A standard history of Kansas and Kansans, Volume I, Part 72

Author: Connelley, William Elsey, 1855-1930. cn
Publication date: 1918
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis
Number of Pages: 668


USA > Kansas > A standard history of Kansas and Kansans, Volume I > Part 72


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South next, but there was one thing they would do-they would anni- hilate every one of those d-d Browns, and they would stay with Judge Cato until every d-d Abolitionist was in hell." Salmon Brown said that nerved them for future action, The warrants for the arrest of the Browns and others were put into the hands of Old Man Doyle and his two sons, who were deputy constables. They had the warrants for the arrest of all the Browns and Henry Thompson.


At the time the summons from Lawrence arrived, John Brown was in Osawatomie. The Pottawatomie Rifles, the company of John Brown, Jr., assembled at that place to set out for Lawrenee. They left Osawa- tomie about four o'eloek on the afternoon of the 21st of May. They followed what was locally known as the California Road, which passed through the village of Mount Vernon, on Middle Creek. Some two miles south of that point, the Osawatomie Company, under Captain Dayton, eame up. A halt of two hours was made at Mount Vernon for the moon to rise. Just at daylight the companies went into eamp on Ottawa Creek, just west of the house of Ottawa Jones. There they cooked their breakfast. Before they arrived at that point, a messenger met them and informed them that Lawrence had been destroyed the day before at about the time they left Osawatomie. It was then a question as to whether they should go on to Lawrence and it was finally determined that they would go. They went about five miles farther on the road to Lawrence, which brought them into the vicinity of Captain Shore's claim. There they went into camp. Salmon Brown asserts that his father had a small company of his own which he kept apart from the others, and that this company had gone much father north than the Shore claim. He says:


In the meantime father's little company went back on the road toward Ottawa Jones'. As near as I can remember about half way from the Wakarusa hills and Ottawa Jones' home place we stopped at a little station where they gave meals from a tent. They also had a grindstone.


The point where John Brown stopped with his company must have been the camp of John Brown, Jr.2 It was long said that a mes-


2 In his John Brown, Mr. Villard falls into an error as to the time the Pottawatomie Rifles left Osawatomie for Lawrence. He fixes the date as the 22d of May. Connelley, in his John Brown, makes the same mistake. The correct date is May 21, 1856, the day Lawrence was sacked. Townsley, in his first confession fixes the date as the 21st, saying :


"I joined the Pottawatomie Rifle Company at its re-organization, in May, 1856. At that time, John Brown, Jr., was elected Captain. On the 21st of this month, Lawrence was sacked by a Pro-slavery mob, under Sheriff Jones, and on the day of the saeking, information was received that a movement to that end was in progress. The company was hastily called together, and a foreed march to aid in its defense immediately determined upon. We started about four o'clock in the afternoon. About two miles south of Middle Creek, the Osawatomie company, under Captain Dayton, joined us. Upon arriving at Mount Vernon, we halted for two hours, until the rising of the moon. After marching the rest of the night, we went into eamp, near the house of


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senger arrived at this camp with information that there was trouble on the Pottawatomie. In the conflicting statements on this subject, this author in a former work, made II. II. Williams this messenger, which was an error. In any event, discussion arose in the eamp as to what should be done. Jason Brown has this account of what was said :


Father cooked for our company. While he was cooking breakfast, I heard him, Townsley and Weiner talking together. I heard Townsley say : " We expect to be butchered, every Free State settler in our region," and Townsley pleaded that help should be sent. I heard their talk only in fragments. Then I heard father say to Weiner: "Now something must be done. We have got to defend our families and our neighbors as best we can. Something is going to be done now. We must show by actual work that there are two sides to this thing and that they cannot go on with impunity."


Salmon Brown has furnished the author this account of what was said at the camp:


There were a good many men there. Among them was H. H. Williams of Pottawatomie, an old comrade of my brother John and later a resident


John T. Jones, for breakfast. Just before reaching this place, we learned that Lawrence had been destroyed the day before, and the question arose whether we should go on or return. It was decided to go on, and we proceeded up Ottawa Creek to within about five miles of Palmyra. We remained in eamp undecided over night, and until noon of the next day."


