The Sauk Centre herald., 1895-07-25
OLD KICKAPOO GUN.
AN ANCIENT CANNON THAT HAS A
REMARKABLE RECORD.

REMARKABLE RECORD.
1t Played an Important Part in the Strug-
gles Over Slavery In Kansas = Was .
Furnace by Historical Society.
There was recently shipped from Chi
cago to the Kansas State Historical soci-
ETY. one Of tho most valuable relics Of
the border rufIian warfare. 1t is the Old
Kickapoo cannon which did service at
Old Kickapoo, Lawrence and other
points along, the Missouri border during
Kansas early struggle for free state gov
ernment. This old gun formed the bone
Of contention in many a hard fought
contest between proslavery and anti
slavery forces, and large number of
the old citizens of Kansas can remember
the stirring events clustering about the
history of this remarkable implement OF
warfare.
e Of late years the whereabouts of the
old gun has been matter Of conjecture,
and by many it was thought to have
been lost, bnt it is due to the efforts Of
Colonel h Miles Moore and Captain j.
C. Walkinshaw of Leavenworth that Old
Kickapoo has been resurrected. 1t now
rests in the rooms of the State Histor-
ical society in this city.
The gun is a six FOUNDER smooth
bore brass cannon and was first stolen
from the United States arsenal at Lib
erty, Mo-, and from there taken by Gen.
eral Richardson's army to the sacking
and burning of the old Free State hotel
at Lawrence, the Eldridge House, after
it was indicted by the proslavery grand
jury at Lecompton and ordered abated
as nuisance by Judge Cato, who had
the writ directed to Sheriff Jones, who
summoned the posse, mostly from Mis-
souri,, to assist in executing the writ.
The bombardment which followed
was one of the memorable conflicts OF
border ruffian days. The cannon was
placed on Massachusetts, street, Law
renee, opposite, and trained on the hotel
and fired by General David Atchison,
then United States senator from Mis-
souri,. The first shot went over the roof
of the hotel The second went through
q second story window, and the third
and fourth shots struck the stone walls,
scarcely making an Impression on them.
Jones, seeing that he was not likely
to abate the nuisance that way, applied
the torch and destroyed the building.
The posse then scattered The Kickapoo
rangers then took charge Of the cannon
and carted it to the village of Kickapoo,
six miles up the river from Leaven-
worth. It was planted on top of a high
bluff and there remained posted as
menace to the free state men of Leaven-
worth. - E : : : -''- : 8
Colonel 81. Miles Moore first suggest
ed the plan to go up to Kickapoo and cap
ture the gun. He communicated his
scheme to few free state men, and ten
Of the more daredevil ones, under the
leadership of Captain L g. Losee, well
rmed with Sharp's rifles and revolvers,
made q dash for Kickapoo one dark
night, took possession Of the cannon,
and without being discovered were soon
back in Leavenworth. Fearing the gun
might be recovered by a writ in the
hands of the sheriff Or other roslavery
officers Of the county or territory, The
gun carriage was hidden in the south
part of Leayenworth and the cannon
buried inDr. Davis old peach orchard.
where it remained short time.
Fearing danger, it was dug up an6
taken to Lawrence one dark night IL
/. the bottom Of WAGON covered viii
hay. It remained but short time
when it was taken back to Leavenwortl
and placed in DR.. Davis temporary
graveyard until the warclouds Of 1856
and 1857 had passed away. The gu1
was then resurrected and turned over K
the society Of turner's Of Leavenwofth
In whose keeping It remained for lont
series of years. On each recurring
Fourth Of July and other state occasions
and holidays "OM Kickapoo" wa
brought out, crowned with laurels ant
escorted with music and joyous crowd
through the streets Of the city. !.
Finally the turner's relaxed in thei
care Of the old cannon, and some i'll ad
vised parties without suthority loanet
the gun one day to the Leavenwortl
Coal company for the purpose Of aiding
them to free the shaft OF mass o
debris that had fallen and clOgged u
the hosting shaft. The gum was takel
down the air shaft, loaded with soil,
shot, placed upright and fired into th
mass above. As there was no chance TO
q recoil, the gun burst, tearing q hing
piece from the side of the old warrior.
The gun was returned to the turner's
but they seemed to have no use for ii
and soon it was lost, and no one hey
ANYTHING about it. About five years ag
Colonel 81. Miles Moore was passin
down Shawnee street, Leavenworth, an
in an alley near a tinshop noticed a
old cannon. He gave it a close inspee
tion and found it to be Old Kickapoe
The turner's had sold it to the timer fc
&25, and he was about to ship it to CHI
cago for old brass Appeals to patrio'
ism were in vain, and Mr.. Moore subst
ouently communicated with the Hi
torical society, and after some CORE
spondence the society appropriated $2O
for the purchase of the cannon. In Il
meantime the timer had shipped tt
gun to Chicago, where it was recent
found in brass foundry ready to
consigned to furnace. The gun reache
Topeka in safety. st. Louis Republic
I'm the Barrack Yard.
Corporal - When approaching yor
1.o~eoe from hahind Won must call OF