USA > Louisiana > The province and the states, a history of the province of Louisiana under France and Spain, and of the territories and states of the United States formed therefrom, Vol. IV > Part 28
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KANSAS FROM 1861 TO 1869.
were adopted asking for the removal of Generals Schofield and Ewing and of the creation of the military department of Kansas.
An election for chief justice of the supreme court, district attorneys, and members of the legislature, was held on the 3d of November. Robert Crozier was elected chief justice without opposition.
Beginning with the ist of January, 1864, Kansas was made an independent military department with Maj. Gen. Samuel R. Curtis in command. From this time guerrilla raids were less frequent.
January 12, the fourth state legislature met at Topeka. In the month preceding the so-called "capitol building," erected by Messrs. Gordon, Gage, Farnsworth and Mills, was completed and turned over to the state under a lease. The legislature of 1864 was the first to meet in the new quarters thus provided. There were passed acts granting to each county along the line of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railroad the power to issue bonds to the amount of two hundred thousand dollars to aid in the con- struction of the road; locating a deaf and dumb asylum at Olathe and a blind asylum at Wyandotte; abolishing grand juries, and changing the site of the penitentiary to Lansing, near Leavenworth, to include stone quarries and a coal mine. A con- stitutional amendment allowing soldiers in the field and certain other persons the right to vote was proposed, and the question whether the school lands should be sold was submitted to the people at the November election.
Some trouble grew out of the election of a United States senator to succeed General Lane. As Lane's term did not expire until the 4th of March, 1865, and another annual session of the legislatiire would convene in January, 1865, Lane's friends in- sisted that the election of his successor at this term was prema- ture. On the 6th of February eight members of the senate and nineteen of the house signed protests against such a course; but three days later the two branches were called to meet in joint session to elect a senator. Governor Carney received 68 votes ; declined to vote 27 members; "against a fraud" I vote; blank ballots 2. The presiding officer announced that Governor Carney was elected, but when the Republican state convention met at Topeka, April 21, the governor sent a letter to the convention declining the office.
At that convention General Lane, A. C. Wilder, T. M. Bowen, W. W. H. Lawrence, M. H. Insley and F. W. l'otter were selected as delegates to the national convention. Resolutions expressing
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confidence in President Lincoln, and instructing the delegates to vote and work for his renomination were adopted. The platform further favored the abolition of slavery and an amendment to the constitution of the United States "to secure Freedom to every human being within its jurisdiction."
A second convention of the same party was held at the capital on the 8th of September, to nominate a state ticket. Samuel J. Crawford was nominated for governor; James McGrew, lieuten- ant-governor ; R. A. Barker, secretary of state; John R. Swallow, auditor; William Spriggs, treasurer ; J. D. Brumbaugh, attorney- general; I. T. Goodnow, superintendent of public instruction ; Jacob Safford, associate justice. Ellsworth Cheesebrough, of Atchison, Nelson MeCracken, of Leavenworth, and Robert MeBratney, of Davis county, were named for presidential electors. Before the election MeCracken and Cheesebrough died, and the vacancies on the ticket were filled by the selection of W. F. Cloud and Thomas Moonlight.
June 1, the Democrats met in convention at Topeka. Wilson Shannon, Orlin Thurston, W. C. Mc Dowell, L. B. Wheat, H. J. Strickler and J. P. Taylor were selected as delegates to the national convention. The only resolutions adopted declared in favor of the establishment of a Democratie paper at Leavenworth and of making Kansas a "free white state."
On the 13th of September the Republican Union state conven- tion met at Topeka and nominated the following state ticket : For governor, Solon O. Thacher; lieutenant-governor, John J. Ingalls ; secretary, William R. Saunders ; auditor, Asa Hairgrove; treasurer, J. R. MeChuire; attorney-general, Hiram Griswold; superintendent of public instruction, Peter McVicar; associate justice, Samnel A. Kingman. The platform favored a vigorous prosecution of the war; endorsed the Republican national plat- form, recommended the voters of Kansas to support Lincoln and Johnson, and called upon "all good men, irrespective of party, to unite in putting down the 'one man power' in Kansas, the corrupt and tyrannical exercise of which has brought disgrace and un- told evil upon the State."
