—THE— 
 
 Gl^IM 0HIEFTAIN 
 
 of Kansas, 
 
 And Other Free-State Men in 
 
 Their Struggles Against 
 
 Slavery. 
 
 Some Politicall Seances, Incidents, 
 Inside Political Views^and 
 Movements in their 
 Career. ^ 
 
 -RY- 
 
 CHERRYvVLe, KANSAS '^ 7 / 
 
 CLARION BOOK & JOB PRINT. 
 1885. 
 

 Copyright, 1885 
 By LILLIE K. SHEWARD. 
 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 
 
 ^ 
 
/7 
 
 ^^PUBLISHEI^'SiPREFAeE,;^ 
 
 — iil^li 
 
 A part of this work was publish- 
 ed in the Baldwin Criterion in 
 the winter of 1884-85, and created 
 considerable interest at that time, 
 which is the only excuse we have 
 for putting it out in book form. 
 
 Taken as a whole, this work 
 now offered to the public is, we 
 suppose, without question the 
 most graphic and complete pre- 
 sentation of an era altogether the 
 most remarkable in the history of 
 the most important personage 
 (James Lane) known in the early 
 struggles of Kansas which ever has 
 been, or is likelv tu be written. — 
 
Being written as it is by "one who 
 knows" (since deceased,) having 
 been intimately acquainted with 
 the Grim Cheiftain long before his 
 advent into Kansas and written 
 without bias or motive of any kind. 
 It is confidently hoped that the 
 thoughtful reader will find a renew- 
 ed and stronger faith in the value 
 of the work, completed, as it is by 
 the serried array of facts and fig- 
 ures and the thrilling recitals of 
 personal experience with which it 
 reveals the scope, methods, and 
 power of that terrible reality. 
 "The Grim Cheiftain in his ^strug- 
 gles against slavery." 
 
Till-: 
 UEIM CHIEFTAIN 
 
 OF K.\NSA<, 
 
 AM> niJlKK KHKE-STATK MEN lNTHl<:rK 
 STin^(;GI.Ey AGAINST SI^AVKRY. 
 
 BY ONE WHO KNOWS. 
 
 Your oorrespondent 1ms often 
 thought that, if he were gifted 
 with tlie genius and poetic fire of Ho- 
 mer of old or possessed the dramatic 
 talent of Shakespeare or was endowed 
 with the literary ability of a Defoe or a 
 Dnnias, he could, provided a sufficient 
 length of time had elapsed from the 
 occui-ence of the scenes, wish for no 
 Uetter subject, to immortalize his name 
 than the career of this once famous 
 personage of Kansas history and others 
 r<»nnected with him Their whole ca- 
 reer with those around lum, was one 
 continued poem varied by scenes of 
 grandeur and sublimity equaled only 
 b V t he ( J rccian A ch i 1 les as su ng by the 
 
The Gnm Chieftain 
 
 father of song: And since truth !« stran- 
 ger than fiction, were these scenes pro- 
 perly written or portrayed, they would 
 almost cause the author ot Macbeth 
 or the great masters of romance them- 
 selves, though they be now dwellers in 
 the spirit land, to fear for the fate and 
 fame of their works in the world here 
 below. But while nothing of the kind 
 is even thought of, let alone contem- 
 plated, yet, your correspondent, look- 
 ing through terrestial mediums, be- 
 lieves that, there are many things 
 connected with the career of this sin- 
 gular man that never have been made 
 public, and consequently known to 
 but few or himself alone, which will 
 be both interesting and amusing to 
 your readers, mauy of whom were 
 OHce his personal and political friends 
 and also his companions and co-wor- 
 kers, during those exciting and turbu- 
 lent times, which made Kansas a free 
 state. To the people of Baldwin, he was 
 
The Grim Cheiftaiti 3 
 
 largely indebted for this political 
 siccess. Their suppoit,whichhe always 
 professed to prize very highly.gave him 
 a moral prestige, which, was of the 
 li^reateot advantage to him in other lo- 
 calities. One of vour citizens, in obe- 
 dience to the known wishes of your 
 people, at a sacrifice to himself which 
 no man ought t > have been called on to 
 make, when there was no other escape 
 possible, saved him from final defeat. 
 There will be no attempt to write 
 liis life or a history of his times. 
 What is common place or well known 
 will not be repeated. To defend, or 
 condenn him, or to write him or 
 any one else, who may have been con- 
 nected, in any way, with him or his ca- 
 reer, '*up or down," or to make them 
 white or black, is no part of the pre- 
 sent plan or purpose. Like most 
 others who were brought into contact 
 with him, your correspondent has been 
 both his political friend and foe, but 
 
The. Grim Chieftain 
 
 lit this late dav, has no views, nor 
 opinions of his own witliregaid to liim 
 or others of that period, that he cares 
 to nphold; nor, has he any inclination 
 or wish to combat the views of otlie s 
 He has no friends to reward, and no 
 enemies to punish. He owes no man. 
 save one, anything, and him he never 
 can repay. Besides he is long since 
 out of politics, which, when interpret- 
 ed into plain language, means that 
 he is politically dead and buried be- 
 yond all hope of resurrection, except 
 that as he may be permitted to occa- 
 sionally return and hold a political 
 seance with his friends through tin- 
 Critekion. What he writes will,there* 
 fore be without bias or motive of an}- 
 kind But some however will 
 wish they never had been politicians 
 or that these seances never had been 
 written and that departed spirits from 
 the world of politics or any other world 
 should remain where^they belong. 
 
(^HAF*TER I. 
 
 His f.itlitM-. His entry into tliin luumlane 
 s[»luMc. His curly training and first public 
 speech. His election to the Legislature. 
 His election :i> Colonel of volunteers for the 
 Mexican wr.r. His election to Congress. 
 
 ni>. FATTIER 
 
 rejoicecl in the proplietic and scriptii- 
 nil cognouieti of Amos, but nobody 
 ever .siispeeted that the sanctity of this 
 name liad any effect upon his life or 
 influence over his conduct. He was a 
 disciple of Blackstone* by profession 
 and a Democratic politician by nature 
 He was one of the three illustrious 
 statesmen who composed the first state 
 convention that ever declared for 
 the hero of New Orleans for president. 
 One of the three was made chairman 
 of the convention, another secretary, 
 when Amos the Father of the Chief - 
 tian, drew lorth and read the neces- 
 sary whereases, and resolutions de- 
 claring that tor president of these 
 
6 The Grim Cheiftam 
 
 United States Gen. Andrew Jackson 
 of Tennessee, the soldier, patriot and 
 stateunmn was the unanimous choice 
 of this,the largest and most enthusias- 
 tic convention ever assetnbled in the 
 stato of Indiana. Thus the ball was 
 started that rolled old Hickory into 
 the White House. 
 
 HIS APPEARANCE ON THIS PLANET. 
 
 Whether the Chieftain was "born m 
 baby." the way in which, the great 
 senator from South Carolina in her 
 palmest days of slavery, says that all 
 men came into this world; or whether 
 he was one of the „all men'" that the 
 declaration of independence declares 
 were born "free and equaF'or whether 
 he entered onto this terrestial sphere 
 in some other way peculiar to himself 
 alone, does not matter. He got here m 
 some way and that was sufficient for his 
 purpose and ours too. 
 
The Gnw Cheiftain 
 
 ll'm earliest instructions were m the 
 Democratic faith and his walk therein 
 was blameless, even from his childhood. 
 His early imitations of Demosthenes 
 and Cicero were made in little Demo- 
 cratic speeches, which were prepared 
 or selected by his Democratic mother 
 or lather. He claimed to have made 
 
 HIS FIRST PUBLIC SPEECH 
 
 when he was but thirteen years of age 
 and that it was orthodox,according to 
 the Democratic faith, and was so con- 
 sidered by all who heard it. He con- 
 tinued to make political speeches from 
 that time, as a sort ^f a Democratic 
 prodigy or nondescript until he was 
 twenty years of age, when he was 
 
 ELECTED TO THE LEGISLATURE 
 
 of his state, but could not qualify and 
 take his seat until he was twenty-one 
 which occured soon after the meeting 
 of the legislature to which he was 
 elected. He gave very general satis- 
 
8 'Plie (him Chieftaiii 
 
 faction to his party aiid thoy contiini- 
 ed to el(x't him until tlie i)rciikiiiL,^ out 
 of the Mexican U!ii%\viuMi noi satisticd 
 with pei'suit.s (tt peace nor liic Itono!- 
 of hi.« state, 
 
 But longt^'l f«»i* <itH'(lf< of w'.tv and {ltIoi'.v; 
 
 He then souji^lit the |)(>>iti<»M of x'olo- 
 nel of one of the rr<^irncnts of vofnn- 
 teers which his state was tlien laisinu 
 for service in the Mexican war, Mc 
 had several competitors for the place 
 and the contest was very bitter. 
 Among other things his enemies, as 
 he always called his political 
 opponents, charged him with killing 
 three men. And this charge, whJcl) 
 was considered the most likelv to in- 
 sure his defeat, was ])ressed against 
 him with the utmost pertinacity. To 
 the utter astonishment of his friends 
 and every body else, he made no de- 
 nial or explanation of it, nor replied 
 to it in any way whatever. And when 
 any of his friends would speak to him 
 
The (inm Ciiirjhilii *,) 
 
 ;il)oiit it, lie would r<iiii|»ly siiy ''Never 
 I'lind, tluit'8 nil right, Thiit'rf \vliat,s 
 iioiug to elect me,'' 
 
 When the dav for the election of field 
 <>/ficei"S- came, lie made a speech to the 
 nieii, and at the <-onclusion, looking as 
 s.^ie^un as we may imagine Lazarus to 
 have looked when he came foi'thoutof 
 his se{)ulchre with his grave clctlies on 
 ,<aid: ''My enemies say that I have 
 killed three men. What do men go 
 to w ir for? Is it not to kill men? 
 Now, if I have killed three men, as 
 they say I have,in time of peace,when 
 there was no war, am I not for that 
 reason a fit man to lead you to war 
 w here you are going t(» kill men? Am 
 I not, on that account the very best 
 man you could have to lead you to 
 war?' It is scarcely necessary to say 
 that the men looked on or saw it in 
 that light. He was triumphantly elec- 
 ted and soon atter departed ^vith his 
 l)rave regiment for the crimson fields 
 
10 77,7^ Griin Cheitlti 
 
 of deadly strife where glory and fame- 
 was awaitiiia* hhu in the land of tlie 
 Moutezumas and Aztecs — and his 
 men never regretted that they had 
 chosen him to lead them to war. 
 
 HIS ELECTION TO COXGKK.'^s. 
 
 Not long after his return from the 
 ^lexican war, the Chieftain appears^ 
 as a candidate for a seat in the con- 
 gress ot the United States. As usual 
 his enemies were plentiful and among 
 many other things,the editor of a lead- 
 ing paper charged and proved that he 
 had promised to procure appointments 
 for twenty -three men in the district 
 for their support, if he was elected. 
 To deny the charge in the face of the 
 proof, it was thought would work his 
 political ruin, and to admit or evade 
 them would be equally disastrous, if 
 not more so. Let him take which- 
 e^^er horn of the dilemma he chose, 
 the editor thought that he was in a 
 position to sa^ : "I have met the ene- 
 
The Grim Ciiu'^tohi 11 
 
 stiv and he is mine.'*' 
 
 lluviii^' ivad the article carefully 
 through, the ('hieftiim stretching fortli 
 the huiid \n which he held the ])aper^ 
 ;iiid nuininir his long fingers of the 
 ' other hand through the hair on tlve 
 side of his forehead, said,in a sort of a 
 yawning wiiy,to the friends who hanci- 
 ed liini the paper and were watching 
 to see what effect it would have on 
 him, ^'That's all right. That article 
 olectB me, jfure.*' '"How is that,''said 
 some one. ''I tell you it it. so. Come 
 to the meeting to night iind you will 
 
 THE MEETlXc;. 
 
 There ^Yas a grand rally of the De- 
 mocracy that night, ^vith many of the 
 opposition, who expected to see the 
 C'hieftain flay the editor alive and dis- 
 ])rove or deny that he had ever made 
 :any such promises. 
 
i'2 llic (rrini Cliicffiiiii 
 
 BYNOrsIH OF HIS BrEp:(ii. 
 
 His speech tliat night was u\ iiis 
 best and happiest stvie, and may l>e 
 said to be one of the greatest, if not the 
 greatest effort of his Avhole lite. He 
 declared. 
 
 "That the institution of'nigger'slave- 
 ry was of Divine origin and appoint- 
 ment and was instituted for the best 
 good, of both the 'nigger' (this is the 
 way he wrotte his word then,) and 
 the white races. That the 'nigger' 
 ^vhile they possessed great physical 
 powers, pnd were well adapted to la- 
 bor in warm and malarial climates 
 were mentally inferior pnd without 
 capacity for improvement, and needed 
 the intelligence and skill of the supe- 
 rior white race to superintend their la- 
 bor so as to conduce in the best man- 
 ner to their subsistance. Thus, the 
 best interest of both races, was subserv- 
 ed and the wisdom of the Divine eco- 
 i^omy made mamtest. That the condi- 
 tion of the 'niggers' m slavery in the 
 southern states was vastly superior to 
 the condition of those in Africa where 
 
'iVir (Irini Ch'eJ'U i'l ]>) 
 
 tlic'V had not the heiiefit of the iiitel- 
 liixence of white men to dii'ect theiii 
 
 ''That Mie institution of hiininn sla- 
 vei-y was m aecoi'd witli tlie ])]ainest 
 letK'hiniis of the Bible. W'iis not Ham 
 cursed. Most assuredly he was. '(An- 
 .<ed be * 'anaan, a servant of servants 
 shall he be unto his hrethern.' 'Ser- 
 vants obey your master.' 'Servants 
 be obedient unto your masters." That 
 the constitution of our country recog- 
 nizes and sanctions it. This the abo- 
 litionists, themselves allow when thev 
 declare that the constitution of the 
 United States is n league with death 
 and a covenant with hell. That the 
 fugitive slave law was in strict accord- 
 ance with the constitution, which pro- 
 vides in ])lain language that person who 
 owe service or hibor and should escape 
 into another state, should be given up 
 to the persons to whom such labor or 
 service was due. Did not Paul return 
 Onesimus,whowas a fugitive slave, to 
 Philemon, his master? That slaves 
 were made property by the constitu- 
 tion, the same as horses or mules and 
 their masters or owners had the same 
 moral and legal right to reclaim a fu- 
 
14 77/r (rriin C/icij'fn'ii 
 
 uilive slave, that tliey had to letake nu 
 cstrav JDuie or horse. That (h.e aholi- 
 lioiiists were wor.-^e tJuui iniidels, toi- 
 (iiey ignore the plainest teacJiings of 
 ihe Bible in whieh they ])rofess to be- 
 lieve. Tliat they deseived not only 
 the maledictions execrations and ana 
 thenias of all good citizens, but :ilso 
 the severest punislMnent for their 
 crimes against the constitulion and 
 laws of the land. That their only ob- 
 ject was to dissolve the Union and de- 
 stroy the best government on eartli 
 Declared that the whigs were aboli- 
 tionists in disguise — a pack of hungry, 
 howling and ravenous wolves dressed 
 up in sheep's clothing bleating and 
 begging for office. That tliey were 
 worse, more detestible and meaner 
 than the abohtionists,for they had nei- 
 ther the manhood nor the courage to 
 avow their principles and convic- 
 tions. That protection for American 
 labor about which they had so much 
 to say, was nothing but a scheme for 
 robbing the paor man for the benefit 
 of the rich. He then compared the 
 merits of the presidential candidates. 
 iSaid that Gen. Scott had been prop- 
 
Tr.c ( h'hii (Itclftd'hi \'> 
 
 <Tly named 'Old Fuss and Feathers' 
 because lie auionnted to n()tl;inL^ That 
 i^'ianklin Fierce of New Hanipsliiiv 
 ■was a patriot, soldier and statesman 
 <tf the very highest order. That if he 
 were elected ])iesident of the Ignited 
 States he would enforce the fugitive 
 :^lave law and protect the southern 
 jteople in theii inalienable constitu- 
 tional and God-given rights to their 
 juoperty and thus preserve the Union 
 as our fathers made it, from dissolution 
 and destruction. 
 
