Kansas Correspondence

CAMP DEFIANCE, Linn Co., Kansas,
February 3d, 1862.

Events of but little interest have transpired since my last letter to the GAZETTE. Our camp is located on Mine Creek, in this county, about four miles from the State line, where are quartered the 3d Kansas volunteers, under Col. James Montgomery, and where we have been since December last; eight miles below us is the 5th regiment, under the command of Maj. Sumner, and at Ft. Scott are some six or eight companies of home guards, under Col. Judson. The U. S. paymaster and mustering officer are here, paying off these regiments and mustering them so as to make full and complete regiments, preparatory to their march South into the Indian country west of Arkansas, and between here and Texas.

Col. Jennison’s regiment of cavalry marched through Mound city to-day, under the command of Lt. Col. Anthony; they numbered 840, and were on their march to Humboldt, in Allen Co., where they will remain for a few days, when they will move as the advance column of the great expedition soon to leave Ft. Leavenworth for the South. They were well provided with tents, clothing, &c., and with but few exceptions, were live specimens of genuine border men, who at any time can whip their weight in wild cats, ever ready to face where danger is the most daring. About 4,000 friendly Cherokee and Creek Indians are assembled on the Neosho river, some 30 miles below [Humboldt], waiting to join the “big Colonel with heap fight.”

Much fear is manifested among the citizens along the boarder here, that on the removal of the troops from along the line, guerilla bands of the rebels, which still infest our borders, will march over, and, if so, murder, rapine, and plunder will follow them.

For the last few weeks news had reached camp that Gen. Lane was to lead us on south to victory. But for the last few days rumor says that Gen. Hunter is to have the command. We are all ready to march under Hunter or any other Union General, but there is no disguising the fact that Gen. Jim Lane is the popular choice of a large majority of the regiments here along the boarder, and that in him we feel that his very name is a tower of strength, and that with him at our head, though but few in numbers, we will be more mighty than a great army with banners. At all events were are all anxious to be off, and the march of this expedition, either under Lane, Hunter or any other General, will be marked with a desolation and ruin, such as now marks the homes of the rebels in southwestern Missouri.

During the last four months some 3,000 or 4,000 contrabands have left southwestern Missouri and Arkansas, many of whom have passed into your State and Illinois; yet many remain here and all readily find work and are all peaceable and quiet, and feel very happy in their exchange from slavery to freedom. Schools have been established by the benevolent for them, and it would surprise many of your readers to see with what avidity they learn; all are contented and the only anxiety you can see about them is as to how they are to get the friends they left behind from slavery.

I will give all details as they transpire en route the great expedition.

Yours,

Kansas

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Thursday Morning, February 13, 1862, p. 1

Border Scouts --- A Thrilling Adventure

Among the most active and daring of the Union scouts in the Southwest are four young men known as the Norrises and Breedins. Acquainted with every cross road and by-way, they scour the country for a radius of seventy-five miles south and east of Fort Scott. Their very names are a terror to secession, and every plan that ingenuity could devise has been resorted to to affect their destruction. Not long since the younger Norris was wounded in a skirmish near Shanghaie, in which six out of a party of twelve under Lieutenant Lewis met with a similar fate while contending against treble their number of the enemy. He is in the saddle, again, however, and ready for the field. These men formerly lived in Garden Grove, Mo., fifteen miles beyond Lamar, in the direction of Greenfield. The elder Breedin has a wife and a family still living there.

A couple of weeks ago, being anxious to visit his family, he took with him a party of six well armed and determined men and went down. Their arrival in the settlement became known to some of his secession neighbors and a plan was instantly set on foot to “take them in.” On the third night, being apprehensive of an attack, they assembled at a house in the settlement, where, after making all necessary preparations, they betook themselves to sleep. About two o’clock they were awakened by the approach of the enemy. They quietly took their places behind the fence surrounding the house, ready to give the foe a warm reception. The secession force approached to within 30 yards, halted, and most of them dismounted for the attack. “Now” said the captain, “creep up cautiously, and when I fire the signal gun, make a rush for the house and surround it.” Breedin and his comrades lay quietly in their corners until the enemy were within a few yards of them, when they delivered their fire with terrible effect, just as the sesesh Captain was about to fire his “signal gun.” A prisoner whom the attacking party had with them shouted as he heard the discharge, “d—n it, gentlemen there’s a good many signal guns there.” For a few minutes the skirmish was a hot one, when four of our men, having emptied all their rifles and pistols, and fearing that they would be surrounded, retired past the house into the timber and made their way to fort Scott on foot, leaving Breedin, Carpenter and Jones still at the fence fighting. Jones had nothing but a rifle, but he made every shot tell. Carpenter a boy of eighteen or nineteen years, had left his revolver in the house. After firing his Sharpe’s rifle, he threw it down, ran into the house, got his revolver, and coolly closing the door after him, returned to his post at the fence. Astonished at the telling and rapid fire from the fence, the enemy became panic-stricken, and rushing to their horses with loud cries of “we’re whipped, we cant stand the Minies,” &c., fled in utter confusion on the Greenfield road, leaving two dead and six wounded – two of whom have since died – on the field. They continued their flight about three miles, when the captain succeeded in stopping a few of them; but the barking of some dogs started them again, and no more halts were made until they reached Greenfield. A messenger was immediately sent to Price for a regiment of troops to come and drive Breedin out of the country.

Eight horses were left by the enemy in their flight; these were captured by Breedin and his companions, and after scouring the country two days longer, they returned to Fort Scott, bringing two prisoners, the eight secession horses and the horses left by their own party. The distance is about seventy miles. The secession party, by their own account, numbered not less than one hundred and thirty men. Breedin’s whole force, as we before stated, was but seven. – Leavenworth Conservative.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Monday Morning, February 10, 1862, p. 2