
the house of Mrs. Beal's, east of Fort Scott, and took
him to near the " Line House " and killed him, firing
twelve shots into him. After the war Taylor was
elected sheriff of Vernon county.
About June i, 1864, a dozen or more bushwhackers
made a raid into the county, up on the head of Pawnee
Creek, and captured Rev. Mr. Harryman, Mr. Potter,
and two or three colored people, and robbed and burned
Mr. Harryman' s house. The robbers took alarm at the
approach of some parties and hastily left without their
prisoners.
RAILROADS — POLITICS.
On the 1st day of June, 1864, a railroad convention
in the interest of the Border Tier railway was held at
Paola. The delegates from Bourbon County were Geo.
A. Crawford, Geo. Dimon, H. T. Wilson, Isaac Stad-
den, Dr. Freeman and A. Danford. D. P. Lowe and J.
D. Snoddy were among those from Linn County.
1864] THE PRICE RAID. 187
This was the first concerted effort in the direction of
building railroads in this section of the State. Speeches
were made and various committees appointed. One
committee was appointed to memorialize Congress to
grant lands to a border road, setting forth in their me-
morial the vast importance of such a road in a military
point of view. The people had sat down to an indefi-
nite siege of war. The end seemed far off in the dim
future, and they had come to accept it as almost the
natural condition.
President Lincoln was nominated for re-election. An
immense ratification meeting was held on the 20th day
of June, 1864, at Fort Scott. T. T. Insley was Presi-
dent, and J. R. Morley, J. F. White, W. A. Shannon,
B. P. McDonald, S. A. Manlove, and Win. Margrave
were Vice-Presidents.
At the Democratic Convention of Topeka, J. Thomas
Bridgens of Fort Scott, was appointed one of the can-
didates for Presidential Elector.
A Republican State Convention met at Topeka on
the 8th of September, 1864. On the first ballot for
candidate for Governor, George A. Crawford was in the
lead, but the opposition concentrated on Samuel J.
Crawford, and on the sixth ballot the vote stood: Sam-
uel J. Crawford, 51; Geo. A. Crawford, 31; and Samuel
J. Crawford was declared the nominee.
THE PRICE RAID.
In October, 1864, wnat is called the Price Raid took
place. General Price passed up from Arkansas through
188 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1864
Central Missouri, in the direction of Lexington, on the
Missouri river. He recruited his army as he advanced
until he had about 20,000 effective men. General S. R.
Curtis was at Leavenworth, in command of the Depart-
ment of Kansas. General Curtis's command consisted
of part of the 14th and all of the 15th and 16th Kansas,
a battalion of the 3rd Wisconsin, a section of the 2d
Kansas Battery, a Colorado battery, and the 9th Wis-
consin Battery, a total of about 4,500 men. On the 8th
of October he proclaimed martial law, and ordered all
the U. S. troops into the field to resist Price. Governor
Carney called out the State Militia, and ordered them to
the Border under General Deitzler, Major General of
State Militia. At Fort Scott there were assembled from
various points 1,050 men. The most of these were
formed into the 24th Regiment of State Militia, with
the following field and staff officers : Colonel, Isaac
Stadden ; Lieutenant Colonel, John Van Fossen ; Major,
Joseph Ury; Adjutant, A. Danford ; Quartermaster, J.
Thomas Bridgens ; Surgeons, B. F. Hepler and S. O.
Himoe.
The companies in the 24th Regiment were officered as
follows : Company A, John F. White and C. B. Hay-
ward ; Company B, W. C. Dennison and R. D. Lender;
Company C, J. B. Skeen, Thomas Barnes and C. B.
Maurice ; Company D, J. C. Hinkley and Robt. Stalker ;
Company E, H. T. Coffman, R. Adams and W. P. Gray-
Company F, J. C. Ury, J. B. Cabiness and S. Streeter.
Lieutenant Colonel George P. Eaves, of Uniontown,
had a battalion of mounted men, which he raised in the
various townships of the county, consisting of seven
1864] THE PRICE RAID. 189
companies, which had the following named officers :
Company A, D. D. Roberts, I. Burton and C. W. Camp-
bell ; Company B, Dyer Smith, D. R. Radden and B. R.
Wood ; Company C, John J. Stewart, John Blair and E.
M. Marshall ; Company D, S. B. Mahurin, John Ham-
ilton and J. C. Andrick ; Company E, B. F. Gumm,
Nathan Baker and William Goff; Company F, Isaac
Morris, R. S. Stevens and A. S. Potter ; Company G,
W. A. Shannon, N. J. Roscoe and D. McComas.
These troops were soon reinforced by militia from
Allen and Coffey counties, under Colonel Twiss and
Major Goss.
With Colonel Eaves' force and all the mounted troops
he could pick up, General Blair left for the field to join
Blunt's division, then near Westport, Missouri.
Generals Pleasanton and Sanborn, with about 4,000
men had left Jefferson City, to join the general pursuit.
On the 20th, 21st and 22d, engagements took place
respectively at Lexington, Little Blue and Big Blue.
The Union troops were victorious. Price was rapidly
retreating down the Missouri border, fighting almost
continuously. He had 15,000 veteran troops, plenty
of field artillery, and such lieutenants as Shelby, Mar-
maduke, Cabell, Slemmon, Fagan and Graham. Price's
army first entered Kansas in Linn county, and a part
of it camped, on the 24th of October, just north of the
Trading Post, on the exact spot at the base of the big
mound near old Jackey Williams' farm, where, on that
beautiful May day in 1858, the forerunners of this army
of invasion had enacted the prologue of the bloody and
disastrous scene which was to follow on the next day.