 Having 'elaborated in his usual way 
 each of the heads, which formed the 
 substance of all Democratic speeches, 
 in tiiose days, he drew forth from his 
 p(K*ket a paper and said: ''1 am here 
 charged in this paper which I hold in 
 my hand, with having promised to se- 
 cure Federal appointments for 23 
 worthy, reputable and in every way 
 competent men, who live in this dis- 
 trict. The editor not only makes the 
 charges but has collected a great 
 amount of evidence to prove it and 
 
1() Tlii' (u'lni Cli'icff/i'ii 
 
 fur ;ill that 1 can see, does jji-ove it. 
 Xow I want to >ny right here, lellow- 
 eitizens,that if, 1 have made tiiese ])r()- 
 iiiises and this editor says, that I have 
 .•iiid seems to have ])ioven it, every 
 one of tliese men shall he ai)])ointed, 
 Every promise that I have made 
 shall be ftdfilled, if I am elected and 
 [ am sure 1 will be. And I say more, 
 that there are a great many other 
 competent and worthy men, who shall 
 likewise receive appointinents for I 
 am determined, when I am elected 
 that this district shall have its full 
 share of the Federal patronage, some 
 thing It never had yet. What is there 
 wrong about that? Who will say this 
 district should not have that which 
 rightfully belongs to it. Even the 
 editor ot this paper, himself, will not 
 dare say there is any wrong in that. 
 And while I will always give the pre- 
 ferences to members of the Democrat 
 party, as a matter of course, yet there 
 
The Gnin CJiieftaiu 17 
 
 are many worthy and competent men 
 in the opposition who would fill posi- 
 tions with credit to themselves and 
 their country." 
 
 The speech had the desired effect. 
 Applications, almost without number, 
 from men of both parties were 
 
 made and in all cases the promise was 
 given to these patriots, that if, they 
 would wor kand vote for him, that 
 they should receive the desired ap- 
 pointment. Democrats and Whigs 
 now, animated by the same hope and 
 actuated by ths same motive vied 
 with each other in their dev^otion to 
 the Chieftian and his cause. His 
 election way easy — but the appoint- 
 ments — 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 His advent into Congres?. His opposition 
 to the Kansas-Nebraska bill. The under- 
 standing. Me defies Senator Douglas The 
 Senator pulls the wool over his eyes. The 
 Chieftain and Senator both happy. He 
 
18 The Grim Chieftain 
 
 agrees to support the bill. Comes to Kan- 
 sas. Organizes the Democratic party. His 
 betrayal. and political downfall in the Demo- 
 cratic party. Joins the free-state men. 
 
 Soon after his advent into Congress 
 he was confronted with the grandest 
 and most adroit political swindles ever 
 conceived by the mind of men, the bill 
 for the organization of the territory 
 of Kansas and Nebraska and the re- 
 peal of the Missouri compromise. That 
 the south might force slavery into 
 Kansas by fraud and murder and at 
 the point of the bayonet if necessary. 
 But such was the opposition to this 
 bill throughout the country and es- 
 pecially m his own congressional dis- 
 trict that for him to vote for it would 
 be political suicide. This was rather 
 more than he felt himself caPed upon 
 to do, even in the interests of the Di- 
 vine and constitutional Jinstitution of 
 slavery. He,therefore,resolved to op- 
 pose it, notwithstanding it had been 
 made an administration measure and 
 
The Grim Chieftain \^ 
 
 a party test. The party lash was ap- 
 plied to him in vain. As the bill could 
 not be carried without his support it 
 became neccessary for Senator Douglas 
 and the President to have an under- 
 standing with hira. 
 
 THE UNDERSTANDING. 
 
 Senator. — Good evening, Colonel, I 
 am really very happy to meet you to- 
 night; but pardon me I should hava 
 said, general. 
 
 The Chieftain —Not at all,Senator, 
 I can assure you that I am proud of 
 my title of Colonel, and have no de- 
 sire to be addressed by anything high- 
 er, until I am legitimately entitled to 
 it. 
 
 Senator — All right then, Colonel, 1 
 can assure you that it is the general 
 opinion of your countrymen that vou 
 honored the title while in Mexico. 
 But,Colonel, I really owe you an apo- 
 logy for sending for you at this late 
 
20 The Grim Cheiftain 
 
 hour in the night. I wished ''to see 
 you on a matter of the utmost impoi- 
 tance both to myself and the country 
 and I wished the interview to be 
 private. T understand that you are 
 opposed to my bill for the organization 
 of the territories of Kansas and Ne- 
 braska and the repeal of the Missouri 
 compromise and I was anxious to see 
 if 1 could not convince you that it 
 would be to your interests to support 
 my bill. You are aware, I suppose 
 that it has been made an administra- 
 tion measure and consequently a test 
 of fealty to the Democratic party. 
 
 The Chieftain — No apology at all. 
 I can assure you, I deem it both a 
 privilege and an honor to meet the 
 Senator from Illinois at any time. I 
 am aware that your bill has been 
 made an administration measure and 
 a party test. But, Senator, such is 
 the opposition of my constituenis to 
 the repeal of the Missouri compromise 
 
The Grim. Cheiftain 21 
 
 that it would be nothing-short of poli- 
 tical suicide for me to support your 
 bill, and 1 cannot see what advantage 
 it would be to belong to the Democra- 
 tic party, if I am politically dead at 
 home. True, I might receive an ap- 
 pointment and be a leach or sinacure 
 on the government while this admin- 
 istration lasts; then be turned out, 
 without honor or prospects, to be a 
 dead duck the remainder of my life. 
 Moreover, I am loyal to the platform 
 of -52, on which the present adminis- 
 tration was elected, and upon which it 
 is in honor bound to stand. I, also, 
 deny most emphatically the right to 
 make any other test of Democracy. 
 
 Senator. — Very true, you are cer- 
 tainly, right, Colonel, there can be no 
 other party test than fealty to that 
 platform of sound Democratic princi- 
 ples. I myself had a great part in 
 making that platform and will ac- 
 kuowledi^e no other tet't neither will 
 
22 The Grim Chieftain 
 
 any other true Democrat. My bill, 
 also, is in perfect harmony with it. 
 Are you not aware, Colonel, that the 
 opposition, uhich you speak of, comes 
 principally from the abolitionists, 
 whig and disaffected Democrats and is 
 buL ephemeral and will soon pass away? 
 At least, your senior Senator informs 
 me such is the case. 
 
 The Chieftein — By no means. The 
 opposition in my district comes from 
 the Democrats, themselves. I can 
 assure you I would care nothing for 
 the opposition of the whigs and abo- 
 litionists. Nothing would give me 
 more pleasure than to fight them. But 
 I have letters trom nearly all the 
 leading Democrats of my district urg- 
 ing me to oppose the bi^l. Nearly all 
 the papers of our party oppose the re- 
 peal of the Missouri comproiuise. The 
 Democrats of all the largest towns in 
 mv district have held meetings and 
 
The G-rim Chieftain 23 
 
 deiiouDced the openiDg up of the sla- 
 very question (the writer was lecturing 
 in his district at that time and knows 
 this to be true). I have also written 
 letters to many of my constituents tel- 
 ling them I would vote against the 
 bill. 1 have no doubt in the world. 
 Senator, but that I can be re-elected 
 on the position I have taken. 
 
 Senator. — Colonel, when you are as 
 old as I am you will be very careful 
 how you write letters, pledging your- 
 self to any course. 
 
 The Chieftain — Indeed, Senator,that 
 was one of the very first political les- 
 sons taught me by my father and, if I 
 am not as old as you are, I think I 
 understand how, and when to write 
 letters. 
 
 Senator. — I haye the utmost confi- 
 dence in the prudence and sagacity of 
 your father and, if he has given you 
 instructions on letter writing, you 
 need no suggestions from me. (We 
 
24 The Grim Cheiftuin 
 
 all, here, recollect how he set the 
 ball in motion for Jackson.) But you 
 will pardon me, I think, Colonel, you 
 are mistaken about your re-election, 
 in opposition to my bill. You will 
 be a bolting candidate and there will 
 be a regular Democratic candidate 
 and the opposition will have a candi- 
 date who may be elected. 
 
 HE DEFIES THE SENATOR AND THE 
 ADMINISTRATION. 
 
 The Cheiftam — I have no desire. 
 Senator, to pursue this subject further 
 except to say that, under the circum- 
 stances, I cannot support your bill- 
 Personally, I should be very glad to 
 do so, but self preservation is the first 
 law of nature and, however, much I 
 may desire it, I cannot. That your 
 bill has been made an administration 
 measure and consequently a party test, 
 I have been fully aware for some time, 
 but you will pardon me, Senator, if I 
 remind you, also, that unless your bill 
 
Tfie Gnm Chieftain 25 
 
 passes congress, the making it a party 
 test will amount to nothing or be 
 worse than folly; and, also,that it will 
 take not only, my vote but that of 
 several other Democratic members to 
 carry it through, and that we have 
 pledged ourselves to stand together. 
 You must, also, pardon me, Senator 
 if I tell you that politics sometimes 
 makes strange bed-fellows. I com- 
 prehend the situation perfectly. To 
 support your bill, Senator,would ruin 
 me politically, forever. I am yet a 
 young man, and have what I consider 
 a laudable ambition to be somebody 
 and so far, I have been as successful 
 as I could expect, if not, as I could 
 wish, as you yourself will allow and 
 do not feel that it would be right 
 or that I am called on to sacrifice my- 
 self and all my prospects, even for my 
 best and most honored friend. 
 
 THE SENATOR PULLS THE WOOL OVER 
 HIS EYES. 
 
26 Tlie Grim Chieftain 
 
 Senator — Certainly, certainly, Col- 
 onel you have been very successful so 
 far, and for a young man of your 
 ability there is no position in the 
 country but what is possible for you. 
 But to change the subject,Colonel,how 
 would you like a seat in the senate? 
 
 The Chieftain — A seat in the sen- 
 ate should satisfy the ambition of al- 
 most any mai, and to be frank with 
 you, Senator, I am looking ahead at 
 that at the proper time. 
 
 Senator — But, Colonel you certain- 
 ly cannot expect to supplant Senator 
 Bright and he is quite a young man 
 yet. So the proper time as you term 
 it, m your state, must necessarily be 
 quite remote indeed. 
 
 The Chieftain — Very true, but there 
 is no telling what may turn up, and 
 my motto is be ready for anything 
 that may turn up. Though as you 
 say the prospect in my state seems re- 
 mote, indeed. 
 
The Grim Chieftain 27 
 
 Senator — We, Colonel that is the 
 president and myself have a plan by 
 which you can secure a seat in the 
 senate,should it meet your views. 
 
 The Chieftain-What is theplan,Sen- 
 ator. Any means by which I can se- 
 cure a seat in the United States sen- 
 site, honorably, and you know Sena- 
 tor, what that means, will meet my 
 views most certamly. 
 
 Senator — Ot course, honorably 
 means successfully. AVe have it from 
 reliable authority that the lands of 
 Kansas are very fertile and attractive. 
 Consequently there will be a great 
 rush of people there to get possession 
 ot these lands both from the north 
 and the South. The South will en- 
 courage emigration with the hope of 
 making Kansas a slave state. The 
 North with the expectation of making 
 it a free state. Before the first snm. 
 mer passes away tliere will be people 
 enough to form n state government 
 
28 The arim Chdftain 
 
 and entitle Kansas to admission into 
 the Union as a state. Now, we wish 
 some first-class young man to go to 
 Kansas and organize the Democratic 
 party on the basis of the platform of 
 '52 and superintend the organization 
 of the state government and the ad- 
 mission of the state into the Union. 
 For pioneer lite, he must be a young 
 man. and as most of the people will 
 be from the western states he must be 
 a, western man. You are the best 
 cjualified and most suitable. Your 
 opposition to my bill, is the only thing 
 in your way. You shall liave the 
 support of the administration in the 
 organization of the party, you will be 
 the head of the ]»arty and liave nil 
 the authority that two .senators and a 
 governor would have — More, you will 
 1^0 virtually dictator of the party 
 thf^TO. All np]H>intments and removals 
 fron^. office in the territory will ho 
 jjinido up^'H yoL'r rPconi'-Dcrsdation. ynd 
 
The GHm Cheiftam 29 
 
 when the state government is forined 
 you will be the administration candi- 
 date for the United States senate 
 Then, with your prestige, you can dic- 
 tate the other senatoi and come here 
 clothed with all the power and au- 
 thority of two senators,hesides you can 
 dictate the governor of the state and 
 other state officers and that will give 
 you a standing in the senate such as 
 no other senator, except myself, will 
 have. 
 
 The Chieftain-In \rliat position shall 
 I go there. 
 
 Senator — It would not be best for 
 you to go there in any official capaci- 
 ty whatever. One holding official po- 
 sitions necessarily engenders enemies. 
 Besides, Colonel, you could not he 
 conlirmed by the senate for anv ];()si 
 tion You have expressed your oppo- 
 sition to the repeal ot the Missom-i 
 (■ompromise and tor that those Sou- 
 thern hounds vvjll uvxor foro-ive yon 
 
30 The Grim Chieftain 
 
 nor vote for your confirmation for any 
 office whatever. The best way for 
 you to go will be as a private citizen, 
 take a claim as an honest yoeman, — 
 you understand, — call for a mass con- 
 vention of the Democracy of the terri- 
 tory as soon as possible and organize 
 the Democracy on the platform of '52 
 The president will recognize your or- 
 ganization as the legitimate Democrat- 
 ic party of Kansas — You, of course, 
 will have your self made chairman of 
 the Central committee. Further, you 
 must apparently go on your own re- 
 sponsibility. If these Southern whelps 
 find out, we, I mean the president and 
 myself, have any responsibility in your 
 going there, they will defeat my no- 
 mination for the presidency, though 
 they have all pledged themselves to 
 support me if I would introduce this 
 bill and get Northern support enough 
 to carry it through Congress. Under 
 the opperation of my bilbwhich leaves 
 
2''he Grim Chieftain 31 
 
 the people of the territory perfectly 
 free to settle the question of slavery 
 in their own way, subject only to the 
 constitution of the United States. Why 
 the repeal of the Missouri compro- 
 mise, only makes slavery possible in 
 Kansas, but, not at all probable. 
 These southern fellows,are fighting for 
 a barren idiality, if they knew it. 
 Nothing more. There is nothing prac- 
 tical about them. While one south- 
 ern man would get there with his 
 slaves, a dozen, Yes, I may say, a 
 bundled men will go there from the 
 North and West. Besides the right 
 of holding slaves in the territories ,is 
 left in obeyance for the courts, and, 
 until that question is settled, no 
 one will be so foolish as to take slaves 
 into Kansas and run the risk of losing 
 *them. Therefore, under an impartial, 
 fair and honest administration of my 
 bill, in accordance with the constitu- 
 tion and principles as enunciated in 
 
32' The Grim Cheiftain 
 
 the national Democratic platform of 
 '52 Kansas will unquestionably become 
 a free state. This will be to my in- 
 terest — I foresaw all this opposition in 
 the North, that you speak of in your 
 district. But when Kansas comes in- 
 to the Union as a free state, this op- 
 position will all cease and I will have 
 the unanimous support of the Northern 
 Democracy. It will be necessary to 
 have Kansas admitted, as a free state, 
 before the next presidential election. 
 Then everything will be just as I 
 would Lave it. I will be president 
 without a doubt, you will be a leading 
 senator of the nation and should " you 
 desire anything else under my admin- 
 istration, you can have it. Or should 
 you prefer the succession, after my 
 second term, the influence of my ad- 
 ministration will be at your disposel.. 
 The president and I are in perfect ac- 
 cord in all these things and during his 
 administration we will have his cor- 
 
IVie Gnm Chiejtain oo 
 
 dial support and co-operation. I have 
 those southern rascals just where I 
 want them. They thought they were 
 playing it sharp. They supposed the 
 repeal of the Missouri compromise 
 would lay me out in the North, and 
 then as a worn out tool that could be 
 of no more service to them throw me 
 aside. But they did not know with 
 whom they were fooling. Colonel, all 
 this is in the strictest confidence, I 
 would not say these things to you, if 
 I had not the most implicit confidence 
 in your honor, not only, as a gentle- 
 man and a member of the Congress of 
 the United States, but also, as a mem- 
 ber of the Democratic party that 
 which no tie can be more sacred and 
 binding between honorable men — as 
 we both profftss to be. They will find 
 their match this time, if they never 
 did before. The repeal of the Missou- 
 ri compromise, also,kilTs old Benton,my 
 most infiuential and inveterate enemy. 
 
