USA > Kansas > Douglas County > Lawrence > The Kansas memorial, a report of the Old Settlers' meeting held at Bismarck grove, Kansas, Sept. 15th and 16th, 1879 > Part 11
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34
Cowah
Horse.
Muccasupa
Coffee.
Shawnee
Sugar.
Stilabaca
Shoes or boots.
Hoscaw
Calico or domestic.
Nannahue
Tobacco.
Peciea
No good.
Largana
Good.
Warnumbarue
Something to eat.
Paup-Pusa
A baby.
Ninka .
He is gone ; it is gone.
Wabuska
Flower.
Howa .
How do you do.
LETTER FROM HON. J. M. S. WILLIAMS.
BOSTON, September 3d, 1879.
Gentlemen : I have delayed answering your invitation to attend the re-union at Lawrence, on the 15th instant, on account of the hope that I might be able to accept it. But I am not to have the . pleasure. I would like very much to be with you and witness, in part, your present prosperity ; and contrast it with what Lawrence was, when I first visited it, about twenty-five years ago. The sav- ing of Kansas from slave power was a severe but successful strug- gle, and our success was owing mainly to the fact that the free state men of that early day were men of ideas, and were therefore fully capable of using Sharpe's rifles to advantage in the acquiring and retaining their right to vote, which right was so persistently attempted to be withheld from them by the same tyrannical power which now overrides the personal liberty of our colored brethren in a large part of the former slave district. The negroes not having, as our settlers did, the education to enable them to stand for their rights, with Sharpe's rifles, are now forced to flee to obtain the privileges which your State so opportunely affords. But the time will surely come when, all over our vast country, the rights of all will be respected ; when the negro and the Indian will have equal rights at the polls with all other American citizens, and all who assisted in the founding of Kansas as a free State, have the satisfac- tion of knowing that your success is contributing largely to such a glorious result. Yours very respectfully,
JOHN M. S. WILLIAMS.
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LETTER FROM MAJ. EDWARD DANIELS.
ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, Sept. 12, 1879.
Hon. Sidney Clarke : I am greatly disappointed that I cannot be at the re-union of the early settlers of Kansas. Will you bear my greeting to the survivors of that Spartan band who held at fearful cost and risk the Thermopylæ of freedom for a continent on the plains of Kansas. Few know, personally, better than I do upon how slender a thread hung the momentus issue of slavery or freedom during those " dark and bloody days." The world's his- tory has no brighter page than that which records the intrepid deeds, the sublime courage, the unfaltering faith in a great cause, and the heroic endurance of the free state men in Kansas. Reduced in numbers by the sternest tests of manhood till they scarcely exceeded Gideon's band, they were made invincible by the strength of truth. They held in their keeping the ark of the covenant, and the destiny of the uncounted millions who were destined to people the mighty West. They were worthy of the sacred trust, and while freemen tread the soil which they guarded from the invasion of slavery, their brave deeds will be told with pride and their memory will grow brighter with the passing years.
I recall the names of three men, not residents of Kansas, who should be honorably remembered at your meeting : I. Hon. Timothy O. Howe, of Wisconsin, late U. S. Senator from that State, who, earliest among the prominent public men of Wisconsin, gave his time, money and personal influence to the cause; 2. Edward D. Holton, a distinguished citizen of Milwaukee, who also came for- ward in the earliest days of the struggle, and presided over the first Kansas Aid Society of Wisconsin, giving generously himself and using a commanding social influence for Kansas; 3. Gen. J. D. Webster, late chief of General Sherman's staff, and in 1855 city engineer of Chicago. A soldier by education, he early saw that the battle was to be won by putting the means of defending the right For two years as
vote in the hands of the free state men. President of the executive committee of the National Kansas Com- mittee, located at Chicago, he gave his time, energy and money freely to the work. His social influence was thrown into the scale and did as much as that of any man in the nation to vindicate Kansas from the aspersions of her enemies, and to bring about the vast inflow of aid which she at last received from the lovers of liberty in the North. Among newspapers, the Tribune was chief for free Kansas, and Joseph Medill and Horace White deserve lasting honor in Kansas for their persistent and able advocacy.
