Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1856-06-14
EYE WITNESSES OF THE CARNAGE IN
TAWRFNCEt

EYE WITNESSES OF THE CARNAGE IN
LAWRENCE!
| The following accounts of the sacking Of Law
renee, by eye witnesses, fully corrobOrate what
has already been published on the subject. The
first letter is from the Dubuque Tribune-the
second from the Chicago Tribune -
ST. Louis, May Goth, 1856.
| DEAR HARVEY II know you will be anxious
to hear from this child since we have had a war
in Kansas, and l would be glad to give you the
particulars, but have not the time. 1t is now
near midnight and l have just arrived and have
got several letters to write before morning. So
here goes.
| i was in Lawrence and witnessed the whole
| affair, in fact | one of the Committee of
safety for the city, and bore dispatches to the
United States Marshal and Gov. Shannon, who,
by the way are accomplished liars, and their posse
would have been cut into mince meat if they had
not visited Lawrence under the sham of law
Well, they came, and they said they had fifteen
number. | was the first man in Lawrence that
the Marshal put under guard, and set the rest of
his posse to break open my house and rob me of
five hundred dollars--(all r:ght.) Col. c. w.
Toplin was the next secured and robbed.
We were the only men in Lawrence that could
lead the boys in fight and they knew it. They
then marched into the city, demanded the arms,
and FIVE minutes given to surrender. Two
hours were asked for by Gen. Pomery, who finally
gave up the cannon to his life, and he hoped,
to save the hotel. No rifles were given up. The
| ,oL hntn oil ola and hn
landlord refused to clear it, for the time given
WAS not sufficient to take up the carpet, but |
will not delay. They placed the cannon opposite
the hotel and fred at it. The first shot went
over the house, and the second just hit the top Of
the building, and they within one hundred
feet of the building-so much for their smart
engneering-thoy could do nothing with their
cannon, SO they set fire to it and burned it down.
They set some six fires in the city, but they were
all put out except the hotel. They threw the
two printing pr into the river, drove the wo-
men and children out of the city, and broke open
the houses and robbed tham--and all this was
done according to law the officers declared the
Grand jury had found IA true bill against these
places and presses and nuisances, and ordered
them destroyed. Missouri we'll represented.
But this is only the beginning of the en- |. The
pro-slavery men in Missouri declare they will
drive the Free State men out of Kansas at all
hazards, and they have got hard job to perform.
You will wonder why the Free State men did not
fight. assure you they wanted to pitch in, but
there several reasons why they should not
do so at that time; but will not explain here,
for shall see you before long and give you par
tcul ,rs.
| am on my way East now, and want YOU to
| look about little and write me immediately, and
let me know if can purchase five hundred horses,
and whether saddles can he bought cheaper East
| than in Iowa for them.
Say, how your people feel and what they will
do. These are times that try mems souls civil
war is at the door, for the Free State men will
never be driven out. They can die, and aciH do
ii or be free. But | must close. Direct to nv
old home.
Hastily, Yours,
The following has the true grit in it -
LAWRENCE, X. T., May 10.
My DEAR MOTHER IL have just come down
from Topeka. We came through Lecompton and
met the ''Law and Order' men on the way. We
asked them what their plan was and they an
swered they were going down far as Lawrence
tonight and should attack the town the next
morning They have about 400 men, as nearly
as coull judge. They stop all the people on the
road and take away their arms and money and
usually keep them prisoners Or murder them out
right. We escaped detection by being on the
mail stage. When we arrived here, we learned
that Il man had just been disarmed by them and
! shot. at this moment Il man came in with the
news of n new murder about two miles from
town. All is excitement here, and Cod only
| knows how many of us may live to see another
In,-
and we are expecting orders to march every mo
ment. There are at least 400 men here now, and
at Topeka 2JO more. We could WIPE THEM OUT
IT our commanders would only allow it. Gen.
PomrOy is in Command at present. 1t is my hope
we may be unclaimed soon, for you can conceive
of nothing half calling as to be cooped up here
! and friends shot down one by one as fast
as the cowardly assassins can pick them off. We
are in very tolerable fighting order, and it vexes
me past all endurance that are not permitted
to send the devils bowling home tonight.
p. S.-TOPEKA, May %. All is over. Law
renee is in ruins. We are not allowed to defend
the doomed city. Sheriff Jones, very suddenly
and suspciously convalescent, produced writs
from the u. S. District Court ordering the de-
struction of the Free State Hotel and the printing
Offices, and we--were ordered to let them do it,
My bosom burns with Indignation at the scenes
enacted at Lawrence. 1t was not q case for for
| bearance.
HONOR TO THE CITY OF LAWRENCE!
Honor TO the brave men who for two long
and weary years withstood the united and con-
centraed attacks of the myrlnidons of Slavery {!
Though beaten down at last by numbers, and
compelled to retreat, they did it with their face
to the foe, and now and in after years, they
will live enbalmed in memory like the heroes
of Marathon. The very cinders and ashes of
| their venerated homes, made desolate by the