34 The Grim Chieftain 
 
 He came into prominence on ii and 
 when it's repealed, don't you see, will 
 end his career? You see I have look- 
 ed the ground all over very carefully. 
 It will be necessary for you, also, to 
 mislead those southern scoundrels 
 with regard to our plans on the slav- 
 ery question and make them believe 
 you are in favor of making Kansas a 
 slave state. This you can do on your 
 way to Kansas by stoppmg in Missou- 
 ri and trying to buy some slaves to 
 take with you to Kansas. As actions 
 speak louder than words,this will have 
 the desired effect. You need notcou- 
 clude a bargain. You can ask time. 
 Then it can be telegraphed over the 
 country that you, on your way to Kan- 
 sas, have stopped in Missouri to buv 
 some field hands to take with you to 
 that territory to open up your farm. 
 Do you not see how carefully I have 
 thought over the whole subject. ' 
 
 The Chieftain — I am, verv much 
 
The Grim Chieftain 35 
 
 impressed with what you say, Senator, 
 but there is one difficulty in the way. I 
 liave been quite conspicuous in my 
 opposition to your bill and should J 
 now vote for it people would think 
 and say I was bought and as I would 
 have no official position they would 
 very naturally conclude that money 
 was the consideration and tliat would 
 be most dainasfins to me. in my new 
 field. 
 
 Senator — Just so, Colonel, but I 
 have already thought of that, also, and 
 have a way to obviate that objection. 
 The President will instruct the Mar- 
 shal of your state to get instructions 
 from your constituents instructing you 
 to vote for my bill on the ground that 
 since they have seen my bill and un- 
 derstand it, "that thev are in favor of 
 it, since it gives freedom to the terri- 
 tories as well as the states. He will 
 also get letters from leading Demo- 
 crats who have been opposing it, also 
 
36 The Ghrim Cheiftain 
 
 clippings fromt he leading newspapers. 
 You can thus vote for it under instruc- 
 tions. Personally, I take it, that you 
 are like myself, — no sentiment in po- 
 litics. Success is the only criterion by 
 which we are governed and the only 
 end to which we aim. 
 
 The Cheiftain — The argument, Sen- 
 ator, strikes me very favorably,! have 
 no doubt but "John Lard Oil" can get 
 the instructions, letters, and clippings 
 you speak of, for he seldom fails in 
 what he undertakes, but I would like 
 to have the assurance of the president 
 himself, that he will carry out all 
 these things, just as you say he will. 
 I do not doubt your word, in the least, 
 but then I wish to have the assurance 
 from him personally. I always make 
 it a rule to be on the safe side both in 
 business and politics. 
 
 Senator — John Lard Oil! What is 
 the meaning of that Colonel? I don't 
 understand it. 
 
The Grim Cheiftain 37 
 
 The Chieftam — Oh I it is simply a 
 nickname we give the Marshal, John 
 L. Robinson, because he has his whis- 
 ky shipped to him in kegs, marked 
 
 LARD OIL. 
 
 Senator — I see! About the assur- 
 ance of the president. It would never 
 do for you and I to go to the White 
 House together to see him. Those 
 southern whelps keep him literally 
 besieged and should any of them see 
 us go there for a private interview 
 they would immediately surmise that 
 something was up, and in some way 
 defeat our object. But I thought you 
 would want that assurance, so I have 
 brought you a letter from the presi- 
 dent, in the hand-writing of his pri- 
 vate secretary in which, as you will see 
 he pledges himself to carry out any 
 arrangement I may make with you 
 
 The Chieftain — (reading the letter) 
 That's all satisfactory. 
 
 Senator — .Tust vou continue vour 
 
38 The Grim Chieftain 
 
 opposition and be more out sooken 
 than ever, until the instructions arrive 
 and then I wil] let vou koow when to 
 come to the support ot my bill. 
 Everything is now understood and 
 satisfactory is it. 
 
 THE CHIEFTAIN AND SENATOR BOTH 
 HAPPY. 
 
 The Chieftain — Everything is satis- 
 factory and I feel very grateful to you 
 for the intei'est yon have taken in my 
 welfare, and when ever I can render 
 you a service, call on me. 
 
 Senator — \11 right, Colonel, I will 
 do so. I, also congratulate you,as the 
 lirst senator from the future state of 
 Kansas. 
 
 The Chieftain — I, also, congratulate 
 y3U, as the next president of the Unit- 
 ed States, Good -night, Sena'o.-. 
 
 Senator — Good-night, Colonel. 
 
 The Senator the next day, in the 
 name of the president, wrote to the 
 Marshal, who was ever equal to all 
 
Hie Grim Chieftain 89 
 
 emergencies of that kind, and in due 
 time the desired instructions, letters 
 and clippings arrived,as requested. 
 
 HE YIELDS HIS OPPOSITIOiN. 
 
 Shortly before the passage of the bill 
 when it became necessary to have his 
 vote on the preliminary motions. The 
 Chieftain made known the instruc- 
 tions and letters which he had receiv- 
 ed with all the apparent candor of one 
 who believed them genuine. Stated 
 that his chief reason lor opp:)sing the 
 repeal of the Misssouri compromise, 
 was because he believed his constitu- 
 ents were opposed to it, but since he 
 had learned that a great change, had 
 recently taken place in their views, 
 and that they were now strongly in 
 favor of it, he would yield whatever 
 private reasons he may have had and 
 vote as his constituents had instructed 
 and wished him to do. This he be- 
 lieved to be the true duty ot a repre- 
 sentative of the people. 
 
40 The Grim Cheiftain 
 
 HE GOES TO KANSAS. 
 
 The bill passed. The Chieftain 
 gathering his effecis and Penates little 
 ones and bidding adieu to his friends 
 and native land,loosed his "political" 
 barque from its mooring in the scenes 
 of his heretofore greatness and set sail 
 on that vast and treacherous political 
 sea, for Kansas and the Senate of the 
 United States and ultimately the 
 White House, the ultima Thrul of his 
 ambition and bearing imo pectore 
 great secrets of state' known only to 
 two men besides himself, the president 
 and the most distinguished senator in 
 the nation; confiding also in their as- 
 surances that they would watch over 
 and protect his litile barque until its 
 fame should fill the whole land. A 
 smile would then play over his coun- 
 tenance as he thought how nicely he 
 was escaping the scalping knife of 
 those disappointed patriots in his old 
 district, who were crying tor vengence 
 
The Grim ChieJlaiiL 41 
 
 and also congratulated himself that 
 fortune had favored him and that he 
 was going far beyond the reach of his 
 enemies ;nay more that he was a secret 
 Envoy Extraordinary and Minister 
 Plenenportetiary, a chosen and trusted 
 Ambassador from among all chief men 
 of the nation sent on the grandest and 
 most important mission thai could be 
 entrusted to man; that ot organizing 
 the great Democratic party on the ba- 
 sis of those sound and truly Democrat- 
 ic principles, as enumerated in the na- 
 tional Platform of 1852 and laying 
 the foundations of a great state and 
 placing it where it would shine as a 
 star forever on the banner of the 
 Union, and also himself as the first 
 senator holding council with the great 
 and wise men ol the nation. Finally 
 he pictured himself seated in the pre- 
 sident's chair and occupying fames top- 
 most pinicle, receiving the plaudits of 
 millions, both now "and yet to be." 
 
42 The Grim Chieftain 
 
 He also applied the words of the poet 
 with a slight change to himself 
 **While rivers into sem shall run, [sun; 
 
 The space of heaven round, the radiant 
 While trees, to monntam-tops with shades. 
 
 supply 
 My honor name and fame shall never die" 
 HE STOPS IN MISSOURI 
 
 aiid makes known that he was on hk 
 way to Kansas, where he was going to 
 live the life of a farmer and desired to 
 open up his farm, but as he wished to 
 purchase on time, he did not succeed 
 his references probably not being sat- 
 isfactory. 
 
 HE REACHES KANSAS. 
 
 and proceeds to I^awrence and locates 
 a claim near the city and begins the 
 life of an honest farmer among the 
 "squatter sovereigns" of Kansas but 
 soon after. 
 
 ORGANIZES THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY. 
 
 without any unnecessary delay he issu- 
 ed a call, for Al those who believed m 
 the doctrine and principles of thc'De- 
 
Hie Grim Chieftain 43 
 
 mocratic party as enuraerated in the 
 platforiu of 1852 to assemble in mass 
 oonvention in the city of Lawrence on 
 a given day for the purpose of organ- 
 izing the Democratic party of the ter- 
 ritory of Kansas. The place appoint- 
 ed for the meeting was a little log 
 house near the bank of the Kaw river. 
 The house was small compared witli 
 the Herculian labor that was about 
 to be performed m it. But the inside 
 and outside would hold all that 
 would be likely to assemble and the 
 more there would be on the outside, the 
 greater would be the eclat of the con- 
 vention. The time for the assembling 
 of the mass convention at length came 
 but the Democracy anxious for an 
 organization on the platform of '52 
 did not materalize to any great etxent 
 Six men including the Chieftain, him- 
 self, entered the building the Hon. 8, 
 N. Wood who, in the opinion of many 
 f)eople, came to Kansas at the instance 
 
44 The Grim Cheiftain 
 
 ofSenator Chase of Ohio for a similar 
 purpose on a very different platform 
 from the one under consideration, he 
 remained on the out side to watch 
 the agony through a crack while. "Ri- 
 diculus mus iiecitar y The Chieftain, 
 nothing at all discouraged by the 
 smallness of the number present with 
 great dignity called the meeting to 
 order, and stating the object for^ which 
 the convention had been called, nomi- 
 nated one of the number for chairman 
 of the meeting and put the vote and 
 declared him unanamously elec- 
 ted, A secretary was then choseil 
 He now instructed the chairman to 
 declare the meeting ready for business 
 which was accordingly done. He then 
 made a speech in his grandiloquent 
 style on the importance of the great 
 work that had called them together, 
 and denounced the free-state men, as 
 the offscouring and scum of Northern 
 .^ooietv who had been sent there by 
 
Th^ Grim Cheiftain 45 
 
 the Abolition Emigrant Aid societies 
 for the purpose of controling the elec- 
 tions and making an abolition state'of 
 Kansas. 
 
 Next he moved that a committee of 
 six be appointed on pre-amble and re- 
 solutions and instructed the chairman 
 how to put the motion and the secre- 
 tary how to make the record of it, and 
 then instructed the chairman to ap- 
 point the committee,stating that "him- 
 self "as mover of the resolution accord- 
 ing to parliamentary rule, should be 
 appointed chairman of the committee. 
 As chairman of the committee he got 
 the six into the corner of the room 
 and pulled forth from his pocket the 
 whereases already prepared to the 
 dotting of the i's and the crossing of 
 the t's, and read them with great gus- 
 to to the committee. A motion was 
 now made to adopt the pre-amble and 
 resolutions as read and report them to 
 tlie mass convention and recommend 
 
46 The Grim Chieftcdn 
 
 their adoption by that body. Od motion 
 the committee adjourned. The Chief- 
 tain now requested his chairman to 
 take his seat and c»ll«d the convention 
 to order and taking a position in the 
 midst of the floor said, Mr. Chairman 
 your committee on pre-amble andji-eso- 
 lutions would after due consideration 
 beg leave to submit the following re- 
 port and recommend ite adoption by 
 this mass convention of the people of 
 Kansas,reads the pre-amble and reso- 
 lutions,and then asked some one at his 
 right to make a motion that the report 
 be accepted and the committee dis- 
 charged. This done, a motion was 
 made that the report be now 
 adopted by the convention. Another 
 spread eagle speech, at the conclusion 
 of which he told them it would be the 
 proper thing for them all to wave 
 their hats and shout at the top of their 
 voices and make all the noise that 
 y they were capable of doing as soon as 
 
The Grim Chieftain 47 
 
 the chairman should announce the re- 
 solutions carried, all of which was 
 carried out as suggested. When quiet 
 was restored a Central committee of 
 six was appointed of which the Chief- 
 tain, of course was chairman. The 
 canvention then adjourned sini die. 
 He now took the records from the sec- 
 retary, saying it would be necessary 
 for him to have them, as he wished to 
 maae out a report of the proceedings 
 for the press and rolling them up and 
 placing them in his pocket departed 
 for his abode thus the Democratic 
 party of the territory of Kansas was 
 organized and ifever a politician coiald 
 be truly said to carry a whole party 
 in his pocket, it was the Chieftain, as 
 he walked away from that meeting 
 
 HE SOLIQUISES. 
 
 The convention was not large but 
 his father held a convention with just 
 halt the number that proved success- 
 ful and made Jackson. Why not this 
 
48 The Grim Cheiftain 
 
 one be fully as successful. His pub- 
 lished report of it would set everything 
 forth in good shape, while the report 
 that S. N. Wood would make, would 
 be considered as and abolition lie. 
 Besides he was the chosen representa- 
 tive of President Pierce and Senator 
 Douglas to carry cut their plans and 
 purposes. Nothing now was wanting 
 but 
 
 THE RECOGNITION OF HIS 
 
 Democratic part}' by the administra- 
 tion at Washington which in good 
 time was sure to come. It mattered 
 not to him that Candle-box Calhoun 
 and other pro-slaveryjofficials denounc- 
 ed him as a traitor to true Democracy 
 and an abolitionist. He could afford 
 to exercise a dignified forbearance un- 
 til the recognition should come, when 
 the official heads of all those who did 
 not bow to him and recognize his De- 
 mocratic party,should fall into his po- 
 litical waste basket,and good and true 
 
The Grim Chieftain 49 
 
 men be appointed in their places. 
 That the promises made to him by the 
 president of the United States and 
 Senator Douglas would turn like his 
 promises to those who were now cry- 
 ing for political vengence in his old 
 district and that with the same mea- 
 sure that he did mete it should be 
 measured to him again,heaped up and 
 running over at the sides, never once 
 entered his mind. 
 
 THE RECOGNITION JOMES, 
 
 but not the recognition of him and his 
 party on the platform of '52. Rightly 
 divining that Senator Douglas had sent 
 him to Kansas to organize the Demo- 
 cratic party on the basis of the platform 
 of'52, and thus bring Kansas into the 
 Union as a free state, in order to pro- 
 mote his political prospects in the 
 North, slavery compelled the presi- 
 dent J; to recognize Candle-box Cal- 
 houn's dyna8ty,as the true Democracy 
 
50 The Orim Chieftain 
 
 of Kansas. And although, it was a 
 matter of the most perfect indifference 
 to the Chieftain, himself whether "sla- 
 very was legislated into Kansas or ex- 
 cluded therefrom or whether the people 
 were left perfectly free to regulate 
 their institutions in their own ways, 
 subject only to the constitution of the 
 United States,yet he had become a par- 
 ty to a policy that,if carried out,would 
 make Kansas a free state. That was 
 the unpardonable sin, for which there 
 could be no forgiveness,though sought 
 in penitence and tears. It seemed 
 now as though bedlum had opened 
 wide its mouth and was belching forth 
 all its curses upon his head. He was 
 denounced as the very arch-fiend of 
 abolitionism. A price was set upon 
 his head. Slavery was ever practica 1 
 in its methods of dealing with opposi- 
 tion. If he had been some huge mon- 
 ster of a wild beast roaming over the 
 prairies devouring all with whom he 
 
The Grim Chieftain 51 
 
 came in cod tact, he could not have 
 been more feared and detested. Nor 
 was the abuses confined to the slave 
 state Democracy of Kansas alone. The 
 Democracy of the whole country, con- 
 gress,the president and Senator Doug- 
 lass all united in declaring him an 
 abolitionist, villain, murderer, scoun- 
 drel and full of all uncleanness and as 
 a traitor to the true Democratic party 
 which was the greatest of all crimes. 
 The condition of Gilderoy's famous 
 kite was nothing to be compared to 
 that of the Chieftain and his "Demo- 
 cratic party of '52." Both he and it 
 were wrecked on the perilous billows 
 and brakers of slavery, — he escaping 
 with his life only. He was now in a 
 similar condition to that of Elijah, 
 when he was fed by the ravens only 
 there were no ravens to feed him; or 
 that of David, when Saul sought his 
 life, without any Jonathan to befriend 
 him; or, as those men of old, of whom 
 
52 The Grim Cheiftatn 
 
 it was declared that this world is not 
 worthy, he wandered about not in a 
 sheep skin or a goats skin as they did 
 but in an old seal-skin coat, without 
 their faith to support him. 
 "Whom of gods and men did he not accuse." 
 HE IS NOW DEt'I.ARED AN OUTLAW. 
 
 not only to the party of his choice but 
 the party to which he hadanundispu 
 table birthright. All hope of honor 
 and fame through that party is lost, 
 lost forever. 
 
