The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1871-12-15
DEATH OF COL. JAMES MONTGOMERY.

James Montgomery died at his home,
in Linn county, on the 9th of Decem-
Der. Those who are posted in our carly
history will remember that he was one
Of the early actors in our border
troubles on the side of freedom. Since
the settlement of those difficulties he
has been quiet, prefering that sort of a
life. In the early days his name was
upon every tongue, but for some years
he has hardly been spoken of. He did
good service in the early days for Kan
says. ..l-.. ~sagr ~ ,9T al ole
Webb Wilder, of the TT. Scott Mont
tor, thus speaks of Montgomery in no.
ticing his death: = @.--s II
"Col. Montgomery was accustomed
to travel from one school district to an
other, speaking at least every Sunday,
on religious subjects. He belonged to
sect called Soul Sleepers, with whose
dogmas we are entirely unacQuainted.
He was a native of Ohio, had been q
school teacher, and must have been fifty
years old. He lived in Missouri few
years before coming to Kansas. His
name did not become we'll known until
the fall of 1865, when he gained q no.
toriety, as Capt. Montgomery, and the
leader of less than hundred anti
slavery settlers in Linn county. They
resisted the outrages of the 'fpro -slav-
ers" Gas Montgomery always called
them) at home, and sometimes carried
the war across the line, and into the
enemies country. Some of the "JaY-
hewkers," on our side, like the 'sBush-
whackers," on the other side, were
thieves, but James Montgomery was
not. We believe he was always and al
all times a man of honor, and no more
| 'tfanatic" than any man is who tries
to regulate his life by the golden rule.
We first met him in Elwood, Doni-
phan county, twelve years ago this
month. Thos. Wentworth Higginson
and Richard j. Hinton believed that
Hazlit and Stevens, two of John
Browns men, could be rescued from
the Jail at Harper's Ferry. Brown had
been hung on the End of December,
and his two brave companions were
soon to suffer the same fate. Their res,
cue was left to Montgomery. BE came
! to Elwood with four or five of his most
| Trustworthy men, and with arms. The
Hannibal and st. eseph was the only
| railroad across Missouri and afforded
the only avenue by which such men
could safely travel through that State,
Montgomery assumed some other name,
which we have now forgotten, and he
remained with us several days. We
had good chance to study the man,
and he was worth studying.
They went on as far as Harrisburg,
where they met their Eastern friends.
The expedition failed there, or on the
| journey south, on account of the depth
of the snow. The men could have
been taken from the jail, bus it did not
seem probable that they could then be
concealed or got ont Of the way. The
leading actors in this affair will doubt
less, at some time, publish its details.
At the beginning of the war, Mont
gomery became Colonel OF the Third
Kansas. We think he was the first OF
our Colonies who released and employ
ed slaves. He told US that he had over
come the army regulations by making
negroes teamsters, and this then seemed
70 him and 70 Us q great ant-slayery
When negro regiments were organ
lied, Montgomery was called to South
Carolina, to, co-operate With General
David Hunter. His friend HiEginson,
named above, and also preacher, was
made Colonel of the first colored regi-
ment there, and Montgomery of anoth-
err. Neither had much opportunity to
make military regulations, but they did
far greater work In teaching their sol
diers that white man could be gen.
tleman and true follower of Christ.
the life OF this man will some day be
htly told. He has left 3 good name,