The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1859-11-17
From the Chicago Tribune.
Another Arsenal Sacked.
ANOTHER TOWN CAPTURED
No Excitement Whaserer.

No Excitement Whaterer.
We copy from the Report of the Congress
ional Investigating Committee on Kansas
affairs the affidavit Of Capt Luther Leonard.
concerning the capture and plundering of
the U. S. Military Depot a, Liberty. No.
which, as the public are aware. did not ehc-
it the least suspicion OF treason among the
authorities at Washington The statement
will be found in pages 1929, 113o and 1lSl,
of the Report aforesaid
l am military storekeeper at the Missou-
ri Depot, Liberty. Missouri. l have been
stationed there ten years last March. having
charge of the arsenal. which contains arms.
and ammunition of all descriptions. On the
4th of December, 1855, my clerk. Mr.. Grant.
came from town and said there was some
talk of their coming down to the arsenal to
get arms, but l did not think thew would
come. and my clerk told me he did not be-
! lieve they wonld come.
! A little after noon, SAW Judge James It.
V. Thompson in the arsenal yard. and l walk
ed up to him and greeted him civiv. and
asked him to walk TO my quarters. He de-
clined going TO nv quarters, and said he
would like TO look abou. little. l took him
into the armorer's shop first, and intended
going about with him. We had been there
but short time before l saw through the
windows number of people outside. In
the meantime. number of men had slipped
into the armory where we we're. When l
wished to GO out, there were men at the
door who told me very cis lily [ could not go.
One of them was Mr.. Bouton. my clerks
Mr. Grant, father-inlaw. l took hold of
him and gave him little push; but he said,
good naturedy enough, it was of no use. as L
could not go out l told them | was old
man, with a dislocated shoulder and but
eye and | should not undertake 10 Eight wi b
them l told Judge Thompson that l
thought it was poor business for the United
States to build Arsenals Tor mob to break
open.
The Judge and the others told me there
were troubles in Kansas, and they wanted
arms, but would do nothing wrong with them.
told the Judge this was aggressive on the
part Of Missouri, and every community was
competent to take care Of its own affairs. and
that the Missourians ought not It interfere
A good deal more was said on both sides, and
1 felt indignant at the aggression. The Judge
himself did not say an unclvl word to me-
l had not expected any such thing as this
when 1 first saw the Judge, or l could have
had the gates locked.
The mob proceeded to take arms, forcing
the DOORS and took three six Founders, some
swords. pistols, rifles, and ammunition, pow
der, balls, &c, much they wanted
They broke some doors open. do not know
how they got the keys to get into the pow
der magazine, which is composed Of brick,
and had double doors. Captain Price was
the leading man in the crowd. as l under
stood Mr. Roul was there. I was kept in
the room until the men had got all the arms
they wanted and had gone away--Judge
Thompson bcng the last one when he let
me 90 out, and then he left himself.
Some six or eight days afterward the guns
were returned to the arsenal. They were
left was told, at Colonel Aliens place, some
three quarters of mile from the arsenal
In the meantime had reported the facts to
Colonel Sumner, and he had sent down
company Of dragons. The men sent to me
to know i: would receive the arms. and
told them l was not in command. and refeI-
red them to Captain Beall, and he told them
to bring them along, and they did SO and
they were received. Among the property
taken was some artillery harness. l cannot
recollect how many SETS There were some
DEFICIENCIES in the number of rifles, swords.
and pistols, and some harness returned. but l
cannot state the precise particulars These
DEFICIENCIES have never been made up by the
citizens O. Missouri bat | have been instruc
ted bv Colonel Craig, the head OF the Orii
nance Department at Washington, to pur
chase sufficient of such articles as could OBJ
tain In the ncighborhood. to make up the de-
flciencv, and we did SO; but the swords, pis-
tolls. and rifles We have not been able TO
make DO not know how much has been
expended in making up this deficiency. I'm
mediately after this robbery | reported the
circumstances to Col Craig at Washington.
sne.ifv;nr the number and amount of each
Of the different articles taken. In the course
of the winter he sent me orders TO ship the
public property to Fort LeavenvoIth and
St. Louis arsenals. giving me schedule OF the
amount to be taken to each place, which
did as soon as soon as navigation opened.
L. LEONARD, NJ. s. K.