At the same time and place the Democrats held a convention, but made no nominations except those of Nelson Cobb, Thomas Bridgens and Andrew J. Ege, for presidential electors. The convention adopted resolutions ratifying the work of the national convention at Chicago and setting forth "that this convention deent it mexpedient for the Democratic party of Kansas to nom- inate a State ticket, to be supported at the cushing election, and
0
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we deem it impolitie for any Democrat in the state to permit his name to be used as a candidate for any state office or member of Congress."
At the election, November 8, the Republican ticket was successful. The highest vote received by any of the presidential electors was that of W. F. Cloud, which was 14,228. J. Bridgens received 3,871, the highest vote on the Democratic ticket. For governor S. J. Crawford received 13,387 votes and S. O. Thacher, 8,448. Sidney Clarke, Republican, was elected to congress over Albert L. L,ce, the Union candidate, by a majority of 1, 120.
Information that Gen. Sterling Price with a force of fifteen thou- sand Confederate soldiers was marching westward through Mis- souri, probably having for his object the invasion of Kansas, reached General Curtis on the second of October. General Ewing had been driven back by Price's army from Pilot Knob to Rolla, where his infantry went into garrison, while the cavalry joined General McNeil. This left the road open to Price .* So far as it was possible, General Rosecrans, at St. Louis, kept General Curtis and Governor Carney apprised of Price's movements. By the 8th affairs had assumed such an aspect that Governor Carney issued a proclamation calling upon "the men of Kansas" to defend the state against the threatened invasion, and appointed George W. Deitzler major-general of the militia. The "men of Kansas" responded with an alacrity seldom equaled. Within three days more than twelve thousand troops were mobilized at Olathe, Atchison, Paola, Fort Scott, Wyandotte and Mound City. On the 9th General Curtis called all the United States troops in Kansas into the field to co-operate with the militia. The next day lie appointed Gen. James Il. I,ane on his staff and proclaimed martial law in the state. Gen. James G. Blunt was placed in command of the militia at Olathe. He organized the men into three brigades under the command of Colonels Blair, Jennison and Moonlight. All these officers, while commanding Kansas regiments, had seen service in the field.
Meantime Price was being closely pursued by Federal troops under Generals Sanborn and Pleasanton. By the middle of Octo- ber nearly twenty thousand Kansas militia had been concentrated in the towns along the border and were waiting for his approach. On the 16th General Blunt crossed the state line into Missouri and took up a position at Lexington. Price was now between
*Most of the engagements connected with the Price rald, In which Kansas Troops participated, happened on Missouri soll, and are frented In the history of that & al ...
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two fires. On the east were Sanborn and Pleasanton, and on the west was the Kansas "Army of the Border," inexperienced and undisciplined, but eager for the fray. Then followed in quick succession the battles of Lexington, Little Blue river, Indepen- dence, and Big Blue river, until Price made a stand at Westport, where he was completely routed on Sunday, October 23. After this repulse he retreated southward. At sunrise on the 24th the rear of his army was ten miles from Westport. Two divisions started in pursuit. Along the Missouri border ten thousand men were pressing closely upon the rear of the Confederates, while Colonel Moonlight with another detachment moved rapidly south- ward along the Kansas border to prevent the retreating army from entering the state. A slight skirmish occurred on the 24th at Cold Water Grove, between a portion of the Confederate troops and the Kansas Cavalry of the Border Army. Rallying his forces Price crossed into Kansas a few miles south of West Point, Mo., and encamped at the old trading post on the Marais des Cygnes. He was soon driven from this position, and on the 25th the battles of Marais des Cygnes, Little Osage river, and Mine Creek were fought upon Kansas soil. The engage- ment at Mine Creek settled the fate of Price's expedition. Gen- eral Graham was killed, General Slemmons mortally wounded, and nine cannon and eight hundred prisoners were taken, among them Generals Cabell and Marmaduke. The Confederates, hotly pursued by General McNeil, fled in disorder and the invasion of Kansas was over. The triumphant occupation of Kansas as planned by General Price, had ended in a humiliating defeat. In the battles of Marais des Cygnes and Mine Creek the Kansas troops fought like veterans. What they lacked in tactics they more than made up in courage and impetuosity, and the decisive results of the campaign were largely due to their bravery and their eagerness to repel the invaders.
