Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1856-08-01
Kansas.

in Tecumseh, K T. The letter bears date July 9th,
and gives lively of the mode in which the
4th was passed in that town and at Topeka the Free
Soil headquarters. AT Tecumseh, among the pro
Slavery folks all passed of quietly and pleasantly
during the day, with the exception of excite
ments arising from reports being brought in that
Tecumseh would be attacked on that day, which
received some color from the fact hat for the four
or five days previous hosts of Aboltionists had
been moving towards Topeka, FIVE miles distant
There speeches delivered, no declarations
read during The day, but at night the people OF e
cumseh and the surrounding country engaged IN the
merry dance at the Tecumseh Hotel rough but
roomy building every foot OF which was pressed into
service They would to have had a right
pleasant time OF it, and by all accounts the Western
gals at dance, and particularly great on
break down. and they all call themselves good pro-
slavery 81 men,.
The Free State or Topeka Legislature was to have
met in Topeka on the 4th, so that considerable ex-
element prevailed throughout the Territory, on &C
count of an expected encounter between the pro
and anti-slavery party. There was a report that
" Jim Lane had crossed over from Iowa with two
thousand men, and would speak at Topeka the
fourth and that he came with the avowed purpose Of
protecting the Legislature and resisting the laws of
the Territory, even to bloody issue. But Col Sum
ner was on hand with his dragons On The morning
of the fourth Marshall Donaldson, aching Governor
Woodson and several other gentlemen went to Tope-
ka They stopped at Col. Summers camp an! got
company of Dragons, and then proceeded towards
town. AS they entered, the Free State meL common
ced falling into Kinks The Col rode forward and
ordered them to dispense, which order they seemed
49, or1o thonn iUp thQ
dragons to charge them, and it was charge that
will be remembered in Topeka as long as the town
stands There was a large wagon filled with women
drawn up in front of The lille stone house where the
Legislature was TO meet. The women and the wagon
all there for tie purpose of presenting flag to
the vaorcus Company of Free Sellers, who had re-
fused to obey Co. Summers order to dispense AT
the word charge down came the dragons on the
crowd, away went the Kmpany," the horses al
tached to the woman wagon took fright and ran
off, splitting the femnnes in all sorts of directions
and Positions not originally contemplated in the
programmes nor such decorous maids and marons
would select for display of their charms and
compIjshments The horses ripped along over bar
rels and wagons, frightened other horses, started
other women and 'l!ren TO y,lhng, and there was a
time of it.
But above the oaths of the men, the of the
women and the rafting of the wagons, distinct.
ly heard the merry laughter of about hundred pro-
slavery men who had quietly watched the operation
We give what follows in the gentleman's own
words:
This happened early in the day. At last ~ o.
clock came-the bell rung, the little stone house
opened, and the roll called and everything looked
like going to business Only about one half of the
tn thoir h1Ja fto
while they were got together and answered to their
names as they passed in the hall. AS soon they
got in, Marshal Donaldson and Col Sumner stepped
in and locked the door, and read the Presidents Or
des 10 Col Sumner also Gov. Shannons pIoclama-
ton, and told them that they must dispese and re-
turn to their homes. They Gree State) asked the
Marshall 10 grant them time for consultation, which
refused they then asked permission organize
and adjourn, which was likewise refused. AT length
Marshall Donaldson told them TO decide quick (by
vote if they wishcd,) which they would-disperse,
or be dispersed and that if they did attempt to
ganze lie would arrest every of them, even if he
died in the attempt. whereupon on OF the members
got up an said that he was law-abiding man, and
would never be caught with those men any more, and
immediately left the room the rest were not long
in deciding, and as they left each man prom
sed never to meet again for that purpose AS soon
as they left the ball three cheers were given for
John C. Fremont three tor VIM. L. Dayton, three
for Col Sumner, three groans given for Presi
dent Pierce, three for Gov. Shannon and three pro-
posed for acting Gov. Woodson, but not given
There were about five hundred Free State men,
and such another ragged crowd was collected
together before The agents of the E. E. Society
must have had considerable Trouble in selecting their
stock. think that | safely say, (iudging fro n
their appearances,O that of the five hundred, four
hundred and fifty would not take anything out of
their reach. Towards evening the crowd began to
scatter. | noticed they passed through Tecum-
seh numbers in unform--a full b!ue dress, led
epauletts, and sash. The remainder Were in a
g Tennessee Full "a pair of shoes. and an overcoa
closely buttoned round. | remember seeing one
flag, blue red stripes and lone white star
This was in opposition TO our flag borne by the
Achison Guards, { Carolina boys AM, planted or
day we entered Lawrence. Ours was a blood red
flag, with large white star in the centre, with
Southern Rights inscribed above il on one side and
South Carolina the other. As they passed through
here they gave three cheers for Fremont and DAYTON
which was responded 10 by three for Buchanan
They have pretty much all LETT Topeka by this time
The third was greater day with them than the
fourth There several very inf tmmat1 ry speech.
es delivered; or two Indignation meetings held
one or two flags presented to different companies
and they concluded the ceremony by hanging Pres-
dent Pierce in efigy. If Col. Sumner had not hecn
in the way there would have been little fight on
that.
The boys are determined if Lane does come
into the Territory with his men. to get hold of him,
and then his career is ended The Kickapoo Rangers
(the terror of the Free State partly on the look
out for him, and if he should fall into their hands
he will be safe, | lately came across the following
singular inscription tomb, Here lies the body
of E. P. Brown, butchered by that damnabe gang,
! the Kckapoo Rangers
Col. Sumner and forces passed here yesterday for
IeCOmptOn and Wakavusa I think the CoIonoI