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Topic: Reese Langford killed by bushwhackers
Conf: Johnson County Queries, Msg: 54522
From: Deleted User
Date: 8/21/2003 02:21 PM

I am searching for information about the death of Reese Langford in 1863 in Johnson County, Kansas.

Reese was born in 1836 and moved to Iowa in 1838. In the 1860 census, "R. Langford" is shown as a farm laborer in Oxford Township. He is working on the farm of either J.W. Boyle from Ireland or James William who was from Illinois.

The following is from an old family letter:

"Reese Langford was born 1836 and never married. Reese was killed in 1863 by bushwhackers. He was working on a farm between Kansas City, Kansas and Lawrence, Kansas. He and the farmer for whom he worked were plowing the corn, when the bushwhackers came upon them and demanded that they strip the harness from the horses and give the bushwhackers the horses and they would not molest them further. The bushwhackers started to lead the horses away and then turned and shot and killed both the farmer and Reese.

"Resses' brother, Turner Langford, was notified of teh death and told that he could claim the body. He went by wagon and team from Van Buren County, Iowa, and claimed the body. He returned with Reeses' body which was buried in the Boston Cemetery near Keosauqua, Iowa."

I hope that one the readers might know exactly who was killed with Reese and any information on the raid that cost Reese Langford his life.

Thanking you

Richard Johnston