The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1863-09-03
Correspondence of the Telegraph.
The Lawrence Tragedy by nm Eye Wit

The following letter from our former fellow cit
izen, J. A Butts, who took mp his residence in
Lawrence, Kansas, last spring, where he went in
to the mercantile business, will be read with in,
terest by many of his old acquaintance, espec>
tally that part of it relating the manner of his
own escape
LAWRENCE, Aug &c, 1863.
| Editors Telegraph Long before this YOU have
heard of the terrible visitation of Quantrells Band
of incarnate devils. he massacre is unparallal>
ed il atrocity. No page of history will appear SO
black upon record as the Raid upon Lawrence-
When this band of savages entered the city, which
was about sunrise, they shot down the soldiers
who were in camp in the south part of the city,
five only out of %, making their escape. Pckets
were posted around the city as it appeared instan
taneously, and to all human appearances there
was no chance to escape their murderous hands,
but to submit to be shot down like so many mad
dogs.
The terrific yels of these de wills, and the shreks
of dying men, and the cries of women and chil~
dren, the report of pistols and the cracking of
falling tim bers. and the flames bursting out from
the burning buildings which might be seen in all
;
ror that no pen can describe The fends shot
dowz every man they could see Unfortunately
saw men running to get beyond their pckets, or
in the bushes, when these bloodhounds would give
oh ase and they almost sure to capture their
victims, when they would shoot them down, and
then put three or four balls through them after
they were down. One OF them said after firing
three shots into one who had been shot down Il
| guess the id abolitonist ia dead!' On Mas
sachusetts street they took three prisoners, pin~
toned and bound them in a burning building-ex-
claiming "there we'll let the d ID abolitionists
roast !" and then glee ofmerrment went up from
those fends of bell
! There were fouf men called out from the resi-
dence of DR. Griswold. The women begged fol
| their husbands lives but of 10 avGil-they pre-
tended to take them prisoners and marched oil
three or four rods from the house and shot all tour
of them and then put out after some other vlctlms
whom they got sight of, and shot them down. ant
returned, saying, II don't believe these do
aboitionists are dead - and again shot them three
or four times. Three Of them died instantly bu
the other, Mr.. Baker, is still alive, though 1t Is
feared he is MORALLY wounded Another instance
of brutality-the fends entered hOuse-the gen
lteman and his family were n-they ordered hin
TO forward march, and he advanced they shO
him giving him flesh wound They continued
TO march him from room TO room and shO citing I'm
til he reached his cellar Wnen the poor victim re
ceived the fatal ball. The shrieks and cries of hi
wife end children, for mercy, in Gods name t.
spare him were of no avail. Another instance .
horrid cruelty-a residence was entered by tn
tends of hell-the man his wife and daughter wer
there The wife and daughter plead for his life
: They sid 1.-THE id abolitionist must be shot
"The women covered his body andisaid'' you mus
murder us first but the ends thr ust pistol be
tween the wife and daughter and shot the HUSBAND
and father dead.
MANY other instances of bar arty l could Civ
but nv heart fails me, in the recital of the detail
of the horrd massacre Of Lawrence.
All the business houses except two or three
we're plundered and SCI fire. l suffered wit
the rest of the citizens My loss is So, 500, leaV
ing me the sum of $50 in OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
small allowance
g The murderers during their operations save
the women and children. In no instance did the
commit any violence upon them My own escap
2 was as follows:
Some of the Williams rode up to my residence
= and asked if there were any men in the house
8 NV wife gave answer-pretended not to hea
| thought my time had come. felt warllke, br
S unfortunately for me, my frame shook for want
+ war mpl ements to send at least half dozen de
mons to their last resting place. My wife iookin
e ont of the window saw the women and chllQre
. leaving the city, and an idea struck me. In LEI
than two minutes / was arrayed in my wife
e clothing. with shaker my head and shorn
NV whiskers, / started off with number of ladit
{ to pass beyond the pickets, with fear and trent
t ling, but succeeded in passing without Modesto
e ton.
The number killed near as can be ascertain
ed is lS0.
4 Yours respectfully,
u I A RuTTS