The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1863-08-27

FrightfuJ -Attrocstaes of the Rebels
Murders IN cold Blood. Farther.
Names Of Victims Features and
Incidents Of the Massacre
tsoomery of a Federal Officer. The
= Pursuit Of Q,sasstrel and has Butch
ers.
LEAvKSwoRTH, Kansas, Aug "a. 1868.
The Conservative publishes the fol-
lowing account of the Lawrence mas
sacre, from one Of its editors just re-
turned from the ruins:
We arrived in Lawrence at Z o'clock.
Flying rumors had painted terrible
picture, but the reality exceeded the
report. We found Massachusetts
street one mass of smoulderipg ruins
and crumblfng walls, the light from
which cast a sickening glare upon the
crowds of excited men and distracted
women gazing upon the ruins of their
once happy homes and prosperous bust
ness.
two business houses were left
upon this street. one kno wn as the Ar
mory, and the other the old Miller block.
About twenty-five houses in all were
burned, and only one or two escaped
being ransacked and everything of val
ne carried away or destroyed. rs
Six or eight soldiers camped upon
this side of the river, and who fired
across at every rebel who appeared
upon the bank, deferred the towards
from destroying some of the houses
near the ferry, and from cutting down
the flag pole.
The force of the rebels is variously
estimated at from $50 to 400. Relia-
BILE parties place it at 800. Their every
act during their stay in the city was
characterized by the most oowardly
barbarity. They entered the town on
the gallop, firing into every house, and
when the occupants appeared at the
door, they were shot down like dogs.
Five bodies were burned to crisp,
and lay near the ruins of the Eldridge
House. They could notbe recognized.
Eighteen out of twenty two unarm-
ed oolored recruits, eamped south of
town, were murdered in their tents.
Their bodies lay in the colored church
when we arrived.
Messrs. Trask and DR.. Griswold,
Baker, and Thorp, were shot down in
the yard of DR.. g., before the eyes of
their families. Judge Carpenter was
wounded in his yard, and fell, when
his wife and sister threw Themselves
upon his body, begging for mercy, but
to no avail. The fends dismounted d,
stuck their pistols between the persons
Of his protectors and fired.
A Miss Stone, daughter of the pro-
prieter of the City Hotel, had dia-
mond ring stolen from her finger.
Quantrel obliged the man to restore it.
In revenge for this, the rutfians after
wards came back and shot her father
before the mothers eyes. They also
tried to kill Miss Stone. ,41i
Gen. Collamore went into his well
to hide, and the bad air killed him.
His son and Patrick Knafe lost their
lives trying to get the father out. The
life of District A ttorney Tiggs was
saved by the hereism OF his wife, who
seized the bride of the rebels horse
who attempted to shoot him as he ran.
Several cases of remarkable bravery
of women were related to us.
The wife of Sheriff Brown, three
successive times, put ont the fire kin
died TO burn the house. Her husband
was hidden under the floor. The
house was saved by her heroism.
The offices of the Journal, Tribune
and Republican, were, of course, lev
elled to the ground. John Speer, Jr.,
of the Tribune, started for his home
from the Office after the rebels came in.
Mr.. Murdoch, printer III the Office,
tried to induce him to accompany him
into a well near by, for safety: but he
would do nothing but go home to de-
fend the house, which he did, and was
killed. Murdoch went into the well
and was saved. ais &aa eH
/. "A younger son of John Speer, Sr.,
killed rebel, and left. nae--sF IN.
The guests at the Eldrige House
were ordered out, their rooms pillaged,
and some of the people shot. Two
men from Ohio were wounded there,
and are now in this city. Only the
presence and peremptory orders to
Quantrel prevented the massacre Of
all the occupants.
After they had been marched about
on the streets, the rebels were told
there was negro baby still in the
house. They said, eve will burn the
Cd id little brat up" and they did
We saw its charred remains, burned
as black as the hearts of its murderers
The books of the County and Dis
trict Clerks were burned, but those Of
the Register of Deeds were in the safe
and are supposed to have been saved
Every safe in the city but two was rob
bed. In the Eldridgs store, James
Eldridge and James Perrine gave the
rebels all the money in the safe, and
were Immediately shot down.
All the hotels were destroyed, ex
cept the City Hotel. The loss in cash
is estimated at $25o,oOO, and on prop
terty and all, at. two milliSn dollars
This is low enough estimate.
The number of bodies, up to The
time we left, was 113; Of which about
twenty were burned SO badly as to rem