REMINISCENCES CONCERNING FORT LEAVENWORTH IN 1855-'56 Excerpted from "Collections of the Kansas State Historical Society, 1911-1912", Edited by Geo. W. Martin, Secretary. Vol XII., State Printing Office, Topeka, Kansas 1912, pages 375-383. submitted by Teresa Lindquist (merope@radix.net); (copyright) 2001 by Teresa Lindquist ----------------------------------------------------------------------- KSGENWEB INTERNET GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY COPYRIGHT NOTICE: In keeping with the KSGenWeb policy of providing free information on the Internet, this data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other gain. Copying of the files within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- REMINISCENCES CONCERNING FORT LEAVENWORTH IN 1855-'56. Written for the State Historical Society by E. T. CARR,(1) of Leavenworth. IN MAY, 1855, I left my home in Syracuse, N. Y., to seek a new location somewhere in the Great West. Minnesota, Kansas and Nebraska at that time seemed to hold the most interest for me. After stopping for a short time in Chicago, Galena and Dubuque, I finally visited St. Paul, St. Anthony and Minneapolis, the latter place having just been platted. In all the places visited the business I sought was in no way encouraging. Kansas seemed the most popular just then, and I resolved to go there. Bidding my friends in St. Anthony good-by, I started, but on reaching St. Paul I found that cholera had broken out again down the river. As I had run the gauntlet on the trip up from Dubuque, I resolved to stop for a time in St. Paul, and securing employment sufficient to pay expenses, I remained there until September. Late in August I received a letter from a friend in Syracuse, stating that Col. E. V. Sumner, from Fort Leavenworth, Kan., was there on a visit to his people; that he wanted fifty carpenters to go to Fort Leavenworth and assist in a reconstruction of the post, and asking me if I would accept a situation as one of the two foreman to go with the party. Replying in the affirmative, arrangements were soon made by wire, and I was to meet them in St. Louis. On my way down the river to St. Louis by the Illinois Central railroad, I ran onto the party at La Salle, and a jolly crowd they were. They had supplied themselves with toy guns, swords, drums, etc., and my first sight of them was on the street marching. They carried a banner which said "Going to fight for free Kansas." This of course left the impression that that was their mission, and we afterwards saw the incident so referred to in the papers. Their car was attached to our train and taken to St. Louis. After spending two days there we left for Fort Leavenworth by boat, and were seven days on the way, landing September 14, 1855. On the way up the river we had on board a large number of emigrants for Kansas, as well as our own party, and by way of making the trip interesting there were a few cases of cholera among the deck hands. It was quietly reported that two were buried at night on shore. Every precaution was taken to prevent a panic before reaching Kansas City, where the larger portion of the passengers would leave. To most of us everything at Fort Leavenworth was new, although I had had a taste of western ways, and also had seen a little of army life at Fort Snelling. The old stone warehouse and the landing at the Fort were at that period the scene of much business. A boat arrival was always the occasion of bustle, hurry and confusion, and immediately after our landing a busy scene ensued. Our gang, which had been increased by about twenty others from St. Louis, each had a tool chest, besides other baggage, and the loading of all this upon the waiting wagons made quite a little pandemonium. But the great question, many times asked, was, "Where is the fort?" So far we had seen nothing but the warehouse and the landing. Our traps being loaded, we started and followed the teams to the top of the hill. There we found quite a group of buildings, some few detached, but the greater number built about a square. The buildings were of stone, brick, logs and frame, with any number of half-tumble-down shacks, generally in the rear of the more imposing structures. Still the question was asked, "Where is the fort?" Except for the regiment of cavalry just leaving for the plains, the place had more the appearance of a country village than a fort. We had expected to see strong fortifications, walled enclosures, etc. After some further examination we discovered two rather dilapidated blockhouses, one apparently connected with a brick building by a sort of parapeted stone wall; also two or three one-story stone buildings having a few portholes in the sides. These seemed to constitute the extent of the fortifications. We were to have been landed at the Fort in the early morning, but the boat had gotten fast on a sand bar a short distance down the river, and in consequence was several hours late. Being the last of the passengers, no arrangements had been made for breakfast for us on board, thus we were landed breakfastless, and naturally were speedily on the hunt for something to relieve hunger. Not a thing could we find until the quartermaster caused a barrel of hardtack to be rolled out. Judge of the disgusted countenances after each had filled his pockets, thinking they were soda crackers, myself among others, and with me the more so since I was exceedingly hungry and had poor teeth. Some of the men to show their disgust got up a game of quoits, using the hard bread for the purpose. Others condemned such a place, "where nothing fit to eat could be had," and proposed leaving. After an explanation from Major Sibley, however, and an assurance