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CHAPTER XLVI.

TROUBLES IN SOUTH-EASTERN KANSAS-CONTINUED.

The difficulties at Fort Scott continued during the winter. In February Johnson, who had suffered much from the Ruffians in that town, came to Montgomery for assistance. A writ was procured for the arrest of the offenders, and Montgomery, at the head of forty-three men, set out to execute it. Meantime some of the more timid free state men had sent a couple of messengers to the town to ask the authorities to voluntarily surrender up the culprits; this deputation Montgomery met when he reached the outskirts of the town, accompanied by some of the leading citizens of the place. To the demand of the persons of those for whom writs were held, they replied that if the prisoners would be retained at Fort Scott for trial they would be surrendered up; but otherwise they would not, and that they should fight, every man of them, before yielding to the latter demand. Montgomery replied, "then fight, that is what we want," and immediately put his men in motion towards the town. Crawford and other Fort Scott gentry hurried back into the village. By the time Montgomery reached the principal street Crawford and Judge Williams met them, and reported that all the mauraders had left, and tendered the free state men the hospitalities of the place. The latter partook of a hearty breakfast and received a pledge from Judge Williams that the goods taken from

Johnson and others should be deposited at Barnesville within a few days, subject to orders. Not being able to see any thing of those for whom they held writs, the free state men left the place. In a few days, when the troops under Captain Anderson arrived, the Fort Scott authorities, instead of restoring the property, sent word to the free state men, "Come on, we are ready to fight you."

Upon receiving this challenge, Montgomery sent to Lawrence for a howitzer, and Leonhardt, a Polander, who had seen much service in Europe, came down with it, accompanied by quite a number of others. Perceiving that they were unable to drive the Ruffians out of Fort Scott the free state men determined to change their tactics and drive them from the country into the Fort, and then starve them into submission by a siege. Pursuant to this arrangement, they first struck a pro-slavery settlement high up on the Little Osage. They attacked Zumkault, who had been the perpetrator of at least three free state murders. In attempting to enter his house they shot and badly wounded him, but left him properly cared for by the neighbors. From this place they visited the residences of other obnoxious proslavery men, who fled in terror at their approach. The pro-slavery men in that vicinity sent for the troops at the Fort, but Captain Anderson replied that if they wished protection they should all come to Fort Scott, as he was unable to afford them any security at their isolated homes. Filled with alarm by the bold strike of the free state men, and still more by guilty consciences, the pro-slavery men flocked, with their families, to Fort Scott.

After this occurrence, which was in February, Montgomery proposed to retire from the field, and attend to the improvement of his claim. He requested that the men be organized under Captain Stewart and Lieutenant Walker, who should be actively on the watch to keep the pro-slavery men in check. These, after performing a few praiseworthy deeds, began plundering, robbing and stealing,

and running off the spoils to the north. They spread terror and ruin wherever they went, threatening pro-slavery men, many of whom fled the country with their families. They continued this dishonorable course, until they had brought disgrace upon their party, and aroused the whole country against them. Stewart was a Methodist preacher, commonly known in southern Kansas as "the fighting preacher," but he was better qualified for a spy, or daring and unscrupulous adventure, than anything else. He was in the employ of the government during the rebellion as secret agent, and did admirable service. He afterwards abandoned his family, and ran off with a strumpet to Canada.

The men having become so demoralized under Captain Stewart, and committed so many gross outrages, Montgomery resolved to take the field again as their leader. He first restored what stolen property he could, and sought to correct the morals of his command. A portion of them, under the leadership of Stewart, with their avarice excited by their recent plundering, separated from those under Montgomery, and started north on a thieving expedition. In this way they brought odium upon the free state party in south-eastern Kansas, and many good free state men censured them. Those that thus set out north, generally, were worsted in their unlawful and dishonorable attempts, and finally returned, the best of whom were reinstated in the original command.

But justice to Captain Montgomery requires us to say, that he never indulged in wholesale robbing and stealing. He took from pro-slavery men alone, and only from those who were deeply implicated in the troubles. He took their arms, their horses, (if he needed any), and provisions. He aimed to feed, clothe and supply his men with that which he took from the enemy. He never sold a horse thus taken, but either restored it when through with it, or gave it to some good free state man who had suffered loss. Wherever he obtained provision of peaceable citizens, he paid for it,

as his neighbors will bear testimony. Though himself as poor as afflicted Job, he never bettered his condition by spoils taken from the enemy.

It should be observed that these parties who gave themselves up to plunder in Kansas, generally met, soon after, violent deaths. We have noticed Stewart's downfall; Lenhardt, a young printer, from Lawrence, who had been leader of a guerilla party since 1856, and who continued robbing and plundering long after peace was restored, finally was killed at Doniphan; Hamilton perished in the mountains; Titus wandered to Arizona, and no one knows what became of him, and so with others.

Those pro-slavery men who had been driven out by Stewart, soon began to return with reinforcements from Missouri. They retaliated upon the free state men, notifying them to leave, on pain of death. This again filled the country with alarm. Montgomery collected the threatened families at various places, and put them in an attitude of self-defence. While thus engaged, a party wearing United States uniform, came out from Fort Scott, killed Denton and Hedrick, and attempted to murder Davis. Old man Denton lived only sufficiently long after he was shot, to obtain a pledge from his sons that they would avenge his death. He called them to his bed side, and when they had solemnly obligated themselves to comply with their father's request, he seemingly died in peace. The boys faithfully fulfilled their vow, killing one of the murderers the next day, and three or four others subsequently.

This startling occurrence spread terror and confusion among the free state men, and it required the utmost exertions of Montgomery to prevent a stampede of the settlers. He wrote a letter to the northern counties, for their friends to hold themselves in readiness to come at a moment's warning to their assistance, but, as yet, they were able to take care of themselves, while he informed his neighbors, in order to quiet their fears, that he had really

sent for help. He then went to the Neosho, where he organized the settlers in a lodge of a secret order, for the purpose of self-defense. Upon his return he found that the free state men had rallied their courage, had made an attack (April 1) upon a body of Ruffians assembled at Wasson's, killed one certain, and likely others. Their fears had fled and they talked no more of abandoning their homes.

It is proper to remark here, in order that the reader may understand the movements of Montgomery and his men, that they were always duly informed of the plans of the Ruffians in Missouri and at Fort Scott, in time to frustrate them. He had a spy in the Secret Lodge in Missouri, and one in the lodge at Fort Scott, who would report to him the intended movement of the Ruffians in advance. On these reports he would frequently make a bold stroke, when to the public there was no justifying cause. In this way he and his men received the title of "Jayhawkers," from the resemblance of their actions to that of a hawk, suddenly and unexpectedly pouncing upon a jay-bird. They knew the plans of the Ruffians, where they would assemble; without a moments warning, at the time the Ruffians would imagine themselves secure and safe, and Montgomery and his party remote, the latter would suddenly fill them with consternation and alarm by his unexpected presence.

Before the Maries Des Cygnes murders took place, Montgomery knew the designs of the Missourians through his faithful spy, who now lives, I believe, at Westport. The plan of Hamilton, which was never fully carried out, was as follows: He had prepared a list of free state men, numbering about sixty or seventy, whose death had been decreed. With a small squad of men he was to pass from the Border into the Territory, seize as many of these as he could, suddenly slay them and retire immediately to Missouri. After the lapse of a week, when the excitement should have subsided, he would repeat the stroke and return as before; wait a week and again strike. Thus he would

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