With fraternal good will, EDWARD DANIELS, Formerly Agt. of Emigration for Kansas Nat. Com.
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LETTER FROM GEN. B. F. STRINGFELLOW.
ATCHISON, KANSAS, Sept. 14, 1879.
Dear Sir : I had hopes until last evening that I would be able to be present on the anniversary of Lawrence, but have now to. regret that I am not a freeman but under obligations which will compel me to be absent.
Freedom is not yet absolute, and this is one of the many occa- sions where I am forced to admit myself a slave, and would be glad were there any " underground railroad " by which I might flee from my bondage and be with you.
It would be a special pleasure to present myself as one of the witnesses that, widely as we may have differed in other days, we. are all now heartily united in efforts to promote the prosperity and happiness of our common country.
Hoping that the meeting may be most pleasant, I am your obedient servant,
B. F. STRINGFELLOW.
LETTER FROM GOV. SAMUEL J. CRAWFORD.
WASHINGTON, D. C., Sept. 7, 1879.
MY DEAR SIR :- I regret very much my inability to attend the Old Settlers' Meeting, in Lawrence, on the 15th and 16th insts. Nothing would afford me greater pleasure than to be present on that occasion, and nothing would prevent my going except impera- tive duties requiring my presence here.
The meeting cannot be otherwise than of the greatest interest to all in attendance, and especially to the pioneer veterans who stood side by side in the long continued "irrepressible conflict," which began in earnest with the settlement of Kansas, and ended in triumph with the abolition of slavery. From 1854 to 1865, Kansas was nothing less than a military camp. Two determined armies confronted each other in the open field. Many battles were fought. Many lives were sacrificed. But now the conflict is over; slavery is dead; Oxford and Kickapoo forgotten, and peace restored.
You, and others who stood at the helm throughout the storm, and in the end witnessed the crowning of your efforts with such complete success, ought to meet, celebrate and receive congratula- tions. All Kansans should be there and participate in the festivities. of the occasion, because all now are equally interested in the his- tory of our glorious young State, and in the achievements of those who made it what it is.
The Spartans, at Thermopyla, stood firm; the Trojans, at Troy, were slow to yield; the Romans, under Cæsar, were invinc- ible ; and Napoleon's great army, at Waterloo, melted away; but none, even in the trying scenes of those days, displayed more devo- tion to principle, and more genuine courage and heroism, than did
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the pioneer settlers of Kansas, in the struggle through which they passed.
I, therefore, trust that the Old Settlers' Meeting may be a complete success, and that the fondest hopes of its projectors may be realized to the fullest extent.
I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, S. J. CRAWFORD. :
LETTER FROM JOHN G. WHITTIER.
BEAR CAMP HOUSE, W. OSSIPEE, N. H., Eighth Month, 29, 1879.
1 $ Gentlemen :
I have received your invitation to the 25th anniversary cele- bration of the first settlement of Kansas. It would give me great pleasure to visit your State on an occasion of such peculiar interest, and to make the acquaintance of its brave and self-denying pio- neers, but I have not health and strength for the journey.
It is very fitting that this anniversary should be duly recog- nized. No one of your sister States has such a record as yours- so full of peril and adventure, fortitude, self-sacrifice, and heroic devotion to freedom. Its baptism of martyr blood not only saved the State to liberty, but made the abolition of slavery everywhere possible. Barber and Stillwell, and Colpetzer and their associates did not die in vain.
All through your long, hard struggle I watched the course of events in Kansas with absorbing interest. I rejoiced, while I marveled at the steady courage which no danger could shake, at the firm endurance which outwearied the brutalities of your slave- holding invaders, at that fidelity to right and duty which the seduc- tion of immediate self-interest could not swerve, nor the military force of a pro-slavery government overawe. All my sympathies were with you in that stern trial of your loyalty to God and humanity. And when, in the end, you had conquered peace, and the last of the baffled border ruffians had left your Territory, I felt that the doom of the accursed institution was sealed, and that its abolition was but a question of time. A State with such a record will, I am sure, be true to its noble traditions, and will do all in its power to aid the victims of prejudice and oppression who may be compelled to seek shelter within its borders. I will not for a moment distrust the fidelity of Kansas to her foundation principle. God bless and prosper her !
