A NATION TORN: THE STORY OF HOW THE CIVIL WAR BEGAN

CHAPTER FOUR:
LAWRENCE, KANSAS
The spring of 1856 arrived in Kansas like a long-awaited gift. Indians and
traders who had lived in the territory for years could not rememer a winter more
severe than the last one. !ife on the frontier seemed to stop during those long
months" while the settlers waited for the drifting snows and free#ing winds to end.
Then" when the snows finally cleared" the heavy rains egan.
$ut" on the twenty-first of %ay" the sun-filled air was warm and light. &n the
high prairies overlooking the town of !awrence" Kansas" the ground was covered
with fresh shoots of grass and tiny lue flowers shaped like ells. The hills aove
!awrence were usually 'uiet" e(cept for the sound of the ree#e moving through
the grass. $ut on this morning in %ay" the calm was roken y the arrival of
hundreds of armed men.
)s they reached the top of the ridge" the men looked down on the small
township with wild e(citement in their eyes. The long winter had made them
restless. *ow their chance had finally come to teach the people of !awrence a
lesson or two.
!awrence was a gathering place for settlers who elieved the spread of
slavery in the territories should stop. %ost aolitionist newcomers in Kansas
headed for the growing town" with its fort-like uildings made of stone. !awrence
was the only free-soil settlement in Kansas+a territory ruled y pioneers who
were itterly determined to own slaves.
,rom the time the first uilding was raised in !awrence two years efore"
there had een troule etween the free-soil and proslavery settlers. There were
shootings" amushes" and fires that destroyed homes. )fter one clash" the
supporters of slavery found a way to get their revenge. ) grand -ury in the
territory charged several leading citi#ens of !awrence with treason and issued
warrants for their arrest. The court added that the town.s antislavery newspapers
ought to e shut down and the ,ree /tate 0otel should e destroyed.
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BOR-ER RUFFIANS
1hen the 2nited /tates marshal heard the verdict" he pulicly invited the men
of Kansas to help him carry out the law. The proslavery settlers did not hesitate
to respond. !ike vultures" they gathered from all corners of the countryside.
%any came from the ordering state of %issouri" where /outherners had won the
fight for slavery years earlier. The rugged %issouri frontiersmen" known as the
Border Ruffians" were a fearful sight as they rode across the Kansas plains. 3I
shall never forget the appearance of the lawless mo"4 one reporter wrote after
seeing the 5uffians" 36%en6for the most part" of large frame" with red flannel
shirts and immense oots worn outside their trousers" their faces unwashed and
unshaven6wearing the most savage looks.4 They were" he added" 3armed to
the teeth with rifles and revolvers" cutlasses and owie knives.4
$y mid-afternoon on %ay 71" a posse of eight hundred men had assemled
on the ridge aove !awrence. The mo was eginning to grow impatient when a
messenger suddenly came riding up the hill. /houting for attention" he
announced that the 3criminals4 in !awrence had surrendered 'uietly" and the
marshal had already made his arrests. The posse" however" was not ready to e
dismissed. The men surged down into the valley" led y a proslavery sheriff
named S./el 0o"es.
)t first the army of settlers remained orderly. They marched proudly" waving
anners inscried with 3/outhern 5ights84 and 3The /uperiority of the 1hite
5ace84 /everal men carefully rolled cannon over the umpy slopes. $ut"
gradually" as the posse moved closer to !awrence" and the townspeople held
their fire" the pace of the march grew faster. The mo ran through the streets
and soon splintered into do#ens of rampaging gangs.
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/heriff 9ones waved his helpers toward the two newspaper offices in town.
,or months" the Kansas Free State and the Herald of Freedom had enraged
southern settlers with their antislavery reports. *ow" 9ones.s men swarmed into
the pulishing offices destroying whatever they could find.
3To the river84 someone yelled" and the idea 'uickly caught on. The men
graed o(es of metal type used for printing" and ran to dump them in the river
neary.
1hen the newspaper offices lay in piles of rule" the sheriff with his gang
moved on to the ,ree /tate 0otel. )fter warning the owner to move his family
and guests into the street" 9ones ordered his gunners to fire cannons at the hotel.