It was at least twenty-five miles from Osawatomie to the house of Ottawa Jones. There the men cooked breakfast. They had marehed all night and were tired, no doubt. After breakfast they debated as to the advisability of going on to Lawrence. They decided to go. Then they marched up Ottawa Creek to a point near the claim of Samuel T. Shore, camping at a tent where meals were served, and where there was a grind- stone. The company of Old John Brown had gone much beyond this point, but had returned. They must have been in eamp there when the Pottawatomie Rifles arrived, if the memory of Salmon Brown was good.


The Pottawatomie Rifles, the Osawatomie Company-Captain Dayton-and the company of Old John Brown must all have camped at that tent with the grindstone the night of Thursday, May 22d. It was on Friday morning, May 23d, that John Brown began to talk of going to Dutch Henry's Crossing. It would have been noon at least, before the Pottawatomies Rifles could have reached the camp from the house of Ottawa Jones. It was probably about that time on the 22d when they did arrive, rather than on the 23d, as Mr. Villard and Mr. Connelley have it. It is impossible that the men could have done the marching in the time allowed by Mr. Villard and Mr. Connelley. The party of Old John Brown would have been compelled to march to the eamp on Ottawa Creek, and from that camp to Dutch Henry's Crossing, in twenty-four hours. This is a distance of at least seventy miles. Townsley's horses could not have made that march. Nor could the men.


The men left Osawatomie about four o'clock, May 21. They arrived at the tent with the grindstone about noon on the 22d. They lay in eamp over night. On the morning of Friday, May 23d, John Brown deter- mined to go to Dutch IIenry's Crossing. He drove out of the camp about two in the afternoon of that day.


Mr. Villard and Mr. Connelley were misled by the date named in John Brown's letter, dated "Near Brown's Station, K. T. June, 1856."


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of Osawatomie, I understand. He was a very fine man but got badly cowed after he was taken to Lecompton as a prisoner. Williams knew everybody on the Pottowatomie. My father told him that we were going back to Pottawatomie to break up Cato's court, and get away with some of his vile emissaries before they eonld get away with us,-"I mean to steal a march on the slave hounds." Williams said "That is just right. I will write down their names," which he did. I stood within two feet of him while he wrote down the names of all the men that were killed and some others. Everybody had implicit confidence in Judge H. H. Williams. We ground up our broad swords on that grindstone and old man Townsley in high glee ventured to haul all of our crowd baek in his lumber wagon.


DUTCH HENRY'S CROSSING


This was on the 23rd day of May. John Brown made up his com- pany about noon. It consisted of four of his sons-Owen, Frederick, Salmon and Oliver-his son-in-law, Henry Thompson, and Theodore Weiner. James Townsley 3 consented to the use of his wagon to eon- vey the company back to the Pottawatomie. John Brown informed him that he had just heard that tronble was expected there. When Townsley agreed to haul the party, the time for starting was fixed at two o'clock. The swords were sharpened in the meantime. Baine Fuller, a boy, turned the grindstone. George Grant wished to go with the company, but was rejected by John Brown. Judge James Hanway was a member of the Pottawatomie Rifles and records that as the party was getting ready to leave the camp, he feared something rash would be done and urged cantion, which seemed to anger John Brown, who insisted that the word meant nothing but cowardice. Hanway was invited to be one of the party, but when told what was to be done,


3 James Townsley was born in Maryland, August 29, 1807. He was for eight years a soldier in the regular army of the United States. His first service was three years, in the Fourth Artillery, at Fort McHenry. Then he served five years in the Second Dragoons. He was in the Seminole War, in this service, and was severely wounded in the shoulder in Florida in battle with the Seminoles. He was under General Scott, and for a time was a teamster. He came to Kansas in 1855, and settled on Pottawatomie Creek, in Anderson County, one mile west of Greeley. He first saw John Brown near Lane in the spring of 1856.


On Saturday, the 24th of May, Brown and his company remained inactive in their camp on the bank of the Pottawatomie. Townsley insists that he did not know the purpose of the expedition until after supper. He says that his failure to agree to the plans of Brown, post- poned the purpose for which they had come until the night of the 24th. Ile tried, as he says. to withdraw from the party, which John Brown would not permit. He says that Owen Brown and Henry Thompson guarded him with rifles to prevent his escape. When he tried to influ- ence the boys, John Brown declared that it was necessary "to strike straight into the hearts of the Pro-Slavery party." Drawing his revolver, he said to Townsley, "shut np, you are trying to discourage my boys. Dead men tell no tales." When he said that he was ill, John Brown felt his pulse and replied : "You are not siek; all you need is a smell of blood."


