The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1855-12-22

CITY, we have been shown private letteF from
City, under date OF December o
giving the following startling intelligence;
"1he people Of Leavehworth are greatly eX-
cited Bands of Missourians from the border
counties known here as 'ruffians, have come
over into Kansas and are threatening Lawrance
with destruction. A company of some fifty,
headed by man called Easton, editor OF the
Herald of this city, all drunk, and majority
of them border Mssourians, started from here
and marched off for the seat of war; as our
sister city is now called.
"The OF isin Of the grave calamity which now
threatens to stirup strife was as follows: A
private difficulty arose between two individuals 1
about the rights Of both to claim. The up
shot of the matter was one of the two got kill
ed. A false rumor from this circumstance,
reached the cars of the Governor that the
Sheriff was resisted in executing the laws At
this time no writ had been issued and no COM !
plant made by which to arrest any person
supposed to have been guilty of violating the
law.
"Those who bore the report to the ears ofthe
Governor, however, knew their man; and as
he had clustered great deal at the hustlingS
and on the stump that he would enforce the
laws, and so on, he seized the occasion; on the
| faith of a flying and partisan report, without
| making inquiry as prudent man should have
done, to learn how the difficulty was, foolishly
| and hurriedly to order out the militia OF the
Territory and to publish terrible proclama-
ton. calling upon law and-order mem to aid
in enforcing the law This proclamation of
the Governor did the work it was intended to
do by those who were instrumental IN having
him issuei it. 1t was intended as cover for
an attack long since mediated on Lawrence by
the fire-eaters. 1t has swept the scum oil
the border counties of Missouri over into our
Territory, yowing death to every man in Law
renee.
"GeneralIy Richardson, wel-disposed man
and of some prominence in our Territory since
the excitement, has been to Lawrence and had
a talk with her people He reports that they
declared that they were always and are now
ready to deliver up to the authorities any one
of their number for whom those authorities had
a writ: but refused, as sensible men would, to
suffer one Of their number to be arrested by
an irresponsible mob.
at is perfectly understood here that Gov
lernor Sbanon's proclamation and buster were
INTENDED to play into the hands of Atchison,
lStringfellow and gang. Volunteer compan es
were raised in the border counties of Missouri
: with wonderful alacrity, Immediately upon its
f PRONUNCIATION. 1t is said there are now en-
camped near Lawrence from one or two thous-
and armed men, and other companies are hurry
ing out to join them. Most of them are resi-
/. dent Missourians, and Atchlson and String
: fellow are out urging an attack.
! "Ihe Lawrence men staad hTm and will
not yield till they are forced. They have nice
lv calculated their strength, and they hold to
r the belief that it willtake three thousand men
TO take Lawrence and even then with the loss
j of much blood. The Lawrence men are in
: trenched, have experienced commanders, and
lare well armed to man. They are calmly
and resolutely awaiting an attack. Colonel
Lane, has sent dispatch requesting aid from
this city; he sa} a fight is inevitable. Colonel
Summers, commandant at the fort is awaiting
orders from Washington. Richardson, COM
mander Of the militia, has been striving to
bring about an amicable settlement, but
: Stringfellow, Easton and gang say no. Al
$ though the Lawrence men have shown a dis
position to do what is right, it seems that they
must fight, or take the alternative of being
mastered Lawrence has at this time eight
hundred men under muster; their weapons Of
defense are SEarp's rifles and revolvers. 1t is
said that the MissouriaI have five pieces OF
cannon in addition to their small arms.
''Fhese cannon were got by them in the fol-
e lowing manner: About one hundred of them
broke into the arsenal at Liberty, Clay County
Missouri, secured the man in charge by tying
;, him, took the cannon, shells, &C., on hand, and
0 marched off to Lawrence. Colonel Summers
has sent force to recover the arms stolen,
and to protect arsenal from further plumber.
Atchison it is said, encamped with some twen-
I ty-five men, about fifteen miles from Lawrence
waiting for reinforcements. There is report
afoat that Shannon is much agitated, and is
trying to advise the Missourians to go home,
: having at last convinced himself that this is
r the only Wav to avoid a COLLISION He il oh
q liged, however, to advise with Atchison and
Stringfellow, and they, | believe, require the
Lawrence men to surrender this arms. This
they consider as equivocal to laying down
5 their lives. and ofcourse they will not con-
lSent. Negotiation and compromise thus far
5 have been fruitless. 1t is thought that the
isis in Kansas affars has come at last; the fight
1 is expected to begin to-day or tomorrow, and if
: $50, it must be a bloody one, for the Lawrence
4 men will fight with no expectation of quarter:
II is thought by the Free State men here that
J the Missourians viii attack this city, whether
; successful or not at Lawrence. They have
: vowed the destruction of the Register press,
5 and may throw it into the river, as they
: did the Parkville Lnminary.
} Possibly Colonel Summers, endeavoring to
retake the arms stolen from the arsenal, may
; bring about a collision between the United
States troops and the border ruffians
y "In the present condition ofthe public mind
} trife may turn the strife into quite different
, channel from that anticipated by those who
} originated it. To give you an idea of the
excitement in this place need only state that
J the business is entirely suspended, and groups
ofmen are in the streets talking of the war, as
lifa terrible calmity was impending, which
cannot be ayerted.''