Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1856-10-31
Letter from AL Patrick, one Of the
Prisoners.


G. w. BRvwS: SrR: Some two or
three weeks ago. l wrote you from
lawrence. giving a brief account Of
my imprisonment by the Border
Rutiisn." aud intended writing you
weekly. but circumstances have pre-
vented me doing so. l am again
prisoner, as you probably may have
heard ere this. The circumstances
under which was taken. and by
whom, l have written tn several edi-
tors Of your State. and II the letters
are permitted to arrive at their prop
er destination you can extract for the
benefit Of your readers.
Yesterday I had letter enclosed
TO me from II. l. Sigler, Esq. Of Port.
land Mills. in your county. mHking
inquiries as TO the truth Of my being
hung. the offence. &c.. Nv last let.
ter 10 you satisfied all upon this point.
| did not see or hear Of The report un-
Ill il reached here in the N. Y. Tri-
bune. Ipresume tho T'ibune's in
dormant had good grounds for be-
lieving such had been my fate. as il
was frst told in Leavenworth by my
enemies in whose hands / was at the
time. While l was with them | had
no opportunity to write. but did so
as soon as was released. ~
Ny company consists Of one hun
dred and twenty Free State men,
eighty-seven OF US being committed
on charge of murder. in the first
degree, while the others are bound
over for different offences, horse-steal.
ing, larcency. dc. Except the eighty
seven the others have been arrested
upon suspicion" save two cases
wncre the men were guilty Of moth
ing more than taking their horses
from persons who had stolen them. -
AS yet there has not been the tirst pro-
slavery man arrested in the territory.
although that party has been guilty Of
murders without number, and done
nine -tenths OF the stealing since the
late outbreak. / do not know Of a
single instance where any Free State
man has taken life except in battle.
nor do know Of any Free State COM
pany, save one, that has ever been
guilty Of pressing" horses, and II
was made up OF men who had been
driven from their, claims. their horses
stolen. other property destroyed. and
in many instances. their houses burn
ed to the ground. Who would not
say that this company ought not to
be partially il not wholly excused.
especially when It is know they wrong.
cd none except those who FIRST wrong
ed them. Upon the other hand |
know OF more than forty cold-blooded
murders committed by men belonging
to the slavery party, and as TO
horse stealing. and house.burning up.
on the same principle eighty seven Of
US were arrested for murder. every
pro-slavery man in the Territory
ought to be committed for larcency
and highway robbery. But you must
know claw" in Kansas is altogether
lop sided, pro-slavery men being Ii
ccnsed to do pretty much as they
please. while against Free State men
only. the law Is employed.
II Is Just two weeks to day since we
we're arrested. Eight days we were
guarded by the U. 8. troops, and
then delivered over for trial TO the
civil authorities to be guarded by the
"milita." Now the "milta" is moth
ing lnure than reckless clan Of young
men sent from Missouri and other
Slave States. principally made up Of
Buford's men aud hirelngs from the
border counties Of Platte &c,. totally
destitute Of decency. Ruliians In
appearance, the very sight Of whom
would even make the devil blush -
They were under the command OF one
Titus. a man whom you will recollect
had his den Of scouudrels cleaned out
At the commencement Of the late diff
6culties, he himself taken prisoner.
and afterwards exchanged for y can
non which was taken from Lawrence
NJ It's sacking. While under their es-
pecial care. we were subjected TO jeers
and hourly insults. and. a number oI
our men threatened TO be shot by the
guard in several instances for no
cause whatever. Titus himself. upon
representation Of one OF his guard
that some Of US were trying TO gel
away. came into the room where we
were one evening. and said that il any
Of US attempted to get away tha.
night he would elbow Us all to hell. "
His material for "blowing" was two
cannon planted about fifty yards dis
tant. and Immediately printing TO the
house. Our fare was no better than
our treatment. The "stuff" o.. which
we made bread was Titus horse feed,
so stated by himself, and presented
for our benefit to the United States
Marshal. 1t was a mixture OF corn
and oats. coarse ground and sour al
that. We made complaints to the
Governor the fruit OF which is we ARE
now guarded by the United States
Troops, and fed on clean -four. Sc
much so good. As to the new Gov
ernor. he is queer sort of fellow,
and | hardly know how to take him
He paid us. for the FIRST time. visi
yesterday. Some Of the Free State
men think he is all right. but an
rather inclined to believe that he il
a double faced hypocrite--trying Il
please all parties. which he will Ger
tainly fail to do.
Our trial may possible come Oft il
week or two. at least the Governo
promises such shall be the case
None Of us have any expectation o
hanging. through portion Of the pro
slavery men here say we will all hav
to "pull hemp" and Of Platte coun
ty growth at that.
A. G. PATRICK.