factory reply of the 4th instant, a copy of which I immediately transmitted, by special dispatch, to Colonel Sumner, with the request that he would accompany me with his command to the scene of difficulty. In reply, I was informed he would immediately do so, having no doubt that in due time proper instructions would be received from the War Department. Information, however, which I received from both parties convinced me that my presence was necessary to avoid a conflict, and without waiting for Colonel Sumner, I repaired to the seat of threatened hostilities, at the same time advising Colonel Sumner, by special dispatch, of this movement. On my way to Lawrence, I met a dispatch from Colonel Sumner, informing me that, upon reflection, he had changed his determination, and that he would not march with his command until he had received orders from the proper department, but that he would be ready to move with his command the moment such orders came to hand. I proceeded as rapidly as possible to the camp of General Strickler, on the Wakarusa, six miles east of Lawrence, and arrived in camp about three o'clock on the morning of the sixth instant. I found that General Strickler, as well as General Richardson, had very judiciously adopted the policy of incorporating into their respective commands all the irregular forces that had arrived. This was done with the view of subjecting them to military orders and discipline, and to prevent any unlawful acts or outbreaks. The great danger to be apprehended was from an unauthorized attack on the town of Lawrence, which was being strongly fortified, and had about one thousand and fifty men, well armed, to defend it, with two pieces of artillery, while, on the other side, there was probably in all near two thousand men, many of them indifferently armed, but having a strong park of artillery. I found in the camp at Wakarusa a deep and settled feeling of hostility against the opposing forces in Lawrence, and apparently a fixed determination to attack that place and demolish it and the presses, and take possession of their arms. It seemed to be a universal opinion in the camp that there was no safety to the law and order party in the Territory while the other party were permitted to retain their Sharp's rifles, an instrument used only for war purposes. After mingling with all the leading men in the Wakarusa camp, and urging on them the importance of avoiding a conflict of arms, that such a step would probably light the torch of civil war and endanger the very Union itself, I still found that there was a strong desire with all, and a fixed determination with many to compel the forces in Lawrence to give up their arms. Believing that such a demand would lead to a conflict which, if once commenced, no one could tell where it would end, and seeing no way to avoid it except by the aid of the United States forces, I again wrote another communication to Colonel Sumner, and sent it to him by special dispatch about three o'clock on the morning of the 7th instant, requesting his presence; a copy of which I send you herewith, marked E. I received no reply until my return to this place, after the difficulty had been arranged. I send you a copy of this reply, marked F. Early on the morning of the 7th instant I repaired to the camp at Lawrence, and found them busily engaged in their fortifications and in drilling their forces, and had a full and satisfactory interview with the committee appointed by the forces in Lawrence, in relation to the impending difficulties. So far as the execution of the laws were concerned we had no difficulty in coming to a satisfactory understanding. It was at once agreed that the laws of the Territory should have their regular course, and that those who disputed their validity should, if they desired to do so, test that question in the judicial tribunals of the country; that, in the meantime, no resistance should be made to their due execution, and the citizens of Lawrence and vicinity were, when properly called on, to aid in the arrest of any one charged with their violation, and aid and assist in the preservation of the peace and good order of society; while, on my part, I gave them every assurance in my power that they should be protected in all their rights and defended against any unlawful aggressions. It is proper I should say that they claimed that a large majority of them had always held and inculcated the same views. The assurances I received entirely satisfied me that no one against whom a writ had issued was then in Lawrence; that they had all fled, and that they were harboring, concealing, or defending no one against whom a writ had been issued, and that hereafter there would be no combined effort made to prevent the service of any process in the county of Douglas. This was entirely satisfactory and all that had been desired. But to satisfy the forces that surrounded Lawrence so that they could be induced to retire in order was the great difficulty to be overcome. To issue an order to the sheriff to disband his posse, and to Generals Richardson and