Sunday, October 5, 2014

Amos A. Lawrence to Major James B. Abbott, August 20, 1855

This instalment of carbines is far from being enough, and I hope the measures you are taking will be followed up until every organized company of trusty men in the Territory shall be supplied. Dr. Cahot1 will give me the names of any gentlemen here who subscribe money, and the amount, of which I shall keep a memorandum, and promise them that it shall be repaid, either in cash or rifles, whenever it is settled that Kansas shall not be a province of Missouri. Therefore keep them in capital order, and, above all, take good care that they do not fall into the hands of the Missourians after you once get them into use. You must dispose of these where they will do the most good; and for this purpose you should advise with Dr. Robinson and Mr. Pomeroy.2
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1 Samuel Cabot, Jr., M.D., a noted surgeon in Boston, and one of the most active in raising money for rifles and other material aid to the Kansas farmers in 1855-57. He has preserved a list of the subscribers to the arms fund, which the historian of Kansas should print in his volume.

2 In view of these manly letters of Mr. Lawrence, his statements to the Massachusetts Historical Society (May 8, 1884) in praise of the peaceful character of Charles Robinson are very grotesque. Mr. Lawrence then said: “Charles Robinson never bore arms, nor omitted to do whatever he considered to be his duty. Be sternly held the people to their loyalty to the Government, against the arguments and the example of the ‘higher law’ men, who were always armed.” One of these “higher law” men was Major Abbott, who rescued Branson contrary to law, and who was armed by Mr. Lawrence himself, at the urgent request of Robinson! Sad is the effect of time on the human memory.

SOURCE: Franklin B. Sanborn, The Life and Letters of John Brown, p. 213

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