Civil War

Title: From Wilson Shannon to E.V. Sumner
Description: This dispatch, dated April 25, 1856, was sent by Kansas Gov. Wilson Shannon in Lecompton, Kansas, to Col. E.V. Sumner at Headquarters, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Shannon requests that a force of 30 U.S. troops be stationed at Lecompton in case of an emergency. Shannon asks Sumner to keep his troops ready to act at a moment’s notice “if required by me to enforce the laws and preserve the peace.”
Date: April 25, 1856

Title: From Wilson Shannon to E.V. Sumner
Description: This dispatch, dated April 20, 1856, was sent by Kansas Gov. Wilson Shannon in Lecompton, Kansas, to Col. E.V. Sumner. Shannon states that after Douglas County Sheriff Samuel J. Jones arrested a man named S.N. Wood, he was forcibly rescued by a band of men. In order to recapture Wood and make several additional arrests, Shannon instructs Sumner to send an officer and six U.S. troops to Lecompton to assist Jones. Shannon indicates that he prefers to employ U.S. troops for this purpose because of their political neutrality.
Date: April 20, 1856

Title: Letters Received 1863-1865
Description: This notebook, kept by Capt. John A. Wilcox, 4th U.S. Cavalry, Mustering & Disbursing Officer, contains a record of letters received between 1863 and 1865. The book records the date each letter was received, the letter writer's name, and a summary of the content. Topics addressed include mustering out, enlistment of veterans, and general business. Letter-writers include Col. B.L.E. Bonneville in Benton Barracks, Missouri and Maj. J.E. Burbank in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Date: 1863-1865

Title: From Edward Hoogland and John A.W. Jones to John W. Geary
Description: In this November 29, 1856 letter, Edward Hoogland and John A.W. Jones report to Kansas Gov. John W. Geary about their recent expedition to southeastern Kansas. They inform Geary that they took depositions, issued warrants, and made arrests in relation to a number of crimes, including some committed during the Pottawatomie Massacre. They also report that they found and returned a substantial amount of stolen property. Hoogland and Jones ask Geary to station U.S. troops in southeastern Kansas, suggesting that “their presence would aid in restoring confidence.”
Date: November 29, 1856

Title: From James Henry Lane to E.M. Stanton
Description: This letter, dated February 8, 1862, is from James Henry Lane to E.M. Stanton, Secretary of War, in Washington, D.C. Writing from Leavenworth, Kansas, Lane states that he supports the proposal to extend the Platte County Rail Road from Weston, Missouri to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He urges Stanton to offer his support, arguing that the extension would help the government transport army supplies and troops.
Date: February 8, 1862

Title: From Daniel Woodson to E.V. Sumner
Description: This dispatch, dated June 30, 1856, was sent by Acting Kansas Gov. Daniel Woodson in Lecompton, Kansas, to Col. E.V. Sumner at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Woodson states that the “bogus Legislature” of Free-Staters will undoubtedly meet at Topeka on July 4, 1856, and that Gen. Lane’s forces are believed to be approaching Topeka. Woodson has ordered Lt. Col. Philip St. George Cooke to secure the area between Fort Riley, Kansas, and Topeka. He instructs Sumner to go to Topeka personally with at least two more companies of U.S. troops.
Date: June 30, 1856

Title: Map Showing the Progress of the Public Surveys in the Territories of Kansas and Nebraska
Description: This black-and-white map, signed by Ward B. Burnett, Surveyor General, was issued by the Surveyor General’s office in Nebraska City, Nebraska Territory on October 1, 1858. The map depicts the progress of the public surveys in Kansas and Nebraska in 1858, and was created to accompany the Surveyor General's report of that year. The map was printed by C.B. Graham Lithographers in Washington, DC.
Date: October 1, 1858

Title: From Wilson Shannon to E.V. Sumner
Description: This dispatch, dated June 14, 1856, was sent by Kansas Gov. Wilson Shannon to Col. E.V. Sumner at Headquarters, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Shannon refers to recent robberies on the roads near Westport, Missouri, and says that he hopes Sumner will do all he can to drive back the criminal offenders. Shannon also encloses two copies of a proclamation for Sumner.
Date: June 14, 1856

Title: Map Depicting the Western Territory
Description: This undated black-and-white map depicts the Western territory between Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and the Rocky Mountains. The map shows rivers, Indian territories, villages, and other points of interest. A dotted line indicates the route taken by U.S. dragoons in 1835 under the command of Col. Dodge.

Title: Letter From Judge Lecompte
Description: This September 13, 1856 newspaper article is an open letter from Judge Samuel Lecompte to James A. Stewart, a Maryland Congressman. In the letter, Lecompte defends himself against several charges; he denies that he packed the jury in a murder trial, that he was in possession of illegal whisky, that he misrepresented the crime of treason to a grand jury, and that he participated in a meeting of the Law and Order Party. He states that he is aware of threats to remove him from his post as Chief Justice of Kansas Territory, but he insists that he has been a fair and impartial judge.
Object Type: Newspaper Article
Date: September 13, 1856

Title: Certificate of Lost Horses on October 20th, 1864
Description: In this military document, Captain James J. Akard certifies that two horses of the Missouri State Militia 8th Cavalry Regiment Company "A" were killed during the Battle of the Big Blue River on October 20, 1864.
Date: February 16, 1865

Civil War on the Western Border: The Missouri-Kansas Conflict, 1854-1865