The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-08-27
AT OSAWATOMIE.
Semicentennial Of the Famous
Battle Held This Week.
Celebration Of John Browns
Stand Against Slavery.
A THREE DAYS. EVENT.
Vice President Fairbanks Will
Speak on Thursday.
A Feature will BE a Campfire
Of the Veterans.

Osawatomie, Kan, Aug. 27-The
semicentennial celebration of the bat
tie of Osawatomie which will be held
here on Wednesday. Thursday and Fri
day this week. promises to be one of
the events of the decade in eastern
Kansas. While the battle of Osa wato-
mie was but a skirmish when com
pared with the many conflicts that fol-
lowed, it was here the sturdy advocates
of abolition made their first armed
stand against slavery.
1t was to this point in the early sos
came John Brown and many other
New England Quakers who entertained
very positive opinions regarding sla-
very. with a Puritan determination
that when Kansas became a state the
constitution should prohibit it. Many
of these people were intensely religious
and the proslavery people, while using
the same Bible for spiritual guidance,
looked upon them as fanatics.
John Brown read his Bible. he pray
ed, dreamed and labOred for his hobby.
Home, in the sense understood by
many. seems to have been little to him.
He was here, he was in Iowa, in New
York travelled in many states of the
south, all the time planning, praying
working, thinking hcw TO stop slavery.
The home here of Rev. S &. Adair,
tWHoSe WILe was Brown 5 NAH SISTER,
was a small log house, and which is
known today as the John Brown
cabin" erected during the winter of
1854, and Brown assisted in cutting
and drawing the logs for its erection.
Browns residence here as elsewhere,
was of so short duration that he had
little need for a permanent home and
never really owned one in this western
country The homes of the settlers.
most Of whom were in sympathy with
oil r I,
q few slaves were brought through on
the underground railroad" they found
an asylum.
During 1856 there were frequent
clashes between the border settlers
which resulted in the battle Of OsaWa-
tonne, the burning Of Lawrence, the
execution of Brown at Harper's Ferry,
and the final cali to arms.
On the morning of August 30 1856,
shout 400 men under General George
w. Reid came up, on the town of Osa-
watomie from the west and southwest
having crossed the river at a ford
short distance UP stream. Reds move
it is claimed. was in retaliation for
depredations by the antslavery people
over the Missouri border. A squad
under command of Rev. Martin White
came by the Adair cabin and meeting
Frederick Brown, son of John Brown,
shot him on the spot. Coming on
down upon the town the Missourians
which leads off from the south bank of
the Marais des Cygnes, almost to the
PottOwatomie, to avoid being am
pushed.
The report Of the shot which killed
Fred Brown aroused the settlement
and something like forty men formed
themselves along in the grove on the
west edge of town. where the celebra-
ton will be held and opened fire in
defense. Only few of the men were
armed with modern guns. about eigh-
teen having Sharp's rifles. while the
remainder had a varied collection of
guns and a limited amount of ammuni-
ton After two hours, during which
time the proslavery men brought up
and planted two six-inch guns about
where the monument now stands, the
settlers were forced to retreat and
cross the river Some threw away their
guns and swan and waded, while other
were fortunate enough to ind boats.
The killed were Fred Brown, David
l. r. Garrison. Charley Keiser. George
Partridge, William Williams and T. p
Powers. It IS not known how many of
Reds men were killed
OF Browns men there are known TO