 •'However grievious death may be," 
 
 it was nothing to be compared to his 
 present condition and suffering. Re- 
 venge he resolves upon, but how shall 
 he obtain it? It he w-ere only a Samp- 
 son, that he could lay hokl of the pil- 
 lars of the Democratic house, how 
 gladly he would pull it down upon 
 himself, if all in the house and espec- 
 ially those on the top should ])erish 
 with him in the fall. Tiiat he could 
 
TJie Grim Chdftain 
 
 not do. But, as the enemy of man- 
 kind 'Svith bis fallen peers'' about 
 him 
 
 'Lay vanquished, rolling in the firery, gulf 
 And nine times the space that measured day 
 
 and night 
 To mortal men." 
 
 l)lans the attack on Adam and P^ve 
 for the ruin of the human race and to 
 avenge himsell i'or beinu* 
 ''Hurl'd headlong flaming from th' ethere:il 
 
 sky, 
 
 With hideous ruin and combustion, down 
 To bottomless perdition, there to dwell;" 
 
 So, the Chieftain for many more 
 "Than nine times the space that measures 
 day and night" 
 
 Wanders about in his old sealskin 
 coat, but alone, suffering tis ::, 
 
 "in adamantine ciiains and pei:.;l lire," 
 and meditating revenge on the load- 
 ers and the. party that had betrayed 
 him until the thought strikes him. 
 ISlavery! Yes that's it! ''To force 
 shivery into Kansas,' I have been l)e- 
 
54 The Grim Chieftain 
 
 trayed! Slavery! It is the very ap- 
 ple of their eye! The very ideal of 
 their souls! The shrine at which they 
 worship! Dearer to them than gold 
 and silver and lands! Yes than wives 
 and brothers and sisters [fathers and 
 mothers; than honor and fame and 
 country! Dearer than all these! To 
 destroy slavery will bo to destroy the 
 Dem^jcratic party and if it does not 
 destroy the Democrats themselves it 
 will render their condition more intol- 
 erable than, even death itself! Suffer- 
 ing all the horrors and agonies of 
 death: longing and hoping for death; 
 yet, cannot die! Dying always, yet, 
 not dead! Also, a fearful looking for 
 and expectation, beyond the grave, 
 when death does come, of something 
 more terrible, more dreadful, the sting 
 and gnawing of the worm and the deaih 
 that never dies! When they shall be 
 dead to all hope, joy and happiness, 
 but alive to dispair, misery and 
 
The Grim Chieftam 55 
 
 wretchedness only. Always dying but 
 never dead! Always burning, but 
 never consumed! Ever starving yet 
 cannot eat, and forever thirsting but 
 cannot drink! Oh how pleasing the 
 thought! It is joy unspeakable, music 
 to my very soul! It's all right now! 
 I've got it at last! I will wage an 
 eternal war upon slavery It, hence- 
 forth, shall be the object of my wrath. 
 Upon it I will pour out the full meas- 
 ure of my vengence. Kansas is the 
 rock upon which slavery shall be bro- 
 ken, and the recoil of the shock shall 
 not only, drive it from the Union, but 
 eventually, from the face of the*earth, 
 and in the conflict, which must ensue, 
 I shall lead great armies and fame 
 and glory shall be mine. No prouder 
 memorial could be inscribed on the 
 humbl6 stone, that may mark my last 
 resting place, or the monument that 
 freemen shall erect than "The Aven- 
 ger of the Down Troden of the earth.' 
 
56 Hie Grim Cheiftain 
 
 Now at any other time and under 
 any other circumstances, the Chieftain 
 who had been trained hom his youth 
 to look upon the abolitionists as the 
 most execrable and despicable of all 
 men, would as a matter of choice, just 
 as soon, have thought of enteiing the 
 sulphury regions and with Belzebub 
 and his cohorts waging war upon Mich- 
 ael and the arch-angles, as to think of 
 joining the free state men, to make 
 war with them on slavery. He never 
 had made a speech but what they 
 came in for a full shaie of his vitup- 
 erations, nor could he find words in 
 the vocabularies of the human tongue 
 sufficient to express his detestation and 
 abhorance in which he held them and 
 their principles. This in his estima- 
 tion was the sum, substance and the 
 very essence of a truly Democratic 
 speech, and the only standard by 
 which it could be prepared and with- 
 out which there could be no excellence 
 
The Grim Chieftain 57 
 
 in It, whatever. And, though, he had 
 never killed or stoned them, yet, like 
 Saul, when the martyr Stephen was 
 stoned, vet he was always ready to 
 hold the clothes of those who did. 
 
 For him, therefore, to think of join- 
 ing those, whom, he had been so re- 
 cently declaring were abolitionists in 
 disguise and calling them everything 
 to which he could lay his tongue was 
 worse tenfold than swallowing worm- 
 wood and gall. The question, also, 
 arose in his mind would they admit 
 him, and, if they should, there was 
 one among them, who Goliah-like, 
 stood head and shoulders above all 
 other men m that party, and who was 
 not only honored and respected 
 for his prudence, courage and ability, 
 but was almost idolized and adored 
 by the people of the territory. Such 
 was Dr. Charles Robinson, familiarly 
 called Charley, at that time, the dis- 
 tinguished leader of the free-state men 
 
58 The Orim Chieftain 
 
 of Kansas. Him he could not hope or 
 expect to supercede, but for the pre- 
 sent, he could work under him.in some 
 subordinate position until the proper 
 time came for the election of United 
 States Senators then, while Charles 
 Robinson would undoubtedly be one 
 of them, he could probably be the 
 other. If so he could then meet on 
 equal terms the fgreat Senator from 
 lllinois,and demand personal satisfac- 
 tion in mortal combat on the field of 
 honorjaccording to the code. His expe- 
 rience in Mexico,h^thought.since there 
 did not appear to be any one among 
 the free-state men who had any mili- 
 tary knowledge, would be of service to 
 them in the approaching conflict and 
 would also be an inducement ior them 
 to leceive him. 
 
 There was, however, no alternative, 
 and as, Esther resolved to go unbidden 
 into the presence of the king, so he 
 resolves unasked to unite with th^. 
 
The Grim. Chieftam 59 
 
 free-state party. Perhaps they might 
 bid hira come, but if he perished he 
 could only perish there, 
 
 '"To staj' away he must forever die." 
 In the city of Lawrence, there vvas 
 but one man, in whom the Chieftam 
 thought he could confide. To him he 
 made known his purpose to unite with 
 the free-state party at their next meet- 
 ing, which was soon to be held; and 
 requested, as a personal favor that he 
 would call on him for a speech. 
 tup: Mp:ETiN(:i. 
 In rather a rude liall but as good as 
 the City of Lawrence could afford in 
 those early times, were assembled to- 
 gether quite a number of settlers, very 
 similar in appearance to laboring men 
 in their ordinary working clothes. 
 These men must not, however, be judg- 
 ed by their appearance. At that ear- 
 ly day nearly every sixtli man, in this 
 young and enterprising abolition city 
 was tlie ])ossessor of a diploma from 
 
60 The Grim Cheiftain 
 
 some college or other institution of 
 learning, that had the light to confer 
 such honors, while the rest had nearly 
 all secured a good common school or 
 liberal education. To find any one 
 who could not both read and write 
 and converse fluently and intelligent- 
 ly on all subjects of current events 
 and common interest was a rare occur- 
 ence indeed. Some in that meeting 
 were known throughout the country 
 as discreat,conragous and able leaders 
 and the body as awhole would compare 
 most 'favorably Avith any state legisla- 
 ture in the country ,if not with the Con- 
 gress of the United States. Men in tiuit 
 meeting have since filled evei-y posi- 
 tion of honer and trust in the state. 
 Men there that have i-epresented the 
 people in Congress. Some also have 
 filled important places in the aimy 
 and distinguished themselves as sol - 
 diers on hard and well fought battle- 
 field, where many sealed, with their 
 
The Grim Cheiftain 61 
 
 devotion to the holiest of all causes — 
 that of truth and freedom. 
 
 Charles Robinson afterwards the 
 first governor of Kansas was there;also 
 Gen. G.W. Deitzler and Colonel Sam- 
 uel Walker and others who, after- 
 wards immoitalized their names at 
 Wilson Creek, where the ever to be 
 lamented Lyon fell; Hon. S. C. Pom- 
 eroy, since United vStates Senator; 
 Hons, Martin F. Conway and Sidney 
 Clarke who have since represented the 
 state in Congress; Dr. Day; Judge J. 
 S. Emery who soon after visited many 
 I'ities and laid the political situation 
 of the free-state men before the peo- 
 ple of the countrv and has since been 
 United States Attorney. Shaler \\\ 
 Eldridge the well known hotel man, 
 and brothers. Asaph and laither Al- 
 len ivho served as Ca]>tian< during 
 the war of the rebelliou. Alien tiie 
 Hardware man, since adjutant gener- 
 al of tlie stale of Kansas. Simpson 
 
62 The Grim Chieftain 
 
 Bro's the bankers, who confined their 
 attention to their business and never 
 sought political distinction; Hoyt the 
 martyr;Banscomb who has since serv- 
 ed in the Legislature of Kansas, also 
 of Missouri; Messrs Hendry and Mil- 
 ler who have since been State Sena- 
 tors; Wm Hutchison; Hon. S. N. 
 Wood, the irrepressible who has since 
 been an important factor in the histo- 
 ry of Kansas; Hon. Wm. E. Phillips 
 correspondent of the New York Tri- 
 bune, since Colonel in the army, mem- 
 ber of Congress; The brave and fear- 
 less Jenkins, who was afterwards kill- 
 ed in a quarrel with General Lane; 
 Mr. Whitney of the Whitney House. 
 There were also many others present 
 whose names cannot be recalled, 
 but none the less worthy of mention 
 on that account. Memory may also 
 be at fault as to some of tlie names 
 mentioned. 
 
 Ill-: COMES TO THE MEETING. 
 
The Grim Chieftain 63 
 
 Into this gathering of Free-state 
 worthies, whose fame will endure while 
 noble and heroic deeds shall find a 
 lodging place in the memory ot man- 
 kind, the Chief tani, clad in his old 
 seal skin coat, came, and going to the 
 back part of the hall, took his seat 
 there, while, those present looked at 
 him with astonishment, then at each 
 other, wondering, no doubt, in their 
 minds, whether Satan had come alsoo 
 
 HE IS CALLED ON FOR A SPEECH. 
 
 During the progress of the meeting 
 after several speeches had been made 
 Mr Miller, with who he had previous- 
 ly made the arran2:ement to call on 
 hini for a speech, arose and said, that 
 
 he saw Col and that he, for 
 
 his part, should be very much pleased 
 to^hear something from. him, if he 
 should see fit to favor them with his 
 views. Scarcely were the words out 
 of his mouth, before the Chieftain, to 
 
64 Tlie Grim Cheifimn 
 
 prevent them from choking him off in 
 any way if they should feel so dispos- 
 ed sprang to his feet and without 
 waiting for recognition by the chair- 
 man, began speaking — stupefied and 
 amazed the audience silently heard 
 him through. 
 
 THE SPEECH. 
 
 No report can do justice to the vi- 
 tuperation and anathemas that he 
 poured fourth onto the heads of these 
 "Hell hounds" of slavery as^he called 
 the slave-state Democracy and Sena- 
 tor Douglass and the president, who, 
 he declared, 'md resolved, by fraud, 
 violence and murder, and by the whole 
 power of the general government,even 
 at the point oi the bayonette if nec- 
 essary to for<ie slavery into Kansas 
 contrary to the known will and wishes 
 and against the most earnest and 
 solemn protest of her people who had 
 under the organic law^ of the territory 
 had the sole right of determining what 
 
Tke Grim Chieftain 65 
 
 institutions should be and whether or 
 not they wanted slavery. 
 "No horrid thing did his tongue refuse." 
 He concluded by declaring that 
 from now henceforth and forever or 
 as long as he lived, tliat he was one 
 with them — a crusader for freedom. 
 That the war was to the knife and 
 the knife to the hilt and the death 
 until slavery and everything that up- 
 held it should be swept to distructian 
 and wherever the battle would rage 
 the fiercest and hottest, with them he 
 would always be found, in any posi- 
 tion, in which they might see fit to 
 place him, though it were only a pri- 
 vate in the ranks. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 His political rise and downfall in the 
 free state party, Historical sketch. Kan- 
 sas invaded by armed hordes from Missou- 
 ri. First or bogus Legislature. Bogus 
 code. Energy and zeal of the Chieftain in 
 the free-state cause. He is chosen comman- 
 der-in-chief of all the free-state forces. Dr. 
 Root's address informing him of his appoint- 
 ment. His reply. The horror of all hor- 
 rors. His army. How he armed his men. 
 His uniform as commander-in-chief. Cap- 
 tain Cook of the U. S. Army fails to recog- 
 nize him in his uniform. The fear and ter- 
 ror of his name in Missouri. He visits Mis- 
 sour in disguise as Rev. Dr. Foote. Preaches 
 to them and exhorts them to drive the aboli- 
 tionists out of Kansas. Visits Lexington 
 Mo., in the disguise of a stone mason. He 
 visits the states, 
 
 That the reader may have a clear 
 understanding of his career which was 
 so intimately blended with the early 
 history of Kpnsas it will be neccessary 
 to give a brief sketch of that period 
 
 Under the direction of no less a per ■ 
 sonage than the acting vice president 
 
The Grim Chieftain 
 
 of the United States, Daniel R. Atchi- 
 son, armed men from Missouri invad- 
 ed Kansas and took forcible posses- 
 sion of all the voting precincts and 
 elected the members of the first terri- 
 torial legislature, many of whom were 
 residents of Missouri. This action, 
 they claimed was strictly in accor- 
 dance with the organic law which pro- 
 vided that every person, passing cer- 
 tain qualifications and who should be 
 in the territory on the day of the first 
 election, should be a qualified voter 
 at said election. "We,-' said they 
 "are here, therefore, we are voters." 
 The law did not prescribe that each 
 person should vote but once, theretore 
 they could vote as often as they chose. 
 They voted and took a drink and 
 voted again, voted and treated and 
 voted again ; voted and walked around 
 the house and voted again; voted 
 and changed coats and voted 
 again; voted and swapped 
 
68 The Grim Cheiftain 
 
 jack knives and^ voted again; voted 
 took off their coats and voted in their 
 shirt sleeves, then put on their coats 
 and voted again; voted changed hats 
 and voted again; voted nnd] forgot 
 they had voted and voted again; and 
 called on the abolitionists that it was 
 a perfectly free election and that all 
 whosoever would, could vote withour 
 money and without price and voted 
 again ; voted and shook hands, they 
 were so happy, and voted again. What 
 a glorious election that was! How the 
 soul of every true Democrat was re- 
 joiced and -^made glad on that day. In 
 this way the practical working? of the 
 great Democratic boon of "Squatter 
 Sovereignty," that neither legislated 
 slavery into the territories nor exclud- 
 ed it frtmi them but left the people to 
 regulate their own institutions in their 
 own way subject only to the ^constitu- 
 tion of the linited States were exem- 
 plified and made manifest at the first 
 
The Grim Cheifiain 69 
 
 election iu the territory of Kansas. 
 
 This great army provided with all 
 the ra achinery and appliances for 
 holding and carrying the election, 
 such as judges, clerks, candidates, re- 
 turning officers, poll-books,tally-sheets 
 and what ever miglit be needed and 
 strong and numerous enough to seize 
 all the voting places was organize;! 
 under their very eyes and must have 
 had the assurance of the official and 
 material support of the administration 
 or it never would have been attempt- 
 ed. The sequel shows that it had 
 both and that the true intent and 
 meaning of the repeal of the Missouri 
 Compromise was to leave the peo])le 
 of Missouri perfectly free to force sla- 
 very into Kansas in their own way 
 subject only to the will of David At- 
 chison and his chief conspirators. 
 
