2020 Winter Spring Newsletter

June 4, 1856. He seized some weapons and ammunition. A man named Major Hoyt was a resident of Lawrence and he tried to calm things down by going to Fort Saunders on August 11th to reach a peace agreement. Upon leaving to go back to Lawrence, he was shot and killed by proslav ery forces. In response to the killing of Major Hoyt, the freestaters attacked Franklin again on August 12th and killed six proslavery settlers. James Lane was a freestate politician, but not an abolitionist. He was as mad as John Brown about the killing of Major Hoyt and he attacked Fort Saunderson August 15th where the proslavery set tlers surrendered and the fort was burned. On August 16th, 1856 Fort Titus was attacked by the abolitionists in retaliation for the proslavery attack on the house of a man named Judge John Wakefield. This occurred just outside of Lawrence near Lecompton which was the capital of the proslavery legislature. This fort was also burned. On August 30, 1856 the BATTLE OF OSAWATOMIE took place. A proslavery Baptist minister named Martin White led a scout team ahead of hundreds of proslavery Mis sourians. He saw John Brown’s son and immediately shot and killed him. When John Brown heard what happened, he got his forces together and headed for Osawatomie. As the battle went on and Brown’s men ran out of am

munition, he ordered them to retreat in different directions so as to draw the invaders away from Osawatomie. Since the invaders could not catch all of Brown’s men, they returned to Osawatomie and burned the town. Five antislavery settlers were killed and several others were taken prisoner. Brown left Kansas to raise money for his abolition ist cause, but returned later in 1858. The MARAIS des CYGNES MASSACRE took place on May 19, 1858. Thirty proslavery men led by Charles Hamilton rode in from Missouri and at tacked the village of Trading Post in Lynn, County. They captured eleven free state men and marched them to a ravine and Hamilton ordered those shot. Five were killed, five were injured, and one man es caped. Word of the massacre spread and a group of men rode into Missouri to find Hamilton’s gang, but they were unsuccessful. John Brown returned to Kansas a month after the Marais des Cygne mas sacre. He built a small fort at this site. Vincent Thorpe Source was---Kansas State Historical Society

Douglas County Black Jack Highway Park | Douglas County Kansas These battle sites are within a hours drive from Miami County. A day trip could be planned with a stop at Battle of Black Jack east of Bauldwin City then continue on to Lawrence for a self guided tour of Quantrell’s raid. Another trip to the south into Linn county is the Battle of Mine Creek Kansas State Historic Site & Visitor Center. It’s located on K-52 highway East of Mound City.

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