Thanking you for the kind terms of your invitation, I am, gentlemen, very truly your friend,
JOHN G. WHITTIER.
LETTER FROM HON. I. S. KALLOCH. SAN FRANCISCO, July 10, 1879.
GENTLEMEN :- I acknowledge with pleasure your invitation to be present with you on the 15th of September, to participate in a
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" general reunion of the men and women who took part in settling Kansas." Nothing would afford me greater satisfaction than to be with you, and nothing but distance and pressing cares at home could prevent me.
In the light of history, few men and women will occupy a more illustrious place than the brave pioneers who settled Kansas and preserved and consecrated its sacred soil to freedom and the rights of man. While it was not my pleasure to be with them in person, I was with them in spirit and contributed whatever influ- ence I had to the holy enterprise in which they were engaged. And it is a pleasant memory to me that I afterward knew them personally and co-operated with them in my humble way, to lend efficiency, enlargement and energy to the noble young Common- wealth which they so gloriously founded. From across the Sierras I stretch the hand of cordial friendship and fellowship, and wish you a fitting and happy festival on the " day you celebrate."
Very respectfully, I. S. KALLOCH.
LETTER FROM JAMES FREEMAN CLARKE.
JAMAICA PLAIN, Mass., July 25, 1879.
Gentlemen of the Committee : I received your previous letter of invitation to the "Kansas Old Settlers' Celebration" and immediate- ly answered it, but I infer that my letter to you miscarried. In that I expressed my regret that I should probably be unable to attend the celebration. I well remember those times which tried men's souls, and I highly value a certificate of stock in the Free State Kansas Association which was given me at that time. Just at the time that I received your first letter I lost a dear friend, a member of my church, Mrs. Samuel Cabot. She did as much as any one in New England to help the free settlers of Kansas during those terrible times when the slaveholders of Missouri overran your Territory. She organized and carried on the Society, which had its branches all over NewEngland, which sent food, clothing and money to Kansas. She was a modest and retiring lady, but when this appeal came she stepped forward to the front, and did the work of many common men. Let us not forget the women, who, with the men, helped to leave Kansas to freedom. Hoping you will have a happy celebra- tion, I am yours,
JAMES FREEMAN CLARKE.
LETTER FROM HON. WM. M. EVARTS.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE, WASHINGTON, Aug. 8, 1879.
Gentlemen : I have to acknowledge the receipt of your kind letter of the 24th of June, inviting me to be present at the celebra- tion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the settlement of Kansas, on the 15th of September next. It would certainly give me very great pleasure to meet the " old settlers of Kansas " upon so interesting an occasion, and while I regret that I cannot positively foresee that 7
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it will be in my power to do so, I shall cherish the hope that I may be able to visit Kansas at the time appointed for the celebra- tion. I am, gentlemen, very truly yours,
WM. M. EVARTS.
LETTER FROM HON. JOHN SHERMAN.
TREASURY DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, July 7, 1879.
Gentlemen : I have to acknowledge the receipt of your kind invitation to attend and speak at the gathering to be held on Sep- tember 15th, at Lawrence, to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the settlement of Kansas.
I regret that, by reason of official duties, I will not be able to participate in the celebration and contribute my recollections of my first visit to Lawrence in the spring of 1856, when it was truly in its infancy. The house in which we slept was not plastered, and unfinished in many respects, and I was glad to take shelter under the hospitable roof of Gov. Robinson. We held the official meQing of the committee of investigation in the tavern of Miss Hall, if I remember the name correctly.
The wonderful growth of Kansas since that time is probably as great as that presented by any of your western States, marvelous in their development.
With an abiding faith that your progress will be as rapid and remarkable and honorable in the future, I remain
Very truly yours, JOHN SHERMAN.