of better things to come, the temper of the party improved, and we decided to wait and see. We had been shown our rooms, which were in the brick barracks at the southeast corner of the parade--a building recently torn away. The troops had just vacated it, leaving it in great disorder, with empty bunks, and the whitewashed floors covered with straw and litter. This must all be cleared away, and the place, in a manner, made habitable. Here happened another cause for despondency. We were informed that the government would furnish only the room and the bunk; that we must furnish our beds and blankets. Since many of the party had understood we were to be provided with room, bed and board, none of us had the required articles, and some were without the means to purchase them. I loaned money to a few, and the quartermaster very generously loaned to others, at the same time agreeing to give bed sacks to all of us. These details arranged, my fellow foreman was sent with a government team to "New Town," as Leavenworth was then often called, to buy outfits. The first night was fast approaching; so some of the party went to scrubbing and cleaning up the barrack, while others with a team went to the forage yard to fill bed sacks, and a few of us, with the aid of the commissary clerk, managed to draw our first rations, but too late to cook supper, and especially as the cook to be furnished us had not reported. My first meal was a big loaf of fresh bread and a big slice of bacon cooked on a stick over a fire, to the great disgust of some onlookers who had never seen a piece of smoked side meat. Some followed my example while others rustled something among the laundresses about the garrison or went to town. We managed by dint of hard work to make ourselves fairly comfortable for the night, and were given all of the next day to improve our quarters and get settled ready for work. The next morning we were up early and ready for our breakfast, which was prepared for us by a man and his wife who had been employed by the quartermaster to do our cooking and draw our rations. As it soon developed, the meals were to follow the regular soldier fashion of the time, much to the disgust of most of our eastern crowd. Having had a few months' experience in roughing it, I was somewhat prepared to encourage the others to "hang to it," with the assurance that they would soon become used to the conditions and be satisfied, which proved to be the case. As soon as it could be done, we were assigned to the different branches of the work then in course of construction or in contemplation. This work consisted of ten cavalry stables, each for one hundred horses, with feed and other rooms; frame barracks for six companies, and three sets of double quarters for officers, besides some minor improvements. It having been reported to Major Sibley that I was something of an expert at framing, I was detailed to take charge of that part of the work on the stables, The party that I came with were to build the barracks and officers' quarters. At that time there were about three hundred citizens employed on the different branches of the work. My party was made up of carpenters from St. Louis, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, with a few from the country near the fort. I messed with the Syracuse party, as did those that came with us from St. Louis. We had just about gotten settled to business, and each one was taking his soup, coffee, etc., with a relish, and generally asking for more--so often, in fact, that the quartermaster was allowing double rations of some things--when the cholera came upon us. It caused the sudden death of one of the party and attacked two others the same day. This brought about a stampede down the river of several of our men, but there being no more cases, quiet was soon restored--restored, however, only to be disturbed by quite another cause. One day dinner had been announced and the usual rush made to see who should be served first. The serving in our case was done by a member of our own party, and was direct from the camp kettles, which were placed in the center of a sort of hollow square formed by the long tables with the benches so arranged that all faced inward. On this particular occasion I had been detained several minutes, so that I was late to dinner. Just as I entered the mess room the young German who was serving the soup found something in his ladle quite different from the ordinary, and exclaimed, "Mein Got in Himmel, vot ish dot?" A closer examination disclosed a full grown rodent, minus its hair. Most of the party had been served, and some were ready for more, but a glance at the ladle was sufficient, and for a time a furious uproar prevailed. With a single exception, those who were not busy in relieving their stomachs were frantically engaged in throwing camp kettles, cooks and all their belongings out into the back yard, and it required the quartermaster to quiet them. This he did by supplying other cooks. The one exception in this confusion was a man from St. Louis who just before dinner had been refused a discharge, and who then declared he would stay till the last man, let come what would--and he did. The improvement in the culinary department soon had its effect on the temper of the men; the rat soup was forgotten, except in story, and all ran along smoothly again. The men grew more interested in their work, and as they became better acquainted with their surroundings roughing it got to be more pleasant and satisfactory, especially when our condition was compared with those out in tents. Later a few of us hired a cook and started a mess of our own, but usually the men preferred the general mess rather than