To their surprise" the heavy cannonalls arely chipped the ,ree /tate.s thick"
stone walls. The uilding was constructed more lie a fortress than a frontier inn.
%en carried kegs of lasting powder inside and returned gleefully" their arms
loaded with e(pensive silk drapes and ottles of li'uor and wine. $ut the hotel
still stood when the smoke from the e(plosives cleared. *ot to e disappointed"
the 5uffians set the uilding on fire and watched with satisfaction as it urned.
)fter raiding several more homes" the last gang memers finally straggled out
of town. The people of !awrence came out of hiding and looked over the
damage sadly. ,ortunately" only one person had een killed during the assault---
a proslavery man struck y a rick falling from the hotel wall. $ut efore the ne(t
week was over" the violence would mount. It would spread from the plains of
Kansas to the /enate chamers in 1ashington" where the decisions that caused
these new uproars had een made two years efore.
KANSAS-NEBRASKA ACT
In 185: /enator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois introduced a plan to organi#e
the territories of Kansas and *eraska for statehood. The ill" known as the
Kansas-Nebraska Act" represented the key to the senator.s political dreams. To
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<ouglas" there was nothing more important than e(panding the si#e of the
nation. 0e was convinced that )merica.s strength was hidden in the 1est.
3There is a power in the nation greater than either the *orth or the /outh"4
<ouglas declared in a senate speech" 3a growing" increasing" swelling power that
will e ale to speak the law to this nation6That power is the country known as
the =reat 1est.4
%oreover" <ouglas knew that the admission of more western states to the
union would remain stalled as long as the issue of slavery stood in the way.
2nder the %issouri >ompromise of 187?" slavery had een outlawed in Kansas
and *eraska. $ecause of this rule" southern senators wanted to prevent any
attempts to organi#e these territories into states. &ne congressman announced
that he would see *eraska 3sink in hell4 efore voting to admit the territory as a
free state.
1ith the K"ss-Ne1rs2 A3!" <ouglas found a way to win the support of
southern leaders and move ahead with his plans to develop an empire in the
1est. 0is new ill oldly re-ected the 4isso/ri Co.,ro.ise" stating that the
'uestion of slavery should e decided y the people who settled there. The
settlers themselves" not congressmen" should vote on whether Kansas and
*eraska should enter the union as free or slave states. This idea that an
important decision should e left to the settlers and not decided y the
lawmakers is called the doctrine of popular sovereignty.
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1hile <ouglas e(pected his policy to cause a stir in >ongress" he was not
prepared for the strength of the reaction. ,or *ortherners" the K"ss
Ne1rs2 A3! was the very last straw. Tempers e(ploded in the deates that
followed. <uring one hectic meeting at the >apitol. The sergeant-of-arms was
ordered to arrest a congressman who raised a weapon against another.
/tephen <ouglas was not to e daunted y protests from the *orth. 0e
fought for the Kansas-*eraska )ct with all the determination of a charging ull.
)lthough the /enator stood only five feet four inches tall" he made others forget
his tall stature with his aggressive style. *icknamed the 3!ittle =iant"4 he
addressed >ongress in a ooming voice" forcefully arguing the merits of his ill.
<uring /enate recesses" he sought out his douters one y one and argained
smoothly for their votes.
<espite many opponents" the Kansas-*eraska )ct was approved y
>ongress. @resident ,ranklin @ierce signed the famous ill in %ay of 185:"
making it into law. $ut as soon as the attle in >ongress was over" another more
rutal contest in Kansas egan. The /outh desperately wanted to reserve
Kansas for slaveryA the *orth was -ust as determined to declare the territory free.
2nder the new law" the side that arrived there first with the most settlers would
win.
The race for Kansas seemed to egin the moment the president signed the
ill and put down his pen. In %assachusetts" a society was formed to encourage
antislavery citi#ens to head for the plains. The organi#ation pulished a
pamphlet" stating that it would raise five million dollars to assist thousands of
free-soil settlers in making the -ourney to Kansas. @roslavery groups formed
their own companies" hoping to attract a large numer of /outherners to the
territory. The 4isso/ri E.i'r"! Co.,"$ wrote to newspapers in the /outhB
31e tell you that unless you come 'uickly" and y the thousands" we are gone6
and then farewell to the /outhern >ause" and farewell to our glorious 2nion.4
)s the months passed" the pleas for settlers ecame more and more urgent.