LETTER FROM HON. E. B. WASHBURN.
SHELDON, VT., July 16, 1879.
Dear Mr. Crawford: I have duly received the invitation to be present at the Old Settlers' meeting at Lawrence, on the 15th of September next. I am spending the summer East with my family, and will not venture home until after the time designated for the meeting. I regret, therefore, that I will not be able to be present on that interesting occasion.
I knew much of the early settlers of Kansas, and no braver or truer men ever upheld the banner of human liberty. I partici- pated in all the action of Congress which attended their early struggles, and according to the measure of my ability, did all in my power to strengthen their arms in their hand-to-hand fight with the slave power. And how gloriously they won! Through fire and blood they planted free institutions on your virgin soil, and in a quarter of a century was seen to grow up a great, prosperous and patriotic State, which has excited the wonder and challenged the admiration of mankind.
Trusting that you may have a very happy and successful re- union, believe me, Very truly yours, etc.,
E. B. WASHBURN.
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LETTER FROM SENATOR JOHN J. INGALLS.
UNITED STATES SENATE CHAMBER, WASHINGTON, June 28, 1879. 5 -
Gentlemen : I shall have much pleasure in being present at the reunion in Lawrence, September 15th, unless unavoidably detained elsewhere. The occasion will be historic, and the retro- spect cannot fail to be instructive to mankind.
Though not one of the earliest settlers of Kansas, my citizen- ship only dating from 1858, I was a "friend of freedom " from the beginning, and came as soon as I could.
I shall be glad to do anything in my power to contribute to the interest of the anniversary. Yours, J. J. INGALLS.
. Mr. Ingalls was unavoidably absent, and the letter was read to show that he wanted to be present.
LETTER FROM HON. LYMAN TRUMBULL.
CHICAGO, ILL., July 7, 1879. Gentlemen : It would afford me real pleasure, if circum- stances permitted, to join the "Old Settlers" in the celebra- tion at Lawrence, on the 15th of Septeniber, of the twenty- fifth anniversary of the settlement of Kansas, an event that marks an epoch in our country's history, as the beginning of that struggle which culminated in the nation's redemption from the curse of human slavery.
Few now on the stage of action appreciate the hardships endured and the hazards encountered by the brave men and women who made Kansas a free State. The recalling of those events, after a lapse of a quarter of a century, will nerve the arm and cheer the heart of every friend of freedom who hears the story. I have to regret that I cannot be with you to participate in the cele- bration.
Very respectfully, LYMAN TRUMBULL.
LETTER FROM AMOS A. LAWRENCE.
NEAR BOSTON, July 22, 1879.
Gentlemen : Please to remember me affectionately to the old settlers. I thank you for remembering me in sending out your invitations for the 15th of September, and if I were to make a journey anywhere, that would be preferred. But my occupations, or else the habit of staying at home, makes journeying unpleasant, and, besides that, I am forced to adhere to certain habits, in order to keep tolerably well. If you will be good enough to send me the printed account of the proceedings, you will be doing another favor to Your friend,
AMOS A. LAWRENCE.
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LETTER FROM N. S. STORRS.
MEDICINE LODGE, BARBOUR CO., KAN., Sept. 12, 1879. Hon. Charles Robinson, Lawrence, Kansas : Circumstances prevent me from being at the Old Settlers' Celebration, on the 15th and 16th inst., and as I was a resident of Lawrence in 1855, '56, and a part of '57, and took part in the war of those days, I would like to be at said celebration. I forward you the names of Derrick Updegraff and Mr. Blanton, who are living here. Mr. Updegraff went to Tecumseh in 1854, from Iowa. Mr. Blan- ton owned Blanton's bridge, south of Lawrence, in those days. We are all well, and would like to see the old grounds we ranged in defense of freedom in Kansas. Wishing you a happy time, we are, Respectfully yours, etc., N. S. STORRS.
LETTER FROM D. F. PARK.
PLEASANTON, KAN., Sept. 15, 1879.
