The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1902-02-19
A Letter Written to Mrs. G. p. Smith.
DEAR Mrs. SMITH.

wv v ~
DEAR MRS. SMITH.
AS / promised some time ago I now
cit down to reproduce my recollections
OF the incidents OF our expedition to
Kansas in 1856 under the leadership Of
your grandfather, Gen. A. @. Jones'.
At that period he had grown to be past
middle age, having led o company from
this county in 1886, In q war with the
Seminoles In Florida.
1t is a tite remark, but nevertheless
accepted as moro than true that O re-
production of past facts Is only teach
Ing by example. The writer as a sur
vivor and participant in the incidents
sent you believes that the prompt re.
sponse by young men Of u county to
q call Of the South in a cause which in
vo!ved her constitutional rights in
times past will have a patriotic effect
upon our young men. While the names
of some noble actors of Laureps will
be preserved. The writer only regrets
that his memoranda are so imperfect,
but the facts ere still vivid in his NOM
II was pending the quasi-war in Kau-
sas, The question being the adoption of
q constitution by the Territory, and
the bona fde Southern settlers and
proslavery people were being butcher
ed by the roughs sent out by Eas-
tern Abolitionists under the leader
ship Of the "Sainted" John Brown,
he who by his slaughter OF men and
women of Southern pro~clevities for
ever baptized the territory as "bleed-
Ing Kansas.
At meeting called at Laurens to
take steps for the relief Of the South
ern sufferers, II think in January 1856 }
James II. Irby, w. r. Farley, b. w.
Ball, A. @. Jones, w. d. Watts, Chas.
o. Lamotte and others took part. The
following promptly upon the first call,
responded as to their readiness to go to
Kansas at any sacrifice in aid Of their
suffering Southern brethren: Gen. A.
O. Jones, p. T. III. Jones This sony. G.
w. Moore, A. w. Anderson and w. B.
w. Fl. Manly, Thomas Harris, Thomas
Burton, Thomas Lindley, r. Watts
Hill, Thad. S. league, Danuridge NJ.
Boyd, Marshall Arnold, Baker Nc
Dowell, George w. Mcdowell, Laurens
Ballentine, John w. Franks, Stan b.
Chappell, Jack Golding, William. B.
Moore, w. ii. Carter, r. b. Lyon, |
Lowndes Griffin, all of Laurens joined
with us, and from Abbevllle, A. M.
ton Norris, Evans Norris, Ibzan j.
Rice; from Edgefeld, l.. r. Cogburn,
William Evans. George Reddep, Char
ley Lindsey, William White, James
Maroney o Mexican veteran, and sub
s%equently - McCleman q lawyer
of Georgia and wife. Others united
with III in u long route to Kansas
and after our arrival, but their names
now escape me. L recall however, of
sides, William Traylor, William Augh-
try, John No'and, William Price, n
Mr.. Clifton, and q Virginian named
Hancock. |
On the 10Th May, 1856, we met at
Laurens in the Court House, organised
with Gen. A. G.. Jones as leader. Fiery |
speeches were made by Charles o. La
motto, B. w. Ball, w. d. Farley and
others The good ladies. whose hearts
were in the movement, presented each
man with q copy of the bible(I regret to
have to say that while l carried mine
safely through the Kansas troubles l
lost 1t in the struggle that followed
hard upon it). The mex morning wed
boarded the Grain for Columbia accom-
panied by our distinguished friend,
Col. j. n. Irby, tthen Lieut.. Governor
] believe,) who there secured for us an
equipment of arms, State Yawgers.
Spending the night at Columbia where
we were entertained free OF charge at
o hotel. The next morning, at the de-
pot, Col. Irby babe us good bye assur-
ing us that we had only to advise him
of our wants. We proceeded by way
of Brauchville to Augusta where we
spent the night, thence to Atlanta
where the night again was spent. All
along the route speeches were called
for and our companions .... Mcclellan
and Ibzan j.. Rice, eloquent speakers
performed this service for. our band.
Thence to Chattanooga and on to Nash
Vile where we boarded a. little stern
wheel vessel, Tuscumbia, thence to
Paduca, KY, where we embarked on
a magnificent steamer the Fashion, |
thence to Cairo and on to ST. Louis, |
where we further equipped ourselves
with pistols and the bowie knife, q ne
cessary part q soldiers outfit In that
day. Provisions and medical supplies
were also laid in. There we boarded
the steamer Martha Jewett, reputed
named for the handsomest woman in
the United States, and commanded by
Capt. Silvers. an elegant gentleman
and true blue Southernor. AS we pro-
Needed up the Mo. at night the dark
hess was so intense hat the vessel
Nould strike the bank and the passen-
ors be thrown to the floor by the jolts
After various adventures and hardships
we arrived in time to join in the excit-
ing events then tramping in the con-
tested territory, run mad with slaugh-
ter and murder by Brown and Lane
the abolitionist leaders and murder
ers, Of which we propose to write in a |
subsequent issue.
G. w. MOORE.