USA > Kansas > Wyandotte County > History of Wyandotte County, Kansas, and its people, Vol. I > Part 27
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The "underground railroad" in Kansas was not exactly a subway. It did not acquire its name by reason of a subterranean right-of-way, but by virtue of the secretive character of its operations. It had no charter. It was not a "common carrier." The "right of eminent do- main" did not attach to it, nor would it have been amenable to the rulings of the Interstate Commeree Commission. It was not even a "paper" railroad. The "underground" was put into being without
projection or profile. It was a philanthropic seetional movement, unaffeeted by discriminating rate wars or disastrous "differentials." Despite its large patronage, it not only paid no dividends, but even continued to operate at a pecuniary loss. The officials of the "under- ground" bore no insignia of office to distinguish them from the laity. The "rolling stock" of this peculiar organization consisted often of a rickety covered wagon that crept cautiously along some dark unfre- quented highway. Its "passengers" were always a shivering party of wretched refugees, quaking at every unexpected sound, trembling at every ominous halt which seemed, in their benighted fright, to presage recapture, " chains and slavery." The "erew" was composed of two or three outriders who piloted the party and busied themselves in directing the course, eluding pursuit, repelling assault and reassuring the wild fears of their dusky dependents.
The Quakers of the eentral states were the first successful pro- moters of this unique form of transportation. There were several stations on the various "branches" of the underground railroad in Wyandotte county and castern Kansas. A deserted log cabin, twelve feet by fourteen feet in dimensions, situated in Pardee, Atehison county, became famous as a division headquarters. Consequently the first divi- sion superintendent in Kansas was Ransom L. Harris, who was left in charge of the cabin. Some of the general officers of the system resided in Wyandotte and Quindaro. Around Pardee was a Quaker colony, many
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members of which had emigrated from Springdale, Iowa-an important rendezvous of John Brown in his various forays. The operations of the Pardee party came to an untimely end. An early trip had netted a rescue of twelve slaves. Elated with this success, a more ambitious delivery was planned. Situated six miles southeast of Independence, Missouri, was the 1,900-aere plantation of Morgan Walker cultivated by twenty-six slaves. In December of 1860 the Pardee party of four members, under the guidance of Quantrell, alias Ilart, whom they had met in Lawrence and who had instigated them to this raid of liberation, were Inred into ambush by their perfidious leader and three of their party were killed.
"SILENCE AND NO QUESTIONS ASKED."
The holding of slaves in Kansas was not permitted with the consent of the Free State men of the territory, and by common consent the latter freed all slaves who escaped from Missouri or elsewhere and sent them away for protection. This attitude in a measure explains the successful operation of sneh an amorphous and unofficial organization as the underground railroad. Federal legislation made public organi- zation impossible. But the passions of the times made men of strong sympathies, and everybody avowing Free State principles became, ipso facto, a stockholder in the "underground." Social or political promi- nenee offered no disqualification in this respect. In so marked a degree is this said to be true that when General Lyon, who was sent by General Harney into Kansas to capture Colonel James Montgomery, reached Mound City, Montgomery's home, he used his own horses to assist fugitives on their way to Canada. Those prominently identified with the operation of the "underground" tacitly presumed upon this enthusiasm. The stringeney of the fugitive slave law made secrecy absolutely imperative. The working orders of the "underground" were: "Silence and no questions asked." To a few in each locality on the line of underground operation was committed the direction of affairs. Nobody else knew anything. Liability to federal prosecution quenched curiosity. Prudence developed among the "employees" a laeonie form of significant speech that could hardly be tortured into ineriminating information.
The "underground" in Kansas followed no definitely detailed route of travel. Since the northern people were bound by honor to shelter and assist the parties en route, those highways were selected that best suited the exigeney of the time. Slaves reached the "under- ground" either by forcible delivery or individual escape. After they had reached some station on the "railroad" it was customary to place them out among reliable farmers to await the collection of a sufficient number to justify the hazard of a trip. The size of the parties to be
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transported naturally depended upon circumstances .. Meanwhile the slaves by their labor were self supporting. Preparatory to the de- parture, the "conductor" assigned to the "run" would solicit eontribu- tions for some vague purpose apparently of little interest to his com- pliant friends.