Gentlemen of the "Old Settlers' " Meeting, Bismarck Grove, Kan- sas : Dear Sirs : I came to Kansas in August, 1854; have lived near here ever since, and would like to be with you to-day. Allow me, as an " Old Settler," to suggest that a register of name and post-office address of all persons now in Kansas, who have lived here continuously for twenty-five years, be now made and kept for future use. To assist you in carrying out the above suggestion, I send you names, with post-office, of all men now in Linn county, who have lived here full twenty-five years.
Came in spring and summer of 1854: D. W. Cannon, Mound City, Kan. ; William Park, Mound City; James Osborne, Mound City : Ben Bunch, Mound City; James Barrick, Pleasanton ; D. F. Park, Pleasanton; W. H. Murray, Pleasanton ; Jo. Conley, Barnard; Ingram Lusk, Centerville.
Came in the fall of 1854: J. D. Hobson, Pleasanton; Enoch Estep, Pleasanton; W. B. Perry, Pleasanton ; H. J. Dingus, Mound City; A. R. Wayne, Mound City.
Yours very respectfully, D. F. PARK.
LETTER FROM MARY L. REYNOLDS.
KANWAKA, KAN., Sept. 15, 1879. To the Old Settlers' Reunion : My father, James Fuller, and mother, Eliza Fuller, three brothers and myself, moved to Kansas in November, 1855, from Wisconsin. We settled two miles west of Osawatomie. I was only twelve years of age, but I remember the day that Reid brought in his band of four hundred drunken men to murder, destroy and plunder. It was August 30, 1856. We were all sick with the chills, but my oldest brother, William, who belonged to Capt. John Brown's company. He had come home on furlough the previous evening. They took him prisoner at our house, and no doubt, if they had known who he was, they would have shot him on the spot. They went but a few rods from
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the house, where, to my brother's astonishment, there lay, in the middle of the road, lying on his face at full length, cold in death, the Captain's son, Frederick Brown- shot by the advance guards. You can imagine his feelings, prisoner to such a band of outlaws. But he had to pass on, and not show the slightest sign of acquaint- ance. They took him to the front ranks during the fight, and he stood the fire from both sides. After the fight they tied his hands behind him and tied him to the hitching post, in front of Mr. Shar- key's store, and set the store on fire, and went off and left him until the town was burned. After that they returned, and the four hun- dred stopped at our house. They took my father out of bed and made him walk, to see if he was able to be taken prisoner; but they concluded he was too sick to bother with him, so finally they let him alone. Nearly every time the mail came in, there was a posse from Missouri ready to ransack the letters. For over six months we never got a letter out of the office; we would find them opened and thrown away by those outlaws. We never heard from my brother for two weeks. You can have but a faint idea what our feelings were, or our anxiety was, unless in like circumstances. He was one of the nine prisoners sent to St. Louis. From there he went to Wisconsin, where our sister resided. The following winter he returned home. It was one grand rejoicing. I think we suffered more during the early times than we did during the civil war, although one brother died in the army.
I could write more, but perhaps this is sufficient. I always attend the Old Settlers' meetings when I can. I wanted to do so this year, but as I could not, I send these facts. Most respectfully, MRS. MARY L. REYNOLDS.
POEM BY MRS. KATE R. HILL.
Mrs. Kate R. Hill, of Manhattan, read the following poem, entitled "The Old Folks."
Oh, blessings on the Old Folks, As once again they meet In the sunset's glow, rich-hued, we know- With memories grand and sweet.
Oh, blessings on the Old Folks As they retrace, in thought,
Thro' life's young day the darkened way With care and danger fraught.
From Fatherland and kindred torn, In those stern days they came
And found a cross that must be borne In Freedom's holy name.
The red man on his hunted path With threatening eye looked back, And Liberty's foul foe, with wrath And murder in his track,
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Came sweeping o'er the prairies vast, Unheeding Nature's charms, And woke the answering cry, at last, " Rise, Freedom's sons, to arms."
