USA > Kansas > A standard history of Kansas and Kansans, Volume I > Part 63
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2 In his statement to Brewerton, Coleman reviews the whole trouble between himself and Branson, as well as that with Dow. This statement is given :
I am a native of Brook County in Virginia. I left that State in 1849, and removed to Louisa County, Iowa, from whence I emigrated to Kansas City, Mo., in April, 1854. Here I kept the Union Hotel until September of last year. From this place I moved with my family, con- sisting of a wife and child (a boy of six years old,) to Hickory Point, on the Santa Fe trail, distant some ten miles from Lawrence. K. T.
At this time, the greater part of the land near Hickory Point was held by three Indianians, who occupied, partly by their own claims, but mostly as the representatives of certain friends of theirs in Indiana, who, though non-residents, claimed title by them as their proxies. Time
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not found. They questioned a neighbor closely, but only learned that lie had gone to the Shawnee Mission to give himself up to the Sheriff. On the day of the funeral Mrs. Coleman sent John M. Banks to notify the Sheriff to remain at the Mission with her husband until the matter could be investigated. Banks went to Lawrence on Monday and was
passed on, and the absentee claimants neglected to comply with the requisitions of the 'Squatter Laws,' thereby forfeiting their claims. Three of their. claims were accordingly taken by Missourians, who learned that they were lying vacant, in November of 1854. Some few days after these claims had been entered upon, the absentee Indianian claimants arrived. This led to one of the 'jumped claims' being referred to arbitration-the arbitrators being twelve in number, a majority of whom belonged to the Free State party. It was settled by these in favor of the Missourians. On the strength of this decision, in partner- ship with John M. Banks, a Free State man, I 'jumped a claim' held by a man named Frasier, a non-resident of Kansas. We notified this person that we had 'jumped his claim,' and as we did not wish to take any undue advantage of him, would give it up if he could show any legal right to the land in question. We afterwards discovered that Frasier had sold this claim to one Jacob Branson, then residing in Mis- souri but formerly from Indiana. This we learned from Branson himself, who came out forthwith to Hickory Point (I had known Branson while in Kansas City) ; I remarked to Branson that I had taken the Frasier claim; he replied : 'I have bought that claim from Frasier, and paid him fifty dollars for it, and I intend to have it.' I then said to Branson that the claim in question was forfeited by Frasier's non- compliance with 'the Squatter Laws,' and that I was willing to submit it to arbitration. This he refused, stating that if the laws took a man's claim away he would defend himself and have his claim, or 'die right where he was.' I then closed our interview by telling him that it was not worth our while to talk about it. On the morning following this conversation, Branson came (during my absence) to my house with a wagon-load of household stuff. accompanied by Louis Farley, a Free State man from Indiana-Mr. Banks and a young man named Graves- a Free-soiler-were the only men at my house on the occasion of Bran- son's visit. Branson and his companion tried to force his property into my dwelling. Banks requested them to let their goods stand until they could send for me; he did so, and I came immediately. Upon entering my house, Branson and Farley being within, I reminded Bran- son that he had said that 'he would have my claim or die upon it.' I then drew a single-barreled pistol from under the head of the bed and told him that I should defend myself, and if he was determined to settle the matter in that way, I was prepared to do so. Farley then attempted to mediate between ns. During this conversation, Branson kept his hand upon an 'Allen's revolver' which he had with him in his pocket, but made no motion to draw the weapon, nor did I threaten him with my pistol, further than to exhibit it as a proof of my intention to protect myself. I cannot remember the precise date of this difficulty ; I think it occurred in November, 1854. Branson and myself then agreed to compromise the matter by submitting our difficulties to an arbitra- tion. This was accordingly done, and the arbitrators, twelve in number, and mostly 'Pro-Slavery men, decided against my partner and myself, insomuch that instead of allowing our claim to the whole Frasier tract, amounting to two hundred and forty acres, they awarded one hundred and sixty acres to Branson as his proportion. Branson then promised,
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told by C. W. Babcock, the postmaster, that he had better not go back home as there had been a meeting that day to investigate the killing of Dow. Also that there were two hundred to three hundred men in arms. On his way home Banks met some twenty or thirty armed men return- ing to Lawrence.
in the presence of the arbitrators, to measure off his share. But this he subsequently refused to do. Banks and myself then reminded him of his agreement to submit to the decision of the arbitrators, adding that we desired peace. He said that he did not crave our friendship, and that we should never have a single foot of the lumber which grew upon the greater part of the claim. He then stated that he had measured the entire 'Frasier Claim' with one of his neighbors, and found it to contain but one hundred and twenty acres-called us a set of base thieves, who had swindled him out of his rights, and with whom he wished to have no intercourse, etc. We then parted for our several homes.
