The Smoky Hill and Republican union. [volume] (Junction City, Kan.) 1861-1864, 1862-05-22

here by Lieut.. Harris to be placed under
guard at the Fort.
We bslieve the frst appearance Of Cleve.
land in Kansas wasin May last. No one
seemed to ksow where he came from.
although there has always been a rumor
that be vas . convict who had made his
escape from the Jefferson City Peniten.iary.
He was usually silent about his early hS
tory, and wisely 30, for when he opened II
mouth on that topic the most Inconsistent
statements came from it.
He became popular - . fighting man at
the time when Union men were 70 heart
lessly drives ffoa their homes in the
border counties Of Missouri. He espoused
their cause, fought CALAMITY against their
rebel prosecutors, and his motives were for
comparatively long time unquestioued.
His bravery made Jennison bis friend, and
when the First Cavalry was organised
Cleveland became Captain.
We first saw him in July. He then
called himself Moore, said he was one of
Montgomery's men, had letters from him.
(these he never produced and told many
stories of food and field in all of which he
was the hero.
He was natural and lawless adventurer,
and Jennison and Anthony, who had
befriended him most, for sufficient causes,
got him out Of their regiment almost as
soon as he was mustered in. From that
time, September last he has been known
chiefly as desperado and robber. One Of
his 6rst operations was at Kansas City,
where he broke into Northorp 4 Co.'s
Bank and robbed it Of $1,000. A similar
attempt made afterwards at Asehison was =.
failure.
Once he was arrested by Capt. Geo. F.
Earle, and taken to the Fort BY Major
Cloud His confinement, however, was
brief. This was before he became cap.A
He came near losing his life last fall, at
Geary City, where he had one man killed,
and several taken prisoners.
During all these months he has led
wild, strange life. He seems to have made
his principal headquarters at Atchison and
Elwood. Soldiers have been constantly
looking for him. and have twice nearly
him, but audacity, bravado and
cat-like stealth, have been his preservers
till now.
His band has never been large, and he
often travelled alone. His skill in disguis-
ing his appearance and voice were so great
that even to those who knew him we'll he
seemed each day different man. And
this, too, though be was more than six feet
10 beig gbt, and bad a form as straight as an
arrow. Some persons, blessed with more
imagination than brains, believe he led
charmed life. They called him the Phan-
tom Horseman of the Prairies," and told
strange stories of his prowess and good for
tune. How many men he had killed, how
many hosses be had stolen, how many
houses he had plundered, no one can tell.
There are hundreds of persons all
through the State, who sincerely believe
that be was an honorable man /; that be,
was actuated by pure motives; that his
courage was genuine, and that he never
mo!ested Union men until Union men r.
gan to hunt him down.
1t is probably true that this war, which,
to people accustomed to peace. has brought
forth such new and astounding traits of
character, has not yet produced such an
other marvel as Cleveland man whose
story will be told around the 6reside for an
Numbered years to come, as one Of the
most brutal Of villains-as one Of the most
romantic heroes.-Ledr. Conservative.