The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-12-02
THEY TALK HISTORY.
Kansas Men Meet to Discusss
Past Events.

An interesting meeting is in progress
in Representative hall this afternoon. II
is the twenty-seventh annual meetlns
of the State Historical society and
number of papers of more than usual
interest will be presented.
Shortly after dinner the board OF d.
rectors met and transacted some fou-s
tine business, and afterwards the regu-
lar meeting of the society opened. -Four
papers are down for presentation dur
ing the afternoon. The first was on
Early Sherman County History and
the H U. A. by E. E. Rlackman. now
of Nebraska, but formerly or Kansas
who took part in the county seat war IN
Sherman county which resulted in the
location of the county seat at Goodland
a number of years ago The H. u a.
was secret society which took part IN
the fight.
Colonel S. NJ. Fox, adjutant general OF
Kansas, has prepared paper on The
Story of the Seventh Kansas. and Al
bert r. Greene of Lecompton. read an
other on United States Land Offices IN
Kansas"
One of the most interesting papers of
the afternoon was one which reveals
hitherto unwritten chapter in Kansas
history and one of which little is known
outside of a few people. 1t is the story
of the massacre of body of % Con-
federates, mostly officers, near Independ-
ence in 1863 by the Usage Indians. This
is a story which has never before been
told, but 1t was written for this meet
ing of the State Historical society by
W. L. Bartles. of lola one of the men
who help to bury the victims of the
massacre. Secretary Martin has been in
correspondence with Mr.. Bartles for the
past year concerning the paper.
This band of contederates came west
from Missouri into Kansas for the Dur-
pose of melting the Indians to make
war on the northern whites. Many of
the Indians were ready to do so. but the
Osages were true to the north The con-
rederateS told the OSages that they We're
federal troops from Humboldt, but the
Osages insisted that they come back to
Humboldt and prove their identity. They
refused to do so and tried to ESCAPE.
and the Indians killed them.
The evening session of the society to-
night will begin at 7:30 O'Clock and will
also be held in Representative hal.
Thirty-three members of the board o.
directors will be elected. and w. H.
Smith of Marysville. president of the So
ciety, will give his annual address.
Among the papers for presentation at
the evening session will be one entitled
Along the Trail" by John Madden of
Em2oria. which viii be a story of an
old Kaw trail leading south from Coun-
Gil Grove. Mr.. Madden himself will not
be present. but he has sent his paper to
be read. When boy Mr.. Madden lived
at Florence. marion county. on this
old trail, and he knows by personal OBJ
servation the history Of the advance Of
civilization over that part of the state.
The Indian Reservation and its Re-
lation to the Settlement of Kansas" is
the title of a paper by Anna H. Abel,
OF the state university Miss Abel has
been working on the matter in the paper
for the past two years
Frank Montgomery will have a paper
on Northwestern Kansas" which with.
Of course, be full of interest Hill p
| Wilson is on the programme for the
story of BLACK Kettles Last Raid in
1853 but he has not yet had time to
prepare a paper, but may perhaps give
a talk on the subject and prepare the
paper for the society later.
After the adjournment tonight the
board of directors will elect officers for
the coming year