SOME VALUABLE FREIGHT.
Slaves in western Missouri living north of the Missouri river gener- ally escaped to lowa ; those south of the river to points in Kansas. The two great termini of the "underground" in Kansas were Lawrence for the Northern division and Mound City for the Southern division. The "general traffic manager" of the Lawrence station was the "Rev." John E. Stewart; the "general manager," Dr. John Doy, who has attained considerable celebrity. It is estimated that at least $100,000 worth of property "cleared" from this station alone. Escape to Lawrence was considered as good as freedom. The prominent officials of the Southern division were: Colonel James Montgomery, well known for his liberating excursions; Colonel C. R. Jennison, the "Red Leg" chieftain, and Captain John Brown, of Harper's Ferry renown.
The "Rev." John E. Stewart, who seems to have acquired little publicity for his services to freedom, had pre-empted a elaim near the old poor farm of Douglas county and was engaged in cattle raising. He was an extremely shrewd and adroit man, and his frequent trips into Missouri for young cattle aroused no suspicion to his energetic spying for likely "passengers." A Lawrence man identified with the John Brown cause, in a letter written in 1860 and preserved by the State Historical Society, speaks of the effectual work of this liberating propa- gandist. He had "brought up three head the other night, making sixty-eight since he commenced. lle met with a mishap yesterday," the letter continues. "I went to Lawrence with him in the morning and we had not been there more than an hour before a runner eame in with word that his place had been attacked and one man taken and one wounded. We started off as quick as possible, but could only raise four horsemen, and by the time we got our arms they were off a good way. We followed them about six miles, but found that they all had good horses and were so far ahead that we could not overtake them. When last seen they were going it, with the boy on behind one of them. He was ealling for assistance and one of them beating him with a elub to keep him quiet. He was a free boy that had been here for two years. They were plowing in the field and had revolvers but there were five of the kidnappers. Things look kind of blue and someone will be shot before long. I have posted S-(tewart)-and if they get ahead of him they will have to get up early; he is going to make a haul of about fifteen next week."
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THE KIDNAPPERS OF LAWRENCE.
Many other Kansans would go down to Missouri for "apples" in the fall, always with the resulting revival of activity in the traffic de- partment of the "underground."
The Lawrence division of the railroad crossed the Kansas river at that point and continued north and west via Oskaloosa to Holton, Kansas, the end of the "first run." The Mound City route went north through Topeka to Holton. This had been selected as the junetion point because it was settled by northern "'56-ers," who were enthusi- astic friends of the "underground," Between Lawrence and Mound City there was a pro-slavery settlement at Franklin. This faet, to- gether with the constant danger of interception by Missourians along the border, accounts for the wide detour of the route from Mound City and for the complete independence of the two branches. The strategic interposition of Lecompton likewise prevented an underground com- munication between Lawrence and Topeka. From Holton the "line" followed the route of the Iowa immigration established by General Lane and others to eirenmvent the blockade of the Missouri river. It led north to Nebraska City and, crossing the river at that point, proceeded to Tabor- the Towa headquarters for Old Jolm Brown and "Jim" Lane in their various activities.
The value of the average fugitive was probably $1,000, since only the ablest slaves had the hardihood to escape. To counteract the labors of the liberating propaganda of Kansas, western Missourians had author- ized a standing reward of $200 for every fugitive returned. This lucrative opportunity gave rise to bands of kidnappers that flourished especially in the vieinity of Lawrence, under the leadership of one Jake Hurd, who rallied around him a number of abandoned misereants leagued together for a rather reprehensible work. There still live in the environs of Lawrence several people who engaged in this remuner- ative occupation, and so bitterly were they despised at the time that years of later respectability have hardly effaced the odium of their earlier lives.
STORIES OF WAR-TIME DAYS.