 When this "bogus"' legislature was 
 convened it enacted a slave code f(jr 
 Kansas in a manner that for simplicity 
 
70 The Grim Chieftain 
 
 was almost sublime, by enacting that 
 the word Missouri wherever it occurr- 
 ed in the code of that state should be 
 be construed and held to mean Kan- 
 sas. Kansas had, now, as black a 
 slave code as ever darkened the pages 
 of the statute book of any age or coun- 
 try for the American institution ot 
 slavery was the most abominable sys- 
 tem that ever disgraced the face of 
 the earth. The bondage of the chil- 
 dren of Isreal in the land of Egypt, 
 compared with it for barbarity an<^ 
 duality was mild indeed. When 
 this "Bogus" legislature had appoint- 
 ed all the county and other offices 
 even down to justices of the peace,jthe 
 new dispensation of the 
 
 GOSPEL OF THE FREEDOM OF THE 
 
 TERRITOEIES 
 
 was fully ushered in and that it might 
 be permanently and firmly establish- 
 ed forever the peo])le were command- 
 ed that all things whatsoever were 
 
The Grim Cldejia.in 71 
 
 written in the book of this law, that 
 they must observe and do to the end 
 that there might be peace and happi- 
 ness in the land. But the people 
 said: "This law is a strange law unto 
 us, not our law and we will obey 
 none of its precepts nor command- 
 ments; neither shall there ever any 
 bondsmen nor bondswomen dwell 
 among us." And when they saw the 
 smoke of their dwellings and towns and 
 cities rising up unto heaven and there 
 was sore oppression in the land, because 
 they had no respect unto the law,they 
 said unto the Chieftain: "You were 
 great in w'ar, in a far away country, 
 come, go to, now and lead us to bat- 
 tle against these our enemies that we 
 may slay them if so be it and deliver 
 the ^and from this sore oppression and 
 peradventure, we slay them not, that 
 we may drive them hence even unto 
 their own country. And it came to 
 pass, when the Chieftain had led them 
 
72 The Grim CJieiftain 
 
 torth to battle that they prevailed 
 against their enemies mightily and 
 smote them, so that they were not 
 ahle to stand before them and their 
 hearts melted within them and they 
 were filled with great fear and trembl- 
 ing so that they fled even unfco their 
 own country. So now unto this day 
 there was no respect for that law^ in 
 all the land; neither aie there any 
 bondsmen or bondswomen thereia. 
 Then all the people, said one to ano- 
 ther: "Great is the Chieftain who 
 has made so great a deliverence" and 
 they said unto him: "'Because thou 
 hast done this thing and brought such 
 destruction and disgrace upon our 
 enemies and didst make their very 
 hearts quake within them, so that 
 they dare not so much as show their 
 faces in our land, for ver^ fear, thou 
 shalt hence forth be called the grim 
 CHIEFTAIN, and thou shalt continue to 
 <X0 in and out before us and we will 
 
The Grim CJdeftain 73 
 
 lioiior and obey all thy command- 
 ments and prece])t.< until we get a law 
 of our o-.vn and even then thou shalt 
 .-[ill continue to be great among us." 
 Whenever an invasion would occur 
 ]ie was naturally chosen to lead, as he 
 was the only military man of auy 
 ])rominence among the iVoe-siate men. 
 Ac length he is chosen 
 
 C0:MMANDER-1 X-CIIIEF 
 
 of all the free-state forces of Kansas, 
 and Hev. A. P Root was made chair- 
 man of the committee, to wait on him 
 and inform him of his a]jpointmeiit. 
 Dr. Root: "General, it affords me, 
 as well as the committee of which I 
 have the honor to be chairman 
 great pleasure to inform you that the 
 people of Kansa.5, reposing especial 
 confidence in your prudence, skill and 
 alulity, as a military leader, have, by 
 the only authority which the}' recog- 
 nize, api;)<nnted you, commander-in 
 chief of all tlic f:*?2 .-tr-to f):ccs of 
 
78 The Grim Cfmfi.im 
 
 to make arrests. The free-state legis- 
 lature of Jvansas was dispei'-ed at tlie 
 ]))\nt of the bayor.ette and Gov. Rob- 
 inson east into prison on some fabii- 
 ■ious ].>retext. The Chieftain's friends 
 in his old congressional district, \vlie 
 never got their appointments, took this 
 Oj)portunity 'to get in tlieir work" and 
 joined m tne fray. Kis life moral 
 social, domestic, political and religions 
 Avas overhauled fre-ni his cradle and de- 
 ])icted in the blackest coi(n's and 
 spread before the country as the un- 
 biased testimony of those who kwcw 
 
 him best. 
 
 ins Ai?:\iY 
 
 consisted of men on their farms or 
 claims and in the worksliops, :daves 
 and officers 
 
 "Who v>'ouId leave their plowshares 'n the 
 monkb 
 Thieir flocks aiid herds without a fold, 
 Their corn havo garnered on the pdaiii," 
 and rally to their Chieftain's call in 
 
 ]\iis5ourian 
 
The Grim Chieftain 79 
 
 <ecii)ed to think that he possessed the 
 IV.bled poNver of Pompey,thegrc{it.an(l 
 couhl, by stamping his hjot on tl;e 
 g:roiiiid, raise up aniiios out of tr.e 
 earth. 
 
 HOvV HE ARMED HIS :ME:>. 
 
 On one occasion, lie made a call, 
 f )r men to drive out a company of 
 Missonrians, v»'ho Avcre building a 
 block house and molesting and runn- 
 ing oft' the fiee-state settlers from lliut 
 neighborhood. Many men came 
 uithont arms expecting that he coii]<l 
 in some \vay, furnish them. Appar- 
 ently, taking no notice of the fact, he 
 gave the command to fall in and fol- 
 lo\v him. When they had marched 
 some distance, Ca})t. Aseph Allen ai^.d 
 souie one else, supposing that it w;is 
 an oversight that the men were not 
 provided with arms, sought the Ciiief- 
 tain at tlie head of the -column and 
 asked: ''What are the nien goin^r to 
 Sudden^v stojiping auvi 
 
70 Tire Grim Chciftain 
 
 crime which completely unfttted him 
 for membership in the Democratic 
 party; to join the abolitionists or free 
 state party was as far as human de- 
 pravity could go; but to appear m a 
 full coat of war paint as chief of the 
 abolition army, with his bow ready 
 strung in his handjiis quiver well fill- 
 ed with barbed and poisoned arrows 
 iiung over his shoulder, tomahawk an([ 
 scalping knife at his side, driving the 
 minions of slavery before him as chaif 
 is driven before the wind was the un- 
 speakable horror of all horrors, the 
 most horrible; the horror that should 
 be despised by all true Democrats, 
 from the very bottom of their souls. 
 To them he was the very abomination 
 of slavery or some worse if possible 
 set up in the most holy place of slav- 
 ery. Frantic and urgent appeals 
 were made throughout the slave- hold- 
 ing states for men and money to aid 
 in driving from KaLsas orexterminat- 
 
 II 
 
TJ>e Grim Cheiftam 77 
 
 i lu' the iiilninian ami iiuciirtliiy n\on- 
 stcr and liis Mbiiorcd li^rde of follow- 
 ers or slavery m'ouI-J be forever lost 
 and the country ruined. Iiierea.-ed 
 rewards were offered for hi^i head, one 
 111 Alabama of 8100,000. The North- 
 ern Democrats took up tlie howl and 
 >vere not behind their Southern bretli- 
 ci-n in nothin<^ save raising men ai^d 
 ,iio.ney,yet strange as it may seem now a 
 ( oinijany of men was raised in Pejin- 
 -ylvania and sent to help make Kan- 
 sas a slave state but deserted wlien 
 they learned tiie nature ot the work 
 tliey were required to do. Oongres- 
 the president and cabinet came to the 
 rescue ot slavery, pioclamations and 
 iiianifestoes were issued; charges of 
 treason were prefered against tlie 
 Chieftain and leaders of the free-state 
 men. Law and order parties invad- 
 ing Kansas from Missouri were the 
 order of the day; arany officers and 
 Tnited States M rshals were ordered 
 
74 The Grim Chieftain 
 
 Kansas, and have delegated this com- 
 mittee to inform you of the fact." 
 
 The Chieftain straightening liimself 
 to his full height and with all the 
 gravity and dignity ot one who mi.ht 
 be supposed to wear the diadem of the 
 universe, replied: "Mr. Chairinan,and 
 genUemen of the committee, allow me 
 to say to you and through you, to the 
 peoyjle of Kansas, that this is the 
 13roudest, as well as, the happiest mo- 
 ment of my life. AV^'e the honors of 
 the entire world at your dispose!, you 
 could not confer on me, one that 
 would be more consonant to my feel- 
 ings and wishes. It fills the measure 
 of my ambition and my most cherish- 
 ed hopes and aspirations. To be com- 
 mander-in-chief of the free men of 
 Kansas and with them drive the mur- 
 derous invading hords of the Demo- 
 cracy and slavery from her soil back 
 to Missouri where they belong is a 
 position of which any man should feel 
 
The Grim Chieftmn 75 
 
 proud, since it is the highest and the 
 noblest honor and the grandest glory 
 that can fall to the lot of mortal man. 
 
 Ai-ow me, Mr. Chairman, to say 
 further, that v»'ords utterly fail to ex- 
 press the thanks and gratitude with 
 which I accept the trust and honor 
 that has been confered on me. All the 
 energy, skill and abilit}^ which I pos- 
 sess shall be deyotcd to the cause 
 \Yhich lies so near to the heart of aU 
 the people until the last armed inva- 
 der who would inflict that blithing 
 and withering scoui'ge and curse of 
 human slavery, is forever driven fiom 
 the face of our beautiful territory." 
 Horor horrorum horrendissimiis 
 
 To attempt to carry out a policy 
 that would surely make Kansas a free 
 state under an honest administration 
 of the organic law of the territory and 
 the national Democratic platform of 
 1852, the last expression of the policy 
 and principles of that party was a 
 
hi.ikiW'j; ihviw ^-Lc•i■;ily in the f;ice iis 
 thoiiiy;ii he was perfect! v siirprir?c(l Jit 
 tlieir stupidity, ivplied: '"Wiiy tMl%e 
 them from the enemy,'' mu\ march- 
 ed on. When he came near to the 
 cam]) of tlie enemy, he ^ent a free- 
 state nian aiiead, and iMStriicted him 
 to run into their camp and tell them 
 lie ^vas coming v.ith his whole army 
 and aloo ti> ofler his service to thicm 
 ;ind tell Ihem that he iuid serve;! dwv- 
 ing tlie ^lexican war, as a gunner and 
 re{piest to be put in charge of a can- 
 non v.hich the Chieftain kiu'.w they 
 luul- The free- state man did as in- 
 sti'uck-d and took charge of tlie can- 
 non v.iilKrot Avaiting to be foi-maljy 
 installed as gunner saying he was go- 
 to l)lo\v the abulilionists to pieces. 
 
 M'hilc liiey wore coming up the road, 
 and began giving orders to the men 
 what they should do. Just then ti;e 
 Iree-state men came in sight " on the 
 double (;^uick.'' Evei-y thing in that 
 
Hie Grim Chieftain SI 
 
 camp was confusion worse than con- 
 founded. The cannon by some means 
 went ot prematurely, tearing the top 
 off the block house, wKile the Missou- 
 rians started^'pell incll, belter skelter" 
 for their lives, leaving most of their 
 arms and all their camp equipments 
 and baggage. When the aims were 
 distributed to the free-state men, the 
 Chieftain walked up to Capt. Allen, 
 as cool and unconceriied, as though 
 nothing unexpected had occurred, and 
 said; "Now, you see how it is done.*' 
 ills UMFOR AS co:\rMAM:)ER-ix- 
 
 CHIEF. 
 
 While he was ever ready and eager 
 to resist to death the bogus militia, 
 and .sheriffs and all processes for his 
 arrest by virtue and authority of the 
 *i)ogus code, yet for the purpose of a- 
 voiding arrests by United States army 
 officers and deputy marshals with 
 whom it was his fixed policy never t»> 
 come into conflict bcl:?'::-^.r. as he al- 
 
82 _ The Grim Chieftain 
 
 ways said, the moment that there was 
 a collision witli the United States an- 
 th<)nties, everything wa^ lost, he pro- 
 cured a uniform, that, ior variety of 
 colors and material would coM^pare 
 favorably with Joseph's famous coat of 
 many colors though not so bright or 
 gay. This consisted of a red wig with 
 hair extending down his back over 
 his shoulders and beard of the same 
 color, coveiing his breast, both beard 
 and wig looking as though they had 
 never been either cleaned or combed, 
 of an old ciownless and rimless hat, 
 above which the red hair of the wig 
 extended; an old coat and pants and 
 vest, covered over with old patches ot 
 every variety of material and color, 
 sewed on with every variety -^f thread 
 and for buttons, strips of old cloth, 
 were run through the button holes of 
 one side of the garments and holes 
 punched in the other side and tied in 
 an awkward knot; one old boot,f n,ono 
 
Tlie Grim Chieftain 83 
 
 loot and an old shoe on the other 
 with a club in his hand or on his 
 shoulder. His appeal ance was 
 somewhat similiar to what one 
 might imagine that of the my- 
 tliical ferryman that carries the de- 
 parted shades over the river styx 
 "To night')* Plutonian shore." 
 Dresseo in this unifoim, the value 
 of which was eqnal to liis salery, for a 
 fall year, as commander-in-chief, and 
 under an assumed name, he would 
 march in the ranks without being re- 
 cognized by those most intiinate ^with 
 him. Judge Wakefield's eons, told 
 the writer, that they marched witli 
 him for two days, one along side of 
 him part of the time, and did not know 
 at the time, he was in the command, 
 though, they knew him perfectly well 
 when not di.«guised. Thongh he car- 
 ried a club, yet under that old coat 
 was concealed a perfect arsenal of 
 death, a full half dozen of the best re- 
 volvers that coiil.l be procured. 
 
84 The Grim Chciftain 
 
 CAPTAIN COOK OF THE U.S.AI MY IV ILS 
 TO RECOGNIZE IIIM. , 
 
 He moved on Lecomptoii once on 
 some business of iinportance but aviio 
 prevented from carrying his designs 
 into execution by Capt Cook whom he 
 met there with liis company. Capt. 
 Cook who had orders for his arrest 
 drew up his company in front of the 
 Chieftain's forces and then rode all 
 around them scrutinizing every man 
 very closely and coming to Marcus J, 
 Parrot inquired for the commander of 
 those forces. "I have that honor" re- 
 plied Mr Parrot. "It is my duty" re- 
 plied the Captain ''to command those 
 men to disperse and return to their 
 homes." "You shall be obeyed with 
 pleasure" replied Mr Parrot and all 
 started for iheir homes. 
 
 Capt Cook knew the Chieftain well 
 having served with him in Mexico but 
 failed to recognize him in his uniform 
 though within a few feet of him while 
 
The (him Chnjiii'ni 85 
 
 talkint; to Mr. Pairot. 
 
 I Iir, TKUJOK OF Firs NANfK IN MlSSoT- 
 
 was realy lri;ilitlul tiiul iiJCDiU'cival'le. 
 The writer iiad some Imsiness about 
 tliat time over in Missouri and st;ii<l 
 all night with a farmer, thouLzh not a 
 slave holder, not far north of Plat ts- 
 burg. After supper he l>eiran eonver- 
 salion by asking the writer wiiere he 
 eame from and where he was goin^. 
 N'erv i)ointed questions under the eir- 
 eumstanees the writer thought, hut 
 after answering in a manner that lie 
 flattered hiwiselt' the great Talleyrand 
 would have envied, could he have 
 heard it. The Missouriaii seemed sat- 
 isfied and continued tlie conversation 
 in a very frank and friendly uianner 
 Soon he remarked: ''They are having 
 great trouble over in Kansas." This 
 news appeared to be very astoiushing 
 and the writer inquired wliere Kansas 
 was, if it was in Missouri. "No" said 
 
86 The Grim Chieftain 
 
 he, looking as though he pitied the 
 \\'riters knowledge of geography ''Kan- 
 pas is the territory west of Missouri. 
 Congress gave it to the south for a 
 slave state but the abolitionists have 
 gone there in great numbers to make 
 it an abolition or free-state. And as 
 it could not be made a slave state, 
 while they were there, our people 
 went over to drive them out. I never 
 went over but I was afraid they ^ould 
 make me go. The abolitionists fought 
 our men and drove them back. They 
 have a general who was a Colonel in 
 llie Mexican war for a leader or com- 
 mander. He is over eight feet high 
 and well built in proportion and when 
 lie was commanding in Mexico, hi«» 
 voice could be heard all over the bat- 
 tle field above the roaring of the can- 
 non. Stranger this is the God's truth 
 I'm telling you. He has his men 
 armed with Yankee guns,called Sharps 
 rifles, that will shoot sixty times a 
 minute and kill a man a mile away. 
 
The Grim Chieftain 87 
 
 Our people thought they could drive 
 theui out with cannons, but they have 
 now got cannons over there, some 
 Yankee invention I suppose that they 
 load by putting the balls in a hopper, 
 the same as a miller puts grain into a 
 hopper, to grind. — I can't discribe it 
 to you or tell you how it works. I 
 do not think the abolitionists can be 
 got out and the south must loose Kan- 
 sas." 
 
 Another night the writer was told 
 that when the Chieftain took any of 
 the Missiourians as prisoners he made 
 them dig their own graves and then 
 had them shot and buried them in the 
 grave i which they then selves had dug ! 
 
