The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1856-11-12
Kansas.

We published yesterday letter from Mr..
Patrick giving an account of the sufferings
and condition of the Hickory Point prisoners
at Lecompton. We feel bound in justice to
our readers to give the other side of the pic
ture from an eye Witness sswhose impartiality
and integrity is vouched for by the Philadel-
phia Pennsylvania. The writer says he re-
sides at Lecompton, and has seen the prison.
ers daily, and states what he knows from per-
sonal knowledge. Immediately after Gov.
Geary's arrival in the ssgaitasb .hsensuea"twd
PFesssrrItions ordering all organized ba@ds
with arms, to dispense instantly. These pro-
CARNATIONS he enforced against the Missouri in
vaders, the pro-slavery bands, and AGAINST the
EerEisorirss aaisAtis Which had been ordeAd in
to service by the acting governor, left behind
him, by Gov. Shannon. These orders were
distributed throughout the territory by special
messengers, and were sent to every arm
ed band, and were rigidly enforced
Many at first thought these proceedings were
a mere farce, like a good many of the windy
proclamations Of former governors. At that
time there were at Lawrence company I'M
der Col. Harvey, who attempted to unite them
selves with free state force which they sup
posed held Topeka. On their way to Topeka.
they came upon small settlement, called
Hickory Point; this settlement they attacked;
breaking open and robbiag the stores, and car
rying off cattle, mules and horses, With which
they returned again to their depot near Law
renee; the next day they again returned to
Hickory Point and began asecond assault on the
defenceless settlement, about eleven o'clock on
Sunday. The settlers taking what arms they
had, fled into some log houses, for protection
and defence. The attacking party read to
them in derison, one of Geary's proclama-
tons, and called upon them to disband under
it. They then brought up a cannon and COM
themselves out of the range of the rifles of
the settlers besieged in the log cabins. The
firing was kept up for six hours, till dark; one
of the defenders was killed. Gov. Geary
ed, of the operations of these assailants, des-
patched two companies of dragons, who came
upon the marauders at midnight on the prai-
ries surrounded them, made them all prison.
ers, and carried them to Lecompton, where
they have been imprisoned, as described by
Mr. Patrick; whom we are surprised to see is
numbered among them. The Governor rent
ed one of the largest and most--cenrfertable
houses in Lecomptcn for their prison, which
had been built and used for hotel; to which
they were removed and where they since have
hAeae tez shaga. been .g gasEdsd q.
ternately by the Militia and the United States
troops.
"That their confinement is not very oppres-
sive in this ''small, loathsome prison. is evil
dent from the fact that they are at liberty to
come out when they please, and may be seen
daily amusing themselves in various ways
inside the line of sentinels. Their food, of
which they also complain, is not as luxurious
as that furnished at the Girard or Astor House;
but it is as good as the circumstances will allow,
and is the same in quality and quantity as
that furnished to the United States soldiers
1t would have been much better, doubtless,
had not themselves, and other similar gangs
of bandits rendered the highways impossible
by robbing all the wagons with provisions or
goods that ventured upon them. All the in
habtants, as we'll as the prisoners, have suf-
fered seriously from this cause The same
medical assistance that other citizens obtained
is freely given them; and their friends are al
lowed free access to them whenever they
desire. Their clothing is such as that used
when engaged in their marauding exploits,
and as they never hesitated to supply them
selves on such occasions, not quite so bad as
has been pretended. One of their number has
died in prison. Is that remarkable? The
probability is that more of them would have
died if not imprisoned. In all there have
been arrested more than 100. Some of these
were men of very bad habits, who had been
living in exposure and want, and were sick
when brought to Lecompton. Here they have
been six weeks, and one has died: and this is
alleged as proof of cruel treatment.
| Some of the men held as prisoners are in
nocent of crime. Several were simple, honest
farmers, who were employed upon their farms
when the main body came along, forced them
| to harness their horses to their own wagons,
and drove them to Hickory Point, where they
were taken. The Free State LAWYERS who
have charge Of these cases, have been entreat-
ed to separate these innocent men from the
others and set them free; but this they have
positively refused to do; but persist in having
them held mutually accountable, and have the
innocent suffer for the guilty, that real ground
may be had for appeals to popular sympa-
thy"
We have given both sides of the case that
our readers may form their own opinions and
be enabled to do justice to both parties.
From all accounts the free state immigra-
ton into Kansas is largely in the ascendancy,
as trains are pouring into the territories in