White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1861-10-10
How the "swamp Yahoos" Caught
the JayhaVkers.

the JayhaWkers.
Sometime toward the latter part Of las
week, the people of Rush Bottom. Hol
County. No.. organized q company Il
make raid on this side Of the river, pro
fessedly for the purpose of capturing I
band Of Jsyhawkers from Nebraska. tha
had been harassing the secessionists in tn
Bottom, and had returned 10 Nebraska
but il was generally suspected that they
intended to do more than chase Jayhawk'
ers. They rendezvoused at st. Stephen
Nebraska, to the number of some IS
The party contained all the bell-wether'
and "particular pumpkins" of the Up
per Bottom. Prominent in the crowd
were Bill and Frank Bridgman. fresf
from the siege of Lexington. The com
mand Of the expedition appeared to de-
volve upon Houston Nuckolls. of St. Ste
phen, one of the great Nuckolls family
formerly Of the "sacred soil" of Virginia
who have set themselves down among
the "dungarees" and Half-Breeds in thu
West, and are engaged principally in
"gobbling up land. When they wert
ready to start, person standing by sug.
gested that they had better not extend
their foray into Kansas. or they might
be "corelled." At this, Bill Bridgmau
swore he was match for any FIVE Jay.
hackers and Nuckolls, to exhibit the
great estimate he placed upon the PROV
ess of his gang. proposed that all remain
at home but about fifteen, as that number
would be sufficient to "pnt the thing
through" But all wanted a share in the
glory, and none would remain. We
should not neglect to state that there were
a number of Union men in the party.
who had been gulled into the affair by the
representation that it was to suppress
lawlessness. and to capture marauders
who had been robbing Union men as
well as secessionists.
The "grand army" commenced its
"forward movement" on Friday morn
ing. and was not long in getting track Of
the Jayhawkers, who were commanded,
it is said, by Bill Buchanan. of Falls
City. At times they were very near the
Jayhawkers; seeing them, from one prai-
rie knoll, upon another not more than
half mile ahead /; then, again, losing
sight of them. The pursuing force was
augmented from the Reservation, BY Bob
White Cloud. lesson, and other HALF
Breeds, who are all secessionists. Still
the Jayhawkers kept little ahead, and
the pursuers pushed eagerly on. The
poor fools did not consider that they were
after men whose business it was to play
sharp tricks, and that such trick might
then be going on. The Jayhawkers kept
just a sufficient distance ahead to "tolr'
their pursuers on. Now they crossed the
line, and trod the soil of Kansas, SO un-
wholesome to invading "Pukes." The
approach of night found them in the vi.
cinity of Padonia. In the meantime, the
Jayhawkers had sent out runners far and
near, to arouse the settlers with the IT,
dings that q band of Missourians had in
vaded their homes. The call sorts'
party encamped for the night on the farm
Of j. G. Leavitt, and ordered his family
to prepare food for them. keeping them
thus employed during the whole night.
While the chivalrous fellows took their
ssse. the settlers were Aocking in with
their Sharp's rifles, muskets and shot
guns, and drawing net about the inter.
lopers' silently but surely. By the ap-
proach Ct dawn, over hundred had thus
collected, and were ready for work.
When the sleepers arose and rubbed their
eyes, the first sight they beheld was q
long line Of men approaching in battle
array. They began to feel queer, but
determined to try game of bluff. Ac.
they formed in line of battle,
and moved toward the opposing party.
expecting to see them break
aud run. But instead of running, they
sent two men forward to command the
invaders to throw down their arms and
Internationally: which the lat
Ter, seeing they were in for it, did in a
hurry.
The victors. after eating the breakfast
which had been prepared for their cap
ives, proceeded to attend to the cases of
he prisoners. 1t was decided to retain
he two Bridgmans and lesson as pris-
'ners OF war, send the balance of the Sc
,essionists off without their horses and
'rms. and set the Union men free as they
.ame. But through some oversight. Sc
7eral secessionists were allowed to retain
heir horses and guns, while some Union
men were deprived Of theirs. The fact
8, all the Union men should have been
'erved in the same way; for when Union
men mite with secessionists for any such
purpose, they deserve to be treated as &C.
'ess'oniHts. Some forty or fifty horses
md guns were the trophies of this victory.