 HE VISITS IN MISSOURI AS THE REV. 
 MR. FOOT OF ALABAMA. 
 
 When there were no bands of MIkS- 
 sourians that required his attention, to 
 avoid arrest by army officers and U. 
 8. Marshals and wishing to become 
 
8<S 
 
 The. Grim CIk Iflain 
 
 .'U''jua'.nto<l with the conntiv thinking 
 it might become i)ece.\sarv, at some 
 , lime to follow the inviulei^ across the 
 line and carry the war into tlieir own 
 countiy he would visit Missouri in 
 disguise. On one occasion under the 
 assumed name of tlie llev. Mr. Foot 
 of AJal^ama, lie traveled for (juite a 
 while in tliat state telling them of 
 their duty in tiie ])rest'nt crisis to 
 make Kansas a slave stat'\ by driv- 
 ing ont or exterminating the aboli- 
 tionists. That is if tl Qv did not do so 
 their slaves would be sent free and 
 they and their wives and sons and 
 daughters would be compelled to work 
 like "niggers " An<l not only that 
 but niggers" would marry their sons 
 and daugliters. That it was absolute- 
 ly necessarrv to make Kansas a slave 
 slate m Oider to secure the institution 
 of slavery That it was their duty to 
 themselves aiu! their families as well 
 as tlieir dutv to tlieir God, at all haz- 
 
The Grim Chieftain 89 
 
 zarcls and by every means within 
 their reach to drive out or kill 
 tliat <rreat arch-liend of abolition- 
 ism (himself.) 
 
 He claimed to the writer that the 
 sermon he preached one Sunday 
 was considered by his congregation 
 orthodox on the slavery question 
 and that he was highly compli- 
 mented fm- it. Those who knew 
 the Chieftain will think he would 
 be rather out of place in the pul- 
 l)it delivering a sermon. But 
 when it was recollected that nearly 
 all Democratic speeches of those 
 tim\s were made principally 
 of extracts from the sermons of 
 southern preachers on the blessings 
 and divinity of slavery and that 
 the Chieftain had been a very 
 ])rominent Democratic orator, it 
 will be readly seen that he could 
 make some very salient points if 
 
1)0 The Grim Chieftain 
 
 not a logically connected discourse ■ 
 
 ]IE VISITS LEXINGTON MO. DISGUIS- 
 ED AS A STONE MASON 
 HUNTING WORK. 
 
 At another time he landed from 
 the deck of a steamb( a' at the city 
 of ' Lexington, disguised with the 
 grey, almost Avhite wig and beard, 
 the hair being qnite long, carrying 
 a kit of stone mason's tools and 
 walked all over and around the 
 city hunting work but no doubt, 
 like the nigger, praying earnestly 
 that he would find none. Had the 
 l)eo})le of Lexington known he was 
 there it is hard to tell whether 
 they would have run away in a 
 ])anic or tried to take his life. 
 Probably they would have thought 
 lie had a great army concealed and 
 run. 
 
 HE VISITS THE STATES. 
 
 When the Missourians stopped 
 
The Grim Chieftain 91 
 
 emigration and supplies from the 
 north to Kansas at Lexington Mo. 
 by stopping the steamboats to that 
 city and sending back free-state 
 emigrants and confiscating such 
 ])roperty as they considered con- 
 traband with his usual sagacity he 
 foresaw that unless there was some 
 other route, by which emigration 
 and supplies could come to Kan- 
 sas, that the free-state was hope- 
 lessly ruined. He, therefi n, vis- 
 ited a number of Western states 
 and cities and laid before the peo- 
 ple the true condition of affairs in 
 Kansas directed that emigration 
 should be through the state of 
 Iowa, returning himself in that 
 way with about three hundred set- 
 tlers, most of them, men with 
 their families teams and house- 
 hold effects; while a few thought 
 there would be no baggage needed 
 
92 The Grim ChUftaiu 
 
 in Kansas but Sharps rifles and 
 good navy revolvers. This com- 
 pany of emigrants was magnified 
 ]"y the proslavery Democracy of 
 Missouri and the country into an 
 immense army marching through 
 Iowa. Some paper put it as high 
 as 20.000 and some 50.000. He 
 did all he could to kee}) up the 
 impression. For when he could 
 not be fighting or chasing the 
 slave Democracy his next greatest 
 glory was to be scaring them to 
 death. 
 
The Grim Chieftain 9'\ 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 He runs David 11. Atchison the act- 
 ing Vice President of the United States 
 with his free-booters and cut throats 
 back to Missouri. 
 
 All attempt."^ to crush out the 
 free state men by armed bodies 
 from Missouri having failed David 
 Iv. Atchison, ]>resident of the Hen- 
 ate and acting vice i)resident of the 
 United States and the invisible 
 head and grand moving spirit of 
 the slave holding conspirators, 
 resolved to raise and place himself 
 at the head of an army commen- 
 surate with his own self supposed 
 importance and dignity, that would 
 speedly crush out all opposition 
 to making Kansas a slave state. 
 Having accordingly, collected from 
 all parts of Western Missouri a 
 number of men, variously estimat- 
 
94 The Grim Chieftain 
 
 ed at, from twelve hundred, to 
 three thousand and having thor- 
 oughly organized and equiped them 
 he marched them into Kansas with 
 the avowed purpose of extermin- 
 ating or driving the abolitionists, 
 as he called the free-state people, 
 from the territory. For some rea- 
 son or other, he camped soon after 
 he crossed the line, prol)ably to a- 
 wait the arrival of more men and 
 supplies, but more probably to ol)- 
 serve and see what eflfect his exalt- 
 ed personage and confidently sup- 
 posed invincible force Avould have 
 on the people. For it is only rea- 
 sonable to suppose that some spark 
 of humanity yet remained in his 
 bosom and that he would rather 
 scare them to death than kill them 
 outright. Since Atchison was act- 
 ing under no legal authority, the 
 status of both him and his men in 
 
The Grim CJiieftain 9" 
 
 the eyes of the civilized world and 
 by the laws of nations, was that of 
 (^neniies of the human race free- 
 booters and pirates, subject to be 
 captured and put to death by any 
 ])eople or nation that had the pow- 
 er and saw fit to do so. It Avas the 
 duty of Missouri to prevent these 
 men from lea vine: the state and in 
 <"ase she neglected or was unable 
 to do so it was the duty of the gen- 
 eral government to protect the 
 people of Kansas from their ravag- 
 es but on the contrary these men 
 had the active assistance and co- 
 ( peration of the btite authorities 
 of Missouri in their behalf and the 
 sympathy and moral and material 
 support of the government of the 
 United States. Many of them 
 were armed wdth guns that were 
 taken from the United States ar- 
 senals for the purpose. 
 
06 The Grim Chieftain 
 
 To meet and rej el this inva^ioi 
 the Chieftain hastily collected 
 three hundred and fifty men, most- 
 ly from Lawrence and Douglas 
 county, and set out fur the camp 
 of Atchison with all possible 
 haste. He was compelled to act 
 thus promptly to elude the United 
 States troops whose officers had 
 orders to arrest him and disperse 
 his men, but strange to say, never 
 had any orders to disperse the 
 Missourians and arrest their 
 leaders. They could roam over 
 the territory at their will and 
 commit depredations and Imrn and 
 murder to their hearts content and 
 their was no one, so far as tlie 
 general government was concerned 
 to molest or make them afraid. 
 Had he delayed to collect larger 
 Ibrce, he feared the troops would 
 l)e thrown between him and 
 
The Grim Chiejtnin 97 
 
 uemy, as had been dont^ on sev- 
 i'ral occasion before, ;ind thus 
 cover and protect Atchison and 
 be ready to arrest liim andihsperse 
 Ins men. For these and other 
 -(Hnid military reasons which will 
 l)e ap})arent on reflection, it was 
 mdispensible thathe should strike 
 at once such a blow as would send 
 Atchison back and let his men re- 
 turn to their homes. He, there- 
 fore, left Lawrence early in the 
 morning and marched forty-four 
 mile's in one day and part of the 
 night — three rlays march for an 
 army in one — and halted for the 
 remainder of the night about four 
 miles from Atchisons camp. 
 
 What is the issue to be settled by 
 these two armies when they meet 
 in the morning? 
 
 If Atchison prevails the people 
 of Kansas will be butchered or 
 driven houseless, homeless and 
 
98 The Grim Chieftain 
 
 penniless from the territory and 
 Kansas will be made a slave state 
 and a slave-holding Oligarchy 
 established on the ruins of the Re- 
 public. On the other hand if the 
 free-state men drive back the 
 invaders, any other attempt of the 
 kind will be impossible, the people 
 of Kansas will be secure in their 
 homes and Kansas made a free- 
 state, and the design to establish 
 an Oligarchy over this continent 
 with slavery as the cheif corner 
 stone will be thwarted and slavery, 
 itself, will be destroyed. No 
 greater issue for good or evil was 
 ever submitted to the grandest and 
 mightiest armies that have ever 
 shook the earth with their "trod. 
 
 Reader, if you were not one of 
 that little army let your imagina- 
 tion carry you back to the place 
 where those men stopped for the 
 night to eat their scanty rations, 
 
Tlie Grim. Chicpiln 99 
 
 and wait for the coming morning 
 before they began tbeir work of 
 death. Hee the (lifnftain with his 
 body inclined* forwards and his 
 b ead do wn wa r d wal ki ng backward 
 and forwards among his men, as 
 they sit round, in little groups 
 talking of their coming fate, as 
 though he was perfectly uncon- 
 scious of .everything. Imagine 
 you hear him solihxpiizing; "The 
 coming morning brings the crisis 
 of Kansas and my li^e Yes, it will 
 settle the fate of Kansas and seal 
 my destiuy for weal or for woe. 
 If I fail the peoi)le of Kansas will 
 be butchered and driven out. Kan- 
 sas will be a slave state, and a 
 slave-holding Oligarchy take the 
 ])lace of the Republic. To fail,noAv 
 this morning will be to fail for- 
 ever, for I have no subsistency for 
 my men, the troops will be here. 
 The blow must l)e struck with the 
 
100 The Grim Ch'ifftfil,} 
 
 coming light. If I drivi.- him. -all 
 will be well; no other invasi(^n can 
 be made. They will l.>e so utterly 
 demoralized that they never can 
 recover. Kansas will be a free- 
 state, and the attem})t to establish 
 a slave-holding Oligarchy will be 
 abandoned.. For Kansas is the 
 natural key to that position. They 
 will then attempt to dissolve the 
 Union and set up a slave-holding 
 government of the Southern States. 
 This will make war and slavery 
 will be destroyed and the Demo- 
 cratic party and its leaders will gC' 
 down with it and the desire of my 
 soul for revenge shall than be sat- 
 isfied. The time is at hand and 
 cannot be defered. I wilt this day 
 rise to the very pinnacle of honor 
 and fame, or die a most glorious 
 death, which is far preferal:)le to a 
 life without hope and without 
 }>rospects. 'Sfich a life I care not 
 
The Grim Chieftain 101 
 
 to live — I cannot — I will not live. 
 If At chiffon drives me back — no 
 that cannot — must not be. I will 
 drive him or I and ;dl my men 
 will die a death that will render us 
 immortal, though dead we shall 
 live forever. Thermopyhe and 
 Kansas! Leondas and myself! If 
 I only had my revenge on Senator 
 ])(»U2,ias and the Democratic party, 
 I think I should prefer such a 
 death with the assurance of im- 
 !Hr>rtal glory to the uni^ertainties of 
 life. Tlie opportunity is before 
 me and I will improve it. But 
 dnylight will soon be here I must 
 talk to the men and get them ready. 
 By the very first ai>pearance of 
 daybreak he had his men in mo- 
 tion, soon came insight of Atchi- 
 son's scouts or pickets. It is said 
 that Dol Donophan a man of con- 
 siderable experience, having, made 
 during the ^lexican war, an expo- 
 
102 The Grim Ohieftah 
 
 (lition almost equal to that of 
 Cyrus the Younger and had been 
 victorious in various battles, was 
 in command of this scouting party. 
 No fitter man could have been 
 selected for the position. The se- 
 lection by Atchison, of the man 
 who carried the military brains of 
 the expedition, for this post shows 
 the great <lread in which he stood 
 of the Chieftain and his army and 
 the great impcn'tance he placed 
 upon reliable information as to his 
 numbers, equipments and contem- 
 plated movements. It would be 
 very natual to suppose that a man 
 of his ability and experience could 
 reconnoiter, almost at a glance, 
 the number and capabilities of any 
 for<?e that was likeh^ to be brought 
 against him; but from strange and 
 unaccountable reasons he magni- 
 fied this little force of three hun- 
 dred and fiftv men into an armv 
 
The Grim Chieftain 108 
 
 that were to be numbered not by 
 thousands but by tens of thouands. 
 Whether this lu(hcious and fatal 
 mistake resulted from the scouts 
 being in a condition to sec double or 
 from a terror-stricken imagination 
 or from a sort of a mirage that 
 sometimes apparently multiplies 
 objects in the distance especially 
 in the early twilight of the morn- 
 ing or whether it was caused, as 
 some say, by the Chieftain, who. 
 seeing the scouts as he was cross- 
 ing a ridge or knoll, counter- 
 marched the head of his column, 
 as soon as it decendecl out of their 
 sight, through a low place, the 
 ground fayored the mana}yre and 
 strategy, lu'ought it to the rear and 
 then kept marching round and 
 round in a circle continually mov- 
 ing oyer the high place towards 
 the enemy and returning through 
 the low places, thus seemingly 
 
104 The Grim Chieftain 
 
 magnified his numbers in the sight 
 of the scouts for the purpose of 
 producing a panic and demoraliza- 
 tion in the camp of Atchison when 
 they reported — Whether it was any 
 one or all of these causes combined 
 or some providential interference, 
 that cansed the mistake cannot be 
 told. 
 
 As soon as the scouts left their 
 position, the Cheiftain moved for- 
 ward with all possible speed for 
 the purpose of attacking Atchison 
 while forming into position, at 
 long range with his Sharp's rifles 
 and when panic persued to rush on 
 them with their revolvers, and put 
 them to flight. Most of the free- 
 state men carried from one to three 
 pair of the best that could be pro- 
 cured. When, however, the free- 
 state men came onto a rise of 
 ground where they expected to see 
 the enemy they saw only a cloud 
 
The Grim Chieftain 105 
 
 of dust moving towards Missouri. 
 They had fled. The scouts ran in 
 just as Atchison had taken off his 
 hat to eat his breakfast and re- 
 ported: ''They are coming, not 
 only by thousands, but by tens of 
 thousands." Atchison seizing his 
 hat and putting it on his head said; 
 *'We must either fight or run, I 
 tell you that horrid monster com- 
 ing will fight," And without tell- 
 ing his men which they must do, 
 mounted his horse and made for 
 Missouri on his best possible time, 
 and his example was followed by 
 all his men. 
 
 The freestate men found a break- 
 fast already cooked in his camp 
 and other property sufficient to 
 make their little campaign a finan- 
 cial success. They pursued, till 
 they made sure Atchison had gone 
 to Missouri, and then returned to 
 their homes. 
 
106 The Grim Chieftain 
 
 What the result of a battle would 
 have been had Atchison not fled, 
 it may be useless to speculate. 
 But, when we consider, that, in 
 addition to his bravery and mania 
 for battle, and his desire for re- 
 venge on the leaders of his old 
 party, the chieftain was playing 
 for what he considered the grandest 
 prizes that could fall to the lot of 
 man,, a Senatorship and the Presi- 
 dency of the United States with all 
 the honors and emoluments which 
 these positions imply, it will not 
 be unreasonable to conclude that 
 Atchison would have been driven 
 back or he and his army would 
 have lost their lives in the attempt. 
 This was the opportanity of his 
 life and he knew it. To be de- 
 feated or fall back under any cir- 
 cumstances, no matter what the 
 
 odds were against him would have 
 
 been the ruin of all his most cher- 
 
The Grim Chieftain 107 
 
 ished dreams, hopes and aspira- 
 tions. To him, than this,, death 
 Avould have been far preferable. 
 There can be no doubt but that 
 he was ready and willing then and 
 there, as he always had been, to 
 offer up his life, as a sacrifice on 
 the alter of his ambition. That his 
 men would have stood by him and 
 shared his fate none but a simple- 
 ton can doubt. They had met and 
 defeated and put to flight this same 
 enemy, only in numbers not so 
 great, on many other battle fields, 
 as at Franklin, Black Jack, Osso- 
 watomie, Hickory Point and other 
 places. And many of those men 
 since at Wilson Creek under Gen- 
 erals Deitzler and Bob Mitchell, 
 and on many other hard fought 
 battlefields, have, by their conduct 
 added lustre to our national history. 
 These men, after they had turned 
 the business ends of there Sharp's 
 
108 The Grim Chieftain 
 
 Rifles onto the enemy and thrown 
 him into confussion, would have 
 rushed into close quarters and vied 
 with the chieftain, himself, in 
 deeds of valor and daring until the 
 coinage would have ended by the 
 flight of the invaders or the death 
 of the free-state men. They were 
 out on a business trip that morn- 
 ing and ntent no foolishness what- 
 ever. 
 
