USA > Kansas > Bourbon County > History of Bourbon County, Kansas. To the close of 1865 > Part 5
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John G. Stuart canie July I. He was born in Halifax,
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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 Dimon, 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
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FORT SCOTT TOWN COMPANY.
1857]
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" 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," nor did anybody else. Claims had been filed on the different parts of sections by different parties, and the Wingfield company
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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. Judson, G. W. Jones, H. T. Wilson, Norman Eddy, George A. Crawford and T. R. Blackburn.
The Wingfield 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 formn, as they are in fact, received into and inerged 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
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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 inen. 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
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HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY.
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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. Epaphro- 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
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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 inan, 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
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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, Fort 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 sinile 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 Ist 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 lie got a splendid situation soon after his arrival. He was appointed postmaster-the third one for Fort Scott-which posi-
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THE FREE STATE HOTEL.
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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.
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HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY.
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CHAPTER XI.
LECOMPTON CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.
T was now the beginning of autumn. The spring 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
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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 tem. 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
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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, 1857.
The election for members of the Territorial Legisla- ture and for Delegate to Congress was held on the 5th of October.
E. Ransoin, 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: Drywood 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
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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 otlier 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
6
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HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY.
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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 inen 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-
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SQUATTER'S COURT.
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lision 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. It was held 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 inost 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.
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HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY.
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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 12th 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
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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
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HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY.
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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. Wasson'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.
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