This case file relates to the charge against Henry Alderman for arson in September of 1856 in Douglas County, Kansas Territory. On September 26th, 1856, Sidney Ward appeared before associated Justice Sterling G. Cato and testified that on September 7th, 1856, Henry Alderman, William Tacket, and others burned down the house of her husband, George Ward. A warrant was issued but was returned by the U.S. marshal unserved. Destruction of personal property was common in 1856, as tensions between abolitionists and pro-slavery settlers resulted in conflicts such as the Sacking of Lawrence and Pottawatomie Massacre.
Kansas Memory
Kansas Historical Society
Kansas Territory versus Henry Alderman for arson - 1