State Kansas Aid Committee Room,
Boston, Jan. 7, 1857.
Received of George L. Stearns, Chairman of the Massachusetts
Kansas Aid Committee, an order on Edward Clark, Esq., of Lawrence, K. T., for two
hundred Sharpe's rifles, carbines, with four thousand ball cartridges,
thirty-one thousand military caps, and six iron ladles, — the same to be
delivered to said committee, or to their order, on demand. It being further
understood and agreed that I (am at liberty to distribute one hundred of the
carbines, and to use the ammunition for maintaining the cause of freedom in
Kansas and in the United States, and that such distribution and use shall be
considered a delivery to said committee). [Have authority to use one
hundred of the carbines, and all the ammunition, as I may think the interests
of Kansas require. Keeping an account of my doings]; and that such delivery and
use shall be considered as such delivery.1
________________
1 The words in parentheses are marked across in
the original, evidently for the purpose of erasure; the words in brackets are
in a different handwriting from the rest of the paper. There is no indorsement
except the word "Boston" written twice in Brown's handwriting.
SOURCE: Franklin B. Sanborn, The Life and Letters of
John Brown, p. 368