Banks, Graves and myself then measured off the claim, allotting to Branson his full proportion (all timber land) of 160 acres, and marking the boundary line which divided our claim. This division was never accepted by Branson. He still claimed the whole tract. Branson then turned his attention to strengthening the Free State party-to which he himself belonged-in the vicinity of Hickory Point. This he did by encouraging Free State men to settle about him, giving them timber from his land, and informing them of vacant claims. In pursuance of this object, he and his friends invited a man named Dow, an Ohioan and Abolitionist, to occupy a claim adjoining my own. This claim rightly belonged to one William White, of Westport, Mo., a Pro-Slavery man, who had made some improvements on it, and therefore held it under the 'Squatter Laws.' The 'improvement' was a log-cabin, which was burnt down by the Free-State party, on or about the day of Dow's arrival at Hickory Point. Dow then entered upon White's claim and commenced building. Upon this twelve men of the Pro-Slavery party at Hickory Point, I being one of their number, waited upon Dow, to inquire into the 'jumping' of White's claim, and the burning of his house. We accused Dow of being accessory to the act. He asserted his innocenee as regarded the destruction of White's cabin. Upon being asked if he was not aware of the intention of the Free State people to destroy it, he answered that that was his business, and none of ours. I then observed to him that as my claim adjoined his I would be his nearest neighbor, and should be very sorry to suspect that the man who lived next to me could be guilty of such an act, but as he had affirmed his innocence, as regarded the burning of White's house, I would (if it proved to be true) be a kind neighbor to him, and added that he was welcome to visit at my house if he wished to come. He thanked me, and we parted. These occurrences took place during the winter of 1854 and '55, and from this date up to the very day on which I killed Dow I met him on several occasions, and always in a friendly manner, although I had at various times heard of his threatening me.
In July or August of 1855 a branch of the Kansas Free State seeret military organization was established among the Free State set- tlers around Hiekory Point. Branson being their commander. Not long after this, I learned that he had not only threatened to use this force to put down and set at defiance the Territorial laws, but had stated, on several occasions, that he had an old grudge to settle with me-that he would like to meet me-that I should not live in the Territory, but that
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The day of the burial of Dow, Saturday, the 24th, a large number assembled for the funeral. There was much indignation, and it was determined that Coleman should be apprehended and punished. A meeting was appointed for the next Monday, the 26th, at the house of Jacob Branson. The people met at Branson's as agreed, but immedi-
he would have his revenge before I quitted it, ete. It was also reported to me, some four days previous to my recounter with Dow, that he (Dow) had declared that 'he would beat my d-d brains out if I went into the grove'-ou my own claim-'to cut timber.' I was also warned by a Free State man, a friend of mine named Spar, 'that my life was in danger from the ill will harbored against me by Branson and Dow.'