In a congratulatory order, November 8, General Curtis said: "In parting, the General tenders his thanks to the officers and soldiers for their generous support and prompt obedience to or- ders, and to his staff for their unceasing efforts to share the toil incident to the campaign. The pursuit of Price in 1864, and the battles of Lexington, Little Blue, Big Blue, Westport, Marais des Cygnes, Osage, Charlott and Newtonia, will be borne on the ban- ners of the regiments who shared in them; and the states of Missouri, lowa, Kansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Arl misas may glory in the achievement of their sons in this short but eventful campaign."
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KANSAS FROM 1861 TO 1869.
January 10, 1865, the fifth state legislature assembled at the capital. 'At the beginning of the term the candidates elected in the preceding November were inducted into office. On the 11th Governor Crawford sent his first message to the assembly.
Samuel J. Crawford, the third governor of Kansas, after its admission into the Union, was born in Lawrence county, Ind. April 10, 1835. His early life was spent upon a farm. While attending the Bedford Academy he took up the study of law, and at the age of twenty-one graduated from the Cincinnati, (Ohio) law school. Two years later he located at Garnett, Kan., where he began the practice of his profession. He was a member of the first state legislature, which met in March, 1861, and although only twenty-six years of age he soon demonstrated his ability to represent the district from which he was elected. Upon the call for troops he resigned his seat in the legislature, raised a company for the Second Kansas, being in due season promoted to the coloneley of the regiment and given the rank of brevet brigadier-general. lle was still in the service when nominated for governor in September, 1864. In 1866 he was re-elected, but in November, 1868, resigned to take command of the Nineteenth Kansas regiment, in an expedition against the Indians on the frontier. After the Indians were quieted down he resumed the practice of law at Topeka, taking rank as one of the leading attorneys of Kansas.
Lieut. Gov. James McGrew was inaugurated at the same time and became the presiding officer of the senate, by virtue of his office. Jacob Stotler, of Lyon county, was elected speaker of the house.
During the Price raid the conduct of General Lane, as a mem- ber of General Curtis's staff, had so restored him to popularity with the people of Kansas, that but little opposition was offered to his re-election as United States senator. The vote was taken January 12. Lane received 82 votes, Col. William Phillips 7, William C. McDowell 4, C. B. Brace 2, WV. Y. Roberts 2, B. M. Hughes I.
The most important acts passed by this session were those authorizing counties to issue bonds to aid in the construction of railroads; providing for a census; stipulating for the payment of claims growing out of the Price raid; and preventing the bring- ing of live stock from Texas into the state. The session ended on the zoth of February.
By and act of congress, March 3, 1863, liberal grants of land were made to Kansas to promote the building of a railroad from
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Atchison, via Topeka, to the western line of the state in the direc- tion of Santa Fe, N. M .; also for a railroad and telegraph from Leavenworth, via Lawrence and the Ohio City crossing of the Osage river, to the southern line of the state in a direction leading toward Galveston, Tex. Certain branch roads were also provided for, the amount of land given to the companies being ten sections, or 6.400 acres for each mile of road, including both the main line and the branches. Rules were prescribed for the sale of the lands, and the grant became void if no part of the road was completed within ten years from the date the conditions of the act were accepted. These lands were given to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railroad company by the Kansas legislature in February, 1864. By this grant the company acquired about 3,000,000 acres of Kansas lands.
While the war was in progress, but little was accomplished in the way of railroad building. In November, 1863, work was begun on the Union Pacific, the first road projected from the Missouri river to the Pacific coast. A grant of about six million acres, embracing alternate sections through a strip twenty miles wide, extending from the Missouri river to a point nearly four hundred miles west, was subsequently given to this company. The Missouri, Kansas and Texas railroad also received a large grant of land direct from the state, and all these companies obtained by treaties large tracts from the Indian reservations. Charters contemplating an extensive railway system had been granted to varions companies by the territorial legislature, and a few miles of road had been built before the beginning of the war. Upon the restoration of peace the people turned their attention to the matter of establishing railroad communication with the other states. Besides the land grants mentioned, the organized counties voted liberal issues of bonds, and in other ways the construction of roads was encouraged. With the prospect of ample and con- venient transportation facilities, Kansas took on a new life. The population increased by leaps and bounds.
Another thing that aided the material prosperity of Kansas in the years immediately following the war, was the homestead law enacted by congress, May 20, 1862. A similar bill had been vetoed by President Buchanan. Under this act the settler could acquire title to 160 acres of land by living upon it for five years. At the close of the war the law was amended so that ex-soldiers of the Union army might deduct from the five years the term of their military service. This brought a large number of settlers to Kansas.
