A History of Kansas

by Anna E. Arnold

Armies Dispersed by the Governor. This alarming state of affairs aroused Governor Shannon and he at once ordered both sides to disperse. The free-state army disbanded, but the Missourians obeyed sullenly, and on their way back to Missouri they committed a number of depredations, and pillaged Osawatomie, which they hated because it was the home of John Brown.

Free-state Help from Northern States. The North was deeply stirred by the calamities endured by the free-state people in Kansas. Although practically all of the free-state newspapers here had been closed or destroyed, the papers in the northern and eastern states were filled with narrations of the hardships, robberies, and murders that had befallen antislavery settlers in the Territory. The Kansas troubles were discussed from the pulpit, and the great preacher, Henry Ward Beecher, advised sending rifles to Kansas and pledged his church for a definite number. The men thus sent out armed with Bibles and rifles were sometimes called “The Rifle Christians.” Public meetings were addressed by men fresh from Kansas, among them ex-Governor Reeder, S. N. Wood, and James H. Lane. Much sympathy was aroused for the suffering free-state settlers. Large sums of money were raised, and companies of men were organized to take part in the Territorial contest. The movement swept over the states from Boston to the Northwest.[12] “Societies of semi-military cast, no less willing to furnish guns than groceries, sprang up as if by magic, and overshadowed the earlier, more pacific organizations.” As a result of these agitations a stream of migration moved toward Kansas during the spring and summer of 1856. Every party came prepared for defense, and many brought with them a goodly stock of provisions. One writer says of the immigrants, “There were fewer women and children, less house-luggage, fewer agricultural implements; more men, more arms, more ammunition.”

Missouri River Closed to Free-state Immigration. These activities of the North were viewed with alarm by the proslavery leaders. They believed that this inflow of free-state settlers must be checked or it would end all hope of making Kansas a slave state. One of the most important of the measures they adopted for this purpose was the closing of the Missouri River to free-state immigration. They overhauled the steamboats and seized merchandise and arms that were being sent to free-state people, and they arrested and turned back all travelers whom they believed to be unfriendly to the South. All overland immigrants received similar treatment as soon as they touched Missouri soil.

New Route to Kansas. Although this policy occasioned the northern people considerable loss and much inconvenience, it did not check the movement toward Kansas. It simply meant that the immigrants came through Iowa and Nebraska, entering Kansas from the north.

The Southerners also appealed to their people and money was raised and men were sent to Kansas, but the response was not to be compared with that of the North.

A Condition of Lawlessness. While these things were going on, Kansas was becoming more and more lawless. It would be hard to say which side surpassed the other in misdeeds. A number of free-state leaders, including Dr. Robinson, were held at Lecompton during the summer as prisoners on a charge of treason. The free-state people were irritated by the loss of money, supplies, and mail, through the Missouri blockade. Bands of armed proslavery men guarded the roads out of Topeka and Lawrence, so that these towns were really in a state of siege. These guards lived on supplies taken from the surrounding settlers, and cut off supplies sent to the towns so that food became very scarce, especially at Lawrence, where the chief article of diet for some time was ground oats. Meanwhile, supplies were reaching the proslavery towns, Tecumseh, Lecompton, and Franklin, without hindrance. It was evident to the free-state people that their enemies expected to starve them out of the Territory, and they were stirred to retaliate. The free-state guerrillas again began their work of seizing the supplies of proslavery settlers and merchants. This was kept up until many of the proslavery people were completely impoverished.

The “Army of the North.” About the first of August a report that Lane was coming with the “Army of the North” spread over the Territory. James H. Lane was one of the free-state men who had been in the northern states, addressing meetings and raising men and money. He was a very eloquent speaker and had influenced many to come to Kansas. The “Army of the North” consisted of several hundred men, women, and children, most of whom had come to make homes for themselves. This army was a combination of several parties that had united to come into Kansas over the new route through Iowa and Nebraska. Lane was with the party, but only a small number were armed or had been gathered by him.

A Proslavery Army Gathers. The proslavery leaders began to rally their men along the border. The following sentences are taken from one of the calls they published: “Lane’s men have arrived! Civil war is begun! And we call on all who are not prepared to see their friends butchered, to be themselves driven from their homes, to rally to the rescue.” A large number of men soon gathered on the border, anxiously awaiting permission to move into Kansas; but as Governor Shannon had dispersed the Missouri army a few weeks earlier, he now refused to issue orders for the new army to move into the Territory.

Governor Shannon Resigns. About this time Governor Shannon resigned. He had so displeased the proslavery people that he was compelled to flee for his life under cover of night. Daniel Woodson, Secretary of the Territory, now became Acting Governor until the new Governor should arrive. As he was in full sympathy with proslavery interests he opened the Territory to the Missouri invasion. Woodson’s power lasted only three weeks, but they were the darkest days that Kansas had experienced.

The Burning of Osawatomie. The proslavery army moved into Kansas. The Pottawatomie massacre had not been forgotten, and when this army reached Osawatomie, “the headquarters of old Brown,” they attacked the town. John Brown had only forty-one men, and so thoroughly did the enemy do their work this time that only four cabins escaped burning.