Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1859-01-20
The Rc.Opened War in Kansas
Fort Scott ,Taken--B Brown
Invades MissOupi.. Liberat ion
of, SlaveS-.Inv;lsiOn of Il slAs;ls.

InVades MisSOurls. Liberation
of Slaves--Inv;lsiOn of Kansas.
{ The border war betweenthe Free State
and pro.Slavery men in Kansas and the adj
jacent counties of Missouri has become so
serious, that we devote considerable space
to the details Of outrage aud bloodshed
heretofore briefly noted by telegraph. To
90 back to the beginning of the re.opening
of the war, we. quote from letter 10 the
New York Tribune, dated Gainesville,
Kansas, Dec. 17th. The writer SAYS: rs
| have already several times noticed the
Imprisonment of a young man named Ben
jamin Rice at Fort Scoti,son charge OF
having participated in The difficulties gof
Southern Kansas last Winter. He was
arrested by Capt. John Hamilton on the
10th OF last month"; He was then arrest
ed on charge oflarceny, of which charge
all knew him to be Innocent Rice knew
at the time Of his arrest than an indict-
lnent bad been found against him by the
late packed Grand Jury of Bourbon Coun-
ty for killing a pro-Slayery man named
Wasson, in fight between two small
parties of Free State and Pro- Slavery men
during the war of last Winter, and suspect
ed that the other charge was trumped up
for thepuspose of enticing him into tile
Fort by the prospect of an easy acquittal,
whence he might be taken an held on The
old charge. He told Deputy Sheriff Ham
ilton what his suspicious were, and declar-
ed liiat he would not be arrested on any
charge of offences committed, or claimed
to have been committed, prior to the COM
promise made by Gov. Denver. The Sher-
itf and posse-somc eight or ten in num-
Der - solemnly assured Rice tina: no
treachery was meditated, ,iand that if he
surrenderedhimself Ire should not be held
or tried on any other charge than the one
named in the warrant. On these assuran-
ces being given, Rice surrendered. He had
hardly done SO, however, before the posse
tauuted him with his greemess,s saying
howleasily he was tricked. They at once
told him that he was to be hung, and
some drew their revolvess upon him,
threatening to shoot him down at once,
and would have done so, in all probabili-
ty: had not Others prevented it. When
they reached Fort Scott, he was told that
he would never go out again., and war
rant, issued under the old Indictment al
ready spoken of, was served upon him.
A general jolefieation was held over this
breach of the compromise, in which Mar
shall Campbell, Judge Williams, J.. Z.
Jones, editor OF the Fort Scott Democrat,
the Lyttles, ex-Gov. Ransom and others,
participated. z Hirf4 IN 5,s 1a,i. .1oi .asyar,
Soon after this, meetings of the people
were held at Mapletop and Usage City,
called by the Pre-Slavery men themselves.
At one ofthese the people demanded that
Rice should be unclaimed and released on
parole. At the other. the Denver COM
promise was readopted, and the full release
of Rice demanded, the otfense alleged
against him being one Of the 6y-gones.-
The Fort Scott people bolled these de-
cisions, and held meeting Of their, own,
at home, composed exclusively Of Pro
slavery men, at which it, was declared he
should notbe released, and that he should
be killed If any attempts were made to
rescue him. j. E. Jones, editor of the
Democrat, declared in a speech on the oc-
casior, that shell should gap open before
his release" and the Fort Scott people ap-
plauded the sentiment. .ii -gf 71s3 ..sa
All the men in town were placed on
duty, and strong guard continually kept
about the place. They boosted of being
able TO defend the town and hold their
prisoners against 500 men. Montgomery
had already proposed 10 the Free Stale
men of the Little Usage to take the place
by force of arms, and rescue Rice; but
few ofthe most conservative men prevail
ed upon him to desist for time, and un-
I'll they could try all peaceful means at
hand. 7. All these peaceful negotiations
proved to be of no effect. They resulted
in nothing but the closer confinement of
Rice. Hosrf -7,g93 8 housHJaz .ssilial
The excitement of the people continued
to increase, and their clamor became loud
er for the release of the prisoner. Day
before yesterday Montgomery took up his
march for the Fort, with 70 men, gath
cred from the Little Sugar and Little
0sage.1 Tho Free Stale forces reached the
Marmaton one mile above the only torda7
bic point. the California Crossing; and
three miles from the. Fort, about 10 O'Clock
On Wednesday night. Here they encamp.
cd, and rested until four o'clock the follow
ing morning, when they again took up
thsir line of march for the Fort. They
etossdd a the California Crossin& and ad-