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QUANTRILL'S RAID of Lawrence, KS
The following is from the Western Historical Manuscript Collection, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.
Statement of Captain J. A. Pike Concerning the Quantrill Raid
Captain Joshua A. Pike , company K, Ninth KS Volunteers Cavalry, was in command of Aubrey, in Johnson County, KS, in the summer of 1863. Aubrey is situated on the southeast quarter (S.E. 1/4) of the southeast (quarter S. E. 1/4) of section six (6), township of fifteen (15) range twenty-five (25) in Johnson County. It is three and one-fourth miles west of the State line between Kansas and Missouri. In entering Kansas, on the raid against Lawrence, Quantrill followed a road of that branch of Grand River flowing out of Kansas through section fifteen (15), same township and range as mentioned above. This is the southeast section in Johnson county, and Grand River crosses the State line less than half a mile north of line between Johnson and Miami counties. To Aubrey from the point where Quantrill came into Kansas it is about one and one-half miles north and exactly three and one-fourth miles west. It is necessary to fix this point definitely. Quantrill chose this road into Kansas for the reason doubtless, that it was through the woods, these woods extending along Grand River some distance into Kansas. The woods were more extended and the thickets more dense as you descended Grand River from the State line. Quantrill passed out of Kansas, after sacking Lawrence by passing down another fork of Grand River. This branch flows east through section twenty-two (22), townships fifteen (15), range twenty-five (25). It crosses the State line in the northeast quarter (N. E. 1/4) of said section less than half a mile south of line between Johnson and Miami counties. At that time the land was owned by one McFadden, who had formerly kept a tavern in Paola. The branch of Grand River by which Quantrill entered Kansas, and that by which he left the State are less than a mile apart. He came in through the southeast section of land in Johnson County and went out through the northeast section in Miami county--and on the adjoining quarters of those sections. (1) (1) These points are not accurately located on the map in Connelly's Quantrill and the Border Wars. When that work was written and the map made the information for making these points specific did not exist, or, at least, was not known to exist. The discussion of the route into and out of Kansas taken by Quantrill caused by the work of Mr. Connelly developed and brought to light much information that otherwise would never have come to light. And, with all the other additional knowledge brought out, came also that which made it possible to be certain of the points of entrance and departure at the State Line. Kansas and Western Missouri (south of the Missouri River) were in the District of the Border, commanded by Brigadier-General Thomas Ewing, Jr. In planning to protect Kansas from the invasion by Missouri guerillas General Ewing had established posts along or near the State line from Kansas City to Fort Scott. These posts were at Shawnee Missouri, Little Santa Fe, Aubrey, Coldwater Grove, Trading Post, and Rockville. They were twelve to fifteen miles apart. Little Santa Fe was about twelve miles north of Aubrey, and Coldwater Grove was about thirteen miles south of Aubrey. As has already been said, Captain Pike was in command of the post of Aubrey. At Little Santa Fe, Charles F. Coleman, Captain of company D, Ninth Kansas was in command. In addition to his own company he had a detachment of Company K, Fifth Kansas Cavalry. In all he had about sixty men fit for service. At Coldwater Grove the post was commanded by Charles S. Clark, Lieutenant-Colonel of the Ninth Kansas Cavalry. Company E of his own regiment constituted his force, but as all these posts were under his immediate command it is likely that Colonel Clark often had other troops at his post. This preliminary statement is prefatory to the statement, to follow, made by Captain Pike. He was so severely criticized that he for many years refused to make any statement concerning the Quantrill raid, believing that it would be impossible for him to be accorded Justice, or even a fair hearing. The Secretary of the Kansas State Historical Society requested Captain Pike to write fully his recollections of the events connected with the raid, assuring him that the article would be published as written. The Secretary was anxious that the article should be written for he himself had been severe in treating Captain Pike's course. If Captain Pike had been wronged it was but fair that he should have an opportunity to say so in a public way. The integrity, patriotism, and honest intentions of Captain Pike were never questioned by any one at any time. If he made mistakes they were only errors of judgment, and most men will make those constantly. CAPTAIN PIKE'S STATEMENT In the summer of 1863, before the raid on Lawrence, there was a patrol of two men between our camps on the Kansas City and Fort Scott Road. These patrolmen were ordered from the headquarters of the District of the Border to Kansas City. Two men left each camp at eight o'clock A.M., and returned at five o'clock P. M. One man went north and one went south. Each met the patrol coming from the camp to which he was going as he went out in the morning and met him again as he was returning in the afternoon to his own post. From Aubrey, where I was in command, one patrol went north to Little Santa Fe, and one went south to Coldwater Grove. A patrol from each of those posts visited Aubrey each day. On the morning of August 20, 1863, our scouts, left at eight o'clock A. M. and returned at five o'clock P. M. They reported no enemy and no sign of enemy in either the morning or evening. Between five o'clock and seven o'clock Quantrill had gone southwest. He passed about 5 miles south of our camp. He gave it out that he was going to Paola, to join U.S. troops there. He was representing that he was a Union officer commanding Union troops himself. At or near seven o'clock a farmer living some seven miles southwest of Aubrey came riding into our camp. He reported that a body of soldiers claiming to be United States troops were going to Paola to join other troops there. These troops had passed his house and had held him captive while passing. He counted the first company. There were two hundred men in that company. There were four companies, and he judged that each one numbered two hundred men. When the guard who held him prisoner saw him counting the passing troops he carried him behind the house so that he could not count any more. But this farmer was sure that there were seven hundred to eight hundred in the command which had passed his house. William J. Houghawont, second Lieutenant of my company, took the statement of the farmer. While he was doing so the men whom I had detailed for that purpose were getting their horses ready to take dispatches to Little Santa Fe and to Coldwater Grove. Just as soon as their horses were ready and dispatches written they left my camp on double quick time.