The date for an election in Kansas had een announced. In %arch of 1855" the
settlers would vote to elect memers of a territorial oard" which would create
laws and officially decide on the future of slavery in Kansas. 1hen news of the
upcoming election spread" the Bor*er R/ffi"s from %issouri went into action.
They traveled across the order to pose as settlers from Kansas and cast illegal
votes for proslavery candidates. 0oping to win the neary territory for slavery"
even the leaders of %issouri urged citi#ens from their state to reak the voting
laws. 31hen you reside within one day.s -ourney of the territory"4 proclaimed one
senator" 3you can" without an e(ertion" send five hundred of your young men who
will vote in favor of your institutions.4
The $order 5uffians. strategy worked -ust as they had planned. 1hen the
allots were counted" they showed that thirty-si( proslavery lawmakers had een
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elected" and only three free-soil men. All Hail! Proslavery Party Victorious!
cried a Missouri newspaper. !rin" your slaves and fill up t#e territory$ Kansas
is saved! )s the new legislature set to work" the aolitionists. worst fears 'uickly
came true. ,irst" the proslavery memers of the oard forced the free-soilers to
resign. Then they passed a list of severe laws designed to protect slavery.
)ccording to the new rules" those who helped fugitives to escape would e
hangedA even mentioning misgivings aout slavery could lead to -ail.
In a rage" the free-soilers decided to defy the legislature and set up their own
government. They elected a new lawmaking council and governor" pronounced
slavery illegal in Kansas" and applied to 1ashington to make their territory a free
state. Knowing this would infuriate the local /outherners" the antislavery settlers
hurriedly egan to prepare for a fight. They armed themselves with rifles sent
from *ew Cngland. In the streets of !awrence" men practiced marching and
military drills.
Throughout the autumn of 1855" free-soil and proslavery settlers clashed
again and again. $y the following spring" hatred and confusion had spread
across the plains of Kansas like a terrile disease.

CHARLES SU4NER AN- PRESTON BROOKS
In 1ashington" feelings over the slavery issue in the 1est were growing -ust
as strained. &n %ay 7?" 1856" the day efore !awrence was raided" Senator
Charles Suner of %assachusetts ended a stinging" two-day speech against
the slavery movement in Kansas. In his address" /umner sharply critici#ed
several of his opponents. The main target of his attack was Andre! Butler" an
aging proslavery senator from /outh >arolina who happened to e away from
>ongress at the time. /umner accused $utler of twisting the truth and made fun
of the old gentleman.s speeches and conversation. 30e cannot DopenE his mouth"
ut out there flies a lunder"4 said /umner. 0is remarks offended many
memers of >ongress" angering the /outherners and even several of /umner.s
aolitionist friends.
/oon" people throughout the country were discussing the 3>rime )gainst
Kansas4 address----ut not for the reason /umner had planned. Two days after
his speech" /umner sat writing letters in the nearly empty /enate chamer" with
his legs stretched out under his desk. /uddenly" he noticed that someone was
standing eside him----a man he did not recogni#e.
3I have read your speech twice over" carefully"4 said the stranger. 3It is a liel
on /outh >arolina and %r. $utler" who is a relative of mine64 1ithout finishing
his sentence" the man raised his cane high into the air and swung it down on
/enator /umner.s head.
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Pres!o" Broo2s C#rles S/."er
The attacker was "reston Brooks" a young congressman from /outh
>arolina and a distant cousin of )ndrew $utler. ,or two days he had lingered
aout the >apitol" waiting for a chance to defend the honor of his cousin and his
state. *ow" with powerful lows" he struck /umner again and again. /tunned y
the assault" the senator struggled to rise. 1renching his desk loose from its olts
in the floor. 0e lurched to his feet" ut >ongressman $rooks still swung at him
with his gold-headed cane" even when it egan to splinter into smaller and
smaller pieces.
