Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1859-11-04
TuE STATE ARMs OF IowA.-It

what had become Of the quota OF arms fur
nished By the United States to Iowa. A
few years ago some fifteen hundred stand of
arms were supplied to this State by the
Federal Government Of these. not two
thirds have been distributed according to
the law under which they we're given in
They were furnished to arm the volunteers
and militia Of the State and for Iowa's de-
fence And vet it Is impossible for our
volunteer companies forming throughout
the State to get arms and equipments. Ap
plication is made to the Adjutant General
for muske,s or rifles. and the invariable
reply is, that there are none. We all recol
lect the difficulty the Sarsfield Guards. Of
this city. had 10 procuring muskets-they
had to wait until company had disbsnded
some where in The State and then got those
they had been using.
Now what has become Of the balance Of
the mu.kets and rifles belonging to the
State? We have charged it previously. and
charge it again, that Senator Grimes, faith-
lees TO HE trust as Governor Of Iowa. gave
away the arms for the defence Of the State,
to those ruffian bands that, in the summer
Of 1856, under the lead Of Jim Lane and
others. marched through Iowa to Ksnsae,
p!ilaging and stealing every thing they
could lay their hands on.
Mr. II. Forbes. Scotch military adven-
turer. whom Greeley, Bescber. Brown 4
Co. enlisted to teach their Kansas emf
grants ~ the art Of war, in letter to Mr..
F. B. Sauborn, Of Concord, Massachusetts,,
dated New York, Jan. 2sd. lss{ says that.
in July, 1857, he visited the house of DR..
Jesse Bowen. at Iowa City, (the Republican
Senator from johnson county, where he
expected TO meet Capt. John Brown DR..
Bowen, in conversation with him. Launched
out in bitter invectives against all commit.
tee men and managers. and every body
connected with Kansas and the Free State
party" Capt. John Brown (Old Ossawat-
tamie) then accounted to Mr.. Forbes for the
polite compliments paid by Dr. Bowen to
that number of free State men had come
on as far as Iowa, and these insisted upon
having the arms which had been promised
previous TO their leaving New England
The regulations for the Iowa militia, or
volunteers. enabled companies organized as
State volunteers to be supplied with arms
from the State Arsenal. Before delivering
such arms it was requisite that come res
ponsible citizen should sign . bond for the
value of the arms-that bond to be can
celled after the companies had been organ
lied and the officers elected had given their
receipts for the arms. DR.. Jesse Bowen
consented to become bound IN this instance,
believing in the assurance that the compan-
les would be actually and instantly organ
lied, as required; 60 that after the officers
had given their receipts, he would have
been absolved from any pecuniary liability,
though the companies were afterwards to
No sooner were the weapons produced than
they were pounced upon by the free State
men. The stipulated organization of the
companies, W hich would have cost nothing
and was mere formality. was not complied
with. The mob rushed off, the managers
at the head, Boosting of what they would
do to the border ruffians, and on .he first
summons, after crossing the Kansas frontier.
they gallantly gave up those arms and ecat
tered. The bond for the value of those
arms now hangs over the head of DR.. Jesse
Bowen.
Let Dr. Bowen, State Senator elect, come
out and explain this matter so disgraceful
to the Republican officials in Iowa. 1t is
due to the people that the next Legislature
Of Iowa should investigate it. Let DR..
Bowen's bond be sued on, if the arms have
been given away to non-residents of the
State.