Page:The History of Slavery and the Slave Trade.djvu/736

 a time they went on a circuitous route towards Blanton's bridge, stopping to "drink" on the way. As they approached the bridge, there were 13 in the party, several having stopped. Jones rode up to the prisoner, and among other things, told him he had "heard there were 100 men at your house today," and "that he regretted they were not there, and that they were cheated out of their sport." In the meantime the alarm had been given in the neighborhood of Branson's arrest, and several of the settlers, among whom were some who had attended the meeting at Hickory Point that day, gathered together. They were greatly excited; the alleged injustice of such an arrest of a quiet settler, under a peace warrant by "sheriff Jones," aided by two men believed to be accessory to a murder, and who were allowed to be at large, exasperated them, and they proceeded as rapidly as possible by a nearer route than that taken by Jones, and stopped near the house of J. S. Abbott, one of them. They were on foot as Jone's party approached on a canter. The rescuers suddenly formed across the road in front of Jones and his party. Jones halted, and asked, "what's up?" The reply was, "that's what we want to know. What's up?" Branson said, "they have got me a prisoner." Some one in the rescuing party told him to come over to their side. He did so, and dismounted, and the mule he rode was driven over to Jone's party; Jones then left. Of the persons engaged in this rescue, three were from Lawrence, and had attended the meeting. Your committee have deemed it proper to detail the particulars of this rescue, as it was made the groundwork of what is known as the Wakerusa war. On the same night of the rescue the cabins of Coleman and Buckley were burned, but by whom, is left in doubt by the testimony.

On the morning of the rescue of Branson, Jones was at the village of Franklin, near Lawrence. The rescue was spoken of in the presence of Jones, and more conversation passed between two others in his presence, as to whether it was most proper to send for assistance to colonel Boon in Missouri, or to governor Shannon. Jones wrote a dispatch and handed it to a messenger. As soon as he started, Jones said: "That man is taking my dispatch to Missouri, and by G—d I'll have revenge before I see Missouri." A person present, who was examined as a witness, complained publicly that the dispatch was not sent to the governor; and within half an hour one was sent to the governor by Jones, through Hargous. Within a few days, large numbers of men from the state of Missouri gathered and encamped on the Wakarusa. They brought with them all the equipments of war. To obtain them, a party of men under the direction of Judge T. Y. Thompson broke into the United States arsenal and armory at Liberty, Missouri, and after a forcible detention of captain Leonard (then in charge,) they took the cannon, muskets, rifles, powder, harness, and in deed all the materials and munitions of war they desired, some of which have never been returned or accounted for.

The chief hostility of this military foray was against the town of Lawrence, and this was especially the case with the officers of the law.

Your committee can see in the testimony no reason, excuse or palliation for this feeling. Up to this time no warrant or proclamation of any kind had