190 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1864
The old gray haired General could still see on that
hallowed ground
"The blush as of roses
Where rose never grew ;
Great drops on the bunch grass
But not of the dew."
And in his troubled sleep that night, when the
lights burned blue, at the dead of midnight, there may
have come to him the visions of those murdered men, as
"With no vain plea for mercy,
No stout knee was crooked ;
In the mouths of the rifles
Right manly they looked.
How paled the May sunshine,
Green Marais du Cygne,
When the death-smoke blew over
Thy lonely ravine!"
On the 25th of October, after a sharp skirmish, the
rebel forces retreated to the south side of the Marais
des Cygnes, and the entire army was brought to bay,
and was formed in line of battle in Mine Creek Valley,
near where now stands the City of Pleasanton. It was
a grand field for a battle. The open prairie was four or
five miles in extent, with only gentle undulations, and
the entire force, as well as all the maneuvers of either
army, could be plainly seen. The troops under Gen-
eral Blair, Colonel Moonlight and Colonel Crawford
were in position nearly on the left flank of the enemy,
with Generals Pleasanton, Sanborn, McNiel and Ben-
teen on the center and right. The engagement was
general, and for some hours well and hotly contested.
1864] RAIDS BY GUERILLAS. 191
Finally, a brilliant movement was made by Colonels
Philips and Benteen, and a brigade under General
Cabell of nearly iooo men was captured, together with
nine pieces of artillery. Generals Marmaduke, Cabell,
Slemmer and Graham were also taken prisoners. The
enemy now rapidly retreated, their deflection into Mis-
souri, to the southeast, being forced in a great measure
by the field maneuvers of General Blair and Colonel
Crawford.
Another stand was made by the enemy on the Little
Osage in Bourbon County, but McNiel and Pleasanton,
who were in advance, soon routed them out ; and still
another on Shiloh Creek in this county, where we
captured two pieces of artillery.
RAIDS BY GUERILLAS.
On the 20th of October, just before the battle of
Mine Creek occurred, a squad of about twenty-five
men, belonging to the command of the old guerilla,
Jo Shelby, struck the Osage river about the State line,
and went up on the north side. When they got up to
Fort Lincoln, they halted in front of the store in that
place, owned by Knowles & Green. Andrew Stevens
and W. H. Green were near the store door. The bush-
whackers at once opened fire on the two men, and
Stevens was instantly killed. Green escaped by slip-
ping down under the river bank and making for
the brush. Then they plundered the store and burned
the building, and the residences of Mr. Knowles, Mr.
Green and Mr. Hopkins, after robbing Mrs. Hopkins.
192 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1864
They then crossed the river, and robbed all the families
living as far west as Primm's and Armstrong's, and
burned the dwellings, hay stacks, and barns belonging
to Dick Stafford. Turning back down the Osage, and
dividing up into squads, they killed Mr. Woodall
and Mr. Miller.
MARMATON MASSACRE.
Another raid by guerrillas was made into Bourbon
County on the 22nd of October, 1864. On Saturday
night of that date, about midnight a company of from
forty to sixty men, under command of Allen Matthews
and Major Courcey, came up from a southern direction
to the neighborhood of Marmaton. Before they reached
town some of the neighboring farmers had discovered
them and came in ahead and gave the alarm. That
night there were about thirty Home Guards quartered
in the church, under command of Captain Harding,
First Lieutenant Ramsey, and Second Lieutenant J. G.
Roush. By order of Captain Harding these men were
scattered out in squads of eight or ten to picket the
several roads leading into town. In the meantime, the
guerrillas, presuming such would be the case, left the
main road and charged across lots into town, which they
thus found without any defense at all. They then com-
menced capturing every man they could get hold of,
aud firing on any they saw trying to run away. They
first picked up Colonel Horatio Knowles, Daniel M.
Brown, Dr. L. M. Chadwick, Joseph Stout, Abner
McGonigle and Warren Hawkins. These men they
murdered in the most cold-blooded manner, as fast as
] 864] $ . 1 RMA TON MASS A CRE. 1 93
they came to them, in some instances taking hold of
their victim with one hand and putting a bullet through
his head from a revolver in the other. In other cases
they would repeatedly shoot into their prisoners while
they were down and begging for mercy.
Nelson Ramsey, Win, Holt, brother of Judge Holt,
Rev. Mr. Prigmore, and others, were on the street, and
were repeatedly fired at, but they slipped away some-
how and hid in the deep ravines near by.
The stores in town were those of Aitkin & Knowles,
and Cobb & Jones. These they robbed and then
burned. The residence of Mrs. Schoen, widow of
Lieutenant Schoen, of Company E, ioth Kansas, the
Methodist church, and other buildings were burned.
As soon as possible after the attack, Lieutenant Roush
started for Fort Scott to give the alarm and get help in
the pursuit of the ruffians. Some of them discovered
him and gave him close chase as far as the Catholic
Cemetery, when they probably concluded they were
near the Fort Scott picket line, and turned back. Lieu-
tenant Roush reported the affair to Colonel Stadden,
who ordered out a force in pursuit, but the bush-
whackers had too much the start, and being well
mounted they got away. In passing out of the county,
near Cato, they killed another man, a Mr. Simons,
whom Matthews had a special grudge against. They
then continued their flight into the Cherokee Nation.
