Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-06-17
The Linn COUNTY Massacre.

of the previous accounts. Rev. B. l.. Read
gave an account of the affair to the cores
pondent of the Cincinnati Gazette. lie Is
a member of the American Baptist Home
Mission Society; he emigrated from Lake
county, Illinois, to Kansas, in March 1857
and settled in Linn county; he has been
engaged as minister for several years, Is
a native of Connecticut, and is 40 years Of
age. On the 10th ult. he went to neigh
bor's to borrow a plow. Capt Hamilton
and his party came up, and ordered him
into tho ranks, and be refused to go.-
Hamilton then drew a pistol from his belt
and presented it at him but did not fire
They examined the premises for arms and
ammunition. About this time Mr.. Still
well drove up. They took possession Of
his wagon and team. He was afterwards
killed. They took Mr.. Reads horse, and
three from Mr.. Nichols. He describes
their being tkken into the ravine, and fired
upon by these -blooded assassins. AT
ter the Williams had left, his wife came to
where they were lying in their blood, and
went for assistance. Mr.. Read says he had
acted as Judge at three free state elections,
and also voted against the Lecompton con-
stitution. For this he was deemed wor-
thy of death. He was shot with Sharpe's
rifle, the ball taking effect through the
ieshy part of the left shoulder.
VIM. Harrigrave. who was born in Ma
rion District, South Carolina, A. D. 1900,
gave similar account of the massacre
He has resided in Georgia, Mississippi and
Illinois. From the latter State he cmi-
grated TO Kansas, in the Fall of 1857, and
made settlement in Linn county, near
the Trading Post; rather conservative
man, and voted for Buchanan. lie has
never taken an active position in the Free
State party, but voted against the Lecomp-
ton Constitution, in January. He was
covering corn on his claim when the ruff
ans rode up and compelled him TO accom-
pany them. He was shot in the left
shoulder, with buck shot; one entered be-
low the joint, on the back part of the arm,
and the other two above, passed backwards,
and lodged near the backbone. One pistol
shot struck on the under portion of the arm
and passed through the axilla, and then
into the chest, wounding the lungs, and
lodged in the muscle on the right breast.
His wounds are considered dangerous. .
The statement of Mrs. Read we give in
full:
1 came to Kansas in July, 1857, from
Newport, Lake county, Illinois. On We'd
nesday, the 10th ult., the time my husband
was taken prisoner, l was at my house.
About 81 o'clock A. NJ, an old gentleman
came to my door, and informed me that
Hamilton's company were in taking priso-
ners, and that they had already taken my
husband. He advised me to give myself
no alarm, as there was no danger of their
doing him any injury. l went to neigh
boris house, where l found the women and
children crying, and learned that my hus-
band had been taken and marched off 10
wards Missouri. With spy glass l saw
the company, about three miles distant,
and started 10 follow them.
On my way | called at the house Of Mr..
Colpetzer, and there found three women
whose husbands had been taken by the
same company, and marched of. Hamil-
ton told them that he only wanted their
husbands for short time, would do them
no harm, and advised them not to follow
them but remain at home.
1 left Mr.. Colpertzer's, and followed on
in the direction the company had TAKEN
After going about four miles, l again saw
the company marching the prisoners into q
ravine. ! walked on, heard the discharge
of firearms, and soon after company of
men passed near me, one of them leading
my pony. Soon a second company came
up, and asked, Where are the prisoners?
They gave me an evasive reply. then
said, You are the men, for there (pointing
to the company in advance) is a man lead
ing my pony. One of the party then call
ed to the other, and Captain Hamilton led
the pony to Inc and said, "If it is your po-
ny take it." again asked for the priso-
ners. He told me that there was COM
pany coming that would tell me, and rode
of.
I went on and met the other company !;
they halted and in reply to my question,
told me to so into ravine and l would find
some men.
l went on until 1 saw what l supposed
q part of Hamilton's party lying on the
ground, and called out 10 them and asked,
where are the prisoners? which repeated
three times. The last time l heard the
voice of my husband. l went nearer and
found them to be the prisoners, and that
they had all been shot. Ny husband told
me that they had all been shot, and would
die, and 10 go and get assistance as speedi-
y as possible. l went to the house of Mr..
Harrigrove and meeting on the way son
Of Mr.. H., told him what had happened,
and to take my pony and ride up t. the
settlement, and get some men to come
iown after the prisoners.
AT the house l met Mrs. Colpetzer and
Mrs. Harrigrove, and they assisted me to
,atch the oxen and drive them with wa
yon to the iavine. On our arrival we
ound that part of the men had left. Mr.
Snyder was still living; we gave him some
water we had brought with us. l went
urLher down into the ravine in search of
ny husband: met Mr.. Harrigrove, who
vas badly wounded; he told me that my
husband was alive and somewhere about.
In looking for him 1 was separated from
he company and saw no more of them un-
il | got back to the house where met Mr..
Hall, and was told that my husband had
rot into the bushes and died.
went out and met a company of men,
nd they went in search of him. About
l o'clock that night found him lying on
he ground, in the timber about two miles