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declined to go. When the wagon pulled out bearing the company of John Brown, except Weiner, who rode his pony, eheers rose from the camp. After the party had erossed Middle Creek, it was met by James Blood, who has left a very peculiar aeeount of that ineident. Arriving on the Pottawatomie, they drove up the ereek away from the road where they would not be interrupted, and went into eamp at the edge of the timber about a mile above Duteh Henry's Crossing. Salmon Brown says they rested in a deep grassy ravine.


Salmon Brown says that the postponement was made for the rea- son that it would be impossible to take the doomed men in the day- time. Some time after dark, probably about ten o'clock, the party went in a northeasterly direction to Mosquito Creek, striking that stream above the residence of the Doyles. It was the purpose of John Brown to make as short a matter of the work in hand as possible. To this end he divided his party in two bands. In the first party was Weiner and Henry Thompson. In the other were Townsley, Owen, Fred, Salmon and Oliver Brown. John Brown was to run back and forth between the parties to keep himself informed as to the progress made, and to see that everything was thoroughly carried out aeeording to the designs he had formed. Weiner and Henry Thompson were sent to Duteh Henry's Crossing. The other party then went to the cabin of Doyle. Frederick Brown and Townsley were assigned the duty of guarding Doyle's house. This was necessary to keep members of it from escap- ing and alarming the neighborhood. They were attacked by savage dogs owned by the Doyles. These Townsley dispatched with his broad- sword; he claims that there was but one dog. The old man Doyle and his sons were ordered out. They at first refused to come out. Some inflammable balls were lighted and thrown into the house, after which Doyle and his sons eame into the yard. Mrs. Doyle afterwards elaimed that her husband opened the door and several men came into the house, saying they were from the army and that the husband and boys must surrender-that they were prisoners. According to her story they first took her husband out and later the two sons. They intended to take another son, but he was spared because of her tears. Salmon Brown confirms a part of the account of Mrs. Doyle, saying that some of the party entered Doyle's eabin. When they went in, Mrs. Doyle seemed to know that trouble had entered. Salmon says, "Mrs. Doyle stormed and raved at her men after we had taken them prisoners. 'Haven't I told you what you were going to get for the course you have been taking,' " she said. The husband endeavored to quiet her. The Doyles were taken a short distance from the house and there slain with the heavy swords. Owen Brown eut down one of them, and Salmon Brown killed the other son and the old man Doyle. This he admits. Towns- ley says, "Here old John Brown drew his revolver and shot old man Doyle in the forehead, killing him instantly." It is denied by all the Browns that John Brown raised his hand against any of the men killed that night. In the statement of Salmon Brown to Mr. Villard, Salmon Brown could not explain why the shot was fired, saying. "It


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TOWNSHIP 18 SOUTH, RANGE 21 EAST SHOWING THE COUNTRY ABOUT DUTCH HENRY'S CROSSING AT THE TIME OF THE POTTAWATOMIE MASSACRE.


Drawn by :- William Elsey Connelley


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did no possible good as a bullet, for Doyle had long been stone dead." There was a shot, but for what purpose it was fired has never been explained. Henry Thompson says he was three hundred yards away when the shot was fired, adding, "those who were on the spot, told me that it was done after Doyle was dead." The swords were used and the use of fire-arms prohibited that the neighbors might not be alarmed by the firing. This is what Mrs. Doyle said of the matter :


