Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1856-11-14

Women flee from their beds in their
nipht-cothes, with children under
their arms The sick crawl as best
they can into the woods--the mur-
dered Powers was one Of them.
They then visit my claim, half a
mile from the town, rob ind burn
my house, including a piano-forie
worth four hundred dollars. They
had burned my office, cut open my
iron safe and robbed 1t Of all It's con-
tents OF plate, money and papers.
hey take off my horse, wagon, and
harness, after burning my three out
houses. They kldnap my eldest
son, and bear him of to Missouri,
where they (or many weeks deiain
him.
Terror-slrickcn, the people fee
from the country Cut off from sup
plies 10y the borderers sworn to ac-
compltsh our destruction. we have
been compelled TO get out Of the
territory where no protection Of life
or property is enjoyed, to the protec-
ton OF the States. We are robbed
Of our all aud more. we are hunted
as the roe upon the mountain.
We are to-day thrown upon the
cold charity Of the world, ruined.
Ours is far from being a solitary
case we personally know Of hum
dreds who have been similarly out
ragged. Over so families have had
10 flee from the Osoawattomie section,
impoyishcd, robbed, houses burned,
aud ultcrh ruined.
To you ,our Excellency, look
for redress have the best reason
TO believe aul our town was destroy
ed under your authority. Gen. Reid
came INTO the Territory, as | am
compelled to believe, under the call
of Secretary Woodson, as Kansas
militia. If not, why is the burning
Of a town, the murder of quiet and
unohendlng citizens, Imprisonment
of its mail contractors, the detention
of the mail over two weeks, aud
finally the robbery of the office of
over lO0 letters, monies, &c, and
the destruction Of the office, ignored
by you
Again, Gov Geary, in his letter
TO Secretary Marcy, dated Lecomp-
ton, October 10Th, says -" For
two weeks no outrage has been au-
lhentically reported" Allow me,
however, 10 Inform your Excellency
that during the weeks mentioned by
Gov. Geay an outrage was commit
ted at Ossawattomle, in the burning
of twelve buildings that remained OF
that i'll fated town, including the
steam mill a store Just opened, and
the Post Office. Allow me to in
torn your hXcellency tnat have
satisfactory evidence TO cause me to
believe that Governor Geary was in
formed Of the fact, and protection
was asked for the suffering people
then-but refused, as it had ever
been before The writer left Kansas,
Sept 80 uIt Thus the Governor
ignores the wrongs done to Free
state settlers in Kansas.
But lest ! weary your ExcelIency
with my complaining, | will close by
asking if there is to be no protection
for the Free Stale settlers in Kan
sas 7 VIII your Excellency still see
US threatened, robbed, driven out,
and murdered, and lend no listening
ear, afford no protection? Has
liberty become crime, that her
sons must be hunted, prosecuted,
burned and murdered IN this fair
land OF boasied freedom and equal.
ty, and that, under the cognIzance
Of government? am not a politician.
The oulragcs suffered by my self,
and friends, force me thus TO resort
to him who IS sworn To support the
Cons ltuiion Of these United States. /.
Referring your Excellency for evi-
dence Of my credlbllty and moral
standing to Hon, J. A. Spencer,
Hon. o. b. Matterson, Willard
Crafts. Esq, Of Utica; c. P. Kirk
land, Esq, and A. !. Bleecher, Esq, (
of New York city; Hon. John
Wentworth and Judge Wilson, of
Chicago aud VIM. Spencer, Urlted
States Surveyor, Newark, Ohio; |
beg leave to subscribe myself your
Exccllcncy's very obedient servant, (
O. c. BROWN,
OF Ossawaltomie, Kansas Territory. /
Utica, N. Y, Oct. %, 1856.