 The temptation to burlesque the 
 ridiculous ending of this campaign 
 on the part of Atchison, by throw- 
 ing it into the machine, though a 
 poor one and long out of use and 
 much out of repair, and grinding 
 it into verses, is too strong to be 
 resisted: 
 
 The Senator sat near his tent. 
 While musing on the expected hour. 
 The Chieftain in supplication bent. 
 Should tremble and implore his power 
 
 But from these very pleasing though ;s; 
 This most delightful severy seeming, 
 He soon was roused, by frantic shouts 
 Of tenor stricken pickets screaming. 
 
The Grim Chieftain 109 
 
 Before the morning dawn appeared 
 As, summer leaves in numbers seem, 
 That Wiley Chieftain's army feared 
 Beyond that farther hill we've seen. 
 
 And as ravening wolves pursuing prej-. 
 With each, the other vieing, run; 
 So eager for the expected prey, 
 His army in countless thousands come. 
 
 And soon, we, scattered o'er this plain. 
 Shall lie: as leaves of Autumn strewn. 
 By that most horrid Chieftain slain 
 To be by loathesome buzzards torn. 
 
 No other words he seemed to hear. 
 But, in the Artie land was formed. 
 That Chieftain drawing now so near, 
 And glory great in battle gained. 
 
 So we must either run or flght. 
 And quicker than his words were said. 
 As turned hare or deer in flight. 
 When hunter's hounds pursue they fled. 
 
 In order to paliate their conduct 
 for running away in this disgraceful 
 manner, they magnified the forces 
 of the abolitionists beyond that of 
 the report of their scouts and the 
 fear of the Chieftain and his army 
 became deeper and more wide 
 spread throughout Missouri than 
 ever. Had Atchison desired rein- 
 forcements; to return to the con- 
 flict, it would have been utterly 
 impossible to raise them. They 
 
110 The Grim Chieftain 
 
 had now lost all confidence in their 
 head as well as the other leaders. 
 The ladies from different parts of 
 Missouri, made and sent to Atchi- 
 son, quite a number of female un- 
 der garments, as a fitting testi- 
 monial of his conduct on this oc- 
 casion, ' 
 
 This was the last attempt on the 
 part of the people of Missouri to 
 make Kansas a Slave State by force 
 of arms. The only reliance npw 
 of the conspirators was on the ad- 
 ministration at Washington and 
 ballot box stuffing and other frauds 
 in elections, and failing in that 
 they attempted secsssion which 
 ended in the destruction of slavery. 
 
 But, on the contrary, since the 
 days of Leonidas and his men 
 whose action, at Thermopylae, has 
 justly been regarded as the glory 
 of the worlds history, there is 
 scarcely anything more truly hero- 
 
The Grim Chieftain 111 
 
 ic and grandly sublime than the 
 conduct of the Chieftain and his 
 men from the time they began to 
 collect themselves together at Law- 
 rence until they sat down to break- 
 fast in Atchison's camp, or the 
 camp which Atchison had left. 
 They set out, early in the morning, 
 and made a forced march during 
 Ihe whole dav and half the nierht 
 "and after halting a little while by 
 the very first appearance of day- 
 light, they are ^noving with all 
 possible alacrity into what would 
 seein to all human appearances 
 the very jaw;8.of death. For the 
 enemy consistjed of many times 
 there own number. He was in his 
 own selected position and might 
 be fortified and have cannon with 
 which he could r^ke them at long 
 range, beyond the reach of their 
 guns. He was in numbers suffi- 
 cient to flank them on each side 
 
112 The Grim Chieftain 
 
 and, besides, had cavalry sufficient 
 to cut of their retreat or hang on 
 their rear and cut them to pieces, 
 if they should attempt to save 
 themselves by flight. But none of 
 these considerations moved them. 
 Their hearts melt not nor quail 
 not at any possiblities of defeat or 
 death that may be before them. 
 But onward and onward, was their 
 cause; every moment apparrently 
 adding new zeal to their courage; 
 new determination to their pur- 
 pose and new energy to their move- 
 ments, as if the 
 
 *'Soul that is still marching on" 
 inspired every fibre of their being 
 in the earl 3' twilight of that morn- 
 ing. Such conduct it seems, should 
 call forth the admiration of angels 
 as well as men. May not the 
 lives of those men, in the sight of 
 heaven, have been considered too 
 precious to be offered up as a sacri- 
 
The Grim Chieftain 113 
 
 lice to the Moloch of slavery and 
 that, that was the reason why their 
 numbers were so mysteriously 
 multiplied in the eyes of the enemy 
 so that he was filled with fear and 
 could not stand before them. These 
 men were the rock of Kansas on 
 which slavery was broken and 
 never recovered, but maddened 
 and crazed by the shock, finally, 
 after going through the most hor- 
 rible . death struggles and thoes 
 of agony, sickened and died at 
 Appomattox court house and there 
 was buried in the last ditch. 
 
 "No grander or sublime themp, 
 AVas e'er by painters painted, or by 
 Poets flung.'' 
 
 Than this short, brilliant, deci- 
 sive and successful campaign, 
 glorious in its inception; glorious 
 in its execution, and most glorious 
 in its results. On it the freedom 
 of Kansas and the stability of our 
 
114 The Grim Chieftain 
 
 free institutions and the Republic 
 itself was staked, and most nobh' 
 were they defended. When this 
 little campaign is properly written 
 by the unbiased and impartial his- 
 torian, it will form one of the 
 brightest chapters in the history of 
 Kansas or the world. The people 
 of Kansas, or of Lawrence and 
 Douglas county, to whom the 
 greater share of the land belongs, 
 should in some way erect a monu- 
 ment to the memory of those men 
 and inscribe thereon the names of 
 each and place on the top of it a 
 statue of the Chieftain clad in his 
 old seal skin coat, in which he 
 made his first speech to the free- 
 statemen of Lawrence and declared 
 himself a crusader for freedom 
 while his life should last. 
 
 Some attribute the success of 
 this campaign to what they are 
 pleased to call a lucky accident, 
 
The Grim Chieftain 115 
 
 the mistake as to the number of 
 his men. The answer to this is 
 that the means used were such as 
 would commend success on almost 
 any field of action, and create the 
 circumstances that made the ac-* 
 cident, as they term it, possible. 
 
 Others say that the Chieftain 
 was playing bluff and that if Atch- 
 ison had not run he would, but 
 neither the facts, circumstances 
 of the case nor common sense sup- 
 port this view. Others say, that 
 it was merely providential. An 
 over ruling or superintending pro- 
 vidence in all the aiFairs of men is 
 freely conceded, but this must be 
 considered a clear case of provi- 
 dence helping those who help 
 themselves. All attempts to rob 
 these men of the honor that justly 
 belongs to them is fiendish. 
 
 The writer regrets that he can 
 not give their 
 
116 The Grim Chieftarn 
 
 whom, lie the martyrs of freedom, 
 in far distant battlefields. He 
 thinks there conld be no more 
 interesting reading than a catalogue 
 of the names, occupation and place 
 of residence of those who 3'et live 
 and the company and regiment 
 and last resting place of those who 
 are dead. 
 
 This campaign was the crowning 
 glory of the Chieftain's career and 
 placed him on the top of the temple 
 of fame in Kansas along side of 
 Charles Robinson. There were 
 now apparently two classes in 
 Rome (or Kansas.) Snch conduct 
 would call forth the admiration 
 and command the political sup- 
 port of any people of any age or 
 country, as well as Kansas. 
 
 END OF THE BOGUS WARRANTS. 
 
 During the administration of 
 Governor Greary, the attempt to 
 punish free-state men for viola- 
 
The Grim Chieftain 117 
 
 tions of the bogus code, and resis- 
 tance to what the President was 
 pleased to call the properly con- 
 stituted authorities of the territory, 
 was abandoned. Whether this 
 course was in obedience to instruc- 
 tions from Washington or in pur- 
 suance of some act of amnesty by 
 the bogus legislature, was not gen- 
 erally knoAvn. Instructions from 
 Washington to the officials were 
 seldom made public, and few peo- 
 ple knew or cared what was done 
 by the law makers at Lecompton. 
 It was ruled, however, that, in 
 order to clear the docket, the 
 parties must come into court and 
 answer or plead to the indictments 
 and when they had done so the 
 cases would be dismissed. 
 
 Why such a ruling should be 
 made, was a mystery. Was it 
 done to make court fees and costs? 
 Or was it done to extort, in this 
 
118 The Grim Chieftain 
 
 way a seeming acknowledgment of 
 the validity of the laws under 
 which the indictments w^ere found 
 and thus let the president and his 
 advisers ''Down easy"? The lat- 
 ter was the view generally taken 
 by the parties against whom the 
 indictmentd were found and they 
 would neither accept service and 
 agree to appear at Lecompton and 
 answ^er, nor submit to arrest. 
 Warrants for the arrest of Colonel 
 Montgomery and quite a large 
 number of others w^ere placed in 
 the hands of a deputy Marshal, 
 who proceeded to what was then 
 called Southern Kansas to bring 
 the parties into court. Colonel 
 Montgomery treated the marshal, 
 w^hen he called and made known 
 the nature of his visit, very kindly. 
 ''I see," said the Colonel, ''that 
 you have quite a number of these 
 papers. Will you please let me 
 
The Grim Chieftain 119 
 
 look over them that I may see the 
 names of those who are to be ar- 
 rested with me." ''Certainly,'' 
 said the marshal, at the same time 
 handing over the package. After 
 examining them, the Colonel said, 
 ''My dear sir, it is very dangerous 
 for you to carry these things 
 around this country, so I will just 
 relieve you of any further respon- 
 sibility with regard to them and 
 keep them myself. What return 
 the deputy marshal made to the 
 court is not known. Those war- 
 rants were never served. 
 
 Warrants were also placed nt. 
 the hands of deputy marshal Arms 
 among which was one for Colonel 
 John Ritchie, of Topeka. To Col- 
 onel Ritchie, the bogus code was 
 the concentrated essence of all 
 political villianies, without the 
 sanction of even the form of law: 
 and any one who should attemj^t 
 
120 The Grim Chieftain 
 
 to deprive him of his liberty or 
 property by means of any process 
 by virtue of this code, he regarded 
 a tresspass to be resisted to the 
 death if necessary. 
 
 Marshal Arms requested Cap- 
 tains Thompson and Hill, of To- 
 peka, two men of great nerve and 
 courage to go with him to make 
 the arrest, but they answered: 
 "You ha<l better let that job out." 
 The marshal then proceeded alone 
 to Mr. Ritchie's residence, to make 
 the arrest, but was shot through 
 the neck and brought away a 
 CO pse. The grand jury failed to 
 tlnd a bill against the Colonel and 
 this was the last attempt made to 
 (dear the docket of these cases, by 
 bringing the parties into court to 
 answer. Some other way was 
 found, unless they remain there 
 yet. The Chieftain, having now 
 nothing to fear, and no military or 
 
The Grim Chieftain 121 
 
 political duties to require his at- 
 tention, removes his wife and 
 devoted his attention in company 
 with ''Jimmy Christian" to the 
 practice of law in the city of Law- 
 rence. But as the profession was 
 largely over stocked and the 
 country new^ and the people poor 
 and but little for lawyers to do, if 
 lie succeeded, once in a while, in 
 (Pitching a client and "skinning 
 him of the hide" amounted to but 
 little. He neither added to his 
 fame nor his fortune by his legal 
 efforts though, it wa 3 claimed for 
 liim that his skill in gathering in 
 his few and scanty fees was credit- 
 able to the profession. 
 
 His real or feigned domestic 
 trouble, the terrifleinfilading the 
 Democrats had just given him and 
 the failure of the Republicans of 
 the country to uphold him, and 
 nothing to keep him prominently 
 
122 The Grim Chieftain 
 
 ])eforc the people caused him to 
 feel that liis "boom was not boom- 
 ing" but on the decline and he 
 sought an election, and was elected 
 a member of the Leavenworth con- 
 stitutional convention and asked 
 to be made president of the con- 
 vention wlien it assembled at 
 Mineola. This he said would be 
 an endorsement of his past politi- 
 cal career by the people of Kansas 
 and place him prominently before 
 the country, and would give the 
 lie to Senator Douglas and others 
 v.ho declared that he was a disgrace 
 to the abolition or free-state party 
 and that they were ashamed of 
 him. To this Martin F. Conway, 
 who desired the position of presi- 
 dent to advance his congressional 
 aspirations strongly objected, 
 claiming, it was not right that one 
 man should monopolise all the 
 honors of the party, but fuially 
 
The Grim Chieftain 128 
 
 said that if the Chieftain would re- 
 sign in his favor, as soon as the 
 convention was organized, that he 
 would yield his ohjections. Accord- 
 ingly the Chieftain was chosen, and 
 when the convention assembled 
 at Leavenworth, after adjournment 
 from Blineola, he called it to order 
 and tlianking the members for the 
 great honor which they had unan- 
 imously confered upon him, in 
 c'loosing him to preside over their 
 deliberations, said that he much 
 prefercd a position on the floor of 
 the convention, that he would feel 
 more at liome there, and uncondi- 
 tionally resigned in favor of 
 ^Martin F. Conway. Thus he ap- 
 peared, not only, as declining hon- 
 ors that had been heaped upon 
 hiiUself, but as dictating upon 
 whom they should be centered. 
 Nothing notewortliy , in his career, 
 occurred during the convention. 
 
124 The Grim Chieftain 
 
 On all questions, he seemed to act 
 with and favor the Conservative 
 wing, that is, tho.^e who were in 
 favor of excluding the Negroes en- 
 tirely and making Kansas a free 
 white state; but at the close of the 
 convention, in a speech he declared 
 most positively, that he belonged 
 to the Radical wing of the free- 
 state party. The Radical wing 
 were largely in the majority. 
 
 In this convention, as in nearly 
 all others of a similar kind the 
 members took it upon themselves 
 to arrange who should hold the 
 different state and other offices, 
 when they named there own mem- 
 bers for the different positions, 
 and create an office for the special 
 ])enefit of a member, they did 
 nothing unusual. In the Wyan- 
 dotte convention, afterwards, judi- 
 cial districts were formed to suit 
 the aspirations of certain ones. 
 
The Grim Chieftain 125 
 
 The slate of the Leavenworth 
 convention for the principal offices, 
 was 
 
 For United States Senators, 
 
 THE GOVERNOR, 
 
 THE CHIEFTAIN. 
 
 For Congress, 
 
 MARTIN F. CONWAY. 
 
 For Governor, 
 
 HENRY J. ADAMS. 
 
 For Lieutenant Governor, 
 
 J. M. WINCH EL. 
 
 For Chief Justice, 
 
 THOMAS EWING, Jr. 
 
 For Superintendent Public Instruction, 
 
 ALPHABET ARNY. 
 
 As the slate, at the nominating' 
 
 convention, shared the fate of many 
 
 others of simular kind, the rest of 
 
 the names are omitted. All the 
 
 names on the slate were memhers 
 
 except the governor's. 
 
 The Governor was represented 
 by the members as the first choice 
 and the Chieftain, as the second 
 
126 The Grim Chieftain 
 
 choice, for the United States 
 Senate. The people considered 
 these positions were due them for 
 the services they had rendered. 
 The Governor's name was not con- 
 sidered for any other position, all 
 considering that he was worthy 
 and deserving of the most honora- 
 ble place in the gift of the people 
 and that the Chieftain had hon- 
 estly earned a like position. 
 
