The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1856-08-27
KANSAS CORRESPONDENCE.
LAWRENCE, KANSAS, Aug. 16, 5

LAWRENCE, KANSAS, Aug 10, '56. Z
DEAR JOURNAL: LOB 2a
Three cheers for free Kansas" Hip-hip-
hurrah But must keep cool and try and
tell you what l am so excited about
We have had one of the finest times this
week that ever enjoyed in my life. Three
OF the strongest forts of the ruffians taken,
with the loss on our part of bnt two killed
and eight wounded. But toeommence at the
beginning. e n 1A -
The ruffians have, for the last two months,
been prowlng around the country stealing
horses. shooting cattle, plundering houses and
numbering our citizens. On Sunday last they
captured Maj. Hoyt. one Of our best citizens,
and one o. the brayest Of men, Il was he
that planned the attack on Vera Cruz, sa..s
Maj. Hoyt was perfectly unarmed ;some 40
or so Of the ruffians captured him, and after
keeping him some three or four hours, led
him out and shot him. They. left his body
lying out on the prairie afterwards some of
them went out and dug hole about six inca
es deep, and threw him in it. On Monday we
found it out, and Immediately went to work
to organize, and drive the Williams from the
State. 1 had but just arrived at Topeka that
morning, and although much fatigued with
our long travel, yet never went into any
thing with more real pleasure in my life.
l started Monday evening with eight others
for the Wokorusha camp, and arrived there
about 2 o'clock in the morning. We intended
to attack Landers' fort that night, but as that
| L r. 81 ~
the largest. force in it, We concluded, as
some of our men were not sufficiently well
armed that we had better attack the fort at
Franklin first and capture their arms and the
cannon. The attack was made that night, and
for while it was warm fight, the ruffians
having decidedly the advantage, they being in
a strong fort and our men on the open prairie
Finding that they could not be ousted with
our Sharps alone, "CAPT. Cook" ordered the
men to load wagon with hay, set it on fire,
and push it up against the fort. in doing SO
we lost one of our men, aud had two wound
ed. As soon as the fort commenced to burn,
the scoundrels commenced to cry for quarter.
We took one hundred stand of arms, a large
brass field piece, side arms, large amount Of
Ammunition, two thousand pounds Of bacon,
and a large amount of other things too hume
rous to mention. We took about thirty pris
ness of the night The next day company
| 81 of the u S. soldiers, who were encanAped
near Franklin, went to that place and arrest
ed six of our boys, and took them to Lecomp-
ton. Company - is composed of Georgians
and South Carolinians who came out with Bu-
ford, and having no money, and being too lazy
to work, they enlisted. They have been fire.
quently heard to swear that they would attack
the first party of Free State men they met,
cut them to pieces resign and go back to
Georgia and S. C.. As soon as we heard of it
we sent committee to Maj. Ledgewick to
know if our men were arrested by his orders,
and if we would be molested if we attacked
Fort Landers. He sent back word that the
troops were there contrary to hrs orders, and
that we would not be molested. The next
morning we started for Fort Landers. with
four hundred men, two hundred cavalry and
two hundred infantry. We drew up in line
of battle around the fort, and sent an order
for themto surrender. When the messengers
got into the fort they found nothing in it but a
lille Niger. He said that when the Georgians
saw us heaye in sight, and saw such string
of u.s. they broke for the woods.
\ As soon as We heard that, orders were Civ
en- to follow them, and such race you never
saw. The devils scattered in the woods. and
most of them got away. / should not wonder
if some of The internal towards were running
STILL We captured there about eighty stand
| of arms, large amount of provisions and am
Inunition, &c. The bushes were found full of
carpet bags, trunks, bundles, &C. One trunk
was found which proved to be the property Of
a gentleman from Connecticut, who was nIur-
dered a short time ago. In the chase the ruff
ans were so holly pressed that they dropped
their tag and guns, and did some of the pref
test running ever witnessed. @ -
/ We concluded We had done two pretty good
days work, and when we got back to camp
dlsbanded, and most of the men returned to
their homes. But before we had all LEFT we
received q dispatch stating that ten Of our To-
peka boys, in coming to our camp had got lost.
and wandered into Lecompton and were there
arrested and that the ruffans were threatening
to hang them. We determined immediately
to attack Fort Titus, at Lecompton. and re-
lease them. Col Grover and myself immedi-
ately started for Lawrence for fresh men, and
the plan of operation was to surround the fort
before day to prevent any from escaping. Col
o. and myself got lost and were delayed sew
eral hours in getting into Lawrence Our men
moved on towards Lecompton, and when. in
ABOUT four miles of that place they came sud- |
ueniy on party of forty or fifty Of Titus
men, VINO were out stealing horses They had
Just taken two from free State mans stable.
AS soon as they saw our men they fred on
tnems out dId no execution; our men returned
tine IRE, Killing one and wounding another, {