Reliable information is furnished that this Matthews
with about twenty of his men, left soon after for the
Rocky Mountains, going in a north-westerly direction
into the country of the Osage Indians. At a crossing
13
194 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1864
of the Verdigris river, near where Independence now
is, and just after they had crossed, they were met by a
large body of Osages who informed them that the Osage
people had orders to arrest any and all persons attempt-
ing to pass through their country and take them to
Fort Scott. Matthews told them they were friends of
the tribe, but that they would never submit to be taken
alive, especially as prisoners to Fort Scott. A battle
then opened, and Matthews and every one of his men
were killed. This is the statement as made by Little
Bear, who was then Chief of the Osages.
The murders recounted in these raids were the
most atrocious and cold-blooded of any that had ever
occurred in Bourbon County. The men killed were
all good, quiet, peaceable citizens, not identified in any-
way as partisans, or even active in politics, excepting
Horatio Knowles, who had been in the Legislature
several years, as has been noted. It was probably not
known at the time to what particular rebel command
these murderers belonged who raided the Osage valley.
The statement is made here that they belonged to the
command of the rebel General Jo Shelby, although he
was not present in person. The proof of it is given in
the following extracts from page 447 of a book pub-
lished in 1867 by authority of Shelby, called "Shelby
and His Men; or War in the West." The author
says, in speaking of these raids into Kansas :
"No prisoners were taken, and why should there
be? * * Shelby was leaving Kansas and taking terrible
adieus. * * Hay stacks, houses, barns, produce, crops,
and farming implements were consumed before the
1864] SUSPENSE. 105
march of his squadrons, and what the flames spared the
bullet finished. Shelby was soothing the wounds
of Missouri by stabbing the breast of Kansas. For
the victims of Lane and Jennison he demanded life for
life and blood for blood. The interest had been com-
pounded, but he gathered it to the utmost farthing.
Fort Scott lay before him like a picture, mellowed
by haze and distance, and the orders for its destruction
had gone forth."
And the orders for its destruction would have been
fully carried out had it not been for the prompt organi-
zation and assembly of the militia.
Price had also determined on the total destruction of
the City of Fort Scott. Marmaduke and other rebel
officers, while prisoners of war here, repeatedly stated
that Price had given orders for the annihilation of
Fort Scott as soon as they could get to it.
SUSPENSE.
On the day of the battle of Mine Creek, and for some
days previous, the people of Fort Scott and the troops
here were naturally in a state of great suspense. They
knew, indefinitely, that there had been fighting up north,
and that Price was retreating down the border. They
had good reason to fear the worst. They had no dispo-
sition to cry wolf when there was no wolf, and they
fully realized their danger if the rebel army should get
at them, and they were nerved up to defend themselves
to the best of their ability. They probably did not
know at that time of the especial determination and
order to destroy the town, but in a general way they
196 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1864
knew Price and his men and his methods, and they had
every reason to believe that he would attack and destroy
Fort Scott, which was then rich in supplies and plunder.
A part of the defensive force was posted on the hills
north of town. Entrenchments were thrown up at the
river fords, and preparations made for moving the women
and children.
About 3 o'clock on the morning of the 25th the
cannon boomed forth the alarm. A scout had just
arrived with the news that the enemy was at the
Trading Post, and it was presumed that their march on
Fort Scott would be unchecked. Every man was at
his post, and all exhibited the coolness of veteran
troops. The morning was rainy, but it cleared up later
in the forenoon, Up to 3 o'clock that afternoon no
definite news was had of the operations of the two
armies. They could hear the boom of the cannon, but
they did not know the result of the day. All kinds
of rumors were flying. Late in the day large bodies
of troops were seen marching on the city. But it was
soon ascertained that they were Union troops under
Colonel Moonlight. They then learned of the victory
at Mine Creek, and that General Blair's command and
other forces of the Union army would soon be here.
The revulsion of feeling cannot be described. The
tense, rigid feeling of suspense and anxiety which had
so long held the courageous militia to their work, gave
way to exultation and joy.
That night Generals Curtis, Pleasanton, Blunt and
Sanborn and their forces came in, bringing the captured
rebel Geuerals and other prisoners, and the captured
18641 PUBLIC MEETING. 197
cannon. The next morning they again took up the
march in pursuit of Price, except General Pleasanton
and his command, who, after remaining a few days, left
for St. Louis with the prisoners and captured artillery.
On the 28th, Colonel Stadden of the 24th regiment,
issued the following order :
Gen. Order No. 5.
The Colonel commanding takes pleasure at this time
in thanking the brave men under his command for the
heroism and fortitude displayed during the late crisis.
Although not actively engaged in the field, the cheer-
fulness displayed is certainly worthy of a veteran corps.
* * * * Again he assures you that no one will
have occasion to blush for being a member of the ' 'First
Bourbon." I. Stadden,
A. Danford, Adjutant. Colonel Commanding.
PUBLIC MEETING.
On the next Saturday evening a large public meeting
was held in Fort Scott. S. A. Manlove was chosen
President, and J. R. Morley, George Dimon, G. A.
Reynolds, N. Z. Strong and William Margrave, Vice-
Presidents. General Blair, who had returned to his
post as Commandant, was called on to speak. The
General said he was not there to make a political speech,
as he had nothing to do with politics since the war be-
gan, and would not have until it closed. He said he
desired, however, to do justice to the brave men who
had left their homes and kept in the front until Kansas
was out of danger. He closed with a detailed descrip-
tion of the battle of Mine Creek, and the military
operations along the Border.
