In the unofficial first battle of the Civil War (nearly five years prior to the war's beginning), abolitionist John Brown and his followers attack the forces of a proslavery settler, Henry C. Pate, who holds two of Brown's sons captive.
In retribution for the Sacking of Lawrence three days earlier, abolitionist John Brown, four of his sons, and other Free-Staters murder five proslavery settlers near Pottawatomie Creek in southeast Franklin County.
