A poor German, when the scalp of Hoppe was brought into Leavenworth, was impudent enough to express his horror of the shocking deed, when he was ordered to run for his life—­in attempting which a number of bullets sped after him, and he fell dead in the street.

CHAPTER XX.

In the month of August, 1856, a company of so-called Territorial Militia established themselves at Hickory Point, Jefferson county, about twenty miles north of Lawrence, and proceeded to make raids on the Free State settlements.  In one of these raids they pillaged the village of Grasshopper Falls, robbing the stores of their contents.  Gen. Lane and Captains Harvey and Bickerton determined to attack and dislodge these marauders.  But on the 11th of September Gov.  Geary, having arrived at Lecompton, issued a proclamation ordering all armed bands of men, whether known as Territorial Militia or Free State Guerrillas, to disperse and retire to their homes.  Gen. Lane determined at once to leave the Territory, and sent a message to that effect to Capt.  Harvey, who had arranged to unite his command with that of Gen. Lane in an attack on Hickory Point; but the messenger failed to meet Harvey, who made the attack alone and captured these robbers.  But Harvey’s men were in their turn taken prisoners by a company of United States troops and were conveyed to Lecompton and kept during the winter as treason prisoners.  But while the Free State forces were thus being scattered, disbanded and taken prisoners, by virtue of Gov.  Geary’s proclamation, an army of 3,000 men had been enlisted in Missouri and along the border towns, and were marching to destroy Lawrence and wipe out the Free State settlements.  Delilah bound Samson with cords, then said, “The Philistines be upon thee, Samson”; and so these “Law and Order” leaders saw the Free State forces dispersed by the Governor’s proclamation, and then thought to bring on the helpless settlements the whole power of this Missouri invasion.  But we will let Mr. Geary’s private secretary tell the story in his own way: 

But the most reprehensible character in the drama being enacted was the Secretary of the Territory, then acting Governor.  More than three weeks after Gov.  Geary had received his commission and Secretary Woodson had every reason to believe that he was on his way to the Territory, that weak-minded, if not criminally defective, officer issued the following proclamation: 

WHEREAS, Satisfactory evidence exists that the Territory of Kansas is infested with large bodies of armed men: 

Now, therefore, I, Daniel Woodson, Acting Governor of the Territory of Kansas, do issue my proclamation declaring the said Territory to be in a state of open insurrection and rebellion, and I do hereby call upon all law-abiding citizens of the Territory to rally to the support of the country and its laws.

Not satisfied with the proclamation, which of itself was sufficiently mischievous, he wrote private letters to parties in Missouri calling for men, money and munitions of war.  This proclamation and these letters called together thousands of men, mostly from Missouri, with passions inflamed to the highest degree, and whose only thought was wholesale slaughter and destruction.