2020 Winter Spring Newsletter

LOCAL PRE-CIVIL WAR BATTLES The civil war started April 12, 1861, but there were a number of local battles fought in Kansas between proslavery and anti-slavery forces. This was referred to as “Bleeding Kansas”. It lasted from 1854 – 1861. Approximately 50 people died and many were injured. The two factions also destroyed much personal prop erty. On November 21, 1855, an abolitionist (freestater) named Charles Dow was killed by a proslavery settler. This was the beginning of the WAKARUSA WAR . The antislavery citizens started to rally and were plotting their revenge. Douglas county sheriff Samuel Jones who was a southern sympathizer put together a group of Missouri ruffians and went to Lawrence and created a blockade of the city. John Brown heard what was go ing on and he gathered a group of antislavery men and headed to Lawrence to defend it, this one act made John Brown turn to action instead of words. The battle ended on December8, 1855. On May 21, 1856, the SACKING OF LAWRENCE began. At this time the Kansas Territory had a proslav ery territorial legislature that President Franklin Pierce said was legitimate and anyone opposing it would be committing and act of treason. At this time John Brown was hoping for increased hostilities so that he could re taliate. The U.S. District Court of Lykins (Miami) Coun ty, issued an indictment of John Brown and his sons for disagreeing with the laws of proslavery government. This did not set well with John Brown, but he took no immediate action. The local antislavery newspapers spoke out against the proslavery leaders. A proslav ery grand jury stated that the newspapers needed to

At this same time, back in Washington, a Massa chusetts abolitionist senator, Charles Sumner, was at tacked on the floor of the U.S. Senate by proslavery Representative Preston Brooks of South Carolina. He was injured so severely that it took him 3 years to re cover. When John Brown heard about this frustrations arose. He was camped along Middle Ottawa Creek and he told his men to prepare for a fight. His sons tried to talk him out of it, but to no avail. He planned on revenge on all proslavery sympathizers. On May 24, 1856, the POTTAWATOMIE MASSACRE BEGAN. This battle was a direct result of the attack on Lawrence and the caning of Senator Sumner. John Brown, his five sons, a son in law, and two friends wait ed until the evening of the 24th for their attack. Their first stop was the cabin of James Doyle. They killed James and two of his sons. His 16 year old son was spared. They next went to Allen Wilkinson’s home and killed him. They crossed the creek at Dutch Henry’s Crossing. Brown met William Sherman and suspected that he was a proslavery individual and he killed him. These five settlers were all killed near Pottawatomie Creek in Franklin county. Northern and southern news papers all condemned these actions and Florella Adair, Brown’s own sister was very upset that her brother did this. Henry Pate led a group of proslavery forces to go after John Brown when they heard of these killings. Brown’s men escaped into the woods except for John Brown Jr. and his brother Jason who were taken prison er. The Brown’s cabin was burned. On June 2, 1856, the BATTLE OF BLACK JACK oc curred. John Brown gathered up 29 men to attack Hen ry Pate and his men at their camp at Black Jack, near Baldwin city. Neither man knew how big the other’s forces were. The battle was pretty much of a draw with no progress either way. Pate ask for a ceasefire be cause he thought he was out manned, but Brown de manded unconditional surrender—the battle went on. A few of Pate’s men began to escape and Brown sent some men after them. Pate thought these men were reinforcements. He felt outnumbered and decided to surrender. John Brown agreed to trade the captured men for his sons. The battle actually lasted only three hours. In Douglas County, Lawrence was the main antislavery stronghold. FRANKLIN, FORT SAUNDERS and FORT TI TUS were three small proslavery settlements near Law rence. These three settlements were in the gunsights of the abolitionists. John Brown attacked Franklin on

be shut down. Sheriff Samuel Jones with 800 men attacked and shut down the newspapers. Other businesses were destroyed as well. As he was traveling to Law rence, John Brown heard of the attacked and was irritated when he found out that no freestaters tried to defend the city. He called them cowards.

Vincent Thorpe

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