New-York daily tribune., 1859-06-02

u.s,ered half this audience; and was forced 70
conclude that the country is really better peopled
n.p IL ,cems TO mere truyeler-,ha., while the
hvered roads tavere the high divides or mid
Ne Of the prairies, order to AVOID far posi-
~. tAe miry bottoms and water-course., the set
rers are nestled n, the edge of the timber. and
down the water -conrtes, where fencing and fuel
are far more accessible.
The country i traversed between Stanton and
Prsire City was little more rolling, and consider
aA,y better tiu,bered than that between Shawnee
and Stanton, already described. The Oaks often
ssvered considerable tracts Of upland, while young
timber was vfiby spreading on al hands, under
cover OF ibe universal hszelbushes of those Kansas
uplaI ds, which are not burned over every year Our
ne1t post-offiee above Joness WAS Hickory Grove,
Which reminds me that saw more good Hickory
this day than in any former day Of my life. Some
Of the Oab, also, was very good These, with
The Black Walnut, are the settlers main reliance
for timber, rails included, The Elm, Cottonwood,
Sycamore &c, warp 50 badly when sawed into
boards and seasoned, that very little use can be
made Of them, though think / saw few COT
tepwood rails The grass was abundant ana
superb; the soil generally deep and excellent
We had another smart tbunder-shower on FRI
ssy morning ,2Ofb), after which came from frai-
y;e City to Lawrence, Is miles north My com
,snion was q young pioneer from Southern Mis-
souri, reared among slaves and slaveholders' but
Yre4. State from the time he could fairly see, VINO
assured me that he knew large portion of tts
peosle of Missouri to condemn and hate Slavery,
even while they shout and vote in its favor. tie
came ant here in 1855 to be rid Of the curse, and
had had a pretty fair experience OF the strdggie'
having been with Lane at Bull Creek, when 800
Nissourisns did not venture to attack $50 Free
State men, but, after being separated by night
beat retreat across the line leaving some of their
arms and camp equipage behind them. lie was
also at the somewhat noted Battle Of Black
Jack" which he described to me substantially as
follows:
On the lat Of June, 1856 Henry Clay Pate, at
the head Of Pro Slavery band emerging suddenly
from the Indian Reserve which then covered most
sf the region between this point and the Missouri
border, surprised the little settlement Of Palmyra,
which they sacked without resistance. Next morn
ing they proposed TO extend their operations to
Prsrie City, which would probably have shared the
sawe fate, had not Old Brown, lately driven away
from Osawatamie by an overwhelming force, been
canlped with ten Of hiB tried men, in the woods on
BLACK Jack, 8 little creek four miles eastward.
Strengthened by these, Prarie City resolved on
resistance, and mustered ts sixteen Sharps rifles,
in addition to those of Old Browns party, and
when the Rufisns sent in six of their men to sack
the place, presumiDg there would be no resistance,
they took four of them prisoners aud chased the
fber two back 10 their band, with bullets whislng
BY their ears. They found the Rufians encamped
on the open prairie but drawn out line for battle,
where they stood perfectly still as the Free-State
neB reared them firing as they nearcd-t0 get the
range Of their rifles. As they approached, small
rayine only lay betwixt them, but the two lines
could be and were distinctly counted on either side
-fity.four msn in rank composing the Pro. Slavery
And twepty.six the Frvo-state party, Soon, TIVE
or three Of the Ruffans went down badly wounded,
and one after another of their comrades were
seen .aihng off, making tracks for Missouri at
a $40 gait, until barely twenty two Of them
remained, when Pate raised a white flag and
surrendered at discretion, 10 just fourteen men
stapdiDg in the Free-St.te array at that me-
mept Seven horses, two wagons well laden
with the plunder Of Palmyra, two drums ADD
abeut forty stand Of arms were among, the "spoils
=" of victory" and though Col. Sumner with bis U.
& troops came down on hearing of the affray, hb-
Grated ,he prisoners, and stored what they claimed
a. their property, the booty taken from Palmyra
was left and restored to its rightful owners. Not
one Ffee-Stste man was killed or badly wounded,
The wounded Missourians were kindly nursed at
Prairie City till they were well enough to travel,
when they were recompended to resume thai
wholesome exercises suggestion which they
gladly profted BY. Two Of those who got away
died of their wounds. And, though there were
many alarms, and year Of marching, camping,
scouting riding, after that, to the destruction OF
an industry and progress, Prairie City has seen no
organized company of Border Rpffians at her
doors since that % day Of June, 1856.
The road from tha. City TO Lawrence Qo
miles) passes over a rolling country, mainly
prairie, crosses the great Santa Fa trail, now hor
ribly cutup by many heavy wagons passing in bad
weather, then takes over high divide and along
limestone ridge which runs out into the valley OF
the Wabaru.a, and affords magnificent view Of
the country for an area Of twenty miles in each
direction, NTH the prairie in good part cultsated
cleaning in sunlight ON every bend, aud the Waka.
rusa with its belt Of timber making its way through
them to join the Ksw, with its stl larger belt, on
the north. Spacious mounds or spurs of limestone
covered with soil and grass rise to a hight OF two
or three hundred feet on every SIDE on one of
which visible for many miles on every side, Hag,