Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1856-09-13
FREE STATE AccouNT.


a party OF some five OF six ltinpisans and In
6ianians, who had gone out to Kansas tosettle,
returned to this city yesterday morning on the
steamer Polar Star, having been captured at0s
sawattomie By the forces under General Reid,
and after being detained q day or two in cap
tivity, were conducted to Westport, and there
hlaCed on board tho steamer TO be taken ont of
the State of Missouri, and accompanied with
the threat that il they ever yentured back to the
Territory oe Kansas and were caught they
should instantly be hung or shot.
From them we obtain complete and reliable
narrative Of the terrible conflict at OssaWato-
mic.
The town Of 0ssawatomic was composed of
/ from so To 40 houses, and was thriving place
before the Kansas difficulties, and had n popu-
istion ofabout 600. It is situated Immediately
between the forks Of q branch Of the Usage river
and the POttawatomie river The distracted
state of the country had occasioned an almost
total desertion of the town by the families living
lin IT. and at the time ofthe fight it was occupied
by about 90 armed free State men and q few
women and children
At six O'Clock on last Saturday morning, just
after sunrise, pro.slavery party of abUqt 4OU
men, under Gen. Riedinade theirapPe be
fore the town, having in their command a piece
| of artilie-y, and most OF them inonnted-Fhey
had made forced march of thirty or forty miles
from their camp on Bull creek. As soon as the
free State men discried the pro.Slavery forcee,
they put themselves under the command ofGap-
tains BfnWu, and TPdegTal, formerly Of Ohio,
and sought shelter ina growth Of under bush
obontl three hundred yards distant from the
town s Tho pro slavery force maintained ground
at about half mile, aud commenced firing with
their cannon, which was loaded with grape and
canister shot and slugs-. They bad an ndvan-
taeeous position, and each. discharge os the gun
rake,l the ambush Of the Free State forces with
fearful effect One of Our iufernantS states that
he saw three Of his comrades fall at once; still
they. etGTned as brisk a fire as they could, and
succeeded in wounding several of their enemies.
Alter some ten or a. dozen discharges from the
artillery, a company of about eighty Of the pro-
slavery force dismounted from their horses, and
having surrounded the place Of retreat, made 4
charge and completed the entire rout OF the Free
State uen, several Of whom. in attempting 70
cross the stream .aloug which the iight ragged,
were shot in the water snd were either instantly
! killed OF 50 badly wounded rs not u be at!e to
save themselves from death by drowning.
One of cur inforniants states that he saw the
body of Capt Brown in The water. lie knew il
was him By his cnat and hat He thinks there
/ is TO doubt Of his having been killed. Seven OF
/ the Free State uien were captured, AFTER which
the tewftwas seton freand entirely destroyed.
Ia marching back 70 the camp on Bail creek,
the prisoncrsNyu-e subject TO very cruel treats
ment, end tgvo of them, the one named Williams,
and the other Dutch Charley, were taken out
Of tae camp and shot b. Their infiTiaSed. enemies
The latter was s Hungarian who fOIgi;t under
KOssuth, and since his removal To this country,
had lived IN Kansas and taken very active part
wi;h Free State. party.
Frederick Brown, son Of Captain Brown, was
sls3 killed. de was one 6s the picket gusfdsoi
the free State camp 1t 0ssas tornis, and being
iSurpgiSed he was shot through tie heart by 4
preacher nsInea Aisrtin ~ hite Aftsr being Iill-
/ Cd and while lying on the ground, WITH the
mouth reIaxed and open in death, smother shot
MAS tired down his throat