 But it soon began to be noised 
 abroad throughout the length and 
 breadth of the land that the two 
 men whom the people delighted 
 to honor above all others, were 
 disputing and quarreling by the 
 way, on the old questions, "who 
 should be the greatest" in the 
 kingdom about to be set up, and 
 that each wished to cast the other 
 out into utter darkness and not 
 let him have any place in the new^ 
 kingdom, but have all the honors 
 
The Grim. Chieftain 127 
 
 imto himself, that his name alone 
 niiglit be great among tlie people 
 and that he might exercise domin- 
 ion over them. This wa^ very 
 grevious with the people and did 
 vex them soruly and cansed them 
 to talk much one with another and 
 say, "This thing must not surely 
 liappen, for we owe both these 
 men great honor and respect for 
 what they have done for us, and 
 it is meat that we should render 
 unto each the honor that is due." 
 And when the people did learn 
 that, they were waxing exceeding- 
 ly wroth fnd hot towards each 
 other ^ they sent their chief men 
 and rhen of understanding to them, 
 who should say unto them; 'Not 
 to act thus wickedly like unto 
 foolish men, but to be reconciled 
 one to the other: and that 
 each should receive the honor that 
 was due unto him, but if thev 
 
 con- 
 
128 The Grim Chieftain 
 
 tinued to act thus wickedly and 
 tbolishlyj it would bring dissen- 
 sions, among the people; some 
 saying "I am for the governor'' 
 and some saying ''I am for the 
 Chieftain" and that great evil in- 
 stead of good would befall the 
 land." Where they gave no heed 
 unto what was said unto them, the 
 people said: ''Albeit, these men 
 will not hearken unto us and hear 
 our voice, nor cease to act like 
 them heathens do, yet we will 
 honor them, nevertheless and give 
 unto each the honor that is due 
 him, then we will be blameless, 
 but one shall not cast the'other out 
 and take unto himself all the 
 honor." 
 
 To venture an opinion as to the 
 origin of this quarrel, would be 
 useless. That there could not be 
 two Caesars at the same time, 
 proved true of Kansas, as well as 
 
The Grim Chieftain 120 
 
 of Rome. Miiiiy and various 
 I'ffoits Avero made to put a stop to 
 this silly proceeding on the part 
 of those men it was said, that th(i 
 people of Lawrence tried to get 
 them to stand in the same stall 
 while General Deilzler, who was 
 a friend to each would strike them 
 down hut they could not. During 
 the convention to nominate state 
 officers under the Leavenworth 
 • •onstitution, a number of dele- 
 gates, prepared a resolution for 
 adoption, declaring that the Gov- 
 ernor and the Chieftain were the 
 rtrst and only choice of the people 
 of Kansas, when the proper time 
 came, for United States Senators 
 and offered in the convention for 
 adoption, the delegates who pre- 
 pared it, were friendly to both the 
 men and thought this course would 
 end the trouble. But the Governor, 
 who was a member of the conven- 
 
loO The Grivi Chieftain 
 
 lion, in an able speecL, gave many 
 very good reasons, why the rc^so- 
 lution should not be adopted. 
 That the convention was not held 
 for the purpose of declaring who 
 should be United States Senators, 
 hut to nominate candidates for 
 state officers. That, if adopted, it 
 would have no binding force, as 
 the convention would be transcend- 
 i ng its auth or ity . That th e p r op e r . 
 place for instructions of this sort 
 was when nominations for the 
 members of the legislature were 
 made. That the ]>rocceding pro- 
 posed was unusual. That tliere 
 'vas little probability that Kansas 
 would be admitted under the 
 Leavenworth constitution or dur- 
 ing the present adminstration and 
 the resolution, if adopted, might 
 be embarrasing hereafter; That 
 the best plan was to let the subject 
 of the choice for senators alone till 
 
The Grim Chieftain 131 
 
 tlie proper time came. 
 
 The resolution was withdrawn, 
 but the members of the convention 
 throught that the Governor had 
 not given his true reasons for op- 
 posing it, and tlieir determination 
 to stand was stronger than ever. 
 The fight continued. Each had a 
 fcn'cman worthy of his steel. The 
 Governor was in no danger, how- 
 ever^ he was fightiiig to save his 
 political standing, or to secure a 
 })Osition. Any position that ho 
 desired, such was his hold on the 
 affections of the people, was sure. 
 He was, therefore, regarded as the 
 aggressor, while the Chieftain was 
 looked on, as fighting to save 
 himself; 
 
 THE LECOMPTON CONSTITUTION. 
 
 The last hope of slaverj^ was 
 the legitimate offspring of the 
 ••Bogus Code," brought forth by 
 Candle Box Calhoun, survevor 
 
132 The Glim Chieftain 
 
 general and political hiss of the 
 administration, democracy, and sub- 
 mitted for ratification in the true 
 Lecompton style. The people 
 could vote for it, "with or Avithout 
 slavery, but in either case Kansas 
 would be a slave state. The life 
 of this most precious Democratic 
 liantling could not be jeopardized 
 ])y allowing the people to vote 
 against it. After it had passed 
 through the force of a ratification, 
 in which the free-state men took 
 no part, it was carefully scaled U]) 
 and entrusted to a special messen- 
 ger to be carried to Washington 
 and delivered into the hands of 
 the president of the United States. 
 Tliis messenger chanced to be i\ 
 very psrticular friend of Senato]' 
 Stephen A. Douglass, of Illinois. 
 Senator Douglass had now become 
 disgusted and tired of doing the 
 dirty work of the slave pov/er for 
 
The Grim Chicffain 
 
 1!^ 
 
 >) 
 
 nothing but promises, which were 
 never redeemed and resolved to 
 |)hiy the squatter sovereign ehiuse 
 of the organic act of Kansas for all 
 it Avas wortli, to make himself solid 
 with the northern democracy and 
 |)eople. Learning that his friend 
 the messenger was on his way to 
 Washington, with his precious 
 treasure, Douglass called on him 
 as soon as he arrived and asked to 
 see the sacred parchment before it 
 was delivered to tlie president. 
 The messenger replied that he 
 could not Uthim see it, that it vras 
 carefully sealed up and his in- 
 structions were to deliver it into 
 the hands of the president and let 
 no one see it. 
 
 Senator Douglass felt chagrined 
 at being thus snubbed and retorted; 
 '•I did not think, after all I have 
 done for you, tliatyou would serve 
 me so." The messenger relented 
 
lo4 The Grim Chieftain 
 
 and it was arranged that Senator 
 Douglass should take the constitu- 
 tion and return it at four o'clock 
 p. M. The messenger called on the 
 president and told him that he had 
 just arrived but his trunk, which 
 contained the constitution had not 
 3'et come to the hotel, and that he 
 was very tired traveling night and 
 diy, and must have some rest, and 
 that he would bring the constitu- 
 tion over at five o'clock or the 
 next morning at such a time as 
 would suit his convenience. ''B}^ 
 all means'' said the president, 
 "bring it this afternoon, you will 
 have rested sufficiently by that 
 time." 
 
 Senator Douglass set clerks to 
 work to making a copy of this 
 quintessence of political villiany. 
 He and the messenger spent the 
 day in talking over their boyhood 
 scenes and the political situation 
 
The Gr'iDL Chirjtaln 135 
 
 in Kansas, until the appointed 
 time to meet the president. Tlio 
 president during the day sent in- 
 vitations to Senators Slidel, Mason, 
 Benjamin and several others of 
 the high priests, of slavery, to be 
 present at five o'clock p. m., when 
 the long desired culmination of 
 democratic statesmenship was to 
 be received. When the messenger 
 delivered his charge to the presi- 
 dent he said: "let me advise the 
 president to his hands of this 
 thing, for it never can be tJie con- 
 stitution of Kansas.'' Whereupon 
 Senator Slidel soundly relniked 
 him for liis impertinence in pre- 
 suming to advise the president of 
 the United States as to hig official 
 duty, when he was only a messen- 
 ger. (Exit Messenger.) 
 
 With this contemptible swindle, 
 the president transmitted a special 
 message to congress recommend- 
 
130 21ic Grim Chicftaiii 
 
 ing the admis.-<ion of Kansas as a 
 state under it, but Senator Doug- 
 lass was fully i^repared and in an 
 able speech showed up all the 
 vileness, of this attempt to robtlio 
 people of Kansas of their political 
 rights in a maniier that all the 
 powers of the president with all 
 liii! patronage, backed by the slave 
 povrer, could not force it through 
 congress. And, when the people 
 of Kansas got an opportunity to 
 vote against it when it was. re- 
 turned for re-ratification, they will 
 hurry it so deep that Gabriels 
 trumpet will never awake it. Thus 
 ended the attempt to force slaver}^ 
 into Kansas and subvert the gov- 
 ernment of the United States into 
 a slaveholding oligarchy. The 
 slaveholders, now, turned there 
 attention again to secession and 
 rebellion, as they had done before. 
 A particular friend of Jefferson 
 
The Grim Chuftahi 137 
 
 Davis then secretary of war, in the 
 winter of 1855. 1856 visited Fort 
 Larimie in Nebraska and got the 
 names of all the army officers who 
 would cajt their fortunes with the 
 south in case of secession and war. 
 Had Fremont been elected, re- 
 bellion would have followed. 
 
 THE KILLING OF CAPTAIN JENKINS. 
 
 The people having now secured 
 control of their own political af- 
 fairs, everybody was happy and 
 so \Nas the Chieftain. The time 
 w^hen he should receive the long 
 sought senatorship was drawing 
 near. But who can tell what a 
 day ma}' bring forth, or what for- 
 tune may have in store for him? 
 One morning he arose with hopes 
 and prospects, bright as man could 
 wish. At night those hopes and 
 prospects were sunk in the gloom 
 of darkness seemingly never to 
 rise again. In the morning all 
 
138 The Grim Chieftain 
 
 were ready to bestow on him the 
 liigliest honors in tlie state, but 
 with the setting sun all men had 
 f()rsaken him. lie had shot and 
 killed Captain Jenkins, of Law- 
 rence, and stood raigned before 
 tlie court of his country as a man- 
 slayer. The news fl3's. Every 
 moment adds new pinions to its 
 wings and new vigor to its flight. 
 JMen formed their judgment froui 
 what they first heard, not waiting 
 for the evidence to mitigate or 
 justify it. And when it was 
 proven on the trial, that, only, 
 after using all prudent and proj^ei' 
 means to avoid a conflict he was 
 compelled, in self defense in order 
 to save his own life, to shoot his 
 assailant, but few ever saw tlic 
 evidence and fewer read it. They 
 did not lj:now but that he had been 
 acquitted by some technicality or 
 defect of the law. Thev knew he 
 
The Grim Chicftaiii lol) 
 
 hall killed a man, but did not 
 know that he was justified in do- 
 ino; so. They felt that he had for- 
 feited all claim to their political 
 support. Some claimed that the 
 enemies of the Chieftain got Cap.- 
 tain Jenkins, who was a brave and 
 fearless man, under the influence 
 of liquor and urged him to make 
 Ihe attack, knowing that in the 
 conflict one or the other would be 
 killed, or tliat Jenkins would 
 drive the Chieftain from the land 
 "in dispute. If the Chieftain should 
 get killed that would be the end 
 <~>f him; if he sliould kill Jenkins, 
 that would work his political ruin, 
 or downfall, or if Jenkins should 
 drive him from his claim, he would 
 be stigmatized, as a coward, and 
 be out of the Avay. The writer 
 never heard any evidence to sub- 
 stantiate this horrid claim and 
 could not believe it witliout the 
 
140 The Grim Chieftain 
 
 best of proof. 
 
 On a former occasion when liir? 
 , political barque was dashed to 
 })ieces, he found relief in denoun- 
 cing the authors of his misery and 
 in meditating revenge; but even 
 that solace is denied him, for Jen- 
 kins is in his grave. All wa :■ dark- 
 ness and many others rose up to 
 contend for his i)lace, and men 
 ceased even to notice him, as they 
 passed him by. Nor was he even 
 a laughing stock for his enemy, 
 who would have scorned to add to 
 his humiliation, had it been pos- 
 sible so to do. 
 
 Care worn, haggard, reduced al- 
 most to a skeleton, the picture of 
 dispair, clad in the old seal skin 
 coat, the writer met him in Law- 
 rence one day, and extending the 
 hand ina familar way, said "How'' 
 after the manner of an Indian. 
 After the salutations were passed. 
 
The Grim Chuftain 141 
 
 the Chieftain said to the writer, 
 that he had heen wanting to sec 
 liim for some time, to liave a talk 
 with him on a matter of great im- 
 portance, and asked the writer to 
 go and take dinner with liim. The 
 writer did not wisli to have any 
 conversation with him fearing that 
 he would wish him to join in an 
 attempt for his political resurrec- 
 tion, yet he could not find it in 
 his luvirt to refuse the inviatation. 
 During the walk to his old home 
 little or nothing was said hy either. 
 The writer dreading the conversa- 
 tion, and wondering why the 
 Chieftain did not hegin it and 
 studying also, what answer to 
 make; and the Chieftain probably, 
 diverting his mind, did not think 
 proper to say anything. A thought 
 occurred to the writer, that prob- 
 ably there would be some others 
 at his house one of his confidential 
 
142 TJiC Grim Chieftain 
 
 little caiiC'iises, and that he did 
 not wi.«h to open up the subject 
 until the company was reached. 
 Arriving at his house, however, 
 there was nobody there but his 
 wife, who scarcely noticed the 
 writer and as women, sometimes, 
 do when their husbands bring in 
 a. stranger unawares for dinner, 
 appeared to be in a bad humor or 
 sulky. She looked almost as care- 
 worn and distressed as the Chief- 
 tain and no doubt was in as miicli 
 trouble. What money she may 
 h;ive got, was all gone. The trial 
 find other expenses were great and 
 nothing was left to keep the wolf 
 from her door. That despondency 
 .md gloom were pictured in her 
 :ountenance is not surprising. 
 Placing her scanty dinner on the 
 table she took a seat by a window 
 ':o look out, leaving the Chieftain 
 o pour out the coffee and wait on 
 
Jlie Grim Chieftain \4-\ 
 
 the table. Little was said durinLC 
 dinner and little on tlie way back 
 to Massachusetts street. The writer 
 attcni])tedto say something, several 
 times, careful, however, to avoid 
 the g-reat sid^ject on wliich he hail 
 supposed his com})anion desired 
 to talk, l)ut there was little or no 
 response. Probably tlie writer 
 did not do right, but h'.; did not 
 feel like joining in what seemed. 
 at the time, to be an imi>ossiblc 
 undertaking. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 The fourth of .July 18(59, lit' .speaks at 
 Aulnnu How he gets tlie iiivjatatioi . 
 
 Thed'onrtli of July was ap})r()aeh- 
 ing and as the year of jubilee had 
 now fully come in Kansas, the 
 ])eople every where throughout 
 the territory were making unusual 
 preparations to celebrate the day 
 in a manner befitting the occasion. 
 All tlie prominent speakers were 
 
144 Tke Grim Chieftain 
 
 engaged to hold forth in the various 
 towns and cities, but the Chieftain 
 lemained without an inviatation to 
 glorify the bird of freedom on the 
 national anniversary of American 
 Independence, and had it not been 
 for the failure of the little town of 
 Auburn in Shawnee count}^ to 
 secure a speaker suitable to there 
 notions, would have remained in 
 obsurity for that day, if not forever. 
 Auburn, at that lime, an ambitious 
 and enterprising little place, was 
 making extraordinary preparation, 
 for the coming celebration and 
 wished to get a more than ordinary 
 speaker, from abroad, to give eclat 
 to their young city. The com- 
 mittee made several attempts for 
 this purpose and failed. All the 
 speakers to whom they applied, 
 having been previously engaged 
 by the large towns or cities. The 
 committee then tried to utilize 
 
The Grim Chieftain 145 
 
 "home talent" and secure one of 
 the several men in the neighbor- 
 hood, who were capable of making 
 a very fair address but the time 
 was so short they found this a 
 very difficult matter, if not im- 
 possible, while the negotiations 
 of the committee were in progress, 
 two citizens of Auburn went to 
 Lawrence on some business and 
 happened to meet the Chief- 
 tain and learning that he was net 
 engaged, took the responsibility 
 upon themselves to ask him to 
 come to Auburn and blow off any 
 pent up patriotism that might be 
 in his bosom. They explained to 
 him the situation but told him 
 they thought it would be all right. 
 He accepted the inviatation with- 
 out any hesitation whatever, say- 
 ing that he would come and if not 
 all right, he would spend the day 
 there and listen to some one else, 
 whoever he might be. 
 
—THE— 
 
 GI^IM 0HIBFTAIN 
 
 of Kansas, 
 
 And Other Free-State Men in 
 
 Their Struggles Against 
 
 Slavery. 
 
 fK Some Political Seances, Incidents, A 
 
 W Inside Political Views and ^ 
 
 Movements in their 
 
 Career. 
 
 CHERRYVALE, KANSAS 
 CLARION BOOK & JOB PRINT. 
 1885. 
 
1 
 
 -^^^ 24 I9i..5 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 016 088 994 9