On or about the 27th of November, 1855, between 11 and 12 o'clock A. M., I was at work making a lime-kiln, on my claim, in company with a young man named Harvey Moody .- Moody is a Free State man. I had been busy there since early in the morning, as I had been for several days previous. Dow came to the place where we were working; he was alone, and apparently nnarmed. He quarrelled with me about my claim-said he intended to stop our working there, and after making several threats left. I continued on with my work. In a short time after this visit from Dow, Moody called out to me, 'Here comes Branson and Dow.' On looking up I saw them approaching, armed with Sharpe's rifles. Both Moody and myself were entirely unarmed. I immediately left my claim withont waiting for them to come np, for it was my belief that they intended to kill me, and were coming upon me with arms in their hands for that purpose. Moody. being a Free State man, remained a Pro-Slavery man, whose claim bordered upon my own, informed him at his work. Moody has since informed me that on coming np they ordered him from the claim, stating that they would not hurt him 'this time,' but if they caught him there again they would do him an injury; they furthermore said that they 'just wanted to see me, and asked Moody were I was, to which he replied that 'I had gone home.' Upon hearing this, Dow took his gun and followed me. Moody states it as his belief that they would have killed me if I had stayed for their coming. From my claim I went immediately to the house of Mr. Hargis, of my being ordered off, and begged him, as I did not wish to trespass upon my neighbors, to come to my house that afternoon and assist me in establishing the dividing lines between his (Hargis) and my elaim; this he promised to do. 1 then armed myself with a double-barrelled fowling-piece, loaded with buck-shot, intending upon going back to my work, to defend myself if again interfered with, and returned to Hargis's house, who had promised to accompany me, as stated above, that afternoon, with Buckley, a Pro-Slavery man, and one or two others, to assist in establishing the lines between Hargis and myself. Upou reaching Hargis's honse, Buckley said that he was going to a whiskey- store which stands opposite a blacksmith's shop on the Santa Fe trail, and which was half a mile distant from Hargis's. Buckley desired us not to wait for him, as he would meet us at my house, and left aecord- ingly. Finding that my friends were detained longer than I had anticipated, I coneluded to go out and see if I could discover anything of Buekley. In doing so I passed by the house of William MeKinney ; here I found Mckinney engaged in building a chimney, and stopped to talk with him for a short time. Not seeing anything of Buckley, I started for home, and had continned on for a hundred and fifty yards, or thercabont, when I entered the Santa Fe trail ; as I did so, I eame most unexpectedly upon Dow, who was walking along the road, in the
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ately adjourned to the place where Dow had been murdered. There they assembled in a circle about the bloody spot where Dow had fallen and died. There were at least one hundred present. Feeling ran high, and violent speeches were made. Resolutions were passed denouncing the murder and condoling with the relatives of Dow, as fol- lows:
Whereas, Charles W. Dow, a citizen of this place, was murdered on Wednesday afternoon last, and whereas, evidence, by admission and otherwise, fastens the guilt of said murder on one F. M. Coleman, and whereas, facts further indicate that said individuals and parties are combining for the purpose of harassing and even murdering unoffending citizens, and whereas, we are now destitute of law, even for the punish- ment of crime, in this Territory, and whereas, the aforesaid individuals have fled to Missouri, therefore-
Resolved, That we deeply sympathize with the family and relations of the deceased.
Resolved, That we regard F. M. Coleman, and those connected with him, as wilful murderers, who should be treated as such by all good citizens.
Resolved, That we are ready to stand by and defend any and all of our fellow-citizens, in protecting their lives and property ; and consider it our duty to spare neither time nor expense in ferreting out, and bringing to condign punishment, all connected with this infamous crime.
Resolved, That a vigilance committee of twenty-five be appointed,
same direction as that in which I was going. On approaching him, he turned his head, and waited for me to come up. He was unarmed, with the exception of a wagon-skien-a piece of iron some two feet in length, and a most dangerous weapon in the hands of so powerful and deter- mined a man as Dow is represented to have been .- Dow then entered into conversation with me about the claim difficulty, and continued to use hard language upon this subject until we had walked together as far as my house, which stands off the Santa Fe road about 75 yards. We must have gone side by side for some 400 or 500 yards. During this conversation I urged him to compromise the matter, as I did not wish to have any trouble with neighbors. When we got opposite to my dwelling, I moved off the road to go towards home. Dow walked on his way for a few paces, and then turned round and re-commenced quarrelling, high words passed, and Dow advanced upon me with the wagon-skien, which he was carrying in his hand, raising it as he did so, in an attitude to strike. I levelled my gun as he came on, brought it to bear upon him, and pulled the trigger; the cap exploded but not the charge. Dow then paused, and turned as if to go away. Seeing this, I put my gun down upon the ground, which Dow had no sooner perceived than he faced towards me, and again advanced upon me with the skein, at the same time crying out, with an oath, 'You've bursted one cap at me, and you'll never live to burst another;' hearing this, and believing that my life was in danger, I again levelled my gun and fired upon him as he came rushing on; the shot struck him (as I have since ascertained) in the neck and breast, and he fell -- dead.
