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In the summer of 1856, the Sacking of Lawrence helped ratchet up the guerrilla war in Kansas Territory that became known as "Bleeding Kansas."
Background
Lawrence was established in 1854 by antislavery settlers (many from the New England Emigrant Aid Company), and it immediately became a magnet for proslavery violence during the era. The village had been previously besieged in December 1855 (see Wakarusa War), but no outright attack on the village was made at that time. In the fall of 1863, Lawrence would be attacked again by William Quantrill and his proslavery men (see Battle of Lawrence).
The event that led to the Sacking of Lawrence was the shooting of Douglas County Sheriff Samuel Jones on April 23, 1856, while he was attempting to make an arrest in Lawrence. On May 11, the federal Marshal J.B. Donaldson proclaimed that the rebellious citizenry of Lawrence had interfered with the execution of warrants against the "Free-State" legislature, which had been set up in opposition to the official proslavery territorial government. Building on this proclamation and a finding by a grand jury that Lawrence's Free State Hotel was actually built as a fort, Sheriff Jones collected a posse of 750 Southerners to enter Lawrence, disarm the citizens, wreck the press, and destroy the Free State Hotel.
Sacking
On May 21, 1856, forces led by Sheriff Jones gathered closer about the doomed town. A large force was stationed on Mount Oread, and cannon planted so as to cover and command the place. Charles Robinson's house was taken as headquarters for the Marshal and the officers of his army. On every road leading to the town and on the opposite side of the river detachments of troops were posted to prevent escape from such justice as the Marshal and Sheriff were now prepared to mete out. The forces mustered fewer than two flags. The blood-red flag, on which was inscribed "Southern rights," floated side by side that day with the "stars and stripes." It was not so a few years later. There was no flag floating in Lawrence save an American flag, which fluttered lonesomely from its staff over the Free State Hotel.
The two printing offices were first gutted, the presses destroyed, and the types thrown in the river. The planned work was finished by destroying the Free State Hotel. The first shot fired at it from a cannon planted on the opposite side of Massachusetts Street, was aimed by the tipsy David Rice Atchison, but failed to hit the building. About fifty shots were afterwards fired, with but little effect, upon the solid walls. Next the posse attempted to blow it up. Several kegs of gunpowder were exploded within, with no appreciable damage to the walls. Its destruction was finally effected by the torch of the incendiary, and in the early evening it stood a roofless and smoldering ruin. This work was followed by petty robberies all through the half-deserted town. Late in the evening the curtain fell, the last act being the burning of Robinson's private dwelling on Mount Oread, by the now irresponsible and lawless marauders.
References
- Portions of this text were taken from William G. Cutler's History of the State of Kansas, first published in 1883.
- Miner, Craig, Kansas: The History of the Sunflower State, 1854-2000 (ISBN 0700612157, 2002)
- Reynolds, David John Brown, Abolitionist (ISBN 0375411887, 2005)
External links
"Sacking of Lawrence"