A council of war was held in Lawrence to decide what should be done in this emergency. Marcus J. Parrott, F. G. Adams, H. Miles Moore, and many other refugees in Lawrence, urged that the Free-State men march to Leavenworth. It was decided in the council to cross the Kansas River from Lawrence with the Free-State forces and march on Leavenworth City. Before the council adjourned, Old John Brown rode into Lawrence. He was heralded as, a deliverer and met with shouts. The majority of the Free-State men immediately elected him their commander and proposed to march at once on Leavenworth. Brown declined, saying that he could not supersede Colonel Harvey.

JAMES H. LANE AT ME BATTLE OF HICKORY POINT

[From Copy by Willard of Painting by S. J. Reader in Library of Kansas State Historical Society]

The next week Colonel Harvey, with Captain Hull of Jefferson County, and Captain Wright of Leavenworth County, began offensive operations north of the Kansas River. At Slough Creek, near the present town of Oskaloosa, on the 11th of September, they attacked a Border-Ruffian force and captured it. This was two days after the

arrival of Governor Geary. As soon as Geary arrived lie had a consultation with Lane and requested him to leave the Territory until he (Geary) could see what might be done in restoring order. Lane notified Colonel Harvey that it might be well to return to Lawrence, which he did, arriving there on the 12th of September. General Lane, in accordance with his agreement with Governor Geary, left Lawrence. On the 11th he was at Ozawkie in command of some thirty men. There he was informed that the Border-Ruffians had burned the town of Grasshopper Falls and were still ravaging the country. The settlers urged him to do something in their behalf. He sent to Topeka for help. In response to this call Captain Whipple, as Aaron D. Stevens was then known, joined him on the morning of the 13th, with about fifty men. Lane immediately marched to Hickory Point, where the enemy was found so strongly fortified that it was impossible to make a successful attack without cannon. He dispatched a messenger to Lawrence asking further reinforcements and Bickerton's cannon. The messenger came in just as Colonel Harvey returned from Slough Creek. With such men as were still able to march, Colonel Harvey started across the country to Hickory Point and arrived there on the forenoon of Sunday, September 14th. General Lane did not wait the arrival of Colonel Harvey, who, upon his arrival at Hickory Point, opened fire on the BorderRuffians. The battle lasted several hours and the Pro-Slavery force surrendered. The losses were., Border-Ruffians, one killed, four wounded; Free-State, five wounded. The Ruffians were released on parole and the Free-State men started on their return to Lawrence.

That Lane left the Territory at the request of Governor Geary there is little doubt. F. B. Sanborn, the friend of Kansas for more than half a century, has often so told this author,

Lane could trust Kansas in the hands of Governor Geary, as he believed. The campaign of August and the early part of September had been a brilliant one. Lane had kept Kansas in the eyes of the Nation. He had done an immense service to the young Republican party. Kansas very nearly swept Fremont into the Presidency. And it was due to the efforts of Lane in Kansas, largely, that the party made so formidable an antagonist for the old entrenched Pro-Slavery Democracy.

If Governor Geary would take up the campaign against the Missouri invaders and complete the work so well begun, Lane could well permit him to do so. He left the Territory, and Geary proceeded to deal with the BorderRuffians through the military arm of his power.

This agreement with Geary also included John Brown, who did leave the Territory a little later and spent the winter laboring with Legislatures and the people to raise money to continue his fight against slavery.

That the Missourians recognized the efficiency of Lane's campaign is shown by the appeal which they issued:

From the People of Kansas Territory to the People of the Union.

We have received from Kansas City a printed paper intended as an appeal to the People of the United States in relation to Kansas affairs. It is quite long, and takes a general view of events as they have transpired in relation to that Territory since the passage of the bill of its organization. It is not necessary for us to transfer this portion of the Appeal to our columns, and we content ourselves with giving the last half of it.

To all this we submitted, under the promise that the laws should be enforced, our lives and property protected.

What has been the result? The House of Representatives proceeds with its efforts to disorganize our governmentto set aside all our lawsto bring anarchy upon us.

The army falsely represented as our protection, is required to be disbanded, unless we are deprived of the protection of the law!!

Mass meetings are held in. every non-slave-holding State to contribute aid to the rebels and assassins in our midst. National Conventions assembled to devise means for raising an army to destroy us. Lane - a traitor - a fugitive from justice, is permitted openly to traverse one-half of our States, enlisting an army to exterminate us. Not an effort is made to arrest him.

While the enlistment of a handful of aliens to fight against a foreign power calls forth all the energy of our government-the zeal and activity of every officer from President to city Marshal to check it - is deemed, unatoned for, fit cause to hazard a war with the mightiest power on earth. An army is raised openly and boldly - is marched thousands of miles through States and Territories, under the command of a fugitive traitor, to invade our soil, subvert our government, exterminate our citizens, without an effort to stay its progress-without a word of disapproval.

Troops are enlisted from Boston to Cairo; the army is organized and equipped at Chicago - is marched through Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska into Kansas, and through the heart of our Territory-its progres[sic] is noted and heralded - its leader stops by the way to proclaim the war of extermination he intends to wage against us - to gather, with the promise of spoils, recruits to his forces. The whole government is paralyzed. The Federal, the State, the Territorial governments, all alike dare not meet the invader. One branch of the government alone is awake - the House of Representatives is active in removing obstacles from its path.

