Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1860-12-06
The Montgomery Raid.

Troubles Renewed in Southern Ransas-
Montgomery in the Field Nth One
Hundred and Fifty Armed Men-Pro6-
able Capture of Fort SeoH-TAe Ne
groes to be Liberated along the Missou-
ri and Arkansae Borders Interesting
Account Of Montgomery's Operations.
From the Leavenworth Times (Republican) of
" November 81
For some time past we have been pub
fishing reports from the Southern portion
of the Territory, which indicated that Sc
rious trouble was brewing in that quarter.
Our accounts were from various sources,
and we have given them without comment,
because we have preferred to wait for full
advices as to the cause of the difficulties
and their true nature, before expressing our
views thereon. We have now further and
more definite intelligence from the locality
in question than has yet been given to the
public.
Our readers are familiar with the trans
actions in which Montgomery and his men
played so prominent part in '57-5s.-
The Amnesty Act, which was passed by
the Legislature in SO, was intended 70 dis
pose of all the old differences between the
Federal authorizes and those who were un-
der indictments from the United States
Courts. After the passage of that bill,
Montgomery and his coufederates expressed
themselves ready to yield submission there
,ftor 10 tho laora1 frth,pol, op1 70 old rf
necessary, in the arrest of all offenders.
The difficulties of which we speak orig
mated in the unfortunate struggles in the
early history of the Territory, and, at first,
the divisions of the contending parties
were purely political ones. But, in the
progress of the border warfare, rascals
of all kinds arrayed themselves around
each banner, and, under the cover of free
Stale or pro-slavery movements, indulged
their propensities for plunder and every
species of villainy. Captain Montgomery
had attached lot of such characters to
himself, but, when peace was restored, it
was believed that he would dissolve all
further connection with them. Lately he
seems to have been engaged in organizing
them into company, and adding thereto
large number of honest but misguided
men, who had suffered personally,o through
their friends, from the outrages of the
sBorder Rufians," and were animated by
fanatical zeal in opposition to everything
pro-slavery.
Several months ago, Montgomery re-
turned from trip to the Eastern States,
where he was engaged in procuring assis-
tance to carry on his marauding enter
prises. At that time he made inhamma-
tory speech at Mound City, after which he
proceeded to collect and arm his men.
Under cover of anti-slavery pretenses,
his band have recently committed various
depredations, to which they were partly
melted by the action of some Missourians
who still retain the old spirit. The first
important feature of the present excite
ment was the trial and execution of one
Hines, by number of Montgomery men,
headed by DR.. Jennison, his Lieutenant
1t was alleged by those who composed
the mob court that Hines was a notorious
character who had been ordered to leave
the Territory in 1857. The immediate
charge against him was that he had spir-
tied away a negro from Kansas into Mis-
souri,. Whether the negro was free or
slave, we are unable to say, as our accounts
of the transaction differ on that point
one being to the effect that the darkey was
free, and was sold by Hines for gain; and
the other, that Hines was respectable
citizen, and that he merely returned a
slave to his rightful owner.
The same crowd guilty of this un-
justifable outrage then proceeded to make
further arrests. They went TO Mapleton
and arrested the Post Master there, for his
completely in some trial which took place in
1851 or 1858. They acquitted him, and
then turned their attention to two persons
named Smith and Moore, who were sleep
ing together at the hotel. The former
gave himself up to them immediately /;
but the latter sprung out of bed as soon as
they entered the room, and refused to sur
render. Jennison, the leader of the party,
at once fired his revolver, and the shot took
effect in Moore's neck, fatally wounding
him. In order to show that the attempt
of Montgomery & Co. to excuse their pro-
ceedings on anti-slavery grounds is all
sham, it is proper to state that MIR. Lester
D. Moore, the murdered man, was Re-
publican, but was strongly opposed to the
lawless acts Of the gang aforesaid. While
these events were trauspiring at Mapleton,
Montgomery was situated at Hudson, one
mile of, and his aids were constantly ri
ding between the two places, carrying his
orders, and FURNISHING him with accounts
of what was being done by his "lieuten-
ant"
The killing of Moore took place on We'd
nesday last, on Thursday Montgomery ap-
peared at Mound City and made flaming
speech, in which he declared that his object
was TO free the negroes along the Missouri
and Arkansas borders, and that he would ex-
tend his operations down into Texas, and
assist the free State men who were being
driven out of that State. He said he was
not doing the biding of any party-that
he belonged neither to the Democrats nor
the Republicans, and that the latter might
as well understand that he asked no favors
at their hands, and that he was an Aboli-
ZIONIST. He announced his determination
to drive out of the Territory all who op-
| posed him. no matter what party they