Long waged the fierce, the cruel fight, Till the watchmen, from the towers,
Cried " Ring the bells for God and Right! The victory is ours."
But ah ! on Nature's emerald breast Was left a crimson stain ;
And ever, where the heroes rest, Must fall the tears of pain.
Oh, blessings on the Old Folks Who, 'mid their cares and woes,
With toil could cause the wilderness To " blossom as the rose."
God's blessings on the Old Folks, Who, from life's garnered stores,
With furrowed brow in the gloaming now But wait for the golden oars.
They are pressing close to the river's brink, And we know, by their trustful eyes,
From the Unknown Land they will not shrink, They are going home to the skies.
ADDRESS BY COL. D. R. ANTHONY.
Gov. Robinson : - I shall have to call upon one of the vice- presidents to preside during the morning. Col. D. R. Anthony, one of the original pioneers of Kansas, will now take the stand and preside.
Before taking the chair Col. Anthony said :
Old Settlers, New Settlers and Young Settlers :
I feel that it is unfair to call me out at this time, after listening to the grand, noble and matured speeches of yesterday and this morning from the lips of such men and veterans as Robinson, Hol- liday, Usher, St. John, Crawford and Forney ; men who spoke the burning words of freedom and truth which will pass into and make an important part of the history of our glorious young Com- monwealth. I feel almost incapable of adding one word to that which has been said, but I also feel a great interest in this immense and wonderful gathering of the early pioneers of our State, and the importance of the occasion tempts me to say a word upon the sen- timent that has brought us together.
I well recollect the time, twenty-five years ago last month, when the then almost unknown, but now known and honored by
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all freedom loving men, Eli Thayer, of Massachusetts, wrote to me at Rochester, N. Y., requesting me to join the emigrant aid party then about starting from the East to settle in the then Territory of Kansas. I promptly accepted the invitation and joined the party at Rochester on its way to the land of border ruffians. At St. Louis we met the agent of the New England Emigrant Aid Company, Doctor Charles Robinson, one of the shrewdest, ablest, truest and most devoted advocates of humanity in the West. By his direction our party proceeded by steamer "Polar Star" to Kansas City, Mo., where we were met by Col. Blood and Chas. H. Branscomb, agents of the company, who guided us to the spot where Lawrence now stands, the place mentioned by Charles Robinson as the natu- ral location for a town as far back as 1848. In this way the town site of Lawrence was located.
When I returned to New York the following month the people of that great State, composing what was known as the old Whig party, and the Kansas and Nebraska party met in mass convention at Saratoga Springs for the purpose of organizing the Republican party, that grand old party which has, since its creation, transform- ed four millions of slaves into freemen, saved this Union from destruction at the hands of the slave power, and made this country forever the home of the free. I was at that convention when the Republican party was formed. Horace Greeley, Henry J. Ray- mond, Thurlow Weed, Eli Thayer and hosts of other veterans in the cause of human freedom were there. Eli Thayer introduced your humble servant to that vast throng as one who had seen the wonders and the glories of the promised land, and one who had just returned to tell the story to the thousands who were anxious to go West and help make Kansas free. I well recollect with what trepidation I spoke for the first time in my life to the tens of thousands of people gathered there, and that the uppermost thing in my mind then was the magnificent agricultural view which I had witnessed from Mt. Oread, the place where your University now stands. I spoke to them of the richness and productiveness of Kansas soil, of what a magnificent country it was, of its capabilities, and what the future had in store for those who had the courage to go there and help build up and develop the natural resources of the country, and above all, save it from the curse of slavery. From that time to this there has been a greater growth in population, and grander material improvements in this State than were ever made in any other State of this Union in the same period, of twenty-five years. Then we had nothing but the brave hearts and hardy hands of a few hundred almost penniless men and women, who came here for the highest and holiest purposes that ever actuated the human heart. What is our condition to-day? We have a country as fine as any in the world. We have a State four hundred miles long and two hundred miles wide; situated right here in the very center of the United States of America. A country where all the fruits and vegetables, and grains and minerals are produced with greater ease and in
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