St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1858-01-21
st. Charles City, Iowa, Jan. 81, 1858.
Kansas.

]
take command there of the Free state
forces, had just returned bringing
,ows Of an exciting character. lie
rode through from Lawrence to Fort
Scott a distance of ninety miles, in
eleven hours. He found about 100
men in camp. A body of United States
DRAGONS. 200 strong, were also camp
ed near Fort Scott. The pro-slavcry |
party numbered $50. They had eight
Free State men prisoners, and were
threatening to hang them.
A movement was made on Fort
Scott on the Goth, with a view to res
cuing the prisoners but it was found
that they would be compelled to at,
tack the troops, which, for want Of
sufficient arms and force they were not
prepared to do. Six scouts were cap
tured and taken to camp. That ni@ht
the Free State men, 1873 i'll number,
marched thirty miles in Il binding
snow storm to fortified camp on Lit
tie Sugar Creek. Gen. Lane joined
them on Monday noon and proceeded
TO enroll the companies as territorial
militia. He issued proclamation to
the people as Major General OF the
Territorial Militia. He promised pro-
lection to the citizens of all grades
and shades of opinion ; but any Mis-,
sourian found in arms, should be trlea
by drum-head courtmartial, and II
found guilty of invasion should be
hunp, Ii was reported on Tuesday
night that the dragons were within
twelve miles, on their may to take
j.ane and his men prisoners. Reports
were also current that Rev. MIR. Stew
art and his seven fellow captlves had
been hung at Fort Scott.
A council Of war was held and 1t
was determined to fight the United
States troops rather than suffer them
selves to be disarmed, disbanded or
taken prisoners. Lane was encamped
in one of the strongest positions pos
sblc. He was entrenched in the
midst of large body of timber, acces-
sible to men acquainted, but not to
strangers, on the banks of the Little
Sugar Creek, near Sugar Mound. He
had three block houses which COM
manded the approaches in such way
that an enemy attacking must be eX-
posed to CALLING cross fire. This Is
one of old John Browns retreats, and
has often served a good purpose.
The cause of the difficulty appears to
have arisen from the fact that for
some time past the pro-slavcry men
of Fort Scott, Bourbon County, in
Kansas, and of the adjoining county
of Bates, in Missouri, have been ar.
resting and annoying the Free State
settlers. G. w. Clark, the murderer
of Barber, now holding an appoint
mcnt from the Government in the lane
office there, is said to have instigateG
the trouble. A general attempt was
made to collect taxes, and Free State
men had been violently stripped of
their property.
At the meeting of the late delegate
convention Gen. Lane was applied to
for aid. 1t was promised them should
they get into fight. A company was
organized under the volunteer militia
ny organization, and the pro-slavery
men got out some fifty writs under the
Rebellion Act. On attempting to
serve them, resistance was offered and
fight ensued. Cen Abbott, who went
to investigate the matter, took COM
mand Of the free state men and threw
himself into log house, on the Little
Usage River, about sixteen miles from
Fort Scott, with thirty-iive men. He
was surrounded by party of one
hundred and fifty Missourians and pro-
slavery men, under command Of U. S.
Deputy Marshal DR.. Blake Little. A
fight ensued on Wednesday the 10th,
and DR.. Little and two others were
wounded, it was thought fatally. The
Missourians then retreated to Fort
Scott for reinforcements, and the Free
State men to Sugar Mound for like
purpose.
Gen. Lane sent to Gen. Abbott to
maintain his position at all hazards,
let who would come against him.
Stanton ordered down one hundred
U. 5. dragons to Fort Scott, and it
was rumored that Gen. Harvey had
received orders from Washington to
aid in putting down the Free State
men. A Kansas writer says, "The
message is looked upon as nothing
else but declaration of war agaist
us IT we do not submit to the Le-
compton regency. We ual not do IL,
u. y. troops or not. We wul resist"
The Kansas-Nebraska Act does not
require the signatures of the presiding
officers OF the Legislature to acts pas
scd over the Governors veto. The
Kansas military act, the repeal of the
rebellion act &c, are therefore fully
valid.
Later dispatches inform us of the
dispersion Of the Missourians, the lib
Grafton OF the prisoners, and the res.
toration Of peace and quietness to the
country. Gen. Lane and his men re.
turned, all looking well, but suffering
somewhat from colds contracted h,,
camping out.
A despatch from st. Louis, dated
Jan. 18th says:
Gov. Denver's Message to the Kan
sas Legislature ascribes the animosit,
and bitter feeling existing in the Ter
fitOry more to personal hostility tba