198 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1864
As has been stated, General Curtis continued the
chase after the rebels, pursuing them to their final de-
struction as an army.
This was the last time Bourbon County was threat-
ened by the invasion of an armed enemy, and the people
soon settled down to some degree of peace and quiet.
The general election was held on the 8th day of No-
vember. Samuel J. Crawford was elected Governor and
Sidney Clarke, Congressman; A. Danford was elected
State Senator from Bourbon County. The Represent-
atives were: Fiftieth District, L. D. Clevenger; Fifty-
first, D. L. Campbell; Fifty-second, N. Griswold;
Fifty-third, N. Z. Strong. D. M. Valentine was elected
Judge of the Fourth Judicial District. D. B. Emmert,
District Clerk; Win. Margrave, Probate Judge, and
Nelson Griswold, Superintendent of Schools.
Bourbon County cast 960 votes for Lincoln electors
and 126 for the McClellan electors.
The year 1864 had been a season of more than usual
disquietude and apprehension, in this county. Besides
the operations of the regular Confederate armies, there
were many roving bands of guerillas, bushwhackers
and marauders swarming along the Missouri border,
who took every opportunity to slip into Kansas and
commit murder, robbery, theft and any depredation
that took their fancy or that occasion permitted.
The bordering section of Missouri was practically
without law, civil or military, and these men held full
sway in their reign of terror. This state of affairs
continued until Price's horde was swept down the
Border, and the last remnant of rebellion disappeared.
1865] CITY ELECTION. 199
CHAPTER XXVIII.
LINCOLN.
*HE year 1865, while it was laden with events of
vast import to the Nation, bore to us but few
marked incidents of a local nature. President
Lincoln was re-inaugurated on the 4th of March,
and was assassinated on the 14th of April. He had,
* however, lived to see the surrender of Appomattox,
and to smilingly approve of Grant's direction to the
paroled army of North Virginia: ll Take your horses
and mules home, you will need them on the farm." He
had lived to see the rebellion crushed, and to realize
that government by the people should not perish from
the earth. Nor will his name. He had reached the
apex of human greatness. The Infinite fittingly or-
dained there should be no descent.
CITY ELECTION.
In the spring of 1865 the regular election was held
in Fort Scott for city officers. Isaac Stadden was
elected Mayor. The Councilmen were A. R. Allison,
S. A. Maulove, Charles Rubicam and J. R. Morley.
City Marshal, H.C.Jones; Treasurer, C. F. Drake;
Recorder, Wm. Margrave ; Assessor, J. W. Coutant ;
200 HIS TOR Y OF BO URB ON CO UN T Y. [ 1 865
Street Commissioner, C. W. Goodlander ; Attorney,
A. Dan ford.
THE SCHOOLS.
In January, i860, S. W. Greer, Superintendent of
Schools, made a report of the condition of the schools
in the Territory at that date. His figures for Bourbon
County are as follows : Number of districts organized,
seven. Number of children between the ages of 5 and
21, seventy-four.
The first school district in this county was organized
in December, 1859. It was what was afterwards Dis-
trict No. 10. None were organized in i860, and only
45 were organized until after the war, when in 1867 the
organization of districts again commenced. At the
close of 1865 there were 3,261 children of school age in
the county. Many of these were children of refugees
who had come in to Fort Scott from Missouri and
Arkansas. Through the efforts of C. F. Drake, and a few
others, school rooms were furnished and fitted up in the
old hospital building and in the old City Hall.
The few school buildings in the county were poorly
furnished. The appliances were meager. There was
nothing like uniformity in books. The children
brought the books which had been used by their par-
ents fifteen or twenty years before, and represented
nearly as many different States and kinds of books as there
were children. The daily routine was something like
this: The reading class would form in line; one scholar
read a verse from an old reader commencing, "Rome
was an ocean of flame;" the next would read one about
1865] COST OF PROVISIONS. 201
"Lo! the Poor Indian;" the next, not having anything
but Webster's Spelling Book, read about one of the
pictures in the back part, where the girl failed to be
able to buy a new dress because the cow kicked over
the pail of milk. And so on down the line, until the
last one, a little fellow, read the best he could about
the wonderful cat.
The facilities for acquiring an education in those
times compares but feebly with our grand institutions
of the present day. Our trained, competent and effi-
cient professional teachers, with the paternal aid of the
State, have wrought a wonderful change. Working
through our Normal Colleges and High Schools, they
have brought our common school system wellnigh
to perfection. Not only that, they have caused the
word "Teacher" to take its rightful place at the head
of the list of the learned professions. And also, like
Abou Ben-Adhem, "of those who love their fellow-
men, their names lead all the rest." "May their
tribe increase."
COST OF PROVISIONS.
In July, 1865, J. S. Emmert, County Clerk, left among
the records of the County an itemized account of the
expenses of housekeeping, from which the following
extracts are made :
One-half bushel apples, $1.50; one dozen beets, 50
cents; four pounds of butter, $1.25; four dozen eggs,
$1.30 ; four heads of cabbage, 50 cents ; twelve pounds
of sugar, $3.00; five pounds of coffee, $5.00; one-half
gallon kerosene, $1.00 ; one bushel of potatoes, $2.00;
202 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1865
six bars soap, $1.00 ; two chickens, 80 cents ; one peck
of onions, 75 cents; one-half pound tea $1.50; fifty
pounds flour, $3.50.
