The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-15
THE LAWRENCE MssACRE.
The Attack and Slaughter Ascribed by an
Ex-Member of Quantrell'sgommand.

the true story of what IS sometimes called 1.-The
Lawrence massacre"
1--WE were after Jim Lane of Kansas,xvher
we went that expedition. Ii was aboutSep-
temner 1862, when Quantrell first though of
making raid upon the city of Lawrence, nc
first one thing and then another caused him
defer the expedition, and IL was in August, 1868,
before be actually began his preparations in
earnest In that month, of that year. our band
was scattered over three or four counties
of Missouri, adjacent to Kansas City, and one
night Quantrel met. by appointment, his
most-trusted observation-disclosures Todd, Pool.
Gregg, Biount and Audersen-in a farm house
in johnson county. and. after long consulta
ton. the rendezvous of the troops and other
details were agreed upon. Now, let me say.
right here" Mr.. Marshall broke off suddenly
he lit cigar, that l am not apologlzlng for,
nor extenuatng the circumstances that attended
that fateful raid Those were war times mems
passions and prejudcrs had been excited to fever
pitch BY long series of bloody feuds ante
dating actual hostillties, and one in these
quIet days can conceive the rancorous bitterness
OF that partisan strife Both sides, TO some ex-
tent, were Men lived only for blood and
revenge and We are not capable this day. of
passing fair Judgment on the motives and acts or
the participants IL that sanguinary border war;
fare. All. those sad, woful days, the like of
which | hope never to see again. Certainly. IN
no other section of the Union was there such
intense hatred existing. and such cruelty prac-
tlced by all parties
but to resume. remember we'll that was
eating good square meal in the house of .
farmer. whose place was within short ride OF
the night of Aug. Is. 1863, and I tucking
away corn pone and eggs. ham and wafaes with
all the appetite of times land it seems to
that the only thing regret about the war
Is the glorious appetite l always hadl when
was told by my host that some horSemen were
approaching. 1 vas hurried out to the stables by
my hosts daughter, and there. foot stirrup, I
stood waiting to see if the new corners came in
peace wrath. They proved to be a squad of
our command on their way to the rendezvous
on Blackwater creek, at the farm of old Capt
n johnson county. Columbus
The men were prompt to the call. and the rolls
or The orderly sergeant footed up. on the night
of the 10Th. 274 rank and file. A small force
to attack town with camp full of infantry
defending it. but were all veteran cavalry
men-and Quantrell never counted odds. Strict
orders were issued as We began our march, at
sunrise on the Goth, as discipline. secrecy cts
We pushed forward rapidly as the state of
the country permitted. but we had often to
N AXE detours to avoid large bodies of the enc
my, and had also to halt frequently in some
sheltered spot until the passage of hostile de-
tachments left the route clear for rs; but, with
all our shifts and delays, by early dawn on the
mile or two of the doomed city. But little of
note had trenspired the march, beyond the
shooting of few strangers and the capturing
of few horses. and when that eventfui
morning reached the village of Franklin, five
miles east of Lawrence, the reddening and rud-
DIV East warned us that the sun would shortly
spriI.g up over the horizon with bound and
sweep away the gray and pallid mists which
hung over the prairies and wetted our
were
thrown into column of fours and
dashed through Franklin at a galiop it being
just light enough to distinguish a soldier from
a citlzen as rushed through the silent streets
OF the village but we molested no one in Frank
tin. and not shot was fired"
DO you remember just what your sensa-
tons were thenT' [ asked. as the narrator
paused
Wen, no; knew or rather thought we had
fight anead of US, and was tired and seepy.
recollsct. But did not feel any different from
The way felt scores OF times before l remem-
Der thing, though we passed a bed of mint
and crushed some OF it. and the sharp, pungent
odor the STILL damp watered
our horses at little stream just east of Frank
lin. and broke off spr'g or two and chewed it.
and to this day that scene rises before me when
ever smell the perfume of that herb can
sre our struggling line of rough and shaggy
horses and riders their shapes and mist-laden
air. can hear the ring and jingle OF spurs and
accoutre ments, and the clank of saber and
bine; the voice of the second lieutenant of our
companv rises hoarse and harsh in the raw T.
mosphere, catching the order as It comes down
the line
Attention, company! Form foursl Fours
left into ine Trotr
''And we startei out slowly, then faster and
faster. until at dead gallop. the tbunderous
beating of our hoofs rouses the sleeping citi-
zers of Franklin as we dashed across a little
bridge and onsthrough the streets.
We reached the vicinity of Lawrence at sun
rise and halted mile from the sleeping town
just as its roofs and windows and spires were
glinting back in red fires the level beams of the
SUM- EVoryunlng around was as ST.
lent as death itself as sat in our saddles with
the steam rising in clouds from the TANKS
of our ANIMALS. We formed IN line, and Guam
trell rode around past our formation speaking to
the officers, advising, counseling. encouraging. I.
He then backed out few PAGES, wheeled,
faced us. and spoke a few words. Il don't
Der just what he said. but the pur-
port of it that he wanted strict obed-
ence from every man; that we very prob
ably had sharp fight ahead of against
odds, but he knew US too we'll TO care
hal " To Tel q we
ETC., and closing by a spirited appeal to
manhood and our patriotism, he turned to Cadet &
Gregg and called out to that officer by
Gregg, a, tall. lanky, 1.-THE man of about twenty
three twenty-four years. saluted and rode
out This Gregg by the by. was a typical
Mssourian and noteworthy man. He was an
intense secsssionist. utterly fearless as
Quantrell himself and perfect soldier. 1t
difficult to believe that lanky-looking, Mis-
souri, farmer boy could be nodded into such a
gallant sabreur, but 1t was just such material
that Quantrell knew how to fight aye and win
victories with Hardy, lean, active. with
Giles like Steel tough piue-knot, and with
absolutely ca m and fearless, Gregg
was a splendid friend have and q man should
most MORALLY hate to own foe. He is
scorninR take the slightest advantage of you,
would yet shoot you with a smile on his face.
Why. that man has killed score of men in
open fight The last heard of Gregg he was a
deputy sheriff something near Kansas City
at Independence, Mo-, If my memory serves me
right. Gregg was fine cavalryman in every
way.
''Wen, Quantre:l turped to Gregg, and said:
Captain Gregg, take detail of five men. ride
ahead and see in what force the enemy are.
We will follow you closely; but be quick in your
inspection. and report if they are in too great
force TO be attacked.
Gregg sa!uted. chose his men and rode off at
hard galino We rested our tired animals for
q few minutes, looked we'll to our girths and
brides, took chew of tobacco. a~drink of
whisky, a pull of a pipe as inclination
prompted, inspeeted weapons. and then,
fO nI-O in " line WQ Qf ~
a killing pace. just gained the edge OF
town we saw Gregg ard his detail at rest and
reac hing them were informed that a Camp
of instruction filled with federals guarded the
town. and that there q heavy force on the
other side of the river.
. We will ride through the camp, then saws
Quantrell. and then tie ball opened in earnest!
About thirty men rode down Massachusetts
street and some fiftv more scattered in squads
through the town Guantrell led the remainder
of the battalion, some 200 men, right tn the
rzhich $1,000 ..x,i.,