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Title
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From Charles Sumner to My Dear Hale
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Description
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Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner writes a letter from Washington to "My dear Hale" on March 1, 1856. Sumner criticizes Stephen A. Douglas, Lewis Cass, and the Know Nothing Party, and worries that "this Congress will do nothing for the benefit of Kansas." He expresses concern that Kansas will not be admitted to the Union due to its small population and the lack of support for its constitution.
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Date
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March 1, 1856
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Title
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From William P. Richardson to Wilson Shannon
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Description
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This dispatch, dated August 20, 1856, was written by Major General William P. Richardson of the Kansas Militia, Northern Division, at Headquarters at Whitehead, Doniphan County, Kansas, to Kansas Governor Wilson Shannon. Richardson tells Shannon that General James Lane has recruited a large military force and intends to enter Kansas. Richardson says he has issued an order to assemble the Northern Division militia at Whitehead and awaits Shannon’s authorization to employ the troops.
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Date
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August 20, 1856
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Title
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The Western Dispatch.
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Description
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This is the August 17, 1856 evening issue of the Western Dispatch, printed in Independence, Missouri. The newspaper announces that war is "being waged by the Abolitionists," and reports that James Henry Lane, John Brown, and their forces have robbed several Kansas residents and driven them into Missouri. The paper also mentions that Kansas Gov. Wilson Shannon requested aid from the U.S. military, but was refused. A last minute extra, printed at the bottom of the paper, states that Lane and his men have captured Lecompton.
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Object Type
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Newspaper Article
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Date
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August 17, 1856
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Title
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From Edward Fitch to Dear Father
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Description
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Edward Fitch writes a letter to his father on September 19, 1855, four days after the Bogus Legislature’s Gag Law has gone into effect. He says he attended a meeting where he and others illegally spoke out against the Gag Law. He adds that Governor Shannon showed up “but refused to speak . . . he is a Dough face, Dough head + a Fool Knave Rascal and all.”
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Date
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September 19, 1855
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Title
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The Kansas War & Other Matters
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Description
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This poem was written in 1863 by S.S. Wiciszg, a soldier serving near Hardeeville, South Carolina. Wiciszg describes himself as "a soldier just from Lawrence" and decries the violence and guerrilla warfare in Kansas during the border wars. The poem condemns the Border Ruffians and the Doniphan Tigers. It also criticizes the political climate, and mentions the Free Soilers, Wilson Shannon, Horace Greely, and Arthur Tappan.
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Object Type
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Document
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Date
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1863
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Title
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Correspondence of the Kansas Territory Executive Department
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Description
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This correspondence, dated January 7, 1858 through April 6, 1858, relates to contracts between the Kansas Territorial government and Charles A. Perry, Findley Patterson, and F.J. Marshall, to construct the capital building at Lecompton, Kansas. Perry, Patterson, and Marshall each claim that they have not been paid for contracted work on the capital building. Patterson’s letter dated March 10, 1858 refers to an upcoming Congressional vote on the "Kansas question."
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Date
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January 7, 1858-April 6, 1858
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Title
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From Wilson Shannon to Franklin Pierce
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Description
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This letter, dated June 27, 1856, was written by Kansas Gov. Wilson Shannon in St. Louis to President Franklin Pierce. Shannon informs Pierce that after recent “troubles” in Kansas Territory, the area is no longer threatened by any “illegal military bodies” as far as he knows. Shannon believes that the presence of federal troops helped to restore peace, and states that these troops should be maintained in Kansas to help suppress future conflicts. Shannon is particularly concerned about the threat of civil unrest if the Free State legislature meets, as planned, on July 4, 1856.
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Object Type
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Letter
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Date
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June 27, 1856
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Title
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Writ Relating to United States vs. James Lane, Wilson Shannon, and David S. McIntosh
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Description
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This writ, dated March 19, 1860, relates to the case Kansas Territory, U.S. District Court, 2nd District versus James H. Lane, Wilson Shannon, and David S. McIntosh for forfeited recognizance. The writ is signed by L. McArthur, Clerk of the Second U.S. District Court in Kansas Territory.
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Object Type
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Legal Document
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Date
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March 19, 1860
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Title
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From Daniel Woodson to William Hutchinson and H. Miles Moore
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Description
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This letter, dated September 3, 1856, was written by Acting Kansas Gov. Daniel Woodson at Lecompton, Kansas to William Hutchinson and H. Miles Moore on behalf of the Kansas State Central Committee. Woodson refers to Gen. James Lane’s recent raid on Franklin, Kansas and several other areas of the Territory. He reminds Hutchinson and Moore about the proclamation issued August 25, 1856, declaring Kansas to be in a state of insurrection, and also cites the recent general order issued to Gen. Richardson and Gen. Coffey forbidding the burning of houses under any circumstances.
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Object Type
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Letter
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Date
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September 3, 1856
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Title
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From Abelard Guthrie to James Henry Lane
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Description
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This letter, dated November 21, 1864, is from Abelard Guthrie in Quindaro, Kansas to James Henry Lane. Guthrie reports on the proceedings of a Supreme Court case to determine if Kansas has the right to tax land assigned to the Shawnee Indians. Guthrie argues that if the court exempts these areas from taxation, it will deprive "the counties of Douglass, Johnson, and Wyandot of about sixty thousand dollars of taxes which they sorely need."
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Date
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November 21, 1864
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Title
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From Unknown to H.J. Strickler
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Description
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This letter, dated November 27, 1855, was presumably sent by Kansas Gov. Wilson Shannon at Headquarters, Shawnee Mission, Kansas, to Gen. H.J. Strickler. Shannon has been informed by Sheriff Samuel J. Jones of Douglas County, Kansas, that a prisoner was forcibly taken from him “by a band of armed men.” Jones has requested 3,000 men to assist him in enforcing the law, and Shannon instructs Strickler to raise as many men as he can and report to Sherriff Jones immediately.
