The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1859-11-18
An Arsenal Sacked In 1850.

An ArSenH SuCkcu IN hoOos e..
We copy from the Report Of the
Investigating Com
nittee on Kansas affLirs, tho affida.
vit of Captain Luther Leonar,l, con-
cerning the capture and plundering
Of the United States military depot
at Liberty, Missouri, which, as the
public are aware, did not elicit
the least suspicion Of treason among
the authorities at Washington! The
statement will be found ih pages
1929, 1880, and 1881 Of the Report
aforesaid: - . i.''
| am a military store keeper at
the Missouri depot, Liberty, Missou-
ri. have been stationed there ten
years laet March, having charge Of
the arsenrl, which contains arms
and ammunition Of all descriptions.
On the 4,h Of December, 1855, my
clerk, Mr. Grant, came from town
and said there was some talk Of
their coming down to the arsenal 10
get arms, but he did not think they
would do 80. took no measures
Of defense. as l never thought they
would come, and my clerk told me
he did not believe they would come.
A little after noon, saw Judge
James I. V. Thomson in the arsenal
yard, and | walked up to him and
greeted him civilly, and asked him
to walk to my quarters. lie de-
iclined to going to my quarters, and
said he would look about little
] took him into the armorer's shop
first and intended going all about
with him. We had been here but
a short time before l saw through
the windows a number OF people on
the outside. wished TO go ont and
sec what was going on. In the
meantime, a number OF men had
slipped into the armory where We
we're. When | wished to 20 out,
there were men at the door who told
me very civilly | could not Co.
Ono of them was Mr. Bouton, my
clerks (M'r Grant) father in Jaw
| took hold Of him and gave him a
little push, but he said, good ma
tnredly enough, it was CT no use
as ! could not go ont. told them
that was an old man, with dislo.
lated shoulder and but one eye.
and should not undertake to fight
with them. ! told Judge rhomp,
son ! thought it was poor business Tor
the United States to build arsenals
for mob to break open. t.H
The Judge and The others told me
there was trouble in Kansas, and
they wanted arms; but would d.
nothing wrong with them. ! told
the Judge that was aggressive Oh
the part Of the Missourians, and ev
.erycommunity was competent to tako
care of it's own aft .irs, and that the
Missourians ought not to interfere.
A good deal more was said on both
sides, and ielt indignant at the ag-
gression. The Judge himself did
not say an uncivil word to mo.
had not expected any such thing a.
this when first saw the Judge, or
could have had the gates locked.
The mob proceeded to take arms,
forcing the doors. and to.k three six.
Ipounders, some swords, pistols. ri
Ties and ammunition. powie,, balls,
etc, ne much as they wanted. They
broke some doors open. | do not
know how they got the keys to get
into the powder magazine, which is
composed of brick, and had double
doors. Captain Price was tho lead
ling man in the crowd, Id | under.
stood. Mr. Rout was there. s'Ikept
in the room until tho men had got
all the arms md Ammunition they
wanted, and had gone away-Judge
Thompson being the last one, when
he let me 60 out, and then he left
himself. - ial
Some six or eight days afterwards
, the guns were returned to tile arsen-
Ial. They were left, was told, Mt
Colonel Aliens place, some three
quarters Of a mile from the arsenal.
Ia the meantime | had reported the
facts to Colonel Sumner, and he had
sent downa company Of dragons
The men sent to me to know if
would receive the arms, and | toll,
them was not in command. and
: referred them to Captain Beall. and
no told them to bring them along;
: they did so, aud they were received.
Among the property taken was some
] artillery harness. ! cannot reco le, {
: how many sets. There was soine de-
: ticencies in the number OF rifles,
= swords, aud pistols, and some bar-
! ness returned, lut cannot tell tho
precise particulars. The deficiencies
; have never been made up BY the
: citizens of Missouri. but have been
instructed by Colonel Craig, tho
: head OF the ordinance department.
at Washington, tn purchase suGi +.
cient OF SUCH articles as could oh.
tain in the ilrigiib5rhood to make up
. .he deficiency; and we aiia 7s6,o but
the sw'. .rds. pistols andrifies I'VE bave
. not been able to makeupazalidia not
know how much has BEEN xpsnd,,l
j in making up This deli ioncy. I'm
g lmediatcly alter ttiis robbery | REPORT.
. ed tho circumstances y at0s Colonel
!. Craig at Washing,oa,i specify ins
= the nnmber and amount oi, each, o,
the different articles taken. Ia The
course ofttI,e w'nser Ne seh, ne Hs' Or
'iers 10 ship the public proIsrty Ia
70 Fort Leaseawortli aud Syinl LOUIS
y Isrsenas, giving me q schedule ~ lLs
Y lAmOnnt 10 be takeu 20 e<ckH1Ncs.