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Title: Proceedings of the Citizens of Tecumseh
Description: This document details the proceedings of a meeting of Tecumseh, Kansas citizens held at the Tecumseh courthouse on November 26, 1856. The attendees appointed 12 men to serve as delegates at an upcoming convention in Leavenworth. They also voted on and approved several resolutions, including a commitment to establishing peace in Kansas, and an agreement to support Gov. John W. Geary. The document is dated November 29, 1856 and is signed by 18 citizens.
Object Type: Document
Date: November 29, 1856

Title: From William Murphy to John W. Geary
Description: This letter, dated September 23, 1856, is from William Murphy, mayor of Leavenworth, Kansas, to Gov. John W. Geary. Murphy responds to Geary’s recent inquiry about a group of citizens who claim they were forced to leave Leavenworth. He confirms that Capt. Emory told “all persons who were not in favour of the laws, and unwilling to fight in defence of the City, that they had better leave.” He assures Geary that these people may safely return to Leavenworth “if they will act as law abiding citizens.”
Date: September 23, 1856

Title: From William Murphy to John W. Geary
Description: William Murphy, mayor of Leavenworth, Kansas, writes a letter to Gov. John W. Geary on October 11, 1856. In response to Geary’s inquiry about the death of Addison Rogers, Murphy states that Rogers was not killed in a political skirmish, but was shot by a fellow gambler. Murphy also informs Geary that U.S. Marshal Israel Donalson took M.J. Mitchell into custody and will bring him to Lecompton to stand trial before Judge Samuel Lecompte.
Date: October 11, 1856

Title: Correspondence of the Kansas Territory Executive Department
Description: These documents, dated between 1855 and 1856, relate to the organization and administration of the Kansas Territorial Militia, Northern Division. The documents include commissions issued by acting Kansas Governor Daniel Woodson, officer appointments, and company requests to be mustered out of service.
Date: 1855-1856

Title: From William Murphy to John W. Geary
Description: This letter, dated October 3, 1856, is from William Murphy, mayor of Leavenworth, Kansas, to Gov. John W. Geary. Murphy states that three Leavenworth citizens received letters signed by “Regulators” ordering them to leave Kansas Territory; he tells Geary that he has investigated the incident but cannot determine who sent the letters. Murphy admits to Geary that citizens have complained about his performance as mayor, but he insists that their criticism is not justified. Murphy complains about people who are disloyal to the country and to President Pierce, and he expresses his support of the Democratic Party.
Date: October 3, 1856

Title: From Edward Hoogland and John A.W. Jones to John W. Geary
Description: In this November 29, 1856 letter, Edward Hoogland and John A.W. Jones report to Kansas Gov. John W. Geary about their recent expedition to southeastern Kansas. They inform Geary that they took depositions, issued warrants, and made arrests in relation to a number of crimes, including some committed during the Pottawatomie Massacre. They also report that they found and returned a substantial amount of stolen property. Hoogland and Jones ask Geary to station U.S. troops in southeastern Kansas, suggesting that “their presence would aid in restoring confidence.”
Date: November 29, 1856

Civil War on the Western Border: The Missouri-Kansas Conflict, 1854-1865