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On the twenty-ninth of September, 1865, a treaty by which the Osage Indians ceded to the United States a tract thirty by fifty miles off the east end of their reservation was made at Canville, Kan., with that tribe. This tract lies in Neosho and Labette counties. At the same time they ceded a strip twenty miles wide off the north side of their lands, to be sold for the benefit of the tribe. The eastern boundary of this strip was about fifteen miles cast of the town of Fredonia; the northern boundary was abont four miles south of the fifth standard parallel; and the west end was at old Fort Sumner, where the Santa Fe trail crossed the Arkansas river. This treaty opened to settlement a large tract of land. Treaties by which most of their reservations passed into the hands of the United States, had been made during the war with the Pottawatomies, Kickapoos, Delawares, Ottawas and Roche de Boenf Indians. In 1861 a treaty with the Arapahoes and Chey- ennes of the Upper Arkansas was made at Fort Wise. All that portion of Kansas lying north of the Arkansas river and west of all foriner cessions was ceded to the United States. By the close . of the war these tribes had been removed to their Colorado reserve, and northwestern Kansas had been thrown open to the home- steaders.
At the beginning of the year 1866 there were in the state about three hundred miles of railroad in operation. The construction of railroads was still further stimulated by an act of the sixth state legislature which convened on the ninth of January, 1866, giving to four railroad companies the five hundred thousand acres of land aceruing to the state under the act of congress, September 4, 1841. The bill passed the senate, January 26, and was sent to the house. For the reason that a provision of the Kansas constitution appro- priated these lands to the support of the common schools, twenty- three members of that body signed a written protest against its passage.
Notwithstanding this protest the act passed on the seventeenth of February by a vote of 44 to 27, and was declared constitutional by the attorney-general .*
The companies to which these lands were granted were the Northern Kansas, the Kansas and Neosho Valley, the southern branch of the Union Pacific, and the Leavenworth, Lawrence and Fort Gibson. The name of the last was afterward changed by the legislature to that of the Leavenworth, Lawrence and Galves- ton railroad.
*In after years this act was the cause of a great many lawsuits between the railroad companies and actual soltlors.
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At this session the legislature passed acts to issue bonds for the erection of a penitentiary ; to provide for the sale of the lands belonging to the state university, normal school and agricultural college; to encourage the planting and culture of forest trees; to reapportion the state for members of the legislature, and to author- ize the building of a capitol. In April Governor Crawford sold in New York sixty thousand dollars of penitentiary bonds and seventy thousand dollars of public improvement bonds at 91 cents on the dollar.
The difference of opinion between President Johnson and con- gress with regard to the policy under which the seceded states should be re-admitted into the Union, caused a division in the ranks of the Republican party. Those agreeing with the presi- dent called themselves the "Union Republicans." Belonging to this class was Sen. J. H. Lane, though a majority of the Kan- sas Republicans favored the policy advocated by congress. This condition of affairs resulted in an open rupture between General Lane and one wing of his party. Opponents of the president's course held public meetings at which Lane was branded as wear- ing "Andy Jolison's collar." Lane obtained a leave of absence from the senate and hurried to Kansas where he made a bold figlit to retain his power. But it was too late. His party repudi- ated his policy, and, crazed by the coldness and rebuffs of his former friends, he committed suicide. Maj. Edmund G. Ross was appointed by Governor Crawford, on the 20th of July, to fill the vacancy in the United States senate, caused by General Lane's death. Major Ross was a native of Ohio, a printer by trade, who had come to Kansas during the territorial regime. Ile was a delegate to the Wyandotte constitutional convention from Wab- aunsee county, and during the war served as major and brevet lieutenant colonel of the Eleventh Kansas cavalry.
On the 4th of July, 1866, a reunion of Kansas soldiers was held at Topeka. The principal feature of the celebration was the pres- entation to the state of the battle flags carried by Kansas military organizations in the Civil war. Judge Samuel A. Kingman was the orator of the occasion. The speech of presentation was made by Gen. James G. Blunt. Governor Crawford made a fitting response, accepting the custody of the flags, and since that time they have remained in the care of the state.
