Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1856-09-24
WESTERN IOWA, Sept. 8, 1856.


Mr. rroR:-Living as we do, on the Dor.
ders of the state and where each express, as
they arrive from Kansas, come first to us, i
have for sometime meditated sending you intel
Iigence. But, when read the reports from
Kansas, in different papers, knew what errors
were made by those who, l did not doubt, In c
tended to speak truthfully, feared to put my
hand to the pen lest too should be guilty Of
reporting falsely. But no longer hesitate since
receiving intelligence last evening. zl{fs} Tsst
Mr.. Spears, editor of the Kansas Tribune, in 4,
company with another gentleman, started, last
Thursday, from Nebraska City, hoping to be
able to pass down to Lawrence, where Mr..
Spears family now are. Last evening he re-
turned to our place, saying they had been down
to the Kansas line and learned that the way from
there down to Lawrence is guarded by the ruff
ans, so as to render it unsafe for any except a
large company to undertake the passage. From
reliable persons immediately from Lawrence
who were permitted by the ruffians to come out
of the territory, as they plead they had been
long there, and were going, leaving property to
some amount behind. They learned that place
| is surrounded bv "a large body of Missourians,
that the inhabitants had with them beeves and
horses upon which they could subsist, but only
| one sack of -four in the place, tia, il not at -
tackled, they coald probably hold out four or
five weeks hoping for assistance from the states.
| Topeka is also beseiged All communication
cut of between that place and Lawrence.
| And now, from whence is relief to come to
| the beseigedy A few recruits, about sixty, are
| with us awaiting additional forces, expected to
arrive soon, commanded by Mr.. Redpath. Free
state men here are also volunteering to join
them, but when all are collected it will be but
handful against the hundreds of ruffians who
are waiting along the way to receive them. II
We would send one long loud earnest cry to
| the lreemen of the north to rush to arms, and
come to the rescue. But hope dies within us
when we remember that though they can make
rapid progress till they arrive at your place,
then there must be slow toilsomo march Of
some two or three hundred miles across our
state, and from the Kansas line, they must fight
their way through, while beleagured Lawrence
must their arrival either be taken by force Of
arms or starved in their fort, for we do not be.
lieve that they will ever surrender except when
obliged to by an armed force. gar s.
The rnfians seem determined to drive all
those who will not declare decidedly for them
from the territory. conversed Saturday even
ing with gentleman who had just been driven
from Leavenworth. Ho stated that not only all
free state men, but all pro.savery men who are
conservative and do not openly declare for
them were forced to leave the place. They
took steamer for Weston intending to come
to Iowa. On their arrival at that place, a COM :
mittee was appointed to wait on them to inform
them they could not remain in town, and when
they courteously asked the privilege of passing
up the river, the answer was no, that thay
must 60 down. Men with families were oblig-
ed to yield to this demand, while the young mel,
: who could take their carpet sack in hand, Hads
their escape into the country and arrived safe.
. ly here. gageg -. I.
This state of affairs is arousing the spirit Of
: all lovers Of freedom. Men, say, are volunteer
r ing to go and live or die with freedom Wives
while they know they could not fight, urge theil
t husbands to 60 and volunteer, with the aid o.
! the children to perform outdoor labor. Bu
. the number is still few. Who can come speedii,
:, and join theny ao 6s E.G.P. /.