The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1858-06-15
4 FROM KANSAS.
ThPllling account - the ProsSluy6ry
Murders In L1nM COOMty.
Lawrence, K. r., May %, 1858.


| ThPlllimg account - the ProsSluy6ry
Murders In Liam C0Omey.
Correspondence Of the d. Ieuis Democratl
Lawrence, K. r., May 90, 1858.
Although several reports have reached here
| Of . battle be tween the Pro-s!nvety forces now
assembling IL Gass and Bates counties, aid the
Free State men ON this side of the line, in Lynn
! and Bourbon, it does not appear thai there has
| been, yet any serious collision. OF The mas
sacre al Chouiesu's trading post, you nave pro
badly got the particulars ere this. II is eener-
ally adIittcd 10 have been one OF the most
cold-biooded atrocities ever committed in this
country. As have received the most authen-
tic details, VII. give you few OF them, as this
| is historical event OF the deepest inleres. 70
Kansas aud the whole country: -
The invadll & party at the time it entered the
| Territory numbered So men. These were we'll
| armed. several OF them having Sharpe's rifles.
| fhe party was partially composed OF men v h0
have been living about Fort Scott. OF these
| were Dr.. George +. Hamilton, Brocket, Hill, and
several other OF the Fort Scott gang Mr.. Ham
| lt0n, PrO-slavery man, who likes on Usage
| river, was also with them, as was his son. They
have been active ia iOrineF difficulties. Some
tour or five United States soldiers that were
driven from Capt. Anderson's Company OF Dra-
goons, At Fort ecott, Tor participating IN the
this party. The remainder OF the party, none
OF the prisoners or persons who saw them re-
| cognized, and they are supposed to be Mis-
sanrlans iroin the border.
The invaders came ia near TO Chouteau's 5
trading post, on the Usage, in Lynn county
This was some DISTANCE further North than the
scene OF the icruier difficulties No intelligence
oil their approach had been received by any one
Od Mr.. Hamilton aud mis- son, who were OF the
party. reside in the same section. They pro-
.veded 1T once TO arrest such az they hap
pened 70 come across. None OF tLose thus ;a-
ken have had anything to do with the Fort
Scott difficulties, in ANY shape Several oIthem
have only been a few days in the territory
Onc OF them was baptist missionary, the Rev.
Charles kesd, who came TO Kansas within the
past year. The prlsoners were not told why
they had been taken, or where they were being
taken, or what was TO be their fate. They were
entirely unarmed. Most OF them were at work
i'll the field when arrested. One OF them, Mr..
Stilwell, e1twenty miles distant from where
he was taken, and was driving his team along
the road to Kansas City for provisions, when he
was taken.
1t appears that portion of the invading band
had either not been informrd as to what was to
be done with the prisoners, or had not the
nerve to commit the crime when it came to the
trial. After some discussion amongst them
selves on the subject, dozen Of the number
leit the party and rode back to the State at the
gailop. The remainder OF the party, numbering
twenty three, led their prisoners twelve in mum.
Der, into a deep and narrow rayine. Here they
.anged them in line close together, in the bot
tom Of the ravine. The gorge was SO narrow
that the Pro slavery band had to stand above
their victims and fred down on them. Had this
not been the case, thus destroying their aim, it
likely that every one OF them would have
been killed. The order Of fire was given by
old Hamilton, and was given several times be-
lore it was obeyed. Hamilton and his son firing
before the Others. After one yoiley had been
Gred all Of the prisoners fell, killed or severly
wounded, except two, one of whom was only
slightly wounded, and the other nnhurt; but in
order 10 save himself he feigned death. After
the prisoners fell, the assassins fired at them on
the ground. Some of them discharged their
revolvers at the PROSTATE bodies, and others
loaded and fred their pieces One of the sur
vivors who, although severely wounded, is like
ly 10 recover, had revolver placed close to his
car and discharged. The ball glanced off along
the cheek bone, and came out, making fright
fu wound at the mouth.
After the shooting, the murderers rode of,
evidently terrified at their own act They rob
bed the prisoners however. Mrs. Reed, the wife
OF The Baptist missionary, followed the party
that captured her husband. She heard the fir
ing and feared the worst. Fearful and excited,
while hurrying in the direction, she met por-
ton CT the band coming back. She demanded
what they had done with them, but they only
scowled and swore at her, and rode on. Soon
She met another party of them, and one of them
was leading her husbands horse.
THAT is my horse" she exclaimed. "where
are you taking him? ?"
Strange TO say the man dismoun.ed, and gave
up the horse saying; "Ifhe is your horse, you
may take him"
Size then said, "What have you done with
the prisoners You surely have not shot them?
where are they.'
Yes, we have" said one and he pointed in
an .lposite direction to that of the ravine, in
Gc4 ling that they were there. She, however,
hurried on in the direction from which she had
heard the firing, and soon came to the ravine.
Wien she came 10 it and looked down and saw
The men lying, she thought it more OF the
III ssouri party keeping watch. and without yen-
turing into the ravine, size cried:
Where are the prisoners s:-what have you
done with them!'
Her husband recognizing her voice called her
to come down. What spectacle presented it.
sell; Eleven men lying in that narrow ravine,
weiterng in their blood, dead or grounded
They sent her to get assistance, and raise the
ela.:a. After the murderers had left, the woun-
ded and dying men were able to converse with
each other, and those who were dying, and
those who thought themselves dying, told their
comrades what they wanted done with their
property, so that the survivors could attend to
it il they escaped. What an awful scene was
thus presented.