A treaty with the Delaware Indians, July 4, authorized the secretar; of the interior to sell the remainder of their lands to the Missouri River Railroad Company, at a price not less than two and one half dollars an acre. On the 19th of July a treaty with the
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Cherokees, made with the chiefs at Washington, D. C., secured to the United States the "Neutral Land" in southeastern Kansas ; also a strip about four miles wide running west from the Neosho river, ceded to the Cherokee Nation in 1835, and the rights of way for railroads fronr the north and east through the Cherokee country.
On September 5, the Republican state convention assembled at Topeka. Governor Crawford, Secretary Barker, Auditor Swal- low, Superintendent MeVicar, and Congressman Clarke were all renominated. The ticket was completed by the selection of Maj. Nehemiah Green for lieutenant-governor ; Martin Anderson for treasurer; George H. Hoyt for attorney-general, and Sam- uel A. Kingman for supreme judge. The platform expressed thankfulness for the abolition of slavery; denounced President Johnson's reconstruction policy ; approved the action of congress ; and asked the state legislature to submit to the people of Kansas the question of impartial suffrage.
In the campaign of 1866 the Democrats co-operated with the National Union party. A Democratic convention was called to meet at the Capital on the 12th of September, to nominate a state ticket, but was withdrawn, and the National Union convention met on the 20th. The ticket nominated was as follows: Gover- nor, K. L. McDowell; lieutenant-governor, J. R. McClure ; secre- tary, M. Quigg; auditor, N. S. Goss; treasurer, I. S. Walker; attorney-general, Ross Burns; superintendent of public instruc- tion, Joseph Bond; supreme judge, Nelson Cobb ; member of con- gress, Charles W. Blair. Endorsement was given to the resolu- tions and address of the National Union convention at Philadel- phia and the policy of President Johnson. It was also declared in the platform that every state has the constitutional right to representation in congress ; that the action of congress in refusing to recognize this right to ten states, after they had repealed their ordinances of secession, was revolutionary and not in harmony with the genius of our institutions; that the war had settled the question "that the right of secession is a political heresy," and that "we, in oppostion to the real policy of the Radicals, declare our unalterable determination to oppose negro suffrage in the State of Kansas."
At the election, on the 6th of November, 27,522 votes were cast for governor. Of these Crawford received 19,370 and McDowell, 8,152. The entire Republican ticket was elected by similar major- ities.
On the 12th of September the state university was formally dedicated, Solon O. Thacher delivering the oration. The first
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session of the institution with three professors in the faculty and forty students in attendance, began on the same date. The board of regents at the time of the dedication consisted of ex-Governor Charles Robinson, J. D. Liggett, William A. Starrett, T. C. Sears, J. S. Emery, D. P. Mitchell, S. O. Thacher, C. B. Lines, E. M. Barthlow, G. W. Paddock, Joseph S. Wever and C. K. Holliday. The state normal school building at Emporia, with James Rogers, T. S. Huffaker, C. V. Eskridge, J. W. Roberts, G. C. Morse and J. M. Rankin as a board of directors, was dedicated on New Year's day, 1867.
Several little Indian outbreaks occurred during the spring and summer of 1866. In May a man named August Millott was killed while at work on his farm in the valley of the Solomon river. A few days later six men while hunting on the prairie about fifteen miles west of Lake Sibley, were surrounded by a war party and all were killed. Similar outrages occurred about the same time in Cloud and Republic counties. In August the settle- ment on Lulu creek, a small tributary of the Solomon, were raided, and many people were driven from their homes. On the upper Republican several honses were burned, and the fields were laid waste. These depredations were committed by the Otoes, Pawnees, and Omahas, belonging to the Omaha agency.
The legislature of 1867 with Nehemiah Green as president of the senate and Preston B. Plumb speaker of the house met on the eighth of January. There were passed during the session acts ratifying the Fourteenth amendment to the Federal constitution; issuing one hundred thousand dollars of bonds for the construc- tion of the state house, and a like sum for the penitentiary ; provid- ing for the erection of a deaf and dumb asylum at Olathe; creat- ing a number of new counties; changing the name of Shirley county to that of Cloud, and providing for the payment of the Price raid claims by the state. Three amendments to the consti- tution, one in favor of negro suffrage, one to extend the elective franchise to women, and one to disfranchise certain persons, nota- bly those who had borne arms against the government of the United States, were submitted to the people. Samuel C. Pomeroy was re-elected United States senator for the full term of General Lane.
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