The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1870-10-27
THE REV. GEO. WHITE
OF 1854.
Alias Sen alOr =. e.. POmcrOY I'm
1870.
The Distinguished Contributor to the
Ledger.
''Whcn the Morning Stars First Sang
Together"

| VhSH aHc nVi hHS St"iS H"St San6
Together
4 few Facts sor the Young Men OF Eng.
land.
To the Editor Of tie Learcn~wih Times:
LAWRENCE, KAN, Oct. IS, 1870.
How suggestive are the lines of Burns, as
We read Senator Pomeroy's contribution in
the New York Ledger,
| so wal some power the ciftic gle us,
| To see oursc!s rs others Us. ~
Still suppose a Senator has a right 10 blow
his own horn. He saws, con the 18th Of
September We lPomer"y and his party, J
halted upon the present site of the city of
Lawrence. One settler only, had got there
in advance Of ,,s'-when the facts are, Gov.
Charles Robinson came there with PARTY Of
emigrants and made the settlement long
before Mr.. Poneroy had left his quiet home
in New England.
Gov. Robinson cg,sscsi through this co,in-
| try on his way 10 California in 1919, and
campcd on what is now the town site Of Law
renee, and, as he says, WAS Impressed with
its beauty of scenery and eligibility as a site
for city. He returned to New England
and WIS known man Of DARN. spirit and
Of terrible tcnaci,y in his adhcarancc to the
principles of free governments and free men.
Very early after the first STEPS were
taken 10 organize the Emisrant Aid So
cic,y, Gov. Robinson was selected To visit
Kansas, and report upon the feasibility of
making settlements under its auspices.
He come, returned, reported and was i'm
mediately sent back with party and settled
what is now the city of Lawrence. When
no danger was aprrchcnded Mr.. Pomeroy
started with a party and come to the settle
mcnt already made by Governor Robinson,
left his party and returned to New Eng
land. lie was reported TO be simply the
travelling financial agent of the Emigrant
Aid Society, and took, nonlanally no part in
the affairs of the Territory, except to make
investments Cor that company where settle
ment, had been made. The great leading
spirits of the political organization in the
Territory, in those days, when nerve and
brain were both needed, were Charles Robin
son, James Ii. Lane, Judge G.. w.
Smith, VIM. y. Roberts, Vim. Phil
lips, Samuel n. Wood, and few
others who were less intellectually, but fully
their equals in the fixedness Of their de- !
termination to make Kansas free State. |
To them, history will accord the mead Of
praise for locscning the:srasr::slavcry held on
Kansas, when Mr.. Pomeroy will have been
forgotten. I cannot forbear making one |
more correction; He says, 81 myself was at |
one time prisoner in the hands of the |
Border Rufiians, upon the banks of the |
Wakarusa, and after nine days captiv-
i!y l was sentenced to be hanged"
and then goes on to state that he was sent by /
the Free State Government to Iowa to OBJ
tain arms. lie was arrested and taken to the
Border Hufiian camp on the Wakarusa. but |
as to the time when and who were at the
camp, and the time of his captivity his men,
DRY is very faulty. In the fall of 1855, Sher-
iff Jones arrested Mr.. Bronson "a free State
man), and in bringing him across "Blan-
tons Bridge" Jones was halted by party Of
Free State men, ard Bronson was taken from
his custody. Jones Immediately lea for
Westpor, Missouri, obtained posse Of men,
returned to the 'Blucjacket Crossing" on
he Wakarusa, and there camped. Mr..
Pomeroy instantly conceived the idea that
MS powers could best he exercised in aro,,s-
ng the people of the East to the full concep-
ion of the impending crisis, and started "for
he States" lie crossed the Kansas River at
Lawrence to the north side, and was arrested
" a party coming to Jones assistance and
AIKEN to Jones camp, but gave his name as
he Rev. George White, an Inherent Metho-
list minister. Jones believing his claim TO
Re true, kept him that night and the next
morning gave him his horse, and bid him go
IN in his good work. |:
Mr.. Pomeroy mounted his horse and in less
han twenty-four hours after leaving
lawrence ''for the States returned and told 8
he story Of his exploits, hut he never said
}. X. Atchiscn or General Richardson were
here, for We all knew they were not. And 8
10 one ever dreamed he was at that time I
sentenced to be hanged" Mr.. Pomeroy
'imsclf told the story Of his assumed profes- ,
ion, to the great delight Of the Pent up citi- I
ems Of Lawrence, and Sheriff Jones persists
n calling him the Rev. George White, to
he presen, day.
The expression he uses, 81 being Presi- G
cnt of the Committee Of Vigilance and O
of the Free State forces" will
ring smile 10 the lips Of every one famil- 1
II with the history of those days, when i. is a
nown he never held either position. Long
fer the famous "Wakarusa War;" Gov. t
johnson, Gen. Dei;zler, Judge Smith, and :, :.
aius jenkins, were arrested for treason. A
II the leading men in Lawrence were gone, al
nd we hastily organized Vigilance Com Is
4, beneath broiling sun, unear.hing
le little howitzer and delivering ii to {,
,e Border Rufiians with his own hands. hi