The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1856-02-07
From cur Special Correspondent.

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Fr1m cur STe>sai Correspondent.
LAWRENCE. X. t. Jan. 20. 10 Il
resume nv correspondence There IS
Civfl Hg~ IN haRsaS. An engagement was
fought \. Eastin village twelve miles north
east Of Leasenw orth, BY moonlight about ?
o'clock Friday morning Il lasted about
twenty minutes. Several OF the border men
We're wounded and OF them were .xpec-
ted 10 die every moment. One Free Safe
man-s son OF Mr.. SpaskS-was slightly
wounded In The forehead and arm. ba, not
disabled.
THIS important news. was brou-h. here
about midnight BY Spec4l messenger from
Lesvenworth. from whom received me sub
Joined account OF the difficulty and Tie par
tlcuiars OF the engagement
Alter returning from Lawrence without ac-
comprising their openly avowed desernna-
ton of eXtermInaans the northern enigrantS
and Free SAFE Squatters, they avenged hem
selves BY destroying TIE bsio. box az Lrsven-
worth, and throwing The press Of the Terrific.
rial Register inc the Missouri river They
threatened, also to lynch several of the Free
State msa, and hang two obnoxious individ-
uals-Mr. Warren. a member Of the Kansas
legion. sad another person. whom they call
the ''d-d correspondent! Of tie Missouri
Democrat"
Since that time. ruffianism has ruled Leav-
en~orth. Her Free State men there are IN
armed. and without an experienced leader.
while their proximity to Platte county renders
an undiscipllned opposition 10 the mobocrals
unas ailable.
Nj Slocum. the Free Safe Mayor Of Leav
enworsh. seeing the iupo>sitihiy Of restorin :,
order. resigned his office some time ago. A
pro Slavery Mayor was elected.
The election for Safe officers was 10 be
held throughout the Territory on Tuesday
last At Leavenwor:h, am informed. tie
Mayor issued a proclamation forbjd,iu- tie
opening Of the polls. This despotic mandate
excited great Indignation. The judges -ad-
journod the election till Thursday. and ap-
pointed i, 10 be held at Eastin
An armed force was raised AZ Leaven worth
or in that vicinity, to seize the ballot box, The
Free Safe men were informed OF ths ir danger
and prepared to meet It. Spies brought the
intelligence TO Leavenworth that the Free
State men were arming They then deter
mined 10 take them by surprise and therefore
postponed an attack until tie evening, when
they expected TO find the Free State men
unprepared and 10 seize the bollot box with
out any difficulty.
At twilight. the pro Slavery men made a
charge About dozen Free State men
stood awaiting them-but there were twenty
others concealed. They then halted at
about one hundred yards from the house
They were thirty FIVE or forty strong-the
majority on horseback, and all OF them well
armed.
Some Of the Free State men in the house
got excited. and rushed out TO charge on
the enemy. AS soon the Pro Slavery men
saw their force, they wheeled about and with
drew to some distance.
They then placed picket guard in the
lane that led TO the house. and fired
on one or two Free State men, who attemp-
ted TO pass it some time after
Mr.. E. p. Brown, kentuckian. deter
mined 10 put stop TO their interferances.
With an equal number of Free State men.
he marched up to the picket gusrd. Both
parties presented arms. Mr.. Brown told
them to surrender or be shot. They sur
rendered. Four Of them disarmed, the
other, friend Of one Of the Free State guard
was permitted TO retain his arms.
After this exploit several of the Free State
men returned to their homes. They thought
that the Pro Slavery men had left, About
two o'clock as Mr.. Stephen Sparks. (of Rush
county, Indiana was on his way home IN
company with his son and nephew. they were
pursued by company OF fifteen mounted
men. who ordered them to halt and surren
der. They refused 10 do so. retreated to a
fence and prepared 10 defend themselves
The nephew, who wa. on horseback galoped
back to Eastin and informed Mr.. Brown of
the situation of his friends Mr. Brown with
fifteen men. marched to rescue them and ar
rived before they were arrested. Both par
ties moved on to a crossroad where the Pro
Slavery men were reinforced.
They parted, but before they had gone far
several shots were fred into the ranks Of the
Free State company An engagement ensued.
Voliey after volley was rapidly exchanged
The combatants then retrea'ed to two houses.
At fe-shot distance. and KEEP; up constant
fire for five or ten minutes. One Free STATE
man. with a Shapes rife, lay down behind a
snow bank and fred at every man Of the op
po>ite party who dared 10 STOW himself The
firing was kept up unti both parties were ex
haussaf, when the Free STATE men withdrew
10 Eassin. The ballot box in the meantime
had been secured aad carried out Of town by
one Of the voters.
On the following morning, as Mr. Brown
was returning alone 70 Leayenworth, he was
overpow red by an armed force End arrested.
Mr. Ainard. another Free State man. who
had also made himself obnoxious BIZ his con
duet on the previous evening, arrested
during the forenoon. The Pro-S Slavery men
announced their determination 10 hang both
Of them. as soon as two men Of their own
company, who are MORALLY wounded, should
die
Riders were dispatched to every part ofthe
Territory. % announce the danger Of tie
prisoners, ana obtain forces 10 rescue them.
TIE messenger arrived here at midnight.
A Council c: safety was held Immediately
and aorseuea were dispatched in every d.
rection, to collect frees for the rescue Of The