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Title: From George Lewis to Mrs. Fitch
Description: George Lewis of Lawrence, Kansas writes a letter to Mrs. Fitch (Edward Fitch’s mother) in Massachusetts on January 14, 1857. He thanks her for donating clothing to his family and to other poor emigrants in Kansas. He tells her that a band of proslavery men robbed him and burned down his house, leaving him living in a tent with his wife and six children. Despite his struggles, Lewis, a Welsh immigrant, expresses hope about the future of Kansas: “It must be made a Free State. It shall be a Free State.”
Date: January 14, 1857

Title: From Frederick Starr to Unknown
Description: This is an excerpt from a letter written on December 1, 1854 by Frederick Starr to an unknown recipient. Starr describes a recent “outrage on the ballot box” during elections in Kansas, when “Some 1200 or 1400 Missourians armed with bowie-knives & revolvers took the polls.” Starr says that many free-soilers were unable to reach the polls at all, and declares that “Big times are coming.” He adds that circumstances in Weston, Missouri “look dark.”
Date: December 1, 1854

Title: From Mrs. Silliman to My Dear Brother
Description: This letter, dated August 24, 1862, is from Mrs. Silliman to her brother. She describes the “horror” of life in Warrensburg, Missouri, which has been invaded by both Bushwhackers and Jayhawkers, and is now “swarming with runaway slaves.” She complains about her health and says that the black girl who was caring for her was lured away to Kansas by soldiers. She also describes how her son Oscar avoided military service: “he was exempted from drafting, as not being ‘able bodied,’ caused by an internal injury.”
Date: August 24, 1862

Title: From John A. Bushnell to Eugenia Bronaugh
Description: On June 27, 1863, John A. Bushnell of Calhoun, Missouri writes a letter to Eugenia Bronaugh in Hickory Grove, Missouri, expressing fear for her safety. He shares a rumor of “men going to your house” and targeting the Bronaugh family. He makes reference to “a systematic effort to get you out of the country.” Bushnell also mentions the Kansas raids, but he expresses frustration about receiving inconsistent information and complains that neither newspapers nor rumors are reliable.
Date: June 27, 1863

Title: From John A. Bushnell to Eugenia Bronaugh
Description: John A. Bushnell writes a letter to Eugenia Bronaugh in Calhoun, Missouri on October 5, 1863. He mentions having a conversation with a stranger in St. Louis and says it is important to be careful when meeting new people because they may be spies. Spies and detectives are necessary in war, he argues, but they sometimes make errors at the expense of the people they are supposed to protect. He tells Eugenia about a Dr. Zimmerman who was arrested, tried, and shot after fighting Bushwhackers who invaded his home. Still, Bushnell has hope for justice: “like Death it is sure to come.”
Date: October 5, 1863

Title: From Mrs. Silliman to My Dear Relatives
Description: This letter, dated August 24, 1862, is from Mrs. Silliman of Warrensburg, Missouri to her “dear relatives.” She complains that since the war began, Warrensburg has transformed from a small, quiet town into “a thoroughfare for soldiers, jayhawkers, bush whackers . . . assassins & marauders.” She says that her son Oscar’s business has been stagnant, and that they might move to Arkansas until the war is over.
Date: August 24, 1862

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