William E. Connelley Interviews
Concerning William Quantrill's Raid on Lawrence, KS
Aug 21, 1863
Ms Collection C4
For information concerning this collection or to request copies contact:
speccoll@truman.edu
Copy Policies,
Copyright Law & Acknowledgements
|
William Elsey Connelley
(1855-1930), avocational historian and author, was born in Kentucky but
spent his adult life in Kansas as a teacher, county clerk, businessman
(wholesale lumber) and banker. From 1914 till his death in 1930, he was
Secretary of the Kansas State Historical Society. A short biographical
sketch may be found on the website for the Western Historical Manuscript
Collection, University of Missouri-Kansas City:
http://www.umkc.edu/whmckc/Collections/ikc203.asp.
Pickler Memorial Library's collection consists of Connelley's
interviews with five persons who knew Quantrill or who survived his
August 21, 1863 raid on Lawrence Kansas. Each of the persons interviewed
had a different perspective of Quantrill or of the raid; two also
mention John Brown and his activities of 1856; none is cited in
Quantrill and the Border Wars. The three 1909 reports, all in
Connelley's handwriting, are accompanied by typed transcripts of the
written documents; both versions are signed by Connelley. Those dated in
1906 are not signed but are in the same hand as those of 1909. These short abstracts indicate the
perspective of the persons interviewed: |
| C4/1 | Mrs. Frances Beeson Thompson and her husband George Thompson |
| Topeka, Kansas, Sunday April 8, 1906. Called on Mrs.
Frances Beeson Thompson and her husband George Thompson, of 1030 Morris
Avenue, Topeka. Mrs. Thompson is the daughter of H.V. Beeson, with whom
Quantrill came to Kansas. Mrs. Thompson says the young men with whom
Quantrill took up claims in Johnson County, Kansas were all well known
to her and her family in Canal Dover [they] would come to her father's for
Sunday dinner almost every Sunday. |
|
| C4/2 | Mrs. B. F. Jackson and Sons |
| Topeka, Kansas, April 8, 1906. Mrs. Frances Beeson
Thompson directed me to Mrs. B.F. Jackson of Topeka, a person who
lived at Stanton at an early day, who might give me some
information. I saw her to-day, also her two sons. Quantrill turned
south after sacking Lawrence. His intention was to sack Osawatome and
Paola. The Jacksons could see Quantrill's command on the high land
between the waters of the Marais Des Ceynes and Bull Creek as it
migrated from Lawrence toward Paola. They were in sight an hour or more.
They numbered about 500. |
|
| C4/3 | A. J. Phillips |
| A.J. Phillips lives at No. 333 Mississippi Street,
Lawrence, where he has lived since Territorial times. He was hospital
steward of the Ninth Kansas, but was so familiar with the country that
he was often sent out with troops and did regular military service. I
saw Phillips in Lawrence, September 27, 1909, but did not then have time
to get a full statement from him. Phillips was with the company of
Captain Coleman. When Coleman heard that Quantrill had crossed into
Kansas he started on the trail of the guerrillas. Phillips went
along. |
|
| C4/4 | Charles H. Hoyt |
| The following statement was made to me in Lawrence,
Kansas, September 27, 1909, by Charles H. Hoyt. On September 14, 1856,
he was one of the citizens who defended Lawrence from the border-ruffians
and was actively engaged on the firing line. He saw John Brown that day. He was in the Lawrence massacre;
was at home at No. 745 Indiana Street
on recruiting service. Hoyt's sister told the guerrillas that
there were no men in the house. He left the house by the back door and
jumped over the fence into the alley and ran west. The guerrillas were
all the time firing at him.
|
|
| C4/5 | Mrs. Jane R. Oliver |
| Saturday, October 16, 1909, at Lawrence, Kansas, I saw Mrs. Jane R. (Hicks) Oliver, wife of Adam Oliver, a survivor of the Lawrence Massacre, and had from her the following. At the time of the Massacre they lived at 623 Indiana Street. On the morning of the massacre the family was awakened by the firing of the guerillas; a guerilla rode up to the door. The ruffian left, and in a few minutes another appeared. The second guerrilla had not been gone long until another stopped at the door. He finally determined to burn the house and said to her son Adam, then a very small boy that he must get the matches. |
|
|
For information concerning this collection contact: speccoll@truman.edu
Manuscripts Table of Contents | Special Collections
emd