pay the extra money. We had not been very long at the fort when there was an election to settle the question as to the location of the county seat of Leavenworth county. The candidates were Leavenworth, Delaware and Kickapoo. In the afternoon of the day of the election the quartermaster came out on the work and notified those living in the vicinity that any who desired to go to their homes to vote could do so without losing time, his remarks rather indicating a preference for Leavenworth. However, the master mechanic at the post, a man by the name of Braham, favored Kickapoo, and, anticipating the situation, had teams from that village to haul voters to the polls. As it was to be a free ride and "everybody invited," quite a number of our eastern men dropped their tools and got aboard, as they afterwards said, with no intention of voting. But when they got to Kickapoo they were urged to vote, and accordingly did so. In telling of it they said that as soon as they had voted they were taken to a saloon and given a drink, and soon after were asked to take a ride. After a short ride they were rushed to the polls again with the cry, "More voters," and were told to vote. Thinking the whole affair was but a farce, they voted and drank till many of them could do no more. Each time they voted they used fictitious names--names of men prominent politically which happened first to come to mind. Thus transpired what has ever since been charged to the people of Missouri, and for which the real perpetrators, when they found the election was claimed to be legal, wanted to kick themselves for having done what they did.(2) The election caused no interruption in our work except loss of time incurred by the enforced sobering up of some of the party the next day, but it was a topic of discussion for some time after, as were the other political conditions in Kansas at the time. Late in the autumn preparations had to be made for the return of Colonel Sumner with his regiment of First cavalry, and as we occupied their regimental and band quarters, temporary quarters were fitted up for our party in what had been a tenpin alley, and there most of us passed the winter. Outside work was kept up until December 24, when there was a partial suspension for the holidays. Our stable work depended largely upon the country sawmills for timber, and the cold weather compelled them to shut down; consequently our part of the work ceased until spring. Employees living near by went to their homes; others were furnished rations and laid off temporarily, and some others "quit the job." I was transferred to the shops and assigned to duty on the officers' quarters (since known as the Syracuse houses), preparing the material and getting everything ready for early spring work. Referring to that winter (1855-'56), I believe I can safely say there has not been a winter as severe in Kansas since.(3) Snow commenced to fall December 24 and continued little by little for days, until it was fifteen inches deep on the level, and no day warm enough to melt it until the 13th day of February. The troops having returned in the fall, the garrison presented a more animated appearance, and the winter, while severe, passed away pleasantly, so far as our party was concerned. We had plenty of shop work for the days, and the long evenings were spent by the "stay-at-homes" in reading, writing to the folks back east, or in some simple pastime or amusement. Some of the other men preferred frequent trips to "New Town," or to the sutler's store when the triweekly mail came in. An occasional visit there, however, was about the limit of my outdoor travels of an evening. It had been my good fortune to make the acquaintance of the sutler soon after my arrival at the post, and in a most unexpected manner. He had been sutler and postmaster there for a long time, and while he was held in high esteem by some, he was disliked by others. In manner he was dignified and of commanding appearance. The mails came triweekly, and he had full charge of them. Immediately after our arrival the men commenced to inquire for mail and to go for it in droves as soon as they had eaten supper. Because of his manner of saying "No" to those who asked for letters, I decided not to inquire for some time. Finally I felt I must do so, as I was expecting mail to be forwarded from St. Paul. I had heard the sutler spoken of as "Colonel," and thus I addressed him, giving him my name and asking, as politely as I knew how, for mail. To my surprise, instead of the usual "Yes" or "No," he said, "Why, yes, Mr. Carr, there are several letters here for you, and some have been here several days," in the meantime going to the case for them. Handing them to me he asked if I would step inside, at the same time opening the gate to his private office. I accepted the offer and spent a pleasant half hour with him then, and on many occasions thereafter, to the surprise of some of our party. It was through him also that I made the more familiar acquaintance of some of the officers stationed at that time at the post. From the time of first meeting him until his death, in 1862, I had no truer friend than "Colonel" Hiram Rich. Spring weather brought renewed activity in our work, and it also brought renewed activity among the opposing elements in the affairs of Kansas. Much had been heard concerning the Kansas troubles during the fall and winter, but as a general thing it had excited very little comment among us beyond an expression of disgust that such a state of affairs could exist among civilized people. During the winter we had had several Southern men who were in sympathy with the proslavery element assigned to our party. As they were very