Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1856-10-23
Gen. Lane Challenges the Border
lsU.JianS!

! MSSSFS. Il. ~. O0HIphdD GnG Il. l..
Boone:
GEHTLEMEE: Nv attention has been
called TO the las, half Of a circular pub.
lished in the Missouri Republican of
Sept. 2, 1886. to which your names are
subscribed as endorsers. Atkinson &
Co.. your principals, have long since
placed themselves beyond the pslo OF
those who can be recognized as gentle
men; and therefore address you.
If this half Of the circular conveys
any idea Of the spirit or tenor of the
whole article, venture the assertion
/ ihat in recklessne.s of veracity and bald
( falls ficalion it would be difhcult TO find
! its parallel.
! | have never enlisted an army, nor
even single soldier, 10 march into
Kansas. | travelled through Iowa in
company with large body of pea Die
/ citizens. each Of whom evowed. with the
greatest apparent sincerity, their deter
minalon to become bona fde settlers OF
/ Kansas. and. so far as my knowledge ex
tends. have actually made good their pro-
fessions, and are now making homes for
themselves and their families. Fearing
my presence might be sirZed as pretext
! for ottacking them by the United States
troops, left tie company on the east
side of the Missouri river, und travelled
into Kansas alone, taking a dilleron,
route from theirs. go es 10 be entirely
disconnected with them.
On my arrival in Kansas found the
Border papers teemlng with in1ammato-
ny denunciations of our citizens, ind
boldly proclaiming against them a war
of determination; aud IN response to
their indictments, h,rdss Of depraved
misguided espernd0es entering the coun-
try many OF them having inscribed on
their halls, Death to Aboli,ionisls, and
no quarter" mother and daughter, in
the absence of husband ami father. raw.
ished by nearly one hundred fendish
men; the gifted Major Hpyt. who had
CALAMITY served his country in the Mex
lean wur, brulally murdered while to
tally unarmed. his body ha -ked 10 pieces.
and a few sods thrown over him, leaving
his aims and feet projecting from the
earth. prey for wolves; prisoners muir
dered in manner exceeding, il possible.
even the shocking barbari!y of savage
tribes, and afterwards seal ped-one man
seal pad while alive, and who yet lives
20 exhibit his skinless head 10 an out
ragged world: dwellings being burned over
helpless women and screaming children
In the state Of confusion and indi gna-
La, mt ha
people of Kansas sought my aid and
counsel; and | took command of their
forces rallied for their defense. as an i'm
perative duty which humanity forbade
ne 10 refuse. Instead of following the
examples of your associates, we deter
mined to wage an honori Bile. and only a
defensive warfare. To this end. the first
order issued guaranteed protection 10 the
settler without reference so his politics,
counselled humane and courteous treat
ment of prisoners. forbade the burning OF
dwellings, the destruction oi property.
and inflicted the penalty of death for its
violation. This order was repubilshed
The morning after your associates, had
burned seven dwellings near Lecompton.
in sight of the United States troops. No
buildings were destroyed at franklin.
and the attack was made there under The
IMPRESSION that the cannon loaded and
used there To frighten Free State men was
the one taken from Lawrence. The hou-
ses destroyed ct Saunders and Bull Creek
although in themselves military forii'
iicniions and occupied but few minutes
before by our invaderS--were burned con
trary to orders. and by persons having no
connection with my command. The
house of Clark. the Indian agent, charged
as he was with the cold blooded murder
of the lamented Barber. with It's valaa-
BILE contents. was spared by our army,
which reached il but few minutes after
the invaders. who had jus, burned the
seven houses alluded to, had deserted il
and fed to Lecomrton. At Lecompton
express orders were given, that no; shot
should be fired at the house occupied BY
the Widow Brooks and her gallant sons
and accomplished Daughters although The
building was at the time occupied by the
very men who had kindled the fires of the
then smoking ruins of the houses of our
friends. To Capt. Scott, Gen. Richard
son and other prisoners. | refer YOU for
testimony of their proper ireatment.-
The latter gentleman, at the peril of my
own life, was conducted five miles out
side of our picket guard. Although
some of the citizens oil Kansas have been
driven into measures of retaliation. and
it would be strange if they had not. dc,
fy you to point to single act committed
by the men under my command derogoto-
~ to their character as gallant soidiers
and ohivalric gentlemen.