Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1856-09-11
FROM K'ANZAS.
THE FIGHT AT OSSAVVATToMIE.
FULL PARTICULARS.
TWO THOUSAND FREE STATE MEN UNDER ARMS
AT LAWRENCE.
From st. Louis papers of Sept. s and c.
Tbts Nurdar of Mr.. phStIfps

From ST. Louis papers of Sept. and c.
The~ Murder of MIR. Phillips,
We have just seen and conveIsed with Mr.
J. L. Ahernethy, of Rushyille, recently res
ioeht OF Leaven worth, kanzas, who left that
! place on Tuesday last, I'd instant, who brings
not only the latest, but the most exciting in
] teiigehce we have yet received, from. that
{ scene OF disorder and lawlessness. He says
that on Monday last the city election was held
| III Leavenworth. The Free State men, fear.
ing collision and violence, withdrew their
ticket, and took no parrHn the election. The
Buchanan party appointed fifty men to guard
the polls, and exclude all "abolitonlsts. -
There was much rioting ard disturbance dur
ing the whole time. One Free State man,
unaware of the withdrawal of the ticket,
went to the polls, and was shot at four times
by the buchanan men, but escaped without
injury.
| Soon after the affair. sixty five of the Ruff
fans marched to the house of Mr.. Phillips,
the gentleman who was lynched some time
ago for defending MrRea, against whom the
Ruttlans have al ways retained bitter enmity,
and demanded the arms he had in the house,
and that he should surrender himself prl-
soner. He refused, and they at once began
shnng on the house, in which there were no
men but Mr.. Phillips and his brother. Mrs.
nersvllle, in Missouri, was in the house at the
time, and says that the bullets hailed all thro'
the house. She passed through here this
moining. on her way to her fathers. After
firing awhile the Rufiians broke into tine
house. As they were mounting the stairs,
Phillips shot two of them with his revolver,
and was Immediately riddled with bullets
Two balls entered his eyes, and tonr charges
OF buck shot were driven right through his
breast. His brother was wounded in the arm,
and on Tuesday, when Mr.. Abernethy left,
was thought to be dying.
The Rutians, after completing the murder
OF Phillips, tried to fire the town. but were
dlssuaded by some of tie more prudent of
their party. All the Free State men who could
be seen upon the street, were then taken
prisoners Capt. Emery, the same who took
Mr. Houghton of this city, prisoner, as we
related the other day, then had proclama.
ton read on the corners of the streets, warn
ing all Free State men to leave the place by
tuesday morning, as all found after that
would be shot. Mr.. Abernethy and about
seventy five Free State, and moderate Pro-
slavery men, who refused to take arms or APP
prove the acts of the Ruffians, left the place
at once, on the Martha Jewett. They were
taken to Weston, where pant were kept, and
the rest ordered to return. Mr.. A. was of
the portion who returned. They came back
on their way to Leavenw worth on Monday
evening, and reached the place on Tuesday
morning There they were Immediately or
dered away again, and he started on his Jour
ney to this State.
From the St. Louis Democrat
Statement Of Prisoners aoho sosre CAPTURED bv the
Pro-Slaoery Party.
A party of some five or six Illinoisane and
lndianians, who had gone out to Kanzas to
settle, returned to this city on board the Polar
Star, having been captured at the battle of o.
sawatomie by the forces under Gen. Reid and
detained day or two in captivity, were con-
Quoted to Westport, and there placed on board
the steamer to be taken out OF the State to
Missouri and accompanied with the threat
that if they ever yentured back to the terrific
ryof kanzas, and were caught, they should
instantly be hung or shot
Learning Of the arrival of this party, we
had an interview with its men on board The
steamer Baltimore, on which they had taken
passage fer Alton, Illinois. Their several ac
counts agree so perfectly that we have en-
bodied and condensed all their statements
that we might present our readers with
complete aud reliable Larratiye OF The terri.
bic conflict at Ossawatomie.
The town of Ossawatomie was composed of
from thirty to forty houses, and was a thriy-
ing place before the Kanzas difficulties. and
had population of about two hundred. Itis
situated Immediately between the forks of a
branch OF the Usage river and the Pottawa.
tonne river The distracted state of the coun
try had occasloned an almost total desertion
OF the town by the families living in it, and
at the time of the fight it was occupied bv
about fifty armed Free State men and a few
women and children.
AT six o'clock on last Saturday morning.
just after sunrise, pro slavery party of about
four hundred men, under General Reid. made
their appearance before the town, having in
their command piece of artillery, and most
OF them mounted. They had made forced
march OF thirty or forty miles from their
camp on Bull Creek. AS soon as the Free
state men deserted the pro-slavery force,
they put themselves under the command of
: captains Brown and Updegratf, formerly of
Ohio' ana sought shelter in a growth of
underbrush about three hundred Yards dis
tant from the the town. The pro slavery
force maintained their ground at about a half
mile, and commenced firing with their can
non, which was loaded with grape and canis-
ter shot, and slugs. They had an advanta
geons position, and each discharge of the gun
raked the ambush of the Free State force with
fearful effect. One of our infomants states
that ne saw three OF his comrades fall at once ;
still they returned as brisk a fire as they could,
and succeeded in wounding several of their
enemies. Alter some ten or a dozen dis
charges from the artillery. command Of
about eighty of the pro-slavery force dis
mounted from their horses, and having sur
rounded tie place of retreat, made a charge
and completed the entire rout of the Free
State men, several of whom, in attempting 10
cross the stream along which the fight RACED,
were shot in the water, and were either in
stantly killed or so badly wounded as not to
be able to save themselves from death by
drowning.
One of our informants thinks that he saw
the body of Capt. Brown in the water. He
judged it was him by his coat and hat. Sc.
ven OF the Free. State men were captured.
after which the town was set on fire and en-.
tirely destroyed.
In marching back to the camp on Bull
Creek, the prisoners were subjected to very
cruel treatment, and two OF them, the one
named Williams and the other dutch Char
ley, were taken out of the camp and shot
by their Infatuated enemies. The latter was
a Hungarian who had fought under Kos
suth, and since his removal to this country.
had lived in Kanzas, and taken very active
part with the Free. State party. He was pres.
ent at the battle of Black Jack, and after the
capture Of the Pro. Slavery party wac an
pointed to guard the prisoners, one of whom
was man named Coleman. This Coleman
was at the battle Of Ossawatomie, and after
the capture Of the Free. State men, recogniz-
ed "Dutch Charley" lie demanded that
"Dutch Charley" be delivered 40 10 him.
| and taking him ont shot him dend