$200 Reward! for runaway slaves
Creator: Williams, G.D
Date: June 7, 1860
Wanted poster offering a reward of $200 for the capture of two slaves from Saline County, Missouri. It includes the names and descriptions of the two slaves.

A. J. Beach to Samuel N. Wood
Creator: Beach, A. J.
Date: April 22, 1860
Writing from Beach Valley (Rice County) in Kansas Territory, A. J. Beach requests Samuel Wood's legal advice with regard to Beach's options in a bridge dispute. It seemed that Beach had received a charter to build a toll bridge [over Cow Creek], and another party (William Edwards, et al) put up a "temporary" one before his was finished. They were now diverting traffic away from Beach's completed bridge. "I wish to know if anything can be done with them at law . . ."

A. J. Beach to Samuel N. Wood
Creator: Beach, A. J.
Date: May 6, 1860
As in his earlier letter to Samuel Wood of April 22, A. J. Beach, of Beach Valley, Kansas Territory, describes his Cow Creek bridge dispute with William Edwards and O. G. Stanley. In this letter, Beach officially retains the services of Wood & Perkins to sue Edwards and Stanley for damages. "I can prove," wrote Beach, "that they have asked trains to cross their bridge, taken toll on it, and repaired it with the avowed intention of making it a free bridge and taking the travel away from mine." Beach claims to be losing $20 a day in tolls.

A. Venard to Thaddeus Hyatt
Creator: Venard, A.
Date: October 3, 1860
This letter is from A. Venard, a medical doctor from Pleasant Grove, Kansas Territory, who wrote to Thaddeus Hyatt, president of the National Kansas Committee. The letter described the sickness and disease that plagued the settlers along the Verdigris River in southeast Kansas. Dr. Venard had worked diligently to aid the settlers, even using funds from his own pocket to purchase medicine, but he requested that the committee give him 100 dollars worth of drugs. Attached to this letter is an itemized list of the drugs he wished purchased with the requested funds.

Abraham Lincoln
Creator: Hesler, Alex, 1823-1895
Date: June 3, 1860
This black and white photograph shows Abraham Lincoln during his campaign for the U.S. Presidency. A lawyer from Springfield, Illinois who began his political career as an Illinois state legislator and later was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. He became the sixteenth President of the United States on November 6, 1860. As commander in chief he guided the country through the difficult years of the Civil War and signed into law legislation that respected and maintain human freedom for all individuals.

Albert G. Boone to Thomas Nesbit Stinson
Creator: Boone, Albert G.
Date: January 16, 1860
Albert G. Boone, writing from Westport, Missouri, to Thomas N. Stinson, described his unsuccessful efforts to sell a printing press for Stinson. Boone suggested that Stinson contact "Free Statemen" with whom he was on good terms to see if they could help him sell it. Boone added a postscript to the letter asking about the prospects of a treaty with the Pottawatomie.

Alfred Gray to George W. Patterson
Creator: Gray, Alfred, 1830-1880
Date: June 18, 1860
Gray wrote this draft of a letter to George W. Patterson concerning a treaty between the U. S. government and the Delaware Indians at the request of Rev. Pratt, a missionary to the tribe. Gray was concerned that the treaty was unfair to many of the Delaware and that the U.S. government was negotiating with four older chiefs, not some of the younger members of the tribe. He wrote that many of the Delaware were too intimidated to complain.

Amos A. Lawrence to Charles Robinson
Creator: Lawrence, Amos Adams
Date: October 19, 1858
Amos A. Lawrence, the benefactor of the city of Lawrence and much free-state activity generally, writes Robinson from Boston, Massachusetts, about several issues, including the establishment of a college, and business/financial matters. Lawrence made interesting reference to his own candidacy for governor on the American Party ticket. He did not expect to win, but instead proposed to simply be working to keep the "Americans" in line for a unified opposition to the Democrats in 1860.

An appeal from Kansas!
Creator: Parrott, Marcus J., 1828-1879
Date: December 14, 1860
This circular describes the beginnings of the Territorial Executive Committee, which was in charge of collecting relief to aid the struggling settlers of Kansas Territory during the 1860 drought. This committee met in Lawrence, Kansas Territory, on November 14, 1860, and passed several resolutions. From one hundred and one delegates were present from twenty-four Kansas counties. Out of this number, four men, including Samuel Pomeroy, were elected officers. The circular concludes with "Suggestions and Directions to those who purpose Aiding us in our Distress."

Appeal for the Kansas sufferers!
Creator: Foster, Daniel, 1816-1864
Date: 1860
This pamphlet, written by Daniel Foster, general agent of the New England Kansas Relief Committee, attempts to dispel any doubts about the severity of the nine-month drought in Kansas Territory. Many settlers had left Kansas Territory, and those remaining needed relief. Foster calls on people to provide aid to those in Kansas by contributing money or goods. The pamphlet lists names of people serving on a Boston committee who had met to discuss relief efforts in Kansas, including such well-known individuals as John A. Andrew, George Luther Stearns, Samuel Gridley Howe, and Thomas H. Webb.

Atchison, Kansas Territory
Date: Between 1858 and 1862
A view, taken sometime around 1860, of the main street, stores, and early forms of transportation in Atchison, Kansas Territory.