I did not go up to the body, but went immediately to my house and told my wife that I had killed Dow; that I had been forced into it, having no other alternative to save my own life. I told her not to be uneasy about me; that I was going to surrender myself up to be tried,
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whose duty it shall be to bring the above-named individuals, as well as those eonneeted with them in this affair, to justiee.
Resolved, That we stamp with disapprobation, the actions of those persons, who knowingly permitted the body of the deceased to lay by the roadside, without giving information in regard to it.
A committee was appointed "to ferret out and bring the murder- ers and aeeompliees to eondign punishment." It was proposed to go at onee and burn Coleman's house. Two men burst in the doors and fired the house, but the others put out the fire. Some witnesses were examined but nothing new was aseertained as to the whereabouts of Coleman and Buekley. The meeting adjourned late in the afternoon, and those from Lawrence returned to that town. Sometime in the night members of the meeting re-assembled and burned Coleman's house, and just before daylight the next morning they burned Buckley's house.
Samnel F. Tappan and S. N. Wood of Lawrenee, and J. B. Abbott on the Wakarusa had attended the meeting and taken an active interest. Wood had been in that vieinity before and his course had been such as to inflame the Pro-Slavery settlers. It was at the time when Mr. Farley was having trouble. Wood said, in substance, "that if he was a nigger he would not serve his master an hour after he came into the Territory ; that it was a free eountry and niggers were free the moment they were fetehed there." Horatio Owens, to whom he was talking, "told him if he
and had no fears for the consequences, as my eonseienee acquitted me of any blame, I having acted only in self defence.
Though I was not at the time aware of it, this transaction was seen by my friends Hargis and Moody, and also by a man named Wagoner, a Missourian, who happened to be in their company at the time. Wagoner is an enemy of mine. They were then on their way to 'kill a beef' in the timber not very far from my house, at which Hargis and Moody intended (as before stated) to stop, as they passed, and assist Buckley and myself in running the lines between my claim and that of Hargis in accordance with my request.
In the evening several persons eame to my house, and advised me, for fear of the Free State secret military organization-of which, as I have before mentioned, Branson, Dow's friend, was one of the com- manders-to leave the neighborhood. I at first declined to go, stating. as a reason for so doing, that such an aet might be construed into a desire on my part to elude the officers of justice. They then suggested that I should deliver myself up to Governor Shannon, or some other fit person, at a distance from the seene of difficulty, where they believed that I would not only be in great personal danger, but have no ehance to obtain an impartial hearing. I finally yielded to their entreaties, and left that night for Shawnee Mission. Governor Shannon's residenee. which I reached upon the ensuing day, and immediately-in the tem- porary absence of the governor-delivered myself up to S. J. Jones, the sheriff of Douglas County (in which the killing took place), who hap- pened to be in the vieinity of the Mission at the time of my arrival. Upon the return of Governor Shannon, His Excellency directed Sheriff Jones to convey me in custody to Lecompton, the county seat of Douglas, which he did. On my arrival there I was discharged upon giving bail to the amount of five hundred dollars, and am now only awaiting the assembling of a eourt to stand my trial.
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was a nigger and belonged to him and attempted to cut up any shines, he would whip him and make him behave himself." Wood's wife then begged him not to say anything more and to not cause a disturbance.
THE RESCUE OF BRANSON
Hearing that Branson was the leader of the party searching for Coleman, and having gone with Coleman to the Shawnee Mission, Buck- ley was afraid to return to Hickory Point withont protection. He
COL. SAMUEL N. WOOD
[Copy by Willard of Portrait in Library of Kansas State Historical Society ]
appealed to Sheriff Jones. As Branson was the Free-State leader, he was to be held responsible, and Buckley desired his arrest. It was necessary to secure a warrant in Douglas County. Sheriff Jones had a commission for Justice of the Peace signed in blank, which he carried with him, on Monday, when he and Buckley visited. Douglas County. Hugh Cameron, later known as the Kansas Hermit, consented to act as Justice of the Peace in this matter, and his name was inserted in the blank commission carried by Jones. After this "appointment" Buck- ley made an affidavit charging Branson with having threatened his life,
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and upon this affidavit Cameron issued a warrant for the arrest of Branson.
