The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1902-07-02
CAMPAIGNING I'm KANSAS,

"Reminiscences of the South
Carolina Expedition in 1885,
Col. Pitt n Native of Green.
Vile.
Capt George w. Moore, of Clinton,
>. o., who was n member of General
"A. Z. Jones' company which went to
Kansas Territory from Laurens County
in 1886 during the excitement over the
slavery question, writes the remlsceu-
ccs printed below of those eventful
times. a former letter of Capt. Moore
on the same topic appeared three weeks
ago in this paper and today's letter
continues the narrative. Capt Moore
afterwards served in the Confederacy
with conspicuous gallantry:
We remained at Camp Palmetto
two or three weeks aud then returned
TO Kansas City, where we ooh a boat
Tor Leavenworth. The boat had on
board the first division of Chicago
settlers, about rs strong, under com
mand of Col. Harvey. As soon as
General Jones discovered this, he called
his men to the lower deck and told
them IT, be ready for any emergency.
Things looked squally for awhile, but
when we arrived at Leavenworth we
found men on hand to prevent the
landing of these Chicago settlers. The
latter made no attempt to land at this
point and the Leavenworth men on tho
lookout boarded the boat and examined
their baggage. They found a lot of
Sharp rifles and cans of cartridges, the
cartridges being concealed under tea.
Harvey went back down the river, but
we learned that he afterwards landed
III the Territory with his men at a
northern point.
Going into camp at Leavenworth we
found great excitement prevailing.
While there We elected the following
additional lieutenants: p. Y. II.
Jones, first and G. w. Moore, second.
After remaining at Leave worth q few
days, we took up u march to
Delaware City, six miles south on the
Missouri river We were much pleas
ed with Delaware and concluded to
settle there, the inhabitants Offering
many inducements, among them free
lois TO build on. During the month
OF August as election time approached
excitement in both parties became i'm.
tense. We learned that General Lane
mad fortified Lawrence, occupying it
with 1000 men and our friends on the
border were organizing a force sufi.
clent TO cope with him. General Jones
was invited to attend a meeting held at
ilatt CITY II when the day arrived
he o a detachment of his men with
him, the writer being a member of the
party.
Platt City was twelve miles from
orr camp. The purpose of the meeting
was TO provide horses and raise supplies
and equipments and to organize so as
to act In concert with the M~issourians
VIC were preparing for the campaign.
COL. Pitt, a distinguished Missourian.
was conducting the movement. He
was a South Carolinian by birth, hay-
ing left Greenvllle, s. c., at the age of
hve years. He had been q soldier i'm
the Mexican war. The arrangements
having been perfected, VIC left Plat
City with six horses and four men.
When we reached a point five miles
from the Missouri river we were in
formed that 1t vas dangerous to pro-
coed further in that direction. as il was
late. There Was a dense swamp five
miles in length to pass through and a
company of Free Soilers was on the
lookout for US. General Jones asked
II we would follow him. The answer
was Eyes," and we set out at q raoid
pace, arriving at the river about dark.
n ferry boat, being a steamer, was
not allowed 10 run after dark and our
boys n camp, knowing this, had EN-.
ployed some adventurers who ran an
old flat bottomed boat after the re-
gnlar boats had tiedup, to meet us and
carry us to the Kansas shore. We |
boarded this frail boat, men and horses.
the river being 600 or 500 yards wide
and the current very swift. We pulled
up stream half a mile so as to be able