USA > Kansas > Bourbon County > History of Bourbon County, Kansas. To the close of 1865 > Part 7
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12
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 inail to Cofachique, which then existed near where Humboldt is now. On
107
IMPROVEMENTS BEGIN.
1858]
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 inen 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 avenne, 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 liad 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 low occupied by the stone block on Wall and Main
109
RUFFIANS HAVE AN INNING.
1858]
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 inuch 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.
111
MARAIS DES CYGNES MURDER.
1858]
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 iniles 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 inassacre, 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
113
THE EFFECT ON THE BORDER.
1858]
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- inent of their headquarters. The stigma naturally attached itself.
The Governor, it is thought, realizing that there inight 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
8
114
HISTORY 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 10 telling where it would have stopped.
115
AMNESTY.
1858]
CHAPTER XVI ..
AMNESTY.
OVERNOR 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
116
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 are a 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,
117
AMNESTY.
1858]
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 inen were given certificates of election by the Governor, who afterwards sent them their commissions from Lecompton.
118
HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY. [1858
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 ineet 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
119
MONTGOMERY SIZED UP.
1858]
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 liis cabin and use his best efforts to prevent any further trouble.
The moderate Pro-slavery men, and the inore 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, Jolın Brown and C. R. Jennison. 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 inan 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, fromn Mt.
121
AFTER THE AMNESTY.
1858]
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 theil 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 Lyon, 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
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.