MUSTER-OUT.
The Kansas troops had been or were being mustered
out. Their old yellow parchments said they were
"honorably discharged." "No objection tore-enlist-
ment known to exist." But many of them knew there
were objections known to exist — dressed in calico — and
they were going to meet those objections, just as soon
as possible. A farewell glance was given the faithful
old camp kettles and mess pans, in which they had so
often cooked cofFee and beans and rice and desiccated
potatoes, or the chickens and sweet potatoes, turkeys,
and pigs, and geese, which somehow found their way
into the company messes. They were going home.
The orderly sergeant called the roll for the last time.
He skipped many names on the original muster-in roll.
Some had been discharged for wounds or other dis-
ability; many had left their bones in one or the other
of a dozen States from Kansas to the Sea.
The record of Kansas in the war is grand. The State
sent more soldiers to the war than it had voters in 1861.
Its quota under the calls for troops was 12,931; it sent
20,151, without conscription. Nineteen regiments and
three batteries participated in more than a hundred
engagements, six of which were on Kansas soil. The
battlefields from Wilson Creek to the Gulf are conse-
crated by their blood. Provost-Marshal-General Fry,
in his final reports of the Union Army Roster, wrote
1865] BUSINESS AND IMPROVEMENTS. 203
this: "Kansas shows the highest battle mortality of the
table. The same singular martial disposition which
induced about one-half of the able-bodied men to enter
the army without bounty may be supposed to have in-
creased their exposure to the casualties of battle after
they were in the service."
The regiments and batteries had all made an honor-
able record. In the many battles in which they were
engaged, there were none of which they were not entitled
by General Orders to emblazon the battle-name on the
white stripes of "Old Glory."
BUSINESS AND IMPROVEMENT.
The people of our county were now turning their
attention more than ever before to the pursuits of peace.
For ten years there had existed among our entire
people a sense of insecurity and apprehension. It was
an epoch of unrest, — a decade of bloody strife. No one
on retiring to rest at night knew what might occur
before another sun. An enemy was always in striking
distance. They became accustomed to this state of
affairs at times, when the recurrence of some bloody
deed would again raise up the nightmare of border
strife or civil war.
But all that was at an end. The war was over, and
the receding tide had taken with it the flotsam and jet-
sam of border war.
Fort Scott was rapidly improving. The "Wilder
House" and the stone "Miller Block," opposite, had
been built sometime, and they were classed among the
architectural wonders of the State.
204 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1865
The Wilder House was thus named in compliment to
A. C. Wilder, who was Congressman from this State,
and afterwards stationed for a time at Fort Scott in the
Commissary Department, and who was, also, a great
friend of the Dimon brothers, who built the house.
A. C. Wilder was a brother of D. W. Wilder, who is
not only well known in Fort Scott but throughout
the West.
The "Miller Block" was built by Dr. J. G. Miller,
who, as stated, was a Representative in 1865, and a
prominent man until his death, some time afterwards.
The military telegraph had been run down the road
from Leavenworth in 1863, and its last months of use
here by the military, the office was conducted by J. D.
McCleverty as chief operator. George A. Crawford
had erected a year before a large flouring mill of four
run of burrs, probably the largest mill then in the State.
Early this year he commenced the erection of a large
woollen factory, the largest and best appointed of any
one in the West. By fall of this year there could be
heard the whirr of a thousand spindles, and the inter-
mittent thump and bang of many looms. The best
grade of merchant yarns, blankets, and woollen cloths
were manufactured. The wheat and wool of this and
adjoining counties were worked up here which found
a ready market. This mill and factory were totally
destroyed by fire on the night of November 1, 1870.
There was no insurance on this property and its loss to
Mr. Crawford caused much financial embarrassment. It
was also a severe blow to the city of Fort Scott. These
mills were the pride of the town, then struggling for a
Section of Market Street, 1865.
1 S65 ] B USINESS A ND IMPR O VEMEN TS. 205
place in the front rank of the manufacturing points in
this State, and ambitious even then, to be rated as the
principal city of Southern Kansas.
The establishment of a military post at Fort Scott
during the war was, of course, of material advantage
to it. While much of the business was of a transitory
nature, a very considerable amount of it was of legiti-
mate wholesale trade, and the retail trade with the
surrounding country was very extensive.
Among the largest business houses at the close of
1865 may be noted the following: Dry Goods — Wilson
Gordon & Ray, A. McDonald & Bro., J. F. White, J
R. Morley & Co., Wm. Roach, Rosenfield & Co., San
derson & Thomas, Shannon & Seavers, A. J. Lagore
and Jones & Cobb. Groceries — Linn & Stadden, G. R
Bodine, A. Cohen, Ernich & Lender, E. M. Insley
Van Fosseu Bros., Parker & Tomlinson, and Penning
ton & Secrist. Hardware — C. F. Drake and Rubicam
& Dil worth. Bankers — A. McDonald & Bro. Book
Store — S. A. Manlove. Livery Stables — Beuj. Files,
P. Clough, H. Dimon, S. A. Olds, and Chas. Walker.
Watch Maker— D. Prager. Tailors— R. Blackett and
J. Winter. Harness Maker — Hartman & Co. Plas-
terer — A. Coston. Shoemaker — John Crow. Cabinet
Makers — S. O. Goodlauder and Wm. C. Weatherwax.