At roll- call that evening in my camp
thirty-one men were accounted for, as follows: C. M. Murdock, bugler, sick in
hospital at
Kansas City,
Mo. Five on the sick list and five carrying dispatches accounted for ten of the thirty-one men at my camp. That left us twenty-one men with which to attack the eight hundred reported by the farmer. Lieutenant Houghawont talked the matter over. We were certain that the forces seen by the farmer was an enemy force. We considered that it would be suicide for us to attack it with twenty-one men. We knew that Captain C. F. Coleman would be at our post as soon as he could get there. We thought best to await his coming. He arrived about ten o'clock P. M., as near as I can recollect. He assumed command, and he appointed Lieutenant Houghawont to command an advance guard of ten men which he immediately detailed. The night was very dark, so much so that the scout had to strike matches to find the trail. We followed as fast as we could some ten miles southwest on the road to Paola. There we found that the rebels had turned northwest and had gone to Gardner. We followed the trail all night. Major Plumb and his bodyguard came up with us south of Blue Mound, eight or nine miles southeast of Lawrence. Major Plumb took command of all the troops. Captain Coleman gave him his plan, but Major Plumb did not carry it out. When he came up with Captain Coleman we were marching due west. Major Plumb ordered "Left Turns" and marched to the top of the hills northwest from Baldwin City. There he halted in plain sight of the rebels, who were on the Lawrence and Fort Scott Roads. I never saw Major Plumb again that day. We remained there a full hour. Who gave the order to march I do not know. We got it from some one and went on. We had several brushes with the rear guards. Kept on all day and night found us at Paola. We had killed a number of the enemy on the way. In Paola we were told that there was a big force at the State line on the border to capture Quantrill and his whole force. But in the morning they went out of the State just where they came in. There was no force on the State line to stop them. We followed them three weeks before returning to Aubrey. When we got back we found a company of the Eleventh Kansas Cavalry camped there. That was the only other company stationed there that summer so far as I know. It was reported by some one there were two companies stationed at Aubrey. The above is true and correct as well as I can recollect.
(Signed) J. A. Pike, late Captain Company
K, Ninth Kansas Volunteer Cavalry The Secretary wishing some things made a little more definite wrote Captain Pike asking the following questions: (copy letter containing questions so numbered) To these questions Captain Pike made the following answers: (Copy answers as numbered.) Since the events described by Captain Pike nearly fifty- four years have passed. The memory of no man is to be trusted in all details occurring after the lapse of so long a time. Statements made from memory after many years have elapsed must be checked with the records. The following extract from the report of Captain Coleman shows that he found about one hundred men at Aubrey the night of August 20, 1863, when he started in pursuit of Quantrill; and that these men were fit for service is proven by the fact that they were taken by him as a part of his force in the pursuit. It has always been supposed that Company D, Eleventh Kansas Cavalry was then stationed at Aubrey under command of Captain Pike, as Captain Coleman found it there and took it, as well as Pike's company, with him. If it had not been stationed there how it came to be there at that time is not explained. (Copy reports of Captain Coleman from Volume XXII, Series I, Part I, Rebellion Records, pp 589-590.) There is another point which the report of Captain Coleman would seem to settle. It has always been maintained that the division of the command under Major Plumb for the purpose of attacking Quantrill in both front and rear on the Ottawa Creek Ford was made at the point on the Santa Fe trail where the Union forces first came in sight of the guerillas. There is much to support this view of that matter. But it will be observed that Captain Coleman says that this division of forces was made after the fight on the Fletcher farm. That Captain Henry Flesher was at Coldwater Grove on the night of the 20th of August, as Captain Pike says, is proven by the report of Lieutenant Colonel Charles Clark, Ninth Kansas Volunteer Cavalry, a portion of which is here given. (Copy as marked form pp 585 and 586, same volume)
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