Atchison, Kansas Territory
Creator: C. H. Masters, Photographer, Corner of 4th and Commercial Street, Atchison, KS.,
Date: Between 1858 and 1862
A view, taken sometime around 1860, of Kansas Avenue at Fourth Street, looking North, in Atchison, Kansas Territory. The photograph was taken by C. H. Masters, who had a business at the corner of 4th and Commercial Streets in Atchison.

Atchison, Kansas Territory
Creator: C. H. Masters, Photographer, Corner of 4th and Commercial Street, Atchison, KS.,
Date: Between 1858 and 1862
A view, taken sometime around 1860, of businesses and houses in Atchison, Kansas Territory. The photograph was taken by C. H. Masters, who had a business on the corner of 4th and Commercial Streets in Atchison.

Atchison, Kansas Territory
Date: Between 1858 and 1862
A view, taken sometime around 1860, looking southwest in Atchison, Kansas Territory.

Atchison, Kansas Territory
Date: Around 1860
This is a view of the main street in Atchison, Kansas Territory. Visible are townspeople, horse-drawn wagons and carriages, a brick building under construction on a corner lot, and other buildings and businesses along the busy city street.

Augustus Wattles to Thaddeus Hyatt
Creator: Wattles, Augustus, 1807-1876
Date: December 3, 1860
This letter, written from New York by Augustus Wattles, was addressed to Thaddeus Hyatt, president of the National Kansas Committee. The main focus of the letter was on two proslavery men--Captain Doake and General Clark--who persisted in mistreating free state settlers along the Missouri-Kansas border. The letter also referred to Charles Jennison and to James Montgomery, whose band of free state militiamen was still active even into 1860. Wattles vehemently maintained that free state forces were only organizing for their own protection, not for a great insurrection as the Missourians believed.

Bounty Land Grant for Franklin Loomis Crane
Creator: United States. General Land Office
Date: June 1, 1860
A bounty land grant was originally issued to Oliver Brown, a private during the War of 1812. This document declares that the tract of land described has been turned over to Franklin Crane, a resident of Topeka, who most likely purchased it from the original owner. This was done in accordance with an act of Congress passed on March 3, 1855, entitled "An Act in addition to certain Acts granting Bounty Land to certain Officers and Soldiers who have been engaged in the Military Service of the United States." It was signed by President James Buchanan.

C. W. Holder to James Blood
Creator: Holder, C. W.
Date: October 27, 1860
As were several other individuals from Illinois, Holder writes to notify Blood that the people in his community (around Bloomington, Illinois) are eager to share their "abundance" with "their brethren in Kansas." They are preparing to send potatoes, as well as wheat and oats, but need help purchasing sacks and paying freight; "our people as you are probably aware are just recovering from the financial pressure of the past 3 years" and thus had "little money."

Caleb S. Pratt to George L. Stearns
Creator: Pratt, Caleb S
Date: May 30, 1860
Caleb Pratt, who seems to be acting as Stearns' agent in Lawrence, Kansas Territory, at this time, writes regarding the Joseph Gardner request for firearms. On his own initiative, Pratt "allowed him [Gardner] to take 7 Rifles and 4 sabres to his house with permission to use the same if necessary . . ." This was a temporary loan that awaited Stearns' endorsement.

Certificate. Legislative Assembly, Territory of Kansas
Creator: Kansas. Legislature
Date: January, 1860
According to this document, signed by the speaker of the Kansas House of Representatives, the assembly owes $68 ("mileage and per diem") to Mark W. Delahay for "services rendered" as chief clerk from January 2 to January 18, 1860. It specifies that Delahay is to receive $4 per day for 17 days to repay the debt.

Charles A. Foster, statement about John Brown
Creator: Foster, Charles A.
Date: July 12, 1860
Signed C. A. Foster, Boston, July 12, 1860, this brief statement asserts that John Brown "was not present" at the Pottawatomie Massacre, "but that he knew that it was going to be done" and "he approved it."

Charles F. de Vivaldi naming Isaac Goodnow as newspaper agent
Creator: de Vivaldi, Charles F.
Date: March 11, 1860
This document, written and signed by Charles F. de Vivaldi, Editor and Proprietor of the Manhattan Express newspaper in Manhattan, Kansas Territory, authorized Isaac Goodnow, as "an agent of Bluemont College and regular correspondent," to sell subscriptions to the paper.

Charles Robinson
Date: [1860]
Portrait of free-state activist Charles Robinson. In his work as a free-state activist, Robinson negotiated a truce to the end of the Wakarusa War, attended and led Free-State Conventions, and was elected as the first Kansas Governor, holding office from 1861 to 1863.

Charles Robinson's speech welcoming William Seward
Creator: Robinson, Charles, 1818-1894
Date: September 26, 1860
This is a handwritten copy of Charles Robinson's September 26, 1860, speech welcoming William H. Seward to Lawrence, Kansas Territory. It contains some additional comments by Robinson to the friends to whom he is sending this copy.

Charles Robinson and James M. Winchell to William H. Seward
Creator: Robinson, Charles, 1818-1894
Date: September 28, 1860
A letter written by Charles Robinson and James M. Winchell to William H. Seward asking for relief for the people in Kansas Territory. They are requesting money at a reasonable interest rate. Robinson and Winchell report that the farmers were unable to pay their debts because crops were ruined by a drought. A searchable, full-text version of this letter is available by clicking "Text Version" below.