Lawrence Jan 20th 1856 15 letter
Dear Parents

I commenced a letter to Mother two weeks ago and have just finished it but I can’t tell what there is in particular in it. It is so cold that I have no chance to write at all except on Sun. when I can come down to Mr. Stearns house where I am now writing. It is a log house on New Hampshire St No 51. For eight Sabbaths I have [not] been to meeting but one half day. Today is the eighth and I don’t know certain whether there is any meeting or not but probably none as it is so cold. Last Sun there was a meeting but I did not go on account of sore hands and disinclination. The other Sundays there was no meeting on account of the cold and the War. It has now been extremely cold for four weeks with the exception of two or three days and during those two or three days the Government Surveys came along near my claim rendering its position certain. The survey throws me in a direction which I did not expect and gives my house and most of my fence to a proslavery man, Whitlock so if he can he will prevent me from moving off either my house or fence, 250 dollars gone to the dogs. I had had the claim surveyed by a man who said he run from the Government surveys which were new and he said I was perfectly safe and I rested on that until the day before the Gov. survey came on when I found that he had made a mistake and another man had jumped on to a vacant claim near me. This put me into an agony of suspence and I got the surveyors to go out with me & meet the Gov. survey and from that they run to mine which was only half a mile from the Gov. survey. If I had moved my house about ten rods in a particular direction before this last man that I speak of had gone on there, I should have gone all right but I did not. But I still hold on and may get a claim, as part of my improvements come on this claim and were there before this man came on. If I lose my claim now I don’t know but I shall leave the country and go to California. Many are going from here in the spring. That is unless we have a war which I think is likely enough. I recvd a notice to appear at the Head Quarters of our company armed & equipped for inspection and ready for marching.

We hear that the Missourians attacked our men at Easton ten miles from Leavenworth on Election day (last Tues.) and demanded their Ballot boxes but our men would not give them up. They then fired on our men which fire was returned badly wounding two Missourians. Some men were sent to Lawrence for help and two of them taken prisoners by the Missourians who say if the wounded men die they will hang our men and if they do that there will be fighting. God only knows how it will end. We have sent men there to see about it and they have not returned yet. The opinion of most is that we shall have to fight in the spring. The Missourians are concentrating a force all along our border and in the language of Judge Cato They are going to drive every d-----d Free State man out of the Territory. We want men money and ammunition. We are just sending and have sent men to the States to raise these. Mr Schyler raised 1950.00 in one evening in Chicago, the drafts for which have arrived here now so that we shall be better prepared to fight now than we were before when we had no money. Men are now engaged in making cartridges for Sharps Rifles all the time and we have sent for a whole load of powder & lead! This moment the news has arrived that the Pro Slavery men have actually butchered a Mr. Brown one of the prisoners whom they took. I have not heard the particulars except it is said they men were coming from Lawrence with Sharps Rifles. How long O Lord must we suffer thus. I hope you will raise an army in the East and March through Missouri and Proclaim liberty to the slave.

Edward