The undersigned, Mahala Doyle, states upon oath : I am the widow of the late James P. Doyle; that we moved into the Territory, that is, my husband, myself, and children moved into the Territory of Kansas some time in November, A. D. 1855, and settled on Mosquito creek, about one mile from its mouth, and where it empties into Pottawatomie creek, in Franklin County ; that on Saturday, the 24th day of May, A. D. 1856, about 11 o'clock at night, after we had all retired, my husband, James P. Doyle, myself, and five children, four boys and one girl-the eldest boy is about twenty years of age, his name is Drury ; the next is about sixteen years of age, his name is John ; the next is about thirteen years of age, her name is Polly Ann ; the next is about ten years of age, his name is James ; the next is about eight years of age, his name is Charles; the next is about five years of age, his name is Henry-we were all in bed, when we heard some persons come into the yard and rap at the door and eall for Mr. Doyle, my husband. This was about 11 o'clock on Saturday night of the 24th of May last. My husband got up and went to the door. Those outside inquired for Mr. Wilkson and where he lived. My husband told them that he would tell them. Mr. Doyle, my husband, opened the door, and several eame into the house, and said that they were from the army. My husband was a pro-slavery man. They told my husband that he and the boys must surrender, they were their prisoners. These men were armed with pistols and large knives. They first took my husband out of the house, then they took two of my sons-the two oldest ones. William and Drury-out, and then took my husband and these two boys, William and Drury, away. My son John was spared, because I asked them in tears to spare him. In a short time afterwards I heard the report of pistols. I heard two reports, after which I heard moaning, as if a person was dying, then I heard a wild whoop. They had asked before they went away for our horses. We told them that the horses were out on the prairie. My husband and two boys, my sons, did not come baek any more. I went out next morning in search of them, and found my husband and William, my son, lying dead in the road near together, about two hundred yards from the house. My other son I did not see any more until the day he was buried. I was so much overcome that I went to the house. They were buried the next day. On the day of the burying I saw the dead body of Drury. Fear of myself and the remain- ing children induced me to leave the home where we had been living. We had improved our elaim a little. I left all and went to the State of Missouri.


her MAITALA X DOYLE. mark


After the Doyles had been dispatched, the party went to the house of Wilkinson, who lived abont midway between the Doyle eabin and Dutch Henry's Crossing. Salmon Brown told Villard that the forees were divided at Wilkinson's. This could hardly have been the ease.


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The division was evidently made before a blow was struck. The best account of what occurred at Wilkinson's house, was told by Mrs. Wil- kinson to Mordecai Oliver of the Congressional Investigating Com- mittee :


I was sick with the measles, and woke up Mr. Wilkinson, and asked if he heard the noise and what it meant? He said it was only someone passing about, and soon after was again asleep. It was not long before the dog raged and barked furiously, awakening me once more; pretty soon I heard footsteps as of men approaching; saw one pass by the window, and some one knocked at the door. I asked who is that? No one answered. I awoke my husband, who asked, who is that? Someone replied, "I want you to tell me the way to Dutch Henry's." He com- meneed to tell them, and they said to him, "Come out and show us." He wanted to go, but I would not let him; he then told them it was difficult to find his elothes, and could tell them as well without going out of doors. These men out of doors, after that, stepped back, and I thought I could hear them whispering; but they immediately returned, and, as they approached, one of them asked of my husband, "Are you a northern armist ?" He said, "I am!" I understood the answer to mean that my husband was opposed to the northern or free-soil party. I cannot say that I understood the question. My husband was a pro-slavery man, and was a member of the territorial legislature held at Shawnee Mission. When my husband said "I am," one of them said, "You are our pris- oner. Do you surrender?" He said, "Gentlemen, I do." They said, "Open the door." Mr. Wilkinson told them to wait till he made a light; and they replied, "If you don't open it, we will open it for you." Ile opened the door against my wishes, and four men came in, and my husband was told to put on his clothes, and they asked him if there were not more men about; they searched for arms, and took a gun and powder flask, all the weapon that was about the house. I begged them to let Mr. Wilkinson stay with me, saying that I was sick and help- less, and could not stay by myself. My husband also asked them to let him stay with me until he could get someone to wait on me; told them that he would not run off, but would be there the next day, or whenever called for. The old man, who seemed to be in command, looked at me and then around at the children, and replied, "You have neighbors." I said, "So I have, but they are not here, and I cannot go for them." The old man replied, "It matters not." I [he ?] told him to get ready. My husband wanted to put on his boots and get ready, so as to be pro- tected from the damp and night air, but they wouldn't let him. They then took my husband away. One of them eame back and took two saddles; I asked him what they were going to do with him, and he said, "Take him a prisoner to the camp." I wanted one of them to stay with me. Ile said he would, but "They would not let him." After they were gone, I went to the door, and all was still. Next morning Mr. Wilkinson was found about one hundred and fifty yards from the house in some dead brush. A lady who saw my husband's body, said that there was a gash in his head and in his side ; others said that he was eut in the throat twiee.