Lane with his army, enters our territory. His confederates in our midst, heretofore confining themselves to the assassination of individuals, the pillage, the burning of isolated dwellings, emboldened by his approach, begin to embody; they strip the country of horses to mount the invading army, and chronicle its arrival by sweeping from before them every law abiding citizen in the counties of Lykins, Franklin and Douglas. They drive a whole settlement of unarmed citizens from the county of Lykins, burning their houses and destroying their property - thence they go to attack the dwelling of Col. Titus, batter it with cannon until he and those who had gone to his defence, are forced to surrender, when they are taken prisoners, his dwellings plundered and burned. They march thence to the very limits of our capital, and this as they avow, was only saved by the storm of rain that rendered their fire-arms useless.

All this is done under the very eyes of the troops of the United States. And no attempt is made to arrest them.

When Governor Shannon, hoping that they would not harm him, who had twice saved them from merited punishment; who had, however, unwittingly, so effectually protected them, ventures to Lawrence, which he had saved for them, and calls on them to release the prisoners they had taken, his life is threatened - he is told that they do not recognize him as Governor - that they are a portion of the "army of the North," - are at war with the government, and hold their prisoners as prisoners of war. They demand and compel him to exchange the gallant Titus and his fellow prisoners for felons in custody, under arrest for arson and robbery. They have now become so bold that they make no secret of their intentions. They claim to be a portion of an army called by them "the army of the North," and to be waging a war of extermination against every man who is not an Abolitionist.

Governor Shannon dared not await the arrival of his successor, but abandons his post and leaves us without a Governor.

We have asked the appointment of a successor, who was acquainted with our condition; who. a citizen of the Territory, identified with its interests, familiar with its history, would not be prejudiced or misled by the falsehoods which have been so systematically fabricated against usone who, heretofore a resident as he is a native of a nonslaveholding State, is yet not a slaveholder, but has the capacity to appreciate and the boldness and integrity requisite faithfully to discharge his duty regardless of the possible effect it might have upon the election of some petty politician in a distant State.

In his stead we have one appointed who is ignorant of our condition, a stranger to our people; who we have too much cause to fear will, if no worse, prove no more efficient to protect us than his predecessors.

With then a government which has proved imbecile - has failed to enforce the laws for our protection - with an army of lawless banditti overrunning our country - what shall we do?

Though we have full confidence of the integrity and fidelity of Mr. Woodson, now acting as Governor, we know not at what moment his authority will be superseded. We cannot await the convenience in coming of our newly appointed Governor. We cannot hazard a second edition of imbecility or corruption.

We must act at once and effectively. These traitors, assassins and robbers must be punished; must now be taught a lesson they will remember.

We Wage no war upon men for their opinions; have never attempted to exclude any from settling among us; we have demanded only that all should alike submit to the law. To all such we will afford protection, whatever be their political opinions. But Lane's army and its allies must be expelled from the Territory. Thus alon[sic] can we make safe our persons and property - thus alone can we bring peace to our Territory.

To do this we will need assistance Our citizens unorganized, many of them unarmed, for they came not as soldiers - though able heretofore to assemble a force sufficient to compel the obedience of the rebels, now that they have been strengthened by this invading army, thoroughly drilled, perfectly equipped, mounted and ready to march at a moment's notice to attack our defenceless settlements - may be overpowered. Should we be able even to vanquish this additional force, we are threatened with a further invasion of like character through Iowa and Nebraska.

This is no mere local quarrel; no mere riot; but it is War! a war waged by an army! a war professedly for our extermination. It is no mere resistance to the laws; no simply rebellion of our citizens, but a war of invasion - the army, a foreign army - properly named the "Army of the North."

It is then not only the right but the duty of all good citizens of Missouri and every other State to come to our assistance, and enable us to expel these invaders.

Mr. Woodson, since the resignation of Governor Shannon, in the absence of Governor Geary, has fearlessly met the responsibilities of the trust forced upon him, has proclaimed the existence of the rebellion, and called on the militia of the Territory to assemble for its suppression.

We call on you to come; to furnish us assistance in men, provisions and munitions, that we may drive out this "Army of the North," who would subvert our government and expel us from our homes.

Our people though poor, many of them stripped of their all, others harassed by these fiends so that they have been unable to provide for their families, are yet true men; will stand with you shoulder to shoulder in defense of rights, or principles in which you have a common if not deeper interest than they.

By the issue of this struggle is to be decided whether law or lawlessness shall reign in our country. If we are vanquished, you too will be victims.

Let not our appeal be in vain.

D. R. ATCHISON.
B. F. TREADWELL.
Jos. C. ANDERSON.
R. G. COOK.
T. H. ROSSER.
Wm. H. TEBBS.
WM. J. PRESTON.
S. F. JONES.
A. A. PRESTON.
J. H. STRINGFELLOW.
P. T. ABELL.

AUGUST 26, 1856.

We, citizens of Missouri, urge our fellow citizens and the citizens of other States to respond to the above call of the citizens of Kansas.

A. W. DONIPHAN.
OLIVER ANDERSON.
HENRY L. ROUTT.
A. G. BOONE.
JESSE MORIN.
JNO. W. REID.
B. F. STRINGFELLOW.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
VOLUME 1 & 2
BIOGRAPHIES — VOLUMES 3, 4, & 5
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z

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