Page:The History of Slavery and the Slave Trade.djvu/788

, infested all the highways, rendering travel extremely hazardous, even though every possible means for self-protection were employed.

"After showing the necessity of so doing, I insisted on the immediate disbandment of this combination, which was agreed to with great alacrity. The majority of the men were evidently gratified to learn that they had been deceived in relation to Kansas affairs, and that peace and quiet, instead of strife and contention, were reigning here. My remarks were received with frequent demonstrations of approbation, and at their close the organization was broken up, its members dispersing in various directions. After they had been dismissed from custody, and the fact was announced to them by Major Sibley, their thankfulness for his kind treatment to them while under arrest was acknowledged by giving him three hearty and enthusiastic cheers."

Soon after the letter, from which the foregoing is extracted, was forwarded to Washington, the following statement from the leaders of the party in question was received by Governor Geary:

"His Excellency, John W. Geary,

"Governor of Kansas Territory:

"Dear Sir: We, the undersigned, conductors of an emigrant train, who entered the [sic]terrritory on the 10th instant, beg leave to make the following statement of facts, which, if required, we will attest upon our oaths.

"1st. Our party numbered from two hundred to three hundred persons, in two separate companies; the rear company, which has not yet arrived, being principally composed of families, with children, who left Mount Pleasant, Iowa, three days after this train which has arrived to-day.

"2d. We are all actual, bona fide settlers, intending, so far as we know, to become permanent inhabitants.

"3d. The blockading of the Missouri river to free-state emigrants, and the reports which reached us in the early part of September, to the effect that armed men were infesting and marauding the northern portions of Kansas, were the sole reasons why we came in a company and were armed.

"4th. We were stopped near the northern line of the territory by the United States troops, acting, as we understood, under the orders of one Preston, deputy United States marshal, and after stating to the officers who we were and what we had, they commenced searching our wagons (in some instances breaking open trunks, and throwing bedding and wearing apparel on the ground in the rain,) taking arms from the wagons, wresting some private arms from the hands of men, carrying away a lot of sabres belonging to a gentleman in the territory, as also one and a half kegs of powder, [sic]purcussion caps, and some cartridges; in consequence of which we were detained about two-thirds of a day, taken prisoners and are now presented to you.

"All we have to say is, that our mission to this territory is entirely peaceful. We have no organization, save a police organization for our own regulation and defense on the way. And coming in that spirit to this territory, we claim