The party seems to have been reunited at the house of Wilkinson and to have gone in a body to the house of James Harris, near that of Duteh Henry.4 William Sherman was taken from that house, led


4 .J. N. Baker, of Greeley. Kansas, writing to William E. Connelley, June 5, 1909, says he knew all the settlers on the Pottawatomie in those


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down into the bed of Pottawatomie Creek and slain by Henry Thompson. He was ent down with a sword, as Wilkinson and the Doyles had been. The affidavit made by Harris for the use of Oliver of the Investigating Committee, is the best account of what ocenrred at his house :


I reside on Pottawatomie creek, near Henry Sherman's, in Kansas Territory. I went there to reside on the last day of March, 1856, and have resided there ever since. On last Sunday morning, about two o'clock (the 25th of May last), whilst my wife and child and myself were in bed in the house where we lived, we were aroused by a company of men who said they belonged to the northern army, and who were each armed with a sabre and two revolvers, two of whom I recognized, namely, a Mr. Brown, whose given name I do not remember, commonly known by the appellation of "old man Brown," and his son Owen Brown. They came in the house and approached the bedside where we were lying, and ordered ns, together with three other men who were in the same house with me, to surrender; that the northern army was upon us, and it would be no use for us to resist. The names of these other three men who were then in my house with me are, William Sherman, John S. Whiteman, the other man I did not know. They were stopping with me that night. They had bought a eow from Henry Sherman, and intended to go home the next morning. When they came up to the bed, some had drawn sabres in their hands, and some revolvers. They then took into their possession two rifles and a Bowie knife, which I had there in the room-there was but one room in my house-and afterwards ransacked the whole establishment in search of ammunition. They then took one of these three men, who were staying in my house, out. (This was the man whose name I did not know.) He came back. They then took me out, and asked me if there were any more men about the place. I told them there were not. They searched the place but found none others but we four. They asked me where Henry Sherman was. Henry Sherman was a brother to William Sherman. I told them that he was out on the plains in search of some cattle which he had lost. They asked if I had ever taken any hand in aiding pro-slavery men in coming to the Territory of Kansas, or had ever taken any hand in the last troubles at Lawrence, and asked me whether I had ever done the free State party any harm or ever intended to do that party any harm; they asked me what made me live at such a place. I then answered that I could get higher wages there than anywhere else. They asked me if there were any bridles or saddles about the premises. I told them there was one saddle, which they took, and they also took possession of Henry Sher- man's horse, which I had at my place, and made me saddle him. They then said if I would answer no to all the questions which they had asked me, they would let me loose. Old Mr. Brown and his son then went. into the house with me. The other three men, Mr. William Sherman, Mr. Whiteman, and the stranger were in the house all this time. After old man Brown and his son went into the house with me, old man Brown


days, and his integrity and veracity are beyond question. Concerning Harris, he says :


"I have no recollection of a man ever living there by the name of James Harris. So I think that if there ever was such a man lived there he must have been a border-ruffian stopping with the Shermans, as their Honse was Headquarter for the border ruffians in those days."


Ilarris might have been some tenant, living temporarily in Dutch Henry's house. His wife might have been housekeeper there, as Henry was unmarried.


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asked Mr. Sherman to go out with him, and Mr. Sherman then went out with old Mr. Brown, and another man came into the house in Brown's place. I heard nothing more for about fifteen minutes. Two of the northern army, as they styled themselves, stayed in with us until we heard a eap burst, and then these two men left. That morning about ten o'clock I found William Sherman dead in the creek near my house. I was looking for Mr. Sherman, as he had not come back, I thought he had been murdered. I took Mr. William Sherman out of the creek and examined him. Mr. Whiteman was with me. Sherman's skull was split open in two places and some of his brains was washed out by the water. A large hole was eut in his breast, and his left hand was cut off except a little piece of skin on one side. We buried him.




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