Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 1.djvu/546



In August, 1856, a large force of “Border Ruffians” came to Hickory Point, robbing houses and stores, and committing other depredations. Colonel Harvey hastily gathered together a hundred Free State men to drive the desperadoes from the country. He found them intrenched in three houses and at once opened fire upon them with a twelve-pound field piece. After a battle of six hours the Ruffians surrendered and were permitted to leave the country. But the little army, under Colonel Harvey, was overtaken by a detachment of United States troops and made prisoners. The President was in sympathy with the slave power and the army of the United States was used in Kansas to suppress the defenders of freedom. Colonel Harvey and his men were taken before a pro-slavery judge, prosecuted by a “Border Ruffian” attorney and tried for murder. A large number of them were convicted and sentenced to prison for terms ranging from five to ten years for protecting their neighbors in their lives and property. Among those thus imprisoned were the following Iowa volunteers: G. O. Eberhart of Muscatine; M. Rincle and Oliver C. Lewis, Davenport; Ed. Jacobs, Mahaska County; Oliver Langworthy, Poweshiek County; Jacob Fisher of Jefferson; E. R. Moffett, Bristolville; Wm. Kern, Washington; and Wm. Rayman, Cooper, Iowa. They had fought bravely and endured unjust imprisonment and hard fare, in the consciousness of having done their duty, until released when the Free State cause finally triumphed.

In 1856, James Townsend, a member of the Society of Friends, kept a public house in the little village of West Branch, in Cedar County, Iowa. In October, John Brown, on his way from Kansas on horseback, reached the “Travelers’ Rest” in the evening and stopped over night. Learning that the landlord was a Quaker, Brown made known to him that he was “Osawatomie Brown,” of Kansas and at once received a most cordial welcome. He was told of the strong antislavery views of the Quaker