Description
Late Arrival of Contraband Goods—Slaves Leaving Missouri—The Legitimate Results of Secession. Our people have never shown any disposition to “steal" negroes. We are not aware that it has been done in a single instance. Jake Hurd and his band of Missouri desperadoes have kidnapped many free negroes in Kansas and sold them into slavery. But since secession began in Missouri, the chattel have begun to steal themselves. They have learned from their masters that Lincoln is an Abolitionist and all the people in Kansas of the same stripe, that secession has been invented to save slavery, that Yankees think a nigger is as a good as a white man and much better. All these things to hear have the chattels seriously inclined, and having heard are now beginning to avail themselves of the freely given information.
There are today in Kansas four living fruits of secession.
The first fruit is called Solomon; was owned by James Overton, near Independence, is 23 years old, and black enough to be a Republican.
The second fruit is named Samuel. He was owned by Israel Link, in Platte County, about 20 years old; a “healthy boy and able to take care of himself.
The third fruit is called Caleb; seems to be a wide-awake boy. He was owned by Abner Dean, a rabid secessionist who lives 2 miles west of New Market, in Platte County. Caleb is 35 years old and a farmer. While ploughing in the field lately, his owner asked him whether he would fight for his master if he had a gun; and Caleb shook his head. The 35-year old boy was then threatened with a flogging. As the punishment was about to be inflicted he seized his master's revolver, went down to the Island and crossed the Missouri in a skiff. The boy says his master has been talking of sending his cattle to Kansas, but feared the Yankees would steal them. Caleb hopes the cattle will be sent over now; he will herd them for nothing and guarantee that they won't be stolen by Yankees. From which we are led to infer that Caleb's head is “located."
The fourth fruit is called Anderson and he sympathizes with the Major Nicholas Green, his master, lives 4 mile North of Platte City and was in town yesterday searching for the gallant Major. Green wears spectacles and a blue jean suit. The hero of Sumter and Platte City, after working in the field all day on Sunday last, went in the evening to see his sister. When he returned home his master damned him and threatened to shoot him. Anderson evacuated the farm that night at 10 o'clock and seceded from Missouri the next day without submitting the question to his master. He crossed the river by swimming it, as many a brother has done before him.
In conclusion we beg leave to remark that, however much we are pained by the recital of these facts, they are not more painful than the constant intelligence of the assassination by rebels of men of our own color and race for no other reason than this: that they were born in the North. All of which the rebels are permitted to put in their several pipes and smoke ad libitum.Date(s) of Creation
6/20/1861