good fellows, excited discussion had been largely avoided on their account, but with the renewal of hostilities on the part of the proslavery people that sentiment of reserve disappeared. The violent acts of some of the raiders against the "Yanks" caused a "boomerang" among some of the proslavery men, and even among the raiders. Something of this feeling of reaction was noticeable in our party, several changing their sympathies to the free-state side, while some of the most radical quit the job. About this time two deserters from the "Kickapoo Rangers" came to the fort and applied for work, saying that the acts of the outfit were too rough for them. One was Andrew J. Snider, late a "cattle king" of Kansas City. He worked under me at the fort during the summer of 1856 as a plasterer, and much of the time as a working mate with a free-state man whom the Rangers had ordered to leave the territory. Until the early part of the spring of 1856 the head of the Syracuse party had been a man whose business card in Syracuse read "R.G. Otis, Arch. & Builder." During the winter several incidents had transpired to cause such dissatisfaction with his management that he was discharged and the work divided between his principal foreman and myself. This gave us an advance in wages, also a promotion from our quarters with the men to a room near the quartermaster's office. During the early spring the ten stables were completed, and during the spring and summer we constructed six company frame barracks on the west side of the parade. These stood where the brick barracks stand now. Also we built the three double quarters for officers, later known as "Syracuse houses" from the fact that we were from Syracuse, N. Y. Besides this we did a general overhauling of other barracks and quarters, gradually reducing our force until at the final completion, in December, 1856, we (the two foremen) each had but two men to be "paid off." So far as our work was concerned during the spring, summer and fall, very little transpired worthy of note. The men had become accustomed to the surrounding conditions and rather enjoyed their stay; and often expressed the regret that there was not more to be done. Our work being finished my fellow foreman and I took the last boat down the river in December, 1856, on our way back East; he to remain there, and I to adjust some financial affairs at my old home and to return again in the spring. Having room to spare in my trunk, I took an assortment of Indian curios from Colonel Sumner to his two sons, "Win" and "Sammy," then living in Syracuse. On my return to the fort in March, 1857, I was offered the position of master mechanic in the depot quartermaster department under Capt. J. L. Brent, but after duly considering the matter I followed the advice of Colonel Sumner and engaged in business in Leavenworth. Political affairs in Kansas and in the country at large had been the principal topic of interest for many months of the year 1856, it being the year of a presidential election. Though without a vote in the territory, we were familiar with the cry "Fremont and Free Kansas," but on the way East old bill boards proclaimed "Buchanan and Free Kansas," much to our surprise. During the spring and summer of 1856 many incidents of a political nature concerning Kansas transpired at Fort Leavenworth, quite interesting to an onlooker at the time, but of more serious import to others. Some of these happenings I will briefly refer to as I remember them after a lapse of more than fifty years, using as an aid a few notes taken at the time. I do this in behalf of the memory of some who were much criticised for doing what they did, especially Colonel (4) and the First cavalry. That regiment at the time was made up of officers and men from pro- and anti-slave states in equal numbers,(5) but the predominant sentiment seemed to be with the free-state movement, although on the part of the officers there seemed to be a disposition to say very little and not to engage in heated discussion--especially in the back room at the sutler's store. However, as the season advanced in 1856, and troubles increased and the troops were more in demand, there was apparently less reserve and more open discussion. As a free-state man, Captain "Sam" Sturgis was the most outspoken, although he was by no means alone. There are others whom I could name, but I only refer to him as I later heard him criticised for his acts in Kansas and accused of not being true and loyal to the Union. Regarding Colonel Sumner, I have heard him spoken of at his home in Syracuse as opposed to the institution of slavery and in favor of a free state for Kansas, but as an army officer he had little to say. Once in the sutler's store I heard a couple of young officers in conversation upon Kansas affairs, when one said to the other, "I wonder how the old man (referring to Colonel Sumner) likes going after the Yanks, as he is one himself." The short conversation that followed seemed to indicate that both had enjoyed the thought that such acts must be very humiliating to the colonel. They might have said more, but the sutler, "Colonel" Rich, called their attention to the gravity of criticising a superior and objected to further conversation, whereupon they disclaimed any intention of wrongdoing and left. The sutler told me that he himself was a proslavery Democrat and owned a couple of niggers, and would vote to make Kansas a slave state, but that he was opposed to violence by either party and in favor of a settlement by an honest ballot, and that he would be governed by the majority. Concerning Colonel Sumner and myself, there was very little more than a sort of mutual recognition between us