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Date
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November 27, 1855
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Title
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From Edward Fitch to Dear Father
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Description
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In a May 26, 1856 letter to his father in Massachusetts, Edward Fitch describes the Sack of Lawrence that had occurred six days earlier on May 21, 1856. He mentions that Governor Shannon has called for protection “for fear we should rise up and exterminate him and the Pro-Slavery party.” He expresses his own fear that the Free State Party will be defeated and that Kansas will become a slave state. He also fears for his personal safety, saying he "shall not dare to stay at my cabin without a rifle or gun at my bedside." He adds that he hopes John C. Fremont will win the upcoming presidential election.
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Date
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May 26, 1856
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Title
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Territory of Kansas vs. Charles Robinson
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Description
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These are legal documents filed in the 1857 case of the Territory of Kansas vs. Charles Robinson for the charge of usurpation of office. They include the official indictment, witness subpoenas, a motion to quash the charges, and a summary of grand jury testimony. Also included is a warrant for the arrest of Charles Robinson; addressed to the Sheriff of Douglas County, Kansas, it reads: “You are hereby commanded to arrest Charles Robinson, and have his body before the Judge of the First District Court . . . to answer an indictment found against him for unlawfully assuming and taking upon himself the Office of Governor of the Territory of Kansas.”
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Object Type
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Legal Document
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Date
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1857
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Title
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Governor Wilson Shannon (1802–1877)
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Description
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Wilson Shannon, a former governor of Ohio, was appointed Kansas territorial governor by President Franklin Pierce. In contrast to his predecessor, Andrew H. Reeder, Shannon was outspoken in his proslavery stance and even failed to defend the town of Lawrence from a proslavery raid in May 1856. The "Bleeding Kansas" era began during Shannon's term in office, as the Pottawatomie Massacre and other threats of violence emerged. Admitting failure, Shannon left the territory on June 23, 1856 and his resignation was tendered on August 18, 1856. Still, Shannon's 9.5 month tenure was the longest of any of Kansas Territory's embattled governors.
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Object Type
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Image
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Date
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n.d.
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Title
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From Wilson Shannon to E.V. Sumner
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Description
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This dispatch, dated June 4, 1856, was sent by Kansas Gov. Wilson Shannon in Lecompton, Kansas, to Col. E.V. Sumner at Headquarters, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Shannon informs Sumner that there are about 300 Free State men in Prairie City, Kansas, “fortified and prepared to fight.” Shannon adds that Capt. Pate and twenty or thirty prisoners are confined there.
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Date
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June 4, 1856
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Title
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From Wilson Shannon to E.V. Sumner
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Description
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This dispatch, dated June 4, 1856, was sent by Kansas Gov. Wilson Shannon in Lecompton, Kansas, to Col. E.V. Sumner at Headquarters, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. With the goal of “preserving the peace and good order of this Territory,” Shannon gives Sumner a detailed set of instructions to station U.S. troops at various points in Franklin and Douglas Counties in Kansas. Shannon warns that in carrying out the plan, the troops must treat all persons equally regardless of party affiliation.
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Date
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June 4, 1856
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Title
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From Wilson Shannon to E.V. Sumner
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Description
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This dispatch, dated May 21, 1856, was sent by Kansas Gov. Wilson Shannon in Lecompton, Kansas, to Col. E.V. Sumner at Headquarters, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Due to recent civil unrest in Lawrence, Kansas, Shannon instructs Sumner to station companies of U.S. troops at or near Lawrence, Lecompton, and Topeka, Kansas. Shannon explains that federal troops are the only ones he feels safe using in response to “these civil commotions.” He notes that the U.S. Marshal has made several arrests for the crime of high treason.
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Date
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May 21, 1856
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Title
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From Wilson Shannon to E.V. Sumner
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Description
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This letter, dated June 23, 1856, was sent by Kansas Gov. Wilson Shannon in Lecompton, Kansas, to Col. E.V. Sumner. Shannon, who is leaving for St. Louis, instructs Sumner to station U.S. troops in areas where disturbances have recently occurred, and to station two companies at Topeka before the Free State legislative assembly meets on July 4th. Shannon believes that “if this body meets, enacts laws, and seeks to enforce them…civil war will be the inevitable result.” He orders Sumner to disband the assembly by force if necessary.
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Date
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June 23, 1856
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Title
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From Wilson Shannon to E.V. Sumner
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Description
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This dispatch, dated June 23, 1856, was sent by Kansas Gov. Wilson Shannon in Lecompton, Kansas, to Col. E.V. Sumner. Shannon, who says he will soon leave for St. Louis, urges Sumner to attend the meeting of the Topeka legislature. Shannon indicates that he fears an outbreak of violence will occur if U.S. troops are withdrawn from Kansas, and says he will write to President Pierce saying so. Shannon requests that Sumner make no changes with the troops until he returns in ten days’ time.
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Date
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June 23, 1856
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Title
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From Wilson Shannon to E.V. Sumner
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Description
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This dispatch, dated June 4, 1856, was sent by Kansas Gov. Wilson Shannon in Lecompton, Kansas, to Col. E.V. Sumner at Headquarters, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Shannon has received reliable information that the town of Franklin, Kansas was attacked by about 150 armed men the previous night, leaving one man dead and five or six taken prisoner. Shannon hopes that Sumner will take prompt action to stop “these outrages.” Shannon adds that a proclamation is being prepared and he will send copies to Sumner.
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Date
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June 4, 1856
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