Page:The History of Slavery and the Slave Trade.djvu/774

 report them to you for orders. Any communication forwarded to us, will find us encamped at or near this point.

"By order:, Adjutant."

Not more than an hour after the receipt of the foregoing, a second messen- ger arrived, himself almost exhausted with a long and fast ride, and his horse nearly broken down, and presented the following:

"Governor of Kansas Territory.

" Yesterday I had the honor to report to you my command of the Kansas Militia, then about eight hundred strong, which was dispatched via Leavenworth. In case it may not have reached you, I now report one thous- sand men as territorial militia, called into the field by proclamation of Acting- Governor Woodson, and subject to your orders.

"By order: Adjutant."

Without a moment's hesitation, the governor determined at once to disband these troops and send them back to their homes; and he accordingly answered the dispatches of General Heiskell, as follows:

Your first and second dispatches have been received. I will communicate with you through the person of either the secretary of the territory, or the adjutant-general, as soon as he can reach your camp, he starting from this place at an early hour this morning.

"Governor of Kansas Territory.

Whilst the foregoing was being written, a message was received from a special agent of the governor, dated at Lawrence, in which he says:

"I arrived here a few moments ago, and distributed the address and proclamations, and found the people prepared to repel a contemplated attack from the forces coming from Missouri. Reports are well authenticated, in the opinion of the best men here, that there are within six miles of this place a large number of men — three hundred have been seen. * * At this moment one of the scouts came in, and reports the forces marching against them at Franklin, three miles off, and all have flown to their arms to meet them."