Strickler to disband their forces, would have been to let loose this large body of men, who would have been left without control to follow the impulse of their feelings, which evidently was to attack and disarm the people of Lawrence. Early on the morning of the 8th, through the influence of some leading men, I procured thirteen of the leading captains in the Wakarusa camp to be appointed a committee to confer with a committee from the Lawrence camp, to meet at Franklin, midway between the two hostile forces. I proceeded to the Lawrence camp and returned to Franklin in the evening with the committee, where the proposed interview took place. This interview, which lasted for some time, resulted in producing a better state of feeling, and the committee from the Wakarusa camp were satisfied to retire without doing anything more, and so reported to the army. This, with the active exertions of myself and others, produced a better feeling among the men, and by daylight on the morning of the 9th I felt I could with safety order the forces to disband, and accordingly done so. They retired in order and refrained from any act of violence, but it was evident there was a silent dissatisfaction at the course I had taken. But I felt conscious I was right, and that my course would be sanctioned alike by the dictates of humanity and sound policy. I returned to Lawrence on the 9th and remained until the morning of the 10th, when, everything being quiet and safe, I returned to this place. Everything is quiet now, but it is my duty to say to you frankly that I have forebodings as to the future. militia or volunteer corps cannot be relied on to preserve the peace in these civil party contests, or where partisans are concerned. A call on the militia will generally only bring in conflict the two parties. I am The satisfied that the only forces that can be used in this Territory in enforcing the laws or preserving the peace are those of the United States, and with this view I would suggest that the executive of this Territory be authorized to call on the forces of the United States when in his judgment the public peace and tranquillity or the execution of the laws may require their assistance. Should there be an outbreak it will most probably be sudden, and before orders can be obtained from Washington the crisis will have passed. I send you herewith the copies of various affidavits, letters, &c., which will give you some information in detail touching the subject matter of this dispatch. I have the honor to be your obedient servant, His Excellency FRANKLIN PIERCE. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 8 } Territory of Kansas, WILSON SHANNON. Be it remembered, that on this sixth day of December, in the year A. D. 1855, personally appeared before me, J. M. Burrell, one of the associate justices of the supreme court of the said Territory of Kansas, Harrison Buckley, of lawful age, who being by me duly sworn, saith that he is a citizen of the county of Douglas, and has resided therein since 30th day of March last, and has resided during all that time at Hickory Grove; that he was informed on good authority, and which he believed to be true, that Jacob Branson had threatened his life, both before and after the difficulty between Coleman and Dow, which led to the death of the latter. I understood that Branson swore that deponent should not breathe the pure air three minutes after I returned, this deponent at this time having gone down to Westport, in Missouri; that it was these threats, made in various shapes, that made this deponent really fear his life, and which induced him to make affidavit against the said Branson, and procure a peace warrant to issue, and be placed in the hands of the sheriff of Douglass county; that this deponent was with the said sheriff (S. J. Jones) at the time the said Branson was arrested,, which took place about two or three o'clock in the morning; that Branson was in bed when he was arrested by said sheriff; that no pistol or other weapon was presented at the said Branson by any one; that after the arrest and after the company with the sheriff had proceeded about five miles in the direction of Lecompton, the county seat of Douglas county, the said sheriff and his posse were set upon by about between thirty and forty men, who came out from behind a house, all armed with Sharp's rifles, and presented their guns cocked, and called out who they were; and said Branson replied that they had got him a prisoner; and these armed men called on him to come away. Branson then went over on their side, and Sheriff Jones said they were doing something they would regret hereafter in resisting the laws; that he was sheriff of Douglas county, and, as such, had arrested Branson. These armed men replied that they had no laws, no sheriff and no governor, and that they knew no laws but their guns. The sheriff, being overpowered, said to these men, that if they Ex. Doc. 23-3 took him by force of arms he had no more to say, or something to that import, and then we rode off. This deponent further states that there