until just before my departure for the East, in December, 1856. He knew my position in the work and sometimes asked me about its progress. Only once did I do more than acknowledge his recognition. In passing him, as he was about leaving on one of the Kansas expeditions, I remarked, "I see you are off again." He replied, "Yes; while in the service we must obey orders." On my return from the East in the spring of 1857 I had several interviews with him, in which he gave me to understand how he felt concerning Kansas, and also gave me some fatherly advice relative to myself. A principal point was: "Strive for an independent life; be subject to no boss, and not like me be compelled many times to do things repugnant to your better nature"-rather indicating that such had been his position in regard to his acts in Kansas--and he further advised me not to accept a position with the quartermaster. For years after the early troubles in Kansas had passed I heard many of the residents of Leavenworth during 1855 and 1856, both army people and civilians, myself included, spoken of as Southern sympathizers and as in favor of the Southern element and against the free-state settlers. Also, later we were referred to as secessionists. In 1861 affidavits were sent to Washington, so declaring several of us who were or had been citizen employees at the fort. Not one of the charges, however, was sustained. Concerning any acts of mine against free-state people I have to plead guilty to one little incident, and that at the time very unexpected. During one of the many excitements in Leavenworth several families had left the city and were camped around the garrison for protection. Some were in tents, some with families living at the post, while others had sought shelter among the workmen then in tents. The widow of Sergeant Fleming, who had come to the post years before, was caring for several. After they had been there some time and the excitement had somewhat abated, General Smith, then in command, learning that my fellow foreman and I had charge of some of the workmen living in tents, ordered us, instead of sending an orderly or some other army man, to notify all refugees to leave the garrison and return to their homes, and he would see that they were protected. I had but a small portion of the duty to perform, the greater share falling to my partner, Mr. Blye. However, I got a severe tongue-lashing for what I did do, and when I said by way of apology that it was by order of General Smith, and that he had promised them protection, they would say, "That old granny will do nothing." The order to me was verbal. General Smith was in command by virtue of his rank, but he seemed to me to have very little force, and to have outlived his usefulness. As showing the temper of our men, I will give one incident. During the summer it was not an uncommon sight to see parties from Missouri crossing the ferry above the fort in squads of from ten to twenty or even more. They would come past the garrison fully armed, and usually said they were going to clean out the Yanks and d--d abolitionists. Frequently they would stop at the sutler's store to "liquor up," where they were not always accommodated, however. These parties generally came in the evening, and much to the disquiet of some of our workmen. I was the owner at the time of a good rifle and a revolver, and one day two of my men came to me to borrow them, saying they were going to the dead-animal dump at night to watch for wolves. Later one of them told me confidentially that about twenty of our men had been lying in wait for the Missourians for two nights, but the "d--d cusses would n't come." The intention was to fire over the heads of the raiders with a view of stampeding them back to Missouri, but if they showed any fight to give them battle. As I believed such an affair would do more harm than good I advised our men to abandon such a plot, which they did. Some of the voters at the Kickapoo county-seat election were in the scheme. Connected with the foregoing incidents, and among my associates in 1855 and 1856 at Fort Leavenworth, I can call to mind but one person who is now alive, and that one is Dr. Samuel Phillips, of Leavenworth. === NOTE 1.-[biography of ERASMUS THEODORE CARR] NOTE 2.-This election to name the county seat of Leavenworth county was held October 8, 1855, and was a hot triangular fight. Kickapoo City was the pet of General Atchison and the proslavery crowd and was already a thriving village. Delaware City was likewise a flourishing little town. On election day it is said that two steam ferries crowded with voters from Weston and other Missouri towns plied between the Missouri shore and Kickapoo and Delaware. In the election Kickapoo triumphed, the vote standing 892 for that town, while Delaware received 860 votes and Leavenworth 753. A grand ball was given at Kickapoo that evening to celebrate; the brass hand from Weston furnished the music, and cannons were fired and an uproarious time was had. However, Delaware City would not abide by the result, claiming that some of her citizens had not enjoyed the privllege of voting, so, not to deprive these citizens of their rights, the little town opened her polls again on Tuesday, October 9. This time with a very different result, the vote being, Delaware 928, Kickapoo 878, and Leavenworth 726, with a scattering vote for other towns. Much litigation followed, and other elections, until, in 1857, Leavenworth was named the county seat. NOTE 3.-See this volume, p. 118. NOTE 4.-For biographical sketch of Edwin Vose Sumner, see volume 7, Kansas Historical Collections, p. 393. NOTE 5.-See note 2 of "Indian Fight in Ford County in 1859," this volume.