Brown, John, 1800-1859 to Owen Brown
Order a pdf of this item here.
Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02454 Author/Creator: Brown, John, 1800-1859 Place Written: Osawatomie, Kansas Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 5 December 1855 Pagination: 2 p. ; 31.7 x 19.9 cm. + 1 engraving ; b&w ; 21.4 x 13.6 cm + 1 engraving ; 16.5 x 11.5 cm Order a Copy
Brown discusses the free state struggle, and reports there are rumors of a free state man being murdered, and that it may lead to more violence. Says "We feel more, & more certain that Kansas will be a Free State." Also discusses family affairs, health, and his plan to stay in Kansas at least until spring. Bottom of the page and all of the second page are written by Samuel and Florilla Adair, with the end of their letter missing. They recount how the murder of the free state man happened, state that it is leading to war, and discuss the buildup of armed forces. The man murdered was named Charles Dow, he was shot by Franklin N. Coleman, and what followed was called the Wakarusa War. Despite large forces built up on both sides, there was no real battle at the time, and major fighting in Kansas was still months away. 2 black and white bust engravings of John Brown included.
Citation Guidelines for Online Resources
The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.