Wagon Maker— John A. Bryant. Blacksmiths — W. H.
Dory, Moses Boire and C. J. Neal. Drug Stores — D.
S. Andrick & Co. and W. C. Denuison & Co. Barbers
— Ed. Henderson and Joe Barker. Carpenter — C. W.
Goodlander. Masons — John Higgins and Billy Shan-
nehan. Physicians— B. F. Hepler, J. H. Couch, J. S.
206 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1865
Redfield, S. O. Himoe, L. M. Timmonds, J. C. Van
Pelt, etc. Lawyers — Too many, as usual.
The rest of the fellows kept saloons.
The principal business part of the town was then on
Market street — called Bigler street then — and North
Main street. A. McDonald & Bro.'s store was in a long
one-story frame house, fronting on Scott avenue, and
running along Wall street to the alley. The "Banking
House" was in the rear end of it, with an entrance on
Wall street.
The other business houses, on Market and Main
Streets, were all one and two story frame buildings,
many of them but little better than board shanties.
Most of the business houses on these streets were burned
in the great fire of April 23, 1873.
A very good county fair was held at Fort Scott on
October 12, 1865. G. A. Crawford, David Gardner,
A. Goff, and N. C. Hood, were the officers.
The general election for 1865, was held on the 2nd
of November. In Bourbon County D. B. Emmert was
elected as State Senator to fill a vacancy. The Repre-
sentatives elected were as follows: 50th District, W. H.
Green; 51st, J. L. Wilson; 52nd, Nelson Griswold ;
53rd, C. W. Blair. General Blair ran against W. A.
Shannon, a very popular republican, and was elected
by a vote of 264, as against 145 for Shannon.
The ruling prices of some of the staple provisions in
the fall and winter of 1865, in the Fort Scott market
were as follows: Wheat, $2.50 per bushel; flour, $10
per hundred; corn meal, $2.75 per bushel; oats, $2 per
bushel; corn, $2.50 per bushel; sugar, 33 to 50c per
1865] BUSINESS AND IMPROVEMENTS. 207
pound; coffee, Rio, 66^c per pound; coffee, Java,
75c per pound; teas, $2.50 to $3.50 per pound; rice,
30c per pound; molasses, $1.50 to $3 per gallon; butter,
50c per pound; cheese, 40c per pound; eggs, 60c per
dozen; potatoes, $4 to $4. 50 per bushel; turnips, $2 per
bushel; green apples, $3.50 to $4 per bushel; dried
apples, $5 per bushel.
In the summer of 1865 the Kansas & Neosho Valley
Railroad Company was organized at Kansas City, Mo.
The initial point of this road was to be at Kansas City.
The Southern terminus and direction was undetermined.
Official communication was opened with our County
Board with a view to having Bourbon County take
$150,000 in stock of the Company. After some cor-
respondence the Board finally required that the name
of Fort Scott be incorporated in the name of the
Company and road, and suggested "Missouri River,
Fort Scott & Gulf" as such name. The Company
at once agreed to make the change, and at a meeting
on November 18th, the Board ordered an election to be
held on the 16th day of December, 1865, on the question
of voting $150,000 in county bonds. The election
resulted as follows: Osage Township voted 41 for,
none against; Freedom 65 for, 4 against; Timberhill
49 for, 33 against; Franklin 4 for, 87 against; Marion
17 for, 67 against; Marmaton 36 for, 29 against; Scott
493 for, none against. Total, 705 for, and 220 against.
And the first preliminary struggle for a railroad through
Bourbon County was over. This road was completed
to Fort Scott in the fall of 1869.
In November, 1865, County Assessor, Mr. E. Brown,
208 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1865
made his official returns, from which the following
figures are taken:
Population — White males, 4,954; white females,
4,282; black males, 379; black females, 418. Total
population of the county, 10,033. Fort Scott con-
tained about 1,800 inhabitants, who were actual citi-
zens. The total valuation, real and personal, (which
the assessor returned together) of the entire county,
was $1,442,687.00. During the fiscal year of 1865
there was harvested and manufactured the amounts and
articles following: Wheat harvested, 28,676 bushels.
Rye, 3,621; Corn, 206,297; Oats, 15,352. Irish pota-
toes, 5,591; sweet potatoes, 821. Butter, 14,498 lbs.
Cheese, 11,907 pounds. Sorghum molasses, 7,606
gallons. Hay, 15,565 tons. Total number of acres
of land fenced ,34,344.
Acres of land improved, 25,687. Number of horses,
2,702; number of mules, 301; number of milch cows,
3,630; number of oxen, 603; number of other cattle,
5,209; number of sheep, 6,345; number of swine, 2, 638.
Value of live stock, $476,295.
The population of the county had increased about
4,000 since the enumeration of i860.
There was no census, even approximate, of the popu-
lation of Fort Scott in 1865. There was a large "float-
ing population" of refugees and indiscriminate and
indescribable people, white and black, who had, prac-
tically, no home or residence anywhere, to the number
of 1,000 or more. The actual number of bona fide
citizens was probably less than 1,800. The tax roll
of the city bears less than 400 names.
1865] THE CLOSE. 209
THE CLOSE.
The close of the year 1865, ^ s deemed the fitting
period to close this volume of the History of Bourbon
County. It is the closing point of an Era. Old "Time"
here rested his scythe for a moment, and turned the
sand in his glass.