There were stirring times in old Wyandotte in the border-days immediately preceding and during the Civil war. The population of the village, numbering some one hundred and fifty or two hundred families, was composed, for the most part, of Free State people. They were in constant peril-harassed by day and by night by fears of the visitation of the guerrillas or "border ruffians." And was there not cause for this wrought up condition? The little village, nestling on the rugged hills, with the broad sweep of the Missouri river on the east
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and the sluggish Kaw flowing on the south, Kansas City, a straggling town, supposedly neutral, but filled with pro-slavery sympathizers, less than three miles away. £ Beyond were the thickets and ravines, the lair of the bushwhackers and the rendezvous of the raider, within an hour's ride. All these formed an environment such as to produce in the Wyandotte harrowing fears tinctured with the liveliest imagination. Lest these foes swoop down on them without warning, and cause death and destruction, the men of the village stood guard constantly with muskets and rifles and blunderbusses of every make and kind, while the women watched and waited and prayed.
"But there was an odd fascination about it all," said Mrs. Byron Judd, one of the women of Wyandotte who passed through those perilous times. "We were kept in constant terror. There was no settled state. We just lived. But," she added with a sigh, "we had good times. While the men were down town, or out on guard duty watching the ferries and the roads that led to the village, the women would get to- gether in little groups to talk over the situation and indulge in specula- tions as to what was likely to happen. We had our aid societies-there were no woman's clubs in those days-and in the meetings of those societies the war situation always took precedence over all other ques- tions up for discussion. Every few days or nights there would be an alarm. The old Congregational bell would ring out clear and strong as a signal of danger, calling the people from their beds to the church, which was the appointed assembling place in time of danger, as it was also the hospital for wounded soldiers brought in from the fields of battle where the conquest raged fierce and bloody."
A NIGHT OF TERROR.
Mrs. Judd described a night of terror in the old village of Wyan- dotte. It was in 1862, at the time Quantrell and his band were raiding, sacking and burning towns in Kansas. The late Francis House, then a citizen of the place, brought in the news that Quantrell and his men had crossed the Kansas river near the site of the city of Argentine, and were moving up through the woods to the village. Mrs. Judd was then the widow of Don A. Bartlett, a lawyer, and was living with her parents, Judge and Mrs. Jesse Cooper, at what is now Fourth street and Barnett avenue.
"When the word came the people were panic stricken," she said. "We knew what Quantrell was doing and we knew no mercy would be shown the people of Wyandotte, who were Free State men and women. It was night, and pitch dark. I remember we sent father out into the willows near the river, and mother and sister (Mrs. Bodwell) and I watched with fear and trembling the long night through. We packed nearly everything of value we had into pillow slips, and we did it all
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in the dark. We were afraid to light a lamp. Once in a while it was necessary to strike a match to find something and then my sister would puff it out. We finally succeeded in getting the pillow ships filled and we hid them in the corn field near where St. Mary's Catholic church now stands. But day dawned and Quantrell did not come. It was a false alarm. We were tired and worn out from the long vigil, and then you should have seen how things looked in the house! And those pillow slips filled with our valuables out in the corn! I really don't know whether we ever found them all or not. But it was a night of terror for the people of old Wyandotte."
THE NEGRO EXODUS.
There was an exodus of negroes from Missouri and Kansas at one time during the war. The negroes came across the Missouri river on the ferry and were landed at the foot of Minnesota avenue in Wyandotte, which to them proved a haven of refuge in that stormy time.
"It was a sight to make one weep, those poor, frightened, half- starved negroes, coming over on the ferry and the people of the village down at the levee to receive them," Mrs. Judd said. "I know of but one other picture more distressing. That was when the people were fleeing from their homes in the Kaw valley before the rush of the great flood a few years ago. But those negro refugees-men and women, with little children clinging to them, and carrying all of their earthly possessions in little bags or bundles, sometimes in red bandana handker- chiefs! I recall how they were housed and fed and made comfortable by the good people, and then how they sang and erooned their old songs, forgetful of their misery and their wretchedness of a few hours before. The pastor of the Congregational church, the Rev. R. D. Parker, one of the Andover band that came out to help make Kansas free, was a good man. He held religious services for the negro refugees and organized a Sunday school for them. I was one of the teachers. Only recently a negro woman stopped me on the street and remarked: 'Why, Mis' Judd, I used to be in yo' elass in Sunday school.' Then it all came back to me, those days of the war times in Wyandotte."
WHEN COLONEL MOONLIGHT GUARDED THE TOWN.
The finding a few years ago of two cannon balls, in excavating for a new building at Fifth street and Minnesota avenue, where the old Eldridge house stood, called to mind the presence of soldiers in old Wyandotte in war times.
