William E. Connelley Interviews
Concerning the Quantrill Raid on Lawrence, KS
Aug 21, 1863
Ms Collection C4
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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.htm.
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 excerpts are offered to 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 … would come to her father's for Sunday
dinner almost every Sunday …" |
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| 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, as a person who lived at Stanton
at an early day, and 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 Quantrills
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 …" |
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| 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 …" |
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| 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,
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 had 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 …"
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| 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 …" |
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