| The Marshal's reply. |
The Marshal replied in a flippant and sarcastic manner, saying that his correspondents must be strangers in Lawrence if they were ignorant of the demands against the citizens of the town, referring in exaggerated language to the shooting of Jones, and Reeder's resistance to his deputy, and to the military organization and equipment of the people of Lawrence, and declaring that he should execute all processes in his hands in his own time and way.
| Appeal of the citizens to the Marshal and the Governor. |
Three days later, on May 17th, the citizens communicated again with the Marshal, calling his attention to the depredations committed by the bands around Lawrence, asking if he was responsible for these bodies, and demanding protection from him against them. At the same time, the managers of the hotel appealed to the Governor to protect their property, and carried with them an offer from the citizens to give up their arms to Colonel Sumner, if he would station a detachment of United States soldiers in the town for their protection.
| The hotel and the printing offices. |
The Marshal and the Governor thought favorably of this proposition. They were willing to guarantee the safety of the citizens and their individual property, but they thought they must consult with the captains of the squads composing the posse before they could give such assurances in regard to the hotel and the printing offices. These persons were found to be determined on the destruction of the printing offices, certainly, and of the hotel, probably. Colonel Titus, of Florida, declared that the South Carolina boys in the posse would be satisfied with nothing short of the destruction of the printing offices.
The hotel managers and the representatives of the citizens turned again to the Governor and implored him to send the United States soldiers for the protection of the town, but he again refused to interfere; and, finally, when they said to him that they feared the citizens would be compelled to defend themselves by armed power, and precipitate the horrors of civil war, he answered angrily, while striding out of their presence: "War then it is, by God!"
| The sacking of Lawrence. |