The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1889-04-13
A cossLER,s STORY.
How the Kansas Jayhawkers Acquired the
Namc RED Logs"

How the Kansas Jayhawkers Acquired the
Namc "Red Lcgs."
In little shop on West Fourth street,
between Walnut street and Grand
avenue. John p. Duke may be found
on any of the six working days of the
week engaged in making and repairing
footwear. Although his hair and beard
are gray. ho is still apparently in the
prime of life. He is broad chested,
muscular and vigorous, and above
medium height. While busy with his
hammer and awl he frequently enter
tains his fellow workmen and whoever
else may be present with interesting
"reminiscences.
'I was in Independence, Mo-, when
the civil war began" said Mr.. Duke
on recent OCCASION II kept shoe
shop on one side of the public square
in that city at that time. | did a good
business, and made boots and shoes for
people residing in all parts of Jackson
County. There were few men in the
county in those days whom did not
have a personal acquaintance with.
Any one who has read the history of
the war knows that this part of the
country was overrun by Confederate
guerillas and bushwhackers and Union
jayhawkers and Red Legs Inde-
pendence was for the first three years
of the war one of the principal rendez-
vous. The rebels would take the town
and hold it for few days or few
weeks, and then the Federals would
appear in full force and drive them
out. The Federals would remain a
week or month and would in turn be
forced to evacuate the town. AS one
force left another force went in. The
result was that resident of the place
was constantly in hot water and was
liable at any time to be riddled with
bullets or taken out and hanged. Some
of the men who lived in Independence
in those days were kept busy lodging
the bushwhackers and the Rcd Legs.
1t was a hard place in which to do
business. When left in the fall of
1862 1 was glad to get away.
Speaking about Red Legs l don't
suppose there are ten men in existence
to-day who can tell how the name Or
iginated. 1t was in this way: Shortly
after hostilities began 1 sent to st. Louis
and got 120 sheepskins that had been
dyed q bright red l intended to use
them in making boot tops. One day
Colonel Jennison, of Kansas, entered
In lonnn1 ,uith Ol0
800 of his men, who were then called
'Jayhawkers.' A squad of them en-
tered my store and shop soon after they
got into town. They helped themselves
to all the boots and shoes that had on
hand that would fit them. When they
left they took my 120 red sheepskins. A
few moments later some of the squad
returned to the shop and took some
calfskins that had there. They cut
the sheepskins up and made leggins of
them. The calfskins they cut up into
thongs with which to fasten the sheep
skins around their legs. A few days
later Jennison heard that Quantrell
with his band of bushwhacl1ers was
coming toward Independence and he
lit out with his command. The sight
of about $50 of Jennison's men riding
through the country with their legs
encased in red sheepskins caused the
members of the command to be called
Red Legs The name stuck to them
during the war, and it has passed into
history. L don't suppose any of the
learned writer's about the war ever
heard about me or my 120 red sheep
skins that gave rise to the Lame
through being taken from me by force
and without compensation and worn as
leggins by JennisOn and his men,
Kansas City Journal.