New-York daily tribune., 1856-09-03
CONFESSIONS OF A BORDER Rgps,,.

delivered at Kansas Aid meeting held in th.t ,,,
Friday evening by Mr.. Selden G. WLiams for,o..,-
Of Meriden, Ct. The Connecticut pspsrs indo,..
Mr.. Williams a reputable and reliable ma, ;.
would seem, according to Mr. Williams's aocoun, a..
Bufords not only rufians and murderen h.,
also partske somewhat Of the character Of canna.L
Cr1zyss OF HARTFORD: Tso years sgoI w.h,.
and well Known to the Hartford people. Snoeg g,,t
have passed my life, par OF the time IN A sbanA 80
psrt of the time in karsas. shall deliver 10 ycy1
eyernp, not political barargue, but pain ssA
mett of facts which came under nv OuH ooserya.s,
and part Of my own sad experience.
In Jsnusry last Col Buford OF Alabama vhsr,I
then resided, offered for sale at auction 50 negr,
slaves the proceeds Of which were to De given 10 ay
the expenses of yourg men, unmarried, who woon
emi gIste with bim to ksnsas. The inducements he'd
out 10 the emigrsn,s were 100 acres of GOyenuett
lard which the Coonel should pu' each man mo rs-
session OF. When the land.twere brought into make
they TO be sod, and bali the pro- eeds .koqd
be retained by the Colonel the other hslf 20 acresof
the lard, should be the properly Of the emigrv.
Ipon these conditions enlisted. the third upon his liz
We Jeff New Orleats TO stem the s~ifl-roiiing
Father of " aters for ksnsas, 305 men 10 all Moth
ing happened on the way worthy Of note uo,i we
rived at Lexington. Mo, which We dld UPON the SAB
bath day. As We came up 70 the "hai toe cacrcs
hells were rfrgng ard services had commenced
Jpon our arrival ministers stopped IN their services
churches were closed, and we're escorted bya large
processon ard fine band Of music 10 one CT the
cburchfe. which hau DttD rrpptntu ioI ur' WneYe
h.tened to-what shall cal them Speeches Ora
tons7 III call them errnOnss kind Of Bsrder Ruf.
fan sermons They were to encourage Us to do sl In
our DO ser to make X ansas Slave state; ald sher
onr sermons from these ministers of the Gospel o
Christ Buford declared for u. with tears in his eyes.
that we would make Kansas n : ave State. by cord.
If we could-if rot il should be done by arms,
Returning to the boat, we went on TIL We came 10
Kansas City Here we were marched 10 small hotel
which could accommodate but about on third Of
There was large Free State hotel in the city, but
were forbid entering il. Thus We STAYED for three
nights takrg turn Of sleeping IN bed and IN the
open air. The weather was very wet; Il ralned a.
most eyery halt day On the morning of the fourth
DAY we marched TO Westpor four miles. Here there
were no hotel accommodations for US, and we were
told that cloth would be furnished to those who m gl
not use TIE canopy of heaven fCrs covering. Cheap
cotton furnished After TWO or three days
the tents were made.
In afew days Bu'ord provided carts and Oxen to
trar port provisions and baggage. lie would a.
low trunks to he taken wb.ch lnc9nyenleIced pat
very few of us we had but little clothing 10 carry
was used to driving cattle IN my native tosa OF her-
iden and TIE fact that was a good teamster being
krown, was appointed boss teamster. l. was a hlgt
Office and filed ii well
And thus coming from the warm climate OF the
South into the cod winds OF the North, we suffered
much ~ We drove eight miles from Wetport, Were
we were called TO halt Here our train was divided
into several parties and to proceed separately
10 our lands, some to Topeka, some TO Leoomps,n,
ard some to other places. Ny company were bound &c
Lec,upton. We shock bands with each other a.
partr brothers sadly, for as brothers we were and
as united the Fremont clubs are united now.
lCbeeer.
| continued with my company some of whom we
bur ed by the way, they having died from the hardships
they endured through rain and s-et fordlog creeks
snd waoiDg through prairie mud for ten tedious days,
when we arrived al Lecompon, and 10! here found
two of the other companies, who, having started for
other poiuts, had been conducted to Lecomptou BY
their leaders. Before nigh another company arrived;
and aIoter; and another until We were all together
again, at Lecompton!
When We were about mile west of Lawrence, one
day, on way to Lecompton was mile or two
ahead of ny company. looking for sats9le place to
pitch our tents wnen met three hooking
gentlemen, and WAS asked by one of them where
csue from. l told him, None of bis business"
Where was goiDg7' ! tolc him, 4" Where had
mind to-" IL altered the matter with me, however,
when he told me that he was a Deputy United S,aes
Marshal, and his name Donaldson. Alter receiving
my apologies he told me that be was on his wsy to
Lawrence to arrest Messrs. Reeder and Robnsoo and
wantir help lad spoken to me in the manner he had
told him there was a company behind of fifty Of Ba.
fords who would soon be along, and he could use
them. Upon their arrival, We were ordered to pi!ch
tents and lie upon our arms oil night after station
ing sentipes around the camp and await further or
ders. All through the night We watched, bat heard
no hing of Donaldson At daybreak We iesu ned our
march, and went on to Lecompton, where arrived
before stated. saw Donaldson there, and ssked
him where RObinson was. Oh, he said, he went 10
Lawrerce after Robinson. and told him that he had q
warrant for bis arrest, and was told by Robinson,
Take if you ddrel" As he did not dare, he left
bin until he could get men enough TO take hin away
from the Free State men, and keep him after be had
got bin.
Alter waiting some time to see what dsp postOo WAS
to be made Of us, Major Buford one day, SAID 10 ~
that if We would stay where were he would feed
us until Winter. This wac hailed with an ontbrrst Of
ciscontent from tte party, aId took vote 10
wi at portion of us would ac.ept the term. The
ioity voted to stay. ! temurred. l had come to
kaprss With honest intentions, expecting TO till the
mother earth for subsistence, expectI TO locate my
by your own fIesides. / wanted to work, a. had
rot worked for long time. The money we b hsd all
intusted to Col. Buford, he h.d lost by gambling
and sent abroad the story which you q, the Ess. viii
still r. member, that be had been robbed OF it,
Marshal Donaldson sum noDed IA all to Lawrence to
fight the FreeState men. " nat could do l was
without money. was called upon by the suthortyof
the United States. When heard the summons il fell
like ice upon my heart. Could 20 there and fight
against the Freemen Of Connecticut, Massachusetts
aid the Otter Fee States! If dill, for uhdt did
fight them For beng honest industrious men; men
who had Infused new life into the Kansas wds; built
hotes set up trade shops and mechanics benches and
tiled the coil of Kansas by the labor of the Free
couldn't do it. l asked two or three of the men who
had come from Columbus, Alabama if they eould go
and light those innocent men, They said no, Wei
get away. But tow l would see to that myself.
They agreed to make the attempt uIdr my leadership.
Accordingly that night went 10 q Pro Slavery owner
Of the sDy boat in the vicinity and made pr etense that
wrfed to set trout-liDe in the river aud wished
be would keep quiet about it as some OF the men might
know Of il ana take the fsh caught. To this he
agreed with the proviso that st oud bring il back 10
houI two, he wanted TO ferry soms one scross
the river every little while II be wanted /. he would
blow bis horn, and must immediat y return wit, the
craft. / promised him that he might bow biz horn.
and rken 1 heard n, be might look fJr me directly
We smugged provisions from the ercampment on
board our boat and started down the sire an pulling
through the darkness for dear life.