, 1863-09-11
THE MASSACRE At LAWRENCE,
General Ewing's Official
Report.

~A%-t+AS ~AA ]
LrkuI. Col c. y. MARSH, Asst. AdJt Genl. Dspt
Of the Missouri, st. Louis, No.
SIR: Some Commanders Of detachments
engaged In the pursuit Of Quantrel, arc still
T out after his scattered forces. In adyauce o
their return, I submit q report of the raid
which, In Ecme respects, may be deficient fol
Three Or four times this summer lie guer.
illas have assembled to the number Of several
hundred, within twenty Or thirty miles OF
the Kansas border They have threatened
alternately. Lexington, Independence, War
rersbusg ard Har1ieouTille; and frequent re-
ports have reached me from scouts aud spies
that they meant to sack and destroy Shawnee,
O1athe, Paola, Mound City and ether town;
In Kansas, near the eastern border. placed
ga1ieons In all these Kansas towns, and is
sued arms and rations to volunteer milltia
companies there. From reliable sources
learned towards tho Last Of July, that theY
soon after they commenced assembling on
the sniabar, In the western part Of LafaYette
county. ! at once ordered q company Of in
fa1try, which was then coming down from
Fo1t Riley, to stop at Lawrence; which they
did Tor more than week, and until after the
sent against them. From this time, though
constantly receiving information as to their
movements and plans, could learn nothing
Of q purpose to make d raid into Kansas.
Their forces were again scattered in small
predatory bands, and had an available forces
fouri portion Of this district, and especially
the border counties, besetring their haunts
and paths.
QIont1el'e whole force was about three hun
dred men, composed Of selected bands from
this part of Missouri. About tWo hundred
asd fifty were assembled on Biackwater, near
tte eastern border Of this district, at least
fifty miles from the Kansas line, on the 18th
and 18Th inst. am Infromed by Major Ross,
11th II. 8. NJ, who has been scouting in ths
southwest part Of Saline county, that tho
rendezvous WAS there. Lieut.. Col. Lazear,
commanding two companies Of the 1st Mis-.
Of the eoth that this force had passed the DAY
before twelve miles north OF him, eoinr
vest, and moved promptly after them, send.
trg orders to Major Mullins, commanding
two 1;e7 companies Of tho same regiment at Pleas
On the night Of the 10Th, however, Quantrel
passed through Chapel Hill to the head Of the
m{ddle fork Of Grand River, eight miles
northwest Of Harrlsonyille, and fifteen miles
southeast Of Aubrey, the nearest station In
hanasas. There be was Joined on ths morn
sna ossage; and at nocu set ont for Kansas,
passing i've miles south OF Aubrey ut six D.
M, going west. Aubrey Is thirty-five miles
south of Kansas City, and about forty.flye
miles southeast Of Lawrence. Kansas City
is somewhat further from Lawrence.
at Aubrey, received Information Of the pres
ence Of Quant1ell on Grand River at half past
five o'clock p. n., Of the 20th. He prom ptlY
Forwarded the Information up and down the
line, and to my headquarters; and called in
his scouting parties to march upon them.
One hour larer, ho received information that
quantrell had inst passed into Kansas. I'm
happily, however, instead Of setting ont at
once In pursuit, he remained at the station,
and merely sent information Of Quantrel.'5
movement to my headquarters and to Capt.
Coleman, commanding two companies at
Little santa Fe, twelve miles. north On the
line; Capt. Coleman with nearly one hun
dred men, marched at once to Aubrey; and
the evailable force OF the two stations, mum
berfHg about two hundred men, set ont ut
midnight 10 pursuit.. But Qnantrau's path
was over the open prairie and difficult to fol-
Low at night, 50 that our force gained but
little on him. BY Cap. Pixies error Of iudg-
ment: In failing to follow promptly aud
closely, the strest means Of arresting the
terrible b1ow was thrown away-for Quau-
tIeu never would hare went as far as Law
renee, or attackcd 1t, with m hundred men
close on his rear.
The first dispatch of Capt. Pike reached
here, Thirty five miles north Of Aubrey, ut
LIZ p. N. the second IN hour later. Before
one o'clock Major Plumb, my chief of staff,
at the head Of about fifty men {which Was ali
that could be got here and at Westport) start
ed eonthwestwa1d; and at daylight heard at
Ohthe, twenty miles from here, that the
enemy had pissed at midnight through Gard
ner, eighteen miles from Lawrence, going to-
wards that town. Pushing on, Major Plumb
overlook Captains Coleman and Pike, six
miles southeast OF Lawrence, ut 10Y o'hlock,
Friday, the!21st inst, and By the light Of the
blazing tnm houses saw that the enemy had
mt Ynf1a nFf k.u$-
ont Of the State. The enemy were ovcrtaken
near Palmyra by Major Plumb's command, to
which were there added from fifty to an hun
dred citizens who had been hastily assembled
and led in pursuit By Gen. Lane.
By this time the horses Of our detachnents
Young horses Just issued to the companies,
and had marched more than flfty-tiTe miles
without rest and without food from the morn
ing Of the goth. QuantreI had his men
mounted on the best horses Of the border,
and had collected fresh ones going to and at
command. He skilfal1y kept over an hun
dred Of his best mounted and best trained
men In the rear, and often formed line Of bat
tie to delay pursuit., and give time and rest to
The most Wearied Of his forces. By the time
our scattered soldiers and citizens could get
.Would, after yolley, break into column and
move off at speed which defed: pursuit.
Thus the chase dragged through tho after
noon, over the prairie, generally following
no roads or paths, until night, when Qcan-
t.. els rear guard formed in line of battle
three miles north Of Taola, ana twenty miles
from whero they entered the State. Z skir-
mich ensued; the gueri1les. breaking and
scattering 60 tha. our forces in the darkness
lost the trail, md went into Paola for food
and rest, while search was being made for It.
Lieut.. Col. Clark, 9th Kansaa volunteers,
with headquarters at Co1d1ater Grove, was
In command Of the troops on the border
south Of Little Santn Fe, inc!1ding tie Sta
tions at Aubrey, ColdWater Grove {tb1rteen
miles south Of Aubrey Rockville, }tnirtean
miles eouth Of Coldwater Groye,} Cnoteau's
Trading Post, Fifteen miles south Of Rock
vile, and Har7isonyiIla. There Herc two
Companies at each station, but the force ont
patroliug rarely lett ffty men In camp at
each post. He received Capt. Pixies messaee
as to the gathering Of Q1autrel's forces On
Grand River on the night Of the Goth, and at
once rent for the spare troops at Rockville
ard Trading Post to march up to Coldvater
Grove. At 8 O'Clock on the morning Of the
21st be received dispatch from Capt. Cole
uan, at Aubrey, saYing that Qaa1trcl had
crossed into KanEes; and he set out with thf.-
ty men, following Quantrel's trail nearly to
Gardner and thgnce going south to Paoli,
reaehipg there, at S ?. m. Withthis CON.
mnnd, and Force of perhaps f1fty citizens.
nd n ~