"I have no doubt but that those shells were some that were stored in the basement of the Eldridge house when Colonel Tom Moonlight was in Wyandotte with a company of artillery," said an old eitizen.
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think it was in the year of 1864 that Colonel Moonlight was in command of troops that were camped on the hill overlooking the month of the Kansas river. You see they were there to head off Price and his raiders who were expected to cross the Kansas and pass through Wyan- dotte on the way to Fort Leavenworth, which they intended to capture. Price and his raiders, however, took a back track after the battle of the Blue below Westport. But the presence of the soldiers in old Wyan- dotte, with the cannons ranged along the hills ready to send down a terrific shower of shot and shell on the enemy, was an awe-inspiring sight to the people, and those of us who were boys recall how the blood in our veins tingled with patriotic pride. I remember that after the soldiers left the village several of those eannon balls turned up as souvenirs. I understand the boys who boarded at the old Eldridge honse, which was the headquarters for the Leavenworth and Lawrenee stage coaches, stored some of them in the hotel eellar."
SOLDIERS GUARDED A STEAMBOAT CAPTAIN.
Steamboating in war-time days had an odd fascination to the officers and crews whose boats carried both Free State and Pro-Slavery men, and it was attended by no little danger. George R. Nelson, who had been captain of steamboats on the Missouri river for several years previous, was at the outbreak of the Civil war in charge on the "Henry Lass." It was his custom to stop over night at his home in Wyandotte, which stood on Armstrong avenue between Fifth and Sixth streets, east of the old eity hall. At such times his house was guarded by friendly Union soldiers for his protection. But Mr. Nelson was not aware of this fact until several years after the war ended. Mrs. Nelson, who survived her husband many years, said that at all times the family had a feeling of great insecurity but were never molested by the soldiers. Her husband and son belonged to the state militia and the Union soldiers threw every protection about her family. She remembered distinctly the pontoon bridges across the Missouri river, so arranged that should the enemy ap- proach, the boats could be cut loose from their mooring on the Missouri side and all means of reaching the Kansas side would be eut off.
Mr. Nelson continued to ply his boats on the Missouri river until a few years previous to his death, which occurred in 1884.
CHAPTER XXII.
OUR BOYS IN THE PHILIPPINES.
THE APPROACHI OF WAR-PEACE RELATIONS END-THE CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS-KANSAS TO THE FRONT-THE CAMP IN SAN FRANCISCO- FIRST SMELL OF POWDER-THE DAY ON THE FIRING LINES-WHERE THEIR SPIRIT ORIGINATED-THE NIGHT ATTACK-THE FIRST REAL BAT- TLE-A SKIRMISH MARCH-MALOLOS IS TAKEN-CALUMPIT, NEXT STOP -TREMBLY AND WHITE IN SWIMMING-THE CAMPAIGN CONTINUES- OUTPOSTS ARE ANNOYED-BACK TO MANILA-THE BOYS WHO GAVE UP THEIR LIVES-THE MUSTER INTO SERVICE-THE BOYS FROM KANSAS CITY, KANSAS.
Away back in 1868 the people of the little island of Cuba began a war for freedom from the thraldom in which they were held by the Kingdom of Spain. It was an unequal war, and yet the Cubans, by bush-fighting methods, managed to continue it for many years. When, in recent years, the excitement of the war ran high, the government of the United States noticed it. To protect the American interests on the island the battleship "Maine" was sent to Havana. While lying there at night, on what was supposed to be peaceful waters, the immense ship was sunk-supposedly by a mine placed under its keel by the hand of some dastard. The grand ship was destroyed and with it departed the lives of two hundred and six brave American sailors. This deed was perpetrated on the night of February 15, 1898.
The news flashed aeross the wires and the people of this eountry were aroused. The more hot-headed ones demanded that war be de- clared on Spain at once. Others did not favor a resort to arms. But as the faets of the cowardly night attaek developed, the people were almost unanimous in their demands that Spain be made to pay the penalty of the supposed misdeeds of her sons. Much sympathy was mani- fested by the American people for the Cubans, and press and pulpit cried down the eruelties and atrocities of the Spaniard.
THE APPROACH OF WAR.
