University of Kansas - Jayhawker Yearbook (Lawrence, KS)

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l'll i'2fQ'W2f in 1 :s.f2tf.wqw-W .rv wwf ' Wk ' I AV .ju l L . -Q-fl, awrence was born out of the want for freedom, and through its years has cherished and protected freedom in its many forms: freedom from slavery, freedom of speech, of thought, and expression. After the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Bill, the settlers in the newborn state had the privilege of deciding whether their new state would be one of freedom or of slavery. Because the balance of free and slave states in the nation was already so close, the decision in Kansas became one of great concern in a nation already ripe with tension over the slavery question. The election in Kansas was the first open popular struggle in the slavery controversy that eventually erupted into the young nation's bloody civil war. n, When Kansas became a state, the territory was wide open for settlement, and the men and women who rushed in to set down stakes were mostly pro-slavery Missourians and people from other slave states in the South. From all appearances, Kansas was to become yet another slave state. But within a few weeks, some things began to stir in the Boston, Massachusetts area that were to change the history of Lawrence, and perhaps the history of the nation. Eli Thayer of Worchester, Massachusetts suggested the idea of an organized emigration to Kansas. He had already established the Massachusetts Emigrant Aid Association. His idea was to fill the state with abolitionist voters and tip the national balance toward freedom. Amos Lawrence, a prominent Boston businessman from whom this city eventually got its name, was persuaded to become one of the trustees of the association. The organization then became the New England Emigration Company. Their objective was to provide cheap fares and good accommodations for the emigrants en route to Kansas, to advise them about an eligible settlement site, to secure temporary housing for them when they arrived, to provide a furnishing store, saw mills, machine shops, grist mills, and to

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of those Missourians was William Clarke Quantrill. In 1860, he had lived in Lawrence under the assumed name of Charley Hart. Quantrill was a criminal by any definition. One of his specialties was kidnapping free Negroes under the pretense of helping them along the underground railroad then selling them into slavery in Missouri. Taking advantage of 'Civil War conditions, he stole horses and cattle from pro- slavery and abolishionist farmers alike, changing his alliances to fit the situation. While in Lawrence in 1860, he was indicted for robbery and arson. He fled Lawrence for Missouri, where he laid low and formed a band of guerillas. Quantrill's patience eventually bore fruit when the Federal Troops let down their guard. This was the moment Quantrill had waited for. great deal of myth surrounds Quantrill and those who rode with him, but it is known that Cole Younger, who later rode with the Dalton Gang, and Frank James, were with Quantrill when he rode into Lawrence. Jesse James joined him laterion some raids in the South. I on August 18, 1863, Quantrill's band began moving westward. Their destination was Lawrence, Kansas. Their goal wasannihilation. By the time they had crossed the 50 miles of open plain, their numbers had grown to 448. They were heavily armed and prepared for destruction. flAt daybreak on the 20th of August, they formed assault lines just outside Lawrence. Six men were sent in to scout the sllping, unwarned town. ' I The band movedtquietly, and when they reached what is now .South Park, the command Rush the town! was given, and the wt5rst,rnassacre of the Civil War began. it 5 Yniwfehce lay unprotected. The only troops present were two camps. oft unarmed recruits, who were cut down almost jirnrnediately. j 1 1 maruaders moved down New Hampshire Street, killing 1 1ll in'sig1'it'andt burning as they went. In a short time, reached. the. Eldridge Hotel. . .i.,..ir, .. 1 If Lawrence was the symbol and focus of hate in the South, the Eldridge Hotel was the symbol of strength in Lawrence. Once it was taken by Quantrill's gang, the raiders had free reign of the town. They split out into small bands and rode through the town, robbing, burning, and killing. There was no defense. It was early morning, and as townsmen came out into the streets, they were gunned down, their houses burned, and their possessions loaded onto pack horses brought for the purpose. This was not an enemy attack. It was a massacre born of hatred and revenge. The attackers were not Confederate soldiers. They were criminals - cold-blooded killers. The slaughter continued for four hours into the morning. When he was satisfied that there were no men surviving and nothing of value left behind, Quantrill ordered his men to withdraw, and led them out of town south toward the Wakarusa Valley. Behind them, they left nearly 200 dead, half the city homeless, and the business district destroyed. The dead were carried to the old Methodist Church on Vermont Street. There were not enough coffins or even cemetery plots, and eventually, about 50 of the victims were placed in a trench and covered. Quantrill's claim was that when he and his men were done, the city would be destroyed and would never be able to recover. But the tenacious settlers proved him wrong, and with the help of neighboring cities as far away as St. Louis, they were back on their feet by the middle of 1864. The people of Lawrence had stood by their belief in freedom, even when that meant almost total destruction. Many had died for their conviction, and those who survived believed in it enough to stay and rebuild and continued in the fight for freedom and justice. Text by Ray Brecheisen Illustrations by Jamie Hastings lt W3 FRANK JAMES