Kansas 1855
Richmond friday Dec 7 1855
Dear Brother
Thinking you May Want to hear Whare I am and how I get along I take my pen to inform you — I am on my way to Kansas City My health is improving. I think if I am carefull I Shall get along without any more trouble from Sickness unless I take cold — in Regard To the State of things here it is imposable to tell how things are — one thing is certain Thare is a grate Excitment here the Missourians tell terible Stories about the Abolitionest they Say the abilitionest are Driving out pro Slavery famelies & Burning thare Houses others Say thare is a conspiracy to do that thing — the probable trouth is that thare was a Difficulty Beteen a free State man & a pro Slavery man the pro Slavery Man Shot the free State man & killed him and he was taken by the Sheriff and the people at Lawrence or about 40 men took him from the Sheriff & Thretened to Shoot or Hang him that probably is about the trouth in the case thare is great Stories got up for the Momment to cause Excitment — The Report is that thare are Eleven Hundred Men at Lawrence all armed With Sharps Riffels With Six Cannon and that they have Thrown an imbankment around the City and are Deturmined to fight — the pro Slavery party have at the Last account about Eight Hundred in the vicinity of Lawrence and Wer coming in from all quarters — the govenor Says he Wants three thousand Men then he Shall trye to Subdue the Rebelion — the Report is that the president has instructed the govenor to Call out the Soldiers from the forts in this vicinity to help put down the Rebelion as I Said Before it is imposable to tell What to beleive one thing is Certain thare is a very grate Excitment thare has ben — Reselutions passed by the Missourians To Burn Lawrence and drive out the Dambd Abilitionists — What the Result Will be god only Can tell if they Should get afiting whare it will End it is imposable for human Knowlage to fore See My prayer is that god Who Controols the affairs of men will Controol these — Raging Elements & Bring about a calm
I think I Shall be in Kansas City tomorow Evening if nothing happens then I Can tell Better How things Look and perhaps get Something nearer the truth – The Report is that Judge Johnson who came up on the Boat with us and Left Lexington Sabbath Morning in Company with Mr Whitney has ben arested also General Pumroy and two other Men and that Pumroy has got away from them and is at Lawrence Cince Wrighting the above thare has a Stage driven come from Weston who Says thare has ben a fight and that thare has ben 60 pro Slavery men Killed and Woonded. I think this is not So but to help fan and the Excitment So as to get men Enough thare to over [???] the Rebbils as they are Called here — I think the Dye will be Cast Within two or three days — if I am a Live and Well I will Wright you again — you need not give your Self any unesines about me I Shall trye to Keep out of harms Way — if they Should get a fighting I Should Return Home as I Could do no buisnes out here — Remember me to all Who is or may be interested
Respectfully yours Hiram Hill
P S. if thare is anything in this that you think Would be intresting to Geare or Trumble you may pick it out to send it them
— good By H Hill
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Hiram Hill, a resident of Williamsburgh, Massachusetts en route to Kansas City and ultimately to Lawrence, Kansas Territory, wrote from Richmond, Missouri to his brother. He relayed the murder of an unnamed free state man (likely Charles W. Dow), the gathering of 1,100 free state and 800 proslavery men at Lawrence, and other Wakarusa War events. Hill, a free state supporter, felt that the information he received from Missourians was inaccurate or exaggerated. He doubted reports that 60 proslavery men had been killed at Lawrence, or of abolitionists driving proslavery settlers from their homes. Hill reported the arrests of free state men including Judge Johnson and General Pomeroy, who he heard had escaped.
Territorial Kansas at The University of Kansas