A final tribute should be paid to our men and women,
one and all, the living and the dead, who came to this
county in early times to help found a State.
They sacrificed all the established comforts of their
homes in the old States to found new homes in this
semi-wilderness. They came with no misunderstanding
as to the state of the country or the political and social
conditions. They came with their eyes wide open,
each well knowing that his life here, for many years,
must be and would be a life of hardship, self-denial and
danger. As a class, they were a superior people ;
superior in that stamina of character ; superior in that
native manhood and womanhood which goes to make
up the "salt of the earth." Poor they were in purse,
but rich in integrity of purpose.
At the old fireside, a young man, "the flower of the
flock," the one widest between the eyes, stood out from
the family circle and said : "Sis, pack my carpet-bag,
I'm going to Kansas." "Sis" was probably to follow
as soon as a certain young man had a cabin and ten
acres of sod corn.
And so they came. Sometimes one, alone, sometimes
the entire family.
210 HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1865
Many have passed over to the other side. Many
have reached what the man of Avon called the "chair
age." A few are still in the vigor of life. All passed
through a life's experience such as will come to no
other people. They all played a part in that grand
drama which closed the heroic epoch in politics and
war. They watched, step by step, the political legis-
lation, and the unfolding, like the bloom of the deadly
night-shade, of the divergent sentiments among the
people of the two great Sections. They saw the result-
ing partisan strife, of which Bourbon County was the
storm-center, and the culmination in bloody civil war.
They saw the primal cause — that exudation from the
dark ages — go down forever on the very spot of its
origin, "the Plantations on the river James." They
saw the wayward sisters, as from a pathway through a
burning forest, emerge into the sunlight. They saw
civilization, — cradled on the rock of Sinai and crowned
on the rock of Plymouth, — plant here another guidon
under the rising battle-smoke of 1865.
THE END.
J. F. COTTRELL,
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL
ft '
Stationer
£*^WALL PAPER DEALER,
Jio. 6 floPth Main Street,
First Doop fiofth of Opera House,
FORT SCOTT, KANSAS.
■ESTABLISHED 1865.
a &« lfeff!#£%
DBALtHR Ifi POLtlSHBD
Elate arid Window &lass
WRlih PAPER,
Window Shades, Paints, Oils and Varnish,
PAINTER RfiD PAPEH HANGER.
cr— -♦— 207 Wall Street.
Established 1869, -^~*~€*- Incorporated 1888.
W. H STOUT. President. R. J. HARRIS, Vice-Pres't. W. H. FOX, Sec. & Treas.
THE FORT SCOTT
GRAINVIMPLEMENT COMPANY
(Sueeaesors to DURKEE & STOUT,)
Agricultural Iiqpleiqeiits,
^CARRIAGES, BUGGIES,
GRAIN AND SEEDS.-"
FORT SCOTT, - KANSAS.
John Glunz,
WHOLESALE DEALER IN
LEATHER, * SAD • MM,
Saddlery, Shoe Leather and Finding.
Manufacturer of 1 17 MARKET ST.,
HOSSE C OLiLiflHS. }_| | DES F0RT S J TT ' KANSASl
PRESCRIPTION DRUGGIST,
^^Manufacturer ol Well Known
Pharmaceutical Preparations and Proprietary Remedies,
RLiSO, R. pOliIi IiIfiH OF
DRUGS, CHEMICALS,
Perfumery and Toilet Articles of Every Description, and Physicians' Supplies.
Corner Main and Wall Streets,
FORT SCOTT, KANSAS.
FORT SCOTT FURNITURE COMPANY,
Kos. 10, 12 (f 14 Scott Avenue.
Furniture $ Undertaking.
Carrying the Largest and
Best Selected iStock of
MEDIUM AND HIGH GRADE FURNITURE
In this Section. Buying all goods in car load lots for CASH
enables us to undersell all competitors. We can sell
Furniture at same price it costs small dealers, and
Guarantee to Save You at Least 20 per Cent.
,,g> j^Q
•v» — » <j i
Undertaking
Department.
^ «
<§zr>
m • • •
Scientific Embalming.
COFFINS AND CASKETS,—*-
— = Iron, Metallic, Copper and Zinc,
SHROUDS, ROBES, Etc.
A complete equipment of Hearses, Pall Bearers' Wagonette ,
Carriages, Hacks and Undertaker 's Wagons.
No Extra Charge for Hearses in the Country,
This Department is under the direct supervision of C. W. Good-
lander, Jr.,—i8 years practical experience in this city and adjacent
tert itory.
CHAN. B. CAMPBELL
Insurance
lioans. .
AND
FIRE, LIGHTNING, CYCLONE, HAIL,
WIND STORM, PLATE GLASS, LIFE AND ACCIDENT.
All classes of Insurance at equitable rates.
Loans promptly made on Farm and City Property.
All kinds of Conveyancing and Notarial work done .
Rents collected and properties cared for.
Call and see me when you want business in my line.
FORT SCOTT, KANSAS.
D. PRAGER,
r / £^t if r~* |7Y (P
rj :>
UNION BLOCK.
No. 18 Mail Street, FORT SCOTT, KANSAS.
C. C. IlHltSOrt. Vtf. P. S^ITH-
C. G. NELSON & CO..
LOANS.
Loais Promptly Negotiated on Farm aafl City Property.
Low Rates of Merest ail Easy Payments on Principal,
Office :
112 E. First street, FORT SCOTT, KANSAS.
J. Y. DABBS,
The Old Reliable
GHOUflD FLiOOH STUDIO.
