The Kansas herald of freedom., 1857-08-22

slave, and dared not render that assist
ance, which, it must be presumed, his bet
ter nature prompted. In the fall, Col.
Cooke, with one thousand dragons, ar
rived at Fort Riley from Texas. As soon
as it it was known at Pawnee that Col
Cooke was in command of the post, the
inhabitants remarked that their hopes
for indulgence were over. They knew
him to be an officer who read his orders
and executed them, without questioning
their propriety.
In this, they were not disappointed; for
as soon as he saw the order, and learned
that no attention had been paid to it thus
far, he senta message to Pawnee, and in
as mild manner as possible informed the
inhabitants of the order, and his duties
under it; and requested them to save him
from the disagreeable necessity of using
force, by at once removing their property
to some other locality. Most of them
complied with the requisition. They laid
out town on the opposite side of the
river from Pawnee, calling it Riley City.
Some settled in this. Others went to the
lower part of the reserve, distance offive
miles, and established the town of Ogden.
Others became discouraged, and left the
Territory. Gov. Reeder's large hotel
was demolished by the government forces.
All had left the ill-fated' town except Mr..
Lemuel Knapp, who, having faith in the
magnanimity of the government, conclud-
ed to remain till spring, as he felt unable
to remove his house to another location
before winter should set in. After repeat
ed warnings from the commander to
| leave-all without effect-a file of SOL
diers was sent down from the Fort to de-
molish the obstinate squatter's residence.
They repaired to the house, and finding the
family IT. the lower part. commenced on
the roof, throwing it off and destroying
the upper story. The family remained
in the lower story for several days,
drenched with the cold winter rains, the
bed clothes freezing, and Mrs. Knapp
says the clothes in the cradle where their
| little babe of but few weeks old lay,
were so wet and frozen by the rain and
snow, as to render it difficult to dress OF
take care of it. Being limited in means,
and having large family of young and
dependent children, Mr.. Knapp found il
extremely difficult to get along, and this
untimely ruin caused the most intense
suffering during the long and severe win
ter which followed.
Thus ended the destruction of Pawnee
This, and the bombardment of GreytowI
furnish the two chief military exploits Of
! the administration of Franklin Pierce
Would that the subject could drop here;
but other deeds, equally depraved and
uncommon, are coupled with this transac'
ton.
Gov Reeder was accused of speculatins
in town lots, and Of convening the Legis-
lature on United States military reserve
and of specializing in Kaw lands, as q
reason for his removal. And the Presi'
dent finally gave these as an excuse fol
his action in the matter.
1tmay be truthfully said, in answer tc
all these charges, that Gov. Reeder, while
in Kansas, did no act unbecoming man o.
honor, and an officer of the United States
But to enter into more particulars, tn,
facts connected with his Kaw land specu.
ton are simply these: The half-breed
Kaws held twenty-three sections of lane
lying on the north side of the Kansa.
river, extending from below LecomptoI
to short distance above Topeka. These
lands the owners had been Offering fo
sale, for several months. A company, o
which Gov. Reeder was one, proposed tt
buy part of them, and were to give s.
per acre-the purchase to be contingen
On the appreciation of the President. Thi
he refused, and the whole thing fel
through; but still he dismissed him 70
speculating in Kaw lands. The refusa
of the President to sanction this sale
seems to have been fortunate circum
stance for the company. It appears, b,
the. land sales, closed at Osawkee abou
the middle of August, that the Delawar
lands adjoining there were bid off at 81 81
per acre. 1t would have been a benefi
to the country, had this land passed int
the hands of Gov. Reeder and Others, an,
it was so considered by the settlers at tn
! time. Those who are now living on
mile from the river, for twenty-five
!, miles up and down the river, have no ac
cess to it except by trespassing on tn
half-breed Kaw lands. The settlers hav
!, !, no right to buy, and the Kaws have n
!, night to sell-although both parties ar
!, desirous of doing so, and would be great
: ly benefited by the transaction.
Alengthy correspondence took place be
, twaen Gov. Reeder and the IndianAge gen
Mr.. Manypenny, in which the Governc
exonerates himself entirely from the a:
PENSIONS cast upon him by his enemies
He does the same in his correspondent
with Secretary Marcy. But no one be
lieved the charges: as they were onl
y made for purpose, it was not essentii
they should be true. A deed of villainy ":
to be done, and it mattered not wheth,
the excuse for it was true or false.
Gov. Reeder's dismissal was receive,
!, and communicated by him to the Legisl.
. tnre, on the 18th Of August. From tn:
date, Secretary Woodson became Actin
!. Governor. till the arrival of Govern,