The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-10-16


should return to Topeka Immediately, and dis
band. he said the probability was that the
people of Lawrence had had conference with
the new Governor, during which an arrange
had most likely been made, which would prevent
Col. Harvey's coming to his aid with the can
non. But, thinking it possible that he might
yet come, he sent back to Topeka an order for
him to return. But Harvey, after consultation
with the State Central Committee, saw fit to
disobey the orders of Lane, so far as to go di
rectly to Hickory Point, through the enemy's
country, instead of the route he had been di
rected to go. On arriving at the town at ii
O'Clock, the following day, he was fired upon,
and at once commenced a cannonade upon it.
After keeping up slow fire for three or four
hours, during which one of the enemy was kill
ed and eight wounded on their side, and four
wounded on the other, and the Notifications
pretty much destroyed, the black flag was
struck, and white one sent up in its place.
Harvey himself went in to treat with them, and
they signed a written treaty, the terms of which
were, that they should disband and 90 home
never again to take up arms against our cause
This they did very willingly, and would have
done much more, had it been asked of them
Harvey then got his command under way for
Lawrence, and encamped five miles from the
scene of action. Late at night they awoke and
found themselves surrounded by two companies
OF U. S. troops, who had been sent for by some
OF the more treacherous of the defeated enemy.
Harvey took to his horse, which was feet one,
and fed the rest were all taken prisoners, dis
armed, and marched to the camp near Lecomp-
ton.
On Thursday, the 18th, q. s. Marshal Dom
aldson, backed up by two hundred United States
troops, came to Topeka, and arrested twelve of
her citizens-among others, your correspond
eAt. Some of the arrests-if they may be call
ed such, for they were, in reality, nothing but
seizures-were made in the presence of the
Governor, who had come into town a short
time before the entrance of the troops, and
while the persons so seized were in private
conversation with him. In all cases. the Mar
shall refused to show any ecrit or authority
whatever. We demanded to know the cause
of our arrest, but no one could tell US. A
guard was detailed for each prisoner, and fifteen
minutes were allowed US, in which to arrange
our business, and prepare to leave, for what
length of time none knew. We arrived at
camp about sunset, and were placed under the
same guard with our comrades from Lawrence
Since then, Company 40" as some wags of
our number jocularly style US, has daily been
receiving additions-in all, twenty-one new
prisoners have been brought in, making the
whole number arrested, up to this time, ONE
HUNDRED AND THIKTY-THREE. On Monday, the
2lst, we were escorted to within a short dis
lance of town by the United States troops, and
then turned over to the bogus militia under
Colonel Titus, who marched us into town, and
quartered US in building one story and a half
in height, the siding of which is cottonwood,
placed upright, and so shrunken as to leave
cracks between each board three-fourths of an
inch wide, and placed around it a guard of ten
m of xub hoy
rifles. One common cooking stove accommo-
dates-I was going to say-the whole number !;
such, at least, is all we have. Our cooking
utensils and articles of table furniture are very
few. While in the camp of the United States
troops, the officers all treated US with the great
est kindness, and many of them, with all the
privates, were profuse in their expressions of
sympathy for US. In some instances, this was
manifested by material" aid. One evening,
a sentinel passed out three prisoners, and, in
order to excape punishment, deserted, and
went with them. During that time, the Mar
shall refused to furnish provisions for us, and
the officers, unwilling to see US suffer, gave us
portion of the rations of the soldiers, and thus
kept us from starvation. Since we have been
In the charge of Titus, we have mostly been
treated as though we were so many swine
Titus himself has been kind enough to us, in
consideration, it is presumed, of the good treat
ment he received when a prisoner at Lawrence,
OF which he often speaks. But his duty is only
to prevent our escape; Marshal Donaldson's,
to supply our other wants. The day we came
from the Dragons camp, we had an early
though scanty breakfast of coffee and crackers,
but nothing after that, until nearly eleven
o'clock at nigh, when the Marshal brought us
basket of-wel, he called it bread. 1t was
made of horse: teed which Titus gave to Dom
adson for our use, and contained at least ten
per cent. of pearlash-a perfect wedge for the
separation of soul and body. Next day, we
had to bake it for ourselves, and bettered it
some. After much entreaty, Donaldson went
in search of some sugar, coffee, and saleratus
He returned with two pounds each of the for
mer, and one of the latter; and giving it to our
commissary, remarked, that "if carefully and
economically used, they acould last a long time"
Occasionally, We were given piece of Missouri
bacon" but of such a character that the more
seldom it came, the better for us. Day before
yesterday, however, the Marshal brought us
sack OF Hour, and yesterday another. For this
fdvOr we are indebted to the Governor who, it
Is said, threatened to release US, unless better
provided for. On the l8th eighty eight of the
prisoners-taken on their return from Hickory
Point, thirteen having escaped-had an exam
nation before Judge Cato, and were remanded
to prison, to answer at the next term of Court
on charge of murder an the first degree. The
next day, the eight remaining of those arrested
at Topeka-for we had deputized and sent
home four of our number-were examined :;
and then, for the first time, we found out what
were the charges against US. They were for
attacking and robbing Osawkee. We, like the
others, made no defence whatever, as we found
in the beginning that it would all be for nought
no ohar
The Court offered to admit the others to bail,
in the sum of fifteen hundred dollars, to an
swer on charge of highway robbery in the
first degree. We refused to give bail, as that
might be construed into an admission of the
legality of the Territorial laws-so we, too, were
remanded to prison. On account of the court
room being guarded by the military, but four
whom the Judge discharged were kept for
nearly an hour, and until new writ was gotten
out and served against one of them.
Governor Geary has several times been in to
see US. He tells US that he sympathizes with us,
and will see that we have fair and speedy
trial Judge Cato was accidentally shot in the
leg on Saturday night, and the Governor has
sent for Lecompte to come and try US. We
will probably have our trial next week. great
many have no faith in Geary-in fact, the num-
Der among US who have, is very small-nor is
there any secret of causes for this lack of faith.
When Colonel Cooke took prisoners Colonel
Harvey's company, he made no attempt to
arrest the Pro-Slavery force at Hickory Point,
simply because he had no authority from the Gov.
ernor to do so. And when on the same day the
Missourians came up and attacked Lawrence,
threatening to demolish the town, "troops or
no troops" nothing was done, further than to
quietly invite them to 60 home, and take all
their implements of war with them. Further,
while in the camp Of the dragons, one day,