New Process Portraits, Crayon Portraits,
Water Colored Portraits, Frames and Mouldings,
Colored Pictures, Photogravures.
207 Market Street, - - FOR! SCOTT, KANSAS.
Pioneer Lumber Yard
C. W. GOODLANDER,
DEAIvER IN
Sash, Doors, Blinds, Cement, Lime^
— =AU Kines of Building Material,
Fort Scott, Kansas, Arcadia, Kansas, Uniontown, Kansas, Garland, Kansas,
Bronson, Kansas, Liberal, Mo.
T. W, liV^JM, JVIanageP.
P^
W. A. COSTON.
^^■* No. 103 South Main Street,
FORT SCOTT,
KANSAS.
•• ^
H. L PAGE ^ GO.
DEALERS IN
ALL KINDS OF VEHICLES.
They buy direct from the manufac-
turers, therefore are able and do give
their customers the benefit of as low
prices on all the different grides and
styles of vehicles, as can be had of
any dealer in the State. They carry a
large stock of
Spring Wagons, Phaetons,
Buggies, Road Wagons.
Also, a fine line of Harness. They
sell the celebrated BAIN WAGON,
Their long experience enables
them to select from the different
factories the best articles made for
Farm Machinery. Their NEW
IDEAL MOWER, with ball am
roller bearing journals, serrate
ledger plates, is without doubt th
best Mower now made.
No. I Market Square,
riie New Deering
Pony Binder,
With ball and roller bearit
Fort Scott, Kanass.
Warn Hardware Co.,
DEALERS IN
HARDWARE,
Cutlery, Stoves and Tincuai^e,
21 SOUTH MAIN STREET.
.c EW xs FOR FAVORITE STOVES AND RANGES.
The most durable, convenient, economical and best operating- Stoves
and Ranges sold in this city or county.
IB 71.
H. BRC
FINE TAILORING
NO. 211 MRRKE
Fort Scott, -
Ti Wi Tallman Lui
LiU]V[£
New and Complete Stock of ]
Material Alway
Yards. Cor. National Ave. and TI
Opposite Court House, * — -r~-
FOR
1870.
1894.
OFFICE OF THE
Fort Scott Marble and Granite Works
Cor. Third and
^Main Streets.
M. E. FARNSWORTH,
Proprietor.
'Dealer irj guirjcy, Barre, Clark's Island, ©ak
[dill, fdallowell, Concord, Black Oianrjond, ped
'Bead] and Bay of Fundy ©parjites. Importer
of Scotch ©rarjit-e, Statuary Figures, Italian,
garble and Finished N^onurrjerjts.
CORBKSPONDING OFFICES :
Aberdeen, Scotland, . . . and . . . Carrara, Italy.
All communications should be addressed T ^ jufOODV Matiaaef.
and remittances made to A « *» • 4«w*^ *> ^««*"«»a»
All parties desiring work in our line would do well to call and see our stock and
GET OTJE. PBICES.
C. W. GOODLANDER, President. C. H. OSBUN, Vice Pres't. C. B. McDONALD, Cashier.
ORGANIZED IN 1884.
Citizens #
Rational
Bank._^
PAID DP CAPITAL, $100,000. AUTHORIZED CAPITAL, $300,000.
T\: - • ~A —„ T.W.Tallman.G.W. Katzung, W. P. Dilworth, C.W.Goodlander.C. H.
JJirGCLOrS. Osbun, F. M. Brickley, B. P. McDonald, Leo I. Stadden, W. C. Perry.
Bank on Main Street, FORT SCOTT, KANSAS.
o
Goodsell,
\
T
Callfoui) & Co.,
A.
1
I
*
DRY GOODS, NOTIONS,
1
]
KID GLOVES, ' -<r
CLOAKS,—*-
Complete Line of Seasonable Goods
AT ALL TIMES,
Can be pound at our Store.
GOODSELL, CALHOUN I CO.
DAVID F. COON,
President.
J. J. STEWART,
Vice President.
JAS. R. COLEAN,
Cashier,
The State Bank,
COR. OF MAIN AND FIRST STREETS,
FORT SCOTT, KANSAS-
Capital,
C. H. Haynes,
John H. Mead,
W. H. Harris,
DTEECTOBS.
$100,000
C. C. Crain, J. J. Stewart,
Thornton Ware, D. F. Coon,
Henry J. Butler, Jas. R. Colean.
Druggist,
FORT SCOTT, KANS.
The Best is the Cheapest!
Prescriptions
Filled
at all hours ;
Day
or
Night. §
Quality Fays!
We handle only
reliable goods of
the best makes,
and sell them at
prices as low as
may be consist-
ent with good
quality.
TOILET
ARTICLES,
PERFUMES,
BRUSHES,
COMBS.
MIRRORS.
C. E. HALL, Druggist,
... 112 S. MAIN STREET. . . .
C. P. Df^HKE, CHAS. NEIiSON, C. F. WARTIfl,
President Viae President, Cashi
ORGANIZED UNDER STATE LAW.
Tie Bail t Firt Sal
ESABLISHED. 1881
Paid-up Capital, *> $125,000,
111 WALL STREET,
FORT SCOTT.
KANSAS.
DIRECTORS.
C. F DRAKE, CHAS. NELSON, C.F.MARTIN,
J.H.RANDOLPH, J. F. COTTRELL.
liii
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