Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1856-08-29
n. r., -. "a Raid-The Free
Ss tiesn 1pe Murdered or Driven

W. New that the report of The St.
Los. Republican. which We published
yesterday. had a sstret meaning to it
which a day or a. few days at most
would reveal. That revelation has come.
Hear i. freemen, and act!
For some two months or 80 the Bor
der Ruffians have been seemingly quiet.
"Allis peaceful in Kansas" they said
e We have news Of order and quiet in
the Territory repeated the st. Louis
Republican. This was blind all this
while the Border Ruffians were prepar-
ing to make a grand sweep over the Ter
ritory. to band themselves together, and
by one descent, murder, or drive out Of
Kansas, the whole Free State popula-
ton;
/. Buford's men and the Georgians
and tennessee ans renal n 4
in Kansas with the Missourians
and erected Notifications, calling them
colonies, in different parts of the Ter
ritory.-These 70, tifcations number
some ten or twelve. There are three in
Douglas County. two in Osawattamie,
one of them commanded by Coleman,
who murdered Dow. and the rest extend
along the Missouri River.
.. The Missouria-s have been fur
nishing the Carolinians. Georgians and
their own men with provisions, ammu-
nitions. &c.
8. When I'll was ready, the. Ruffans
made no secret Of their plan. They
thought that they had the Free State
men in their power. They resolved to
exert it. The question as to the time OF
attack was the only point. and this was
to be Immediately after the adjournment
of Congress.
4. The river. meanwhile, was gaurd-
ed at every point, and no Free State man
reached Kansas up the Missouri or
through the State of Missouri.
5. SO certain were the Ruffians OF
success, that on the 18th, Mr.. Hoyt OF
Massachusetts was shot down on the
prairie by the rufEans at the blockhousc,
near Washington Creek, and on the
same day another Free State man was
killed by these brutal murderers.
Seeing this state Of things, knowing
that life or death hung upon the issue,
the Free State men resolved to meet the
crisis like men. TLey could not wait :;
for to do that would be to insure the sue
cess of the Rufians. They dared net Go
it; for not only would their property be
sacrificed, but their wives and children
ruthless.ly violated and then murdered.
They concluded rightly as we think. to
meet the foe, and to show him that he
was uot fearcd-they determined to at
tack him in one of his stronsholds.
lst. Franklin was one of the dens of
the Rufhans. They occupied a block
house in the town-this block-house the
free State men attacked and carried. who
had one man killed, Edward Sackett
from Detroit, and two more badly wound
ed, Jack Brooks and-Gurthier. Five
others were slightly wounded. The
Ruffans being strongly fortified, es
capped only four were wounded; but
they cried for quarter and surrendered
The body of them sln like troopers
The free State men took sixty stand Of
arms, one cannon. powder, and large
amount of stores. These arms had been
mostly stolen from Lawrence, and were
identified, though among them were
few United States muskets.
The story of the St. Louis Republican
as to the bling of the Post offices or the
sacking of franklin. is all lie. Not a
building, not a citizen. nor the property
of any citizen, was destroyed or disturb
ed. The assault was confined to the
ma-auders' dent began there and end
ed there. No people know better how
to respect personal and private rights
than the Freeman of Kansas.