Blacker and nearer approached the elond of war and the navy vards and arsenals became beehives of industry. The regular army
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was recruited from a peace footing until it became the finest body of disciplined men in the world and one capable of meeting and suecess- fully coping with any foe. The young men of the nation, inspired with that spirit which actuated their forefathers at Bunker Hill and Gettys- burg, burned to do something, and even the children gave up playing hide and seek and their games were in imitation of the acts of Mars.
As time went on the Spanish diplomats and statesmen began to feel their extreme danger and Madrid was the seene of turmoil. The "honor" of the nation was at stake and the "pigs of America" were making things warm for the practitioners of the inquisitions of the Middle Ages.
February drifted by and early in March President MeKinley asked congress for an appropriation of $50,000,000 to man the coast defenses of the United States. In the house Speaker Reed ealled for the vote and a glorious record of three hundred and fifty-two ayes and no nays went down as a mark of the confidenee men of all politieal beliefs and ereeds had in the wisdom of the chief executive.
PEACE RELATIONS END.
Events followed each other with kalaidoseopic rapidity and congress passed resolutions recommending armed intervention in Cuba. The president gave Spain three days to evacuate the island. The Spanish minister, Poloy Barnabe, and the American minister to Spain, General Woodford, received their passports and diplomatie relations between the countries ended. This was held to be a declaration of war and the North Atlantie squadron under Sampson, then a captain, sailed to bloekade the port of Havana.
The spirit of war and eonquest tingled through American veins and when, on April 22nd the bulletins announced that the "Nashville" had fired upon and captured the "Buena Ventura," Young America felt that indescribable something arouse him that had nerved the loyal heart of the Civil war volunteer when he heard that Fort Sumter had been bombarded.
THE CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS.
The next day President MeKinley said to those young men: "I want 125,000 of you! I want you to volunteer your very lives, if need be, to erush the men who destroyed our brothers and our noble ship." The apportionment gave to Kansas three regiments of infantry. No Kansan ean forget the enthusiasm which filled the most remote county. Five companies of men were organized in Topeka almost as soon as the eall had been published and all had more men in them than eould have been accepted.
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Governor Leedy, then the chief executive of the state, announced that the colonel of the first regiment to be organized would be Fred Funston, whose record in Cuba was fresh in the memory of the whole state. The appointment met with general approval and the gallantry displayed by the little general in Cuban campaigning has only been sur- passed by his heroic, almost foolhardy, bravery about Manila.
KANSAS TO THE FRONT.
Leaden, gloomy skies greeted the first volunteers who went into eamp in Topeka on Sunday, May 1st. Camp Leedy was christened and the first men to occupy the ground were those of company A of Topeka and Company B of Kansas City, Kansas, both of which were later as- signed to the Twentieth regiment. Not a murmur could be heard among the men that would indicate that they were sorry they had left home and friends to face the dangers of war.
On May 11th the war department issued an order that one of the three Kansas regiments would be sent to San Francisco and thence would probably go to Manila. The report reached Camp Leedy and every company on the grounds claimed that it was in the Twentieth regiment and every soldier wanted to go. When the personnel of the regiment was made up, the men gave up their time to rumors that the next day would be the day of departure. Those sturdy Kansas boys wanted to go. They felt that the Spaniards had given each of them a personal affront, and perhaps there was some spirit of revenge-but there was more of intense patriotie love for the Stars and Stripes in their desire.
On May 14th the now famous regiment lined up on the fair grounds before Lieutenant W. F. Clark, of the United States army, for muster-in. Everyone who braved the rain on that disagreeable evening remembers the fine looking body of men. Even though they were not uniformed, the splendid physique and robust Kansas health were apparent. As they returned to the camp after the ceremony, every soldier wondered just how long it would be before he left his state for the front.
Two days later, the Twentieth boys boarded the train on the Union Paeifie and started on their long journey for San Francisco. They didn't know how much further they would go, but they had great hopes and were full of joy. Could they have foreseen the hardships they were to eneounter; could they have guessed the dreary existence at camp in San Francisco; could they have known of the deaths by privation, ex- posure, disease and rebel bullets, they might have been less gay, but the way they encountered and overcame these difficulties brings conviction that their course would have been unchanged even under a knowledge of those circumstanees.
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