has been three houses burned in the Hickory Point settlement; one was this deponent's house, another belonged to Josiah Hargis, and the third to said Coleman. All I had in the world was burned up, leaving my wife and children without clothing. This deponent's wife and four children fled to Missouri, where they still remain with their relatives. The house of deponent was burned down, as it is said, shortly before daylight in the morning. The wives and children of both Coleman and Hargis also fled to Missouri, where they still remain. There were about fifteen or sixteen law-abiding families in the settlement called the Hickory Grove settlement about the time these difficulties sprung up; they have all been forced by terror, and threats of these armed men to flee with their wives and children to the State of Missouri for protection, and still remain there. These armed men have repeatedly in my presence said that they would resist the law by force, and there was no law in this Territory. These threats have been repeatedly made by these men for the last three months. And further this deponent saith not. H. H. BUCKLEY. Sworn and subscribed the day and year above stated before me. J. M. BURRELL, Associate Justice Supreme Court, Kansas Territory. Be it remembered, that on this 7th day of December, A. D. 1855, personally came before me, S. G. Cato, one of the associate justices of the supreme court of the Territory of Kansas, Josiah Hargis, of lawful age, who being by me duly sworn, deposeth and saith, that on or about the 26th day of November, 1855, in Douglas county, sheriff Jones called upon me, with nine others, to act as a posse to arrest one Jacob Branson, under a peace warrant issued by Hugh Cameron, a justice of the peace; that he proceeded with said sheriff' to Hickory Point, in said county, and there arrested said Branson, with whom they proceeded in the direction of Lawrence. When near a house on the Wakarusa an armed mob of persons, amounting to between thirty and forty, rushed from behind said house, and by force did rescue said Branson out of the hands of said sheriff and posse, and in defiance of said sheriff's command, take said Branson and refuse to deliver him to said sheriff. That the said sheriff told the said mob that he held said Branson under a peace warrant properly issued by a legally authorized officer; and that he was sheriff of said county of Douglas, and charged with the execution of said writ. The leader of said mob replied to said officer that they knew him as Mr. Jones, but not as sheriff of Douglas county. He then told them that he would call out the militia to enforce the law. Their reply was that he could not get men to enforce said law. He told them then that he would call on the governor for assistance; to which the said mob replied that they had no laws and no officers, and to pitch in. Said mob stood with their guns cocked and presented at the time of said rescue. This deponent further saith, one H. W. Buckley, of said county of Douglas, was with said sheriff at the time of said rescue, as one of said sheriff's posse; that during the same night on which said rescue was made said affiant saw a light in the direction of said Buckley's house, and that he fully believes said house was at that time burned. That he believes, from circumstances within his knowledge, that said house, together with his own, was burned by persons concerned with said mob; and that he has reason to believe that some of said houses were fired by said Branson aforesaid, assisted by a German, commonly called Dutch Charley; and they were counselled and advised thereto by one Farley. This affiant further says, that at the time of the rescue of said prisoner he was at a house near Hickory Point, and that he there saw three women, who told him that there had been an armed force that day who notified them to leave, and all other pro-slavery families in the neighborhood; and since, said families have left said neighborhood and fled to the State of Missouri. Said affiant says that he believes there were at that time in said neighborhood about fifteen pro-slavery families, nearly all of whom have fled, as aforesaid, to the State of Missouri, for protection. Said armed force was represented to consist of from one hundred to one hundred and fifty armed men. S. N. HARGIS. Sworn and subscribed before me, S. G. Cato, associate justice of Kansas Territory. LAWRENCE, KANSAS TERRITORY, SIR: We have authentic information that an overwhelming force of the citizens of Missouri are organizing upon our border, amply supplied with artillery, for the avowed purpose of invading this Territory, demolishing our towns, and butchering our unoffending free State citizens. We respectfully demand, on behalf of the citizens of Kansas, that the commandants of the United States troops in this vicinity be immediately instructed to interfere to prevent such an inhuman outrage. Respectfully, Attest: J. H. LANE, Chairman Executive Committee, K. T. Chairman Committee of Safety. J. H. GOODIN, Sec'ry Ex. Com., K. T. FRANKLIN PIERCE, President U. S. |