Record Data
Source citation
Sara Tappan Doolittle Lawrence Robinson, Diary of Sara Tappan Doolittle Lawrence Robinson, July, 1856, Kansas: Its Interior and Exterior Life, 4th edition, Boston, MA: Crosby, Nichols & Co., 1856, p. 366.
Type
Diary
Date Certainty
Exact
Transcriber
Michael Blake
Transcription date
Transcription
The following text is presented here in complete form, as it originally appeared in print. Spelling and typographical errors have been preserved as in the original.
-- July days are passing with little variety. We have a great deal of company; many days four or five carriage loads. They are people from Lawrence, and other settlements, while many strangers travelling in the territory call to "look in upon the traitors." A number of ladies living on claims some miles from Lawrence, whom we had never met, have visited us in camp. They are very intelligent and refined.
Gen. Smith has arrived in Leavenworth. As he was passing Delaware, a little settlement among the hills, the boat was hailed, and obliged to stop. A band of ruffians, gathered from the "four corners of Satan's dominions," demanded, "Are there any abolitionists on board?" Gov. Shannon and his wife also came up the river in the same boat. They came through in the stage from Kansas city to Lecompton. When passing places of more than usual loveliness, she would say, "she should like a plantation there, with about two dozen negroes." To the question how she liked "border ruffians," she said, "she liked them infinitely better than Massachusetts paupers." Every time any attempt was made by others in the stage to vindicate the free-state cause, she remarked, "she did not wish to hear anything about it." She remained scarcely a week in Kansas, and, in reply to the question, "Will you return to Kansas?" she said, "I should like to live in Kansas if it is a slave state, I suffer so much where I am in associating with abolitionists." It would be kind in the governor to have regard for her sufferings, and go into some obscurity, where she could be relieved from the enlightened intelligence of Ohio.
Col. Titus, a few days ago, told a man who came to him for money to buy a claim, with oaths, "Wait, and we will get it any how. Now is the time to drive out the d -- d Yankees."
Acting upon this impression, probably, two days since, he attacked a young man, living on a claim two miles from Lecompton. After beating him severely, and jumping upon him, he ordered an accomplice, standing by, to fire his house. A free-state man immediately talked plainly to Gov. S. in relation to it, and concluded by telling him, "if he did not prevent such outrages, the people would."
Gov. S. immediately sent for troops to protect Titus. Free-state men are driven from their claims, beaten and killed. Then the governor employs the troops to protect the assassins. Such is dragoon government in Kansas. It leaves the free-state people exposed to all outrages; and, when they would assert their rights, and take care of themselves by driving out the ruffians, the dragoons protect them by orders of the governor. Gov. Shannon has said, repeatedly, that the state "prisoners, if charged, would be tried; if tried, convicted; and, if convicted, hung." Judge Lecompte has made similar statements. Woodson has said, "they did not expect there would be a trial, but they meant to keep them imprisoned."
W. P. Fain, who acted as deputy marshal in arresting Judge Smith and G. W. Deitzler, was in camp the other day. While talking of the Toombs bill, the prisoners stated "that they had no confidence in the President appointing men who would take the census fairly." He replied, "I would do it."
When they asked him, "if he was to be one of the commissioners," he replied in the affirmative, thus showing the whole matter to have been arranged before Stringfellow went to Washington. There was a heavy shower a few nights since. Our tent being the poorest shelter from rain of all, Capt. Sackett urged us to sleep in one of his; but we preferred staying in our own. When the storm came, the wind was terrible. The rain came through in streams, and little lakes were standing in every hollow on the bed. At this unpleasant juncture, the captain sent down an India-rubber blanket, and, by removing the wet ones, no one suffered very severely. Towards morning, a heavy wind tore up a part of the stakes, and a drenching rain came full upon us. There was not a dry spot in the bed, and no more sleep for us. We had, however, a hearty laugh with Capt. Sackett, for the tent he had kindly assigned us was prostrate; the only one which had been so essentially affected by the storm.
Gen. Smith has arrived in Leavenworth. As he was passing Delaware, a little settlement among the hills, the boat was hailed, and obliged to stop. A band of ruffians, gathered from the "four corners of Satan's dominions," demanded, "Are there any abolitionists on board?" Gov. Shannon and his wife also came up the river in the same boat. They came through in the stage from Kansas city to Lecompton. When passing places of more than usual loveliness, she would say, "she should like a plantation there, with about two dozen negroes." To the question how she liked "border ruffians," she said, "she liked them infinitely better than Massachusetts paupers." Every time any attempt was made by others in the stage to vindicate the free-state cause, she remarked, "she did not wish to hear anything about it." She remained scarcely a week in Kansas, and, in reply to the question, "Will you return to Kansas?" she said, "I should like to live in Kansas if it is a slave state, I suffer so much where I am in associating with abolitionists." It would be kind in the governor to have regard for her sufferings, and go into some obscurity, where she could be relieved from the enlightened intelligence of Ohio.
Col. Titus, a few days ago, told a man who came to him for money to buy a claim, with oaths, "Wait, and we will get it any how. Now is the time to drive out the d -- d Yankees."
Acting upon this impression, probably, two days since, he attacked a young man, living on a claim two miles from Lecompton. After beating him severely, and jumping upon him, he ordered an accomplice, standing by, to fire his house. A free-state man immediately talked plainly to Gov. S. in relation to it, and concluded by telling him, "if he did not prevent such outrages, the people would."
Gov. S. immediately sent for troops to protect Titus. Free-state men are driven from their claims, beaten and killed. Then the governor employs the troops to protect the assassins. Such is dragoon government in Kansas. It leaves the free-state people exposed to all outrages; and, when they would assert their rights, and take care of themselves by driving out the ruffians, the dragoons protect them by orders of the governor. Gov. Shannon has said, repeatedly, that the state "prisoners, if charged, would be tried; if tried, convicted; and, if convicted, hung." Judge Lecompte has made similar statements. Woodson has said, "they did not expect there would be a trial, but they meant to keep them imprisoned."
W. P. Fain, who acted as deputy marshal in arresting Judge Smith and G. W. Deitzler, was in camp the other day. While talking of the Toombs bill, the prisoners stated "that they had no confidence in the President appointing men who would take the census fairly." He replied, "I would do it."
When they asked him, "if he was to be one of the commissioners," he replied in the affirmative, thus showing the whole matter to have been arranged before Stringfellow went to Washington. There was a heavy shower a few nights since. Our tent being the poorest shelter from rain of all, Capt. Sackett urged us to sleep in one of his; but we preferred staying in our own. When the storm came, the wind was terrible. The rain came through in streams, and little lakes were standing in every hollow on the bed. At this unpleasant juncture, the captain sent down an India-rubber blanket, and, by removing the wet ones, no one suffered very severely. Towards morning, a heavy wind tore up a part of the stakes, and a drenching rain came full upon us. There was not a dry spot in the bed, and no more sleep for us. We had, however, a hearty laugh with Capt. Sackett, for the tent he had kindly assigned us was prostrate; the only one which had been so essentially affected by the storm.