,inally" several other congressmen came running to stop the attack. &ne
senator caught /umner as he sank to the floor covered with lood. $rooks then
strolled away" tossing his lack hair and straightening his coat. 0e later
descried his deed proudly" 3I6gave him aout thirty first-rate stripes6Cvery lick
went where I intended. ,or aout the first five or si( licks he offered to make
flight6Towards the last he ellowed like a calf84
%ore than three years passed efore /umner recovered enough from his
in-uries to return to >ongress. %eanwhile" his empty desk in the /enate
chamer served as a constant reminder of the vicious eating and the nation.s
dispute over slavery. *ortherners were outraged y the assault on /umner" and
the /outherners. reaction to the incident angered them even more than the
caning itself. @reston $rooks ecame a hero in the /outh. Instead of arresting
$rooks for his crime" the courts merely charged the >ongressman a fine of three
hundred dollars. ,rom all over the /outh came letters of praise for $rooks and
gifts of fancy canes. &ne came engraved with the message" 3Hit #im a"ain!
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0OHN BROWN
1hen news of /umner.s eating reached Kansas. &ne man was ready to
strike ack with dangerous force. #ohn Bro!n" a devout aolitionist" had -ust
heard of the attack on !awrence the day efore. *ow" this story from
1ashington stretched his patience to the snapping point. )s one of his sons
reported" $rown 3went cra%y&&&cra%y4 when he heard the news. 3't seemed to (e
t#e finis#in"$ decisive touc#.4 )fter that moment" nothing could stop $rown from
carrying out his plan.
,or 9ohn $rown" fighting slavery had een a lifelong mission. 0e had
struggled for years to ecome a successful usinessman" failing at each
occupation he tried. $y the age of fifty-si(" 3&ld %an4 $rown had watched fifteen
of his usiness ventures end in disaster. $ut" as he wandered from state to
state looking for ways to support his large family" $rown never gave up his war
against slavery. In &hio he kept a shelter for runaways on the 2nderground
5ailroad. In *ew Gork" he formed a society that encouraged lacks to and
together and use weapons to oppose the ,ugitive /lave !aw. )nd when $rown
learned of the slavery crisis in Kansas" he loaded his one-horse wagon" and
swords and moved west.
In Kansas" $rown organi#ed a small company of aolitionists" including four of
his sons. Two of the sons" &liver and ,rederick" disapproved of their father.s
rutal scheme to take revenge for the attacks on !awrence and /umner. Get
9ohn $rown had a special talent for persuading men to carry out his wishes.
1ith irresistile energy" the old man convinced his followers that they were acting
out the will of =od. )s he spoke of slavery" his lean face hardened and his eyes
shone with a fierce light. It was time to 3fight fire with fire"4 he shouted" to 3strike
terror in the hearts of the proslavery people.4 $efore long" each of $rown.s men
had fallen under his overpowering spell.
It was nearly midnight in %ay 7:" 1856" when 9ohn $rown and his
companions reached the first stop on their deadly e(pedition. They had come to
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the cain of $enry Doyle" a well-known proslavery man in the settlement near
@ottawatomie >reek. $rown anged loudly on the door and asked for directions
to a neighor.s house. ,ooled y the voice" <oyle opened the door" only to e
thrown ack as the armed strangers urst into the cain and announced that the
northern army had come to call. )s %rs. <oyle egged for her family.s life" the
old man ordered <oyle and his two oldest oys to step outside.
&ut in the darkness" $rown.s men flew at the <oyles with roadswords. )fter
a moment of flashing lades" their work was done. The killers then moved on"
leaving their three victims lying dead along the prairie road. They did not wash
their swords until they had murdered two more proslavery men. It made no
difference that these settlers were not involved with the march on !awrence.
9ohn $rown was osessed with destroying slavery and all of its supporters.
The .ss3re ! Po!!%!o.ie marked the end of a week of violence
across the nation. )fter only seven days" a town lay in ruin" >ongress was in
turmoil" and several settlers were dead. In the fall of 1856" a new governor"
appointed y the federal government" arrived in Kansas. 1ith his old manner"
and his si(- foot five inch frame" #ohn %eary was a powerful figure in the
territory. 0e ruled over the proslavery and free-soil settlers with the same hard-
fisted rules. 1ith the acking of 2./. )rmy troops" he 'uickly rought order into
Kansas. $ut" as the governor soon learned" peace could not last---in Kansas or
across the nation. The loody work in %ay had een merely a preview of events
to come.
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