The Portland daily press., 1863-09-18
Friday Morning, September 81, 1868.
The Lawrence Massacre.

st eaos..t AHc 1<dWIcH AudssdCics
The incidents OF the Lawrence massacre
would I'll volume and many of trifng inter
est will probably never be recorded. The fol-
lowing facts we derive from one of the sur
vivors:
Early on the morning of the massacre
young Collamore, son of Mayor Coamore,
youth of eighteen started from Lawrence for
a farm owned by his father, to shoot some
birds for a sick brother. He had cleared the
limits of the city and came to a cross road,
when upon looking up he saw, within dozen
PAGES, the advance guard Of Quantrell, COM
posing twenty or thirty men He kept on
and passed them, when they ordered him to
halt He turned and came toward them,
scarcely suspecting they were foes, when the
ruffians aimed at him and fired. Providental-
ly not ball hit him, although several grazed
his person, one OF them actually cut off his
eyelashes. Seeing that the young man was
unscathed, one of the rufiins with blasphe-
nous denounciation of his comrades for their
inexpirtness, rode up to him, and taking delib-
crate aim, fired with the intention of lodging
the ball in his abdomen. Young Collanore
was cool and collected in this trying moment,
and turning as to disturb his assailant's aim
just as the rifle was discharged, rolled
from his horse, exclaimed: Il am kiledm
The shot took effect in the feshy part OF the
Il
cious, but lay perfectly still, fegnina DEATH
Several others of the band rode up and dis
charged their pistols or rifles point blank at
him, but he never finched and fortunately
was not again hit. The advance guard passed
on and young Collamore then attempted to
drag himself to a house occupied by an Irish
man, which had been spared through the in
tercession of some of the Irishmen who were
among the guerilas. While doing this he
saw the main body Of Quantrell's gang ap-
preaching He hastened his steps, using his
gun as crutch, and just reached the house
in time to throw himself into the cellar win
dow, when some of the gang rode up in full
chase. They shot at a man who showed him
self in the window, but did not discover
Collamore, who finally escaped, although be
laid sometime before the people in the house
could venture IT, his relief. The young man
owes his life to his nerves and presence of mind.
He is now with friends in the city. His
wound is a severe one and may cripple him
for life, as the ball has not been extracted.
When the baud of Quantrell entered the
town but few of the Inhabitants had arisen
and their work was the more speedy and GER
tain. Quantrell himself visited the house of
Mayor Collamore, against whom the rutians
had pecnliar spite because of his energies in
thwarting their designs OF invasion. Mrs. Col
lamore, aroused by the souLd of firearms, got
up and went to the window, when she saw
some OF the ruflians chasing an unarmed man
in the yard Of house near by. They shot
him repeatedly, even after he was mortally
wounded Shocked at the scene, and at once
comprehending the Danger she aroused her
husband, whose first impulse was to get his
pistol and resist. But Mrs. Collamore urged
her husband to conceal himself and sug-
gested hayrick in the rear of the house.
But before he could get out the house was
surrounded and the rutians were laundering at
fl.s.t [~llA Il.
well and hastened her husband to the well
room. Mr.. Collamore hesitated before enter
ing the well, expressing apprehension for his
wife, but she implored him TO seek his own
salty, assuring him there could be no danger
to delenceless woman. He went into the
well, and the boards having been replaced
Mrs. Collamore went to the door. She was
confronted by Quantrell himself who inquired
Tor her husband. She replied calmly and COM
posedly looking him in the face. that he had
gone east With fearful oath the ruffian
st-ode past her and went directly to the
chamber of Mr.. Colamore, being evidently
well acquainted with he premises.-Disap-
pointed he instituted search, though not
very thorough, for the cellar was not visited,
and not finding the object of his vengeance
he demanded of Mrs. Collamore the money
that was in the house. She gave him what
she had, but he insisted that there was
more. Mrs. Collamore remembered that one
OF the children had about five dollars in specie
she gave that to Quartrell, which seemed to
satisfy the rufian. He rummaged the draw
ers but did not touch the silver belonging to
Mrs. Collamore's or Mr.. Collamore's signet
ring.
One OF the children, eight years old, held
up 10 hm ten cent piece and said with
child ike simplicity, Il will give you that if
you won't kill me- The rufiian turned on his
heel with the exclamation, "Pshaw p what
do you suppose l want of that ?n-He threat
ened the life of another of the children. a how
OF fifteen, but Mrs. Collomore implored him
to spare him. She remarked, with present.
ment that her oldest boy was killed "He is
my all. You have doubtless killed his BROTH
er, who went out cunning this morning and
must have met your band" A smile of fear
fnl malignity passed over the countenance of
the rutiian, as he sgnifed his knowledge of
the circumstance, and turned away.
AFTER plundering the house, Quantrell set it
on fre and when Mrs. Collamore attempted TO
quencn the names, threatened her life. When
the rulhan lett, and while the house was burn
lng, MRS. Coianore went to the well and call
ed to her husband, who answered "yes" to
the inquiry If he was safe. But when the
danger was entierly passed, on going to the
well he was found dead. He is sup6osed To
have been suffocated by the smoke.
The anguish of the wife, bereft of a tender
and affectionate husband and left bouseless
and homeless, was yet to be intensified bv
anxiety for the salty Of her children. She
found a temporary shelter where her oldest
son was conveyed for medical treatment
Two days subsequent TO the massacre an
alarm was started at midnight that Quantrell
was returning to complete his work of destruc-
tion. The panic-stricken inhabitants fed TO the
woods, deserving the city and all their proper
W, many of them having nothing but their
night garments. Mrs. Collamore sent her