Branson had gone home Monday night and retired shortly after 7 o'clock. His wife woke him up in a short time and informed him that there were a good many persons coming toward the house. By the time Branson had raised himself up in bed, there was a rap at the door. He demanded to know who was there. Some one replied, "Friends." Before he eonld tell them to come in, the door was broken down and the room filled with men. One of these men asked him if his name was Branson, and he replied that it was. He then drew his pistol, coeked it, and presented it at Branson's breast and said, "You are my prisoner, and if you move I will blow you through; don't you move." Others cocked their guns. They finally permitted Branson to dress him- self, when they took him from his house and mounted him on a mule, which they said Mr. Coleman had been riding around. The party then went to the house of Buekley, which had not yet been burned, where they secured another horse. Jones then took his prisoner over to the house of Mr. Freeland. There they imbibed a jug of whiskey. The party then set out for Lecompton.
In October, 1854, a very peculiar man settled on the Wakarusa, south of Lawrence, where the old Fremont Trail erossed the stream. His name was Napoleon Bonaparte Blanton. By the squatters he was ealled "Bony" Blanton. He was of French extraction, and he had little to say. Ile came from Missouri, but he was not a Pro-Slavery man; neither did he aet with the Free-State men. He kept his own counsel. And he must have had some means. By the middle of March, 1855, he had ereeted a comfortable hewed-log honse, having stone chimneys, after the Southern style. He also had a substantial bridge over the Wakarusa, well under way, and this he finished early in the summer of 1855. It was a toll bridge, and the only one across the Wakarnsa. It beeame widely known and was well patronized. In the summer of 1855, Blanton also erected a store building, and engaged in the grocery business, pos- sibly selling whiskey also. Ilis house was a sort of country hotel where many people stopped.
About three-quarters of a mile south of Blanton's bridge, on what fell to be the southwest quarter of Seetion 19, Township 13, Range 19, of the publie survey, lived James B. Abbott, who came to Kansas in 1854 from New York City. He lived on the east side of the trail or road from Hickory Point to Lawrence. His residence was a box house. twelve by fourteen feet square, with a door in the east side and a small window in the west side. The house was huilt of native undressed Inmber, and Mr. Abbott had not yet had time to nail battens over the joints. In this house lived Major Abbott with his wife and little daughter. On Monday, November 26, Abbott had gone to the meeting at the house of Branson to investigate the murder of Dow, and did not return until late. Soon after night had fallen, Blanton appeared at the house of Abbott and reported that Sheriff Jones had been at his place about noon that day. He was aecompanied by a body of men, all well armed with double-barreled shotguns. revolvers and knives. They had
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come from the direction of Franklin, the Pro-Slavery town midway between Lawrence and the Blue-Jacket crossing on the Wakarusa. They remained at Blanton's until it began to grow dark, when they left, going south, which was in the direction of Hickory Point. Blanton inquired if the party had passed the Abbott residence, and upon being assured they had not, he seemed puzzled, but said they must have gone toward Blue Mound after striking the high prairie.
Sheriff Jones had a redoubtable resident deputy, one Sam Salters, with whom Blanton had been acquainted in Missouri. In confidence he told Blanton that the party intended to arrest Branson, and Blan- ton, knowing all that had transpired at Hickory Point, believed they intended to kill him. Blanton went home after requesting that it be not told abroad that he had given this information.
He had been gone but a few minutes when a Mr. Allen and Mr. Hughes, who had also been attending the Dow meeting, arrived at Abbott's house. When told what Blanton had said they were sure there was some mistake about the matter, as they had just come from Hickory Point and had neither seen nor heard of Jones, nor had they met any one going that way. Very soon S. F. Tappan and S. C. Smith, of Lawrence, arrived. Upon being informed of what Blanton had said, they concluded that as Branson was a witness against Coleman, that it was their intention to murder him in the interest of Coleman. Mr. Abbott and S. N. Wood came in soon afterward. After discussing the developments, it was deter- mined that Allen and Hughes should go into what was called the Illinois settlement and assemble as many men as possible. Wood and Abbott went back to Hickory Point to search for Jones and his party. They were well armed, part of their equipment being large knives. It was their intention to slip quietly up and "hamstring" the horses of Jones' party, if they found it possible to do so.
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