Person:Charles Lovejoy (2)

Wrote the letter dictated by his mother, Sarah Lovejoy, and made the sketch of the Barricklow Cabin. My Dear Myra.

    I have written this letter at Mother's dictation and I hope you will

preserve it, as it contains facts of interest. Many of the stories of occurrences there in Early Days, I have heard from childhood. I may find time to paint a picture of this old cabin next winter. I want a picture of that, and also the cabin where I was born, which I remember perfectly. I would like very much to see you all. I have taken a good deal of interest in your letters and I am going to send you some pen sketches so soon as I can get a little time to make them up and I want you to write to me. I hope to make a visit there some time, but there has been so many changes taken place it would seem strange to me I fear.

                              Affectionately yours
                                     C.H. Lovejoy
                                                                  Conconully Apr 2-3 1909
         My Dear Myra
        
     I received your letter last night and couldnt sleep until
after midnight trying to recall those old events, and find it is
not a very easy task after one has been absent so long.  Your
father ought to remember everything, for he has been right there
all the time.  I know that we moved to Kansas from Indiana in the
spring of 1856 but am not sure just what time we moved up in that
cabin, on the home farms, but I know that it was on account of
the fact that Father thought it unsafe for the family to remain
any longer in Palmyra (now Baldwin).  This was because of the
fact that immediately prior to our moving up there, a band of
Missourians called "bushwhackers" seventy five or eighty in number,
came to Palmyra for the purpose of killing the inhabitants, which
at that time consisted only of our own family and a few bachelors.
        
   Father's life had been threatened by the McGees of Kansas City

because they thought he was too active in the free state Cause. As to the raid just mentioned, we heard rumors that they were coming, and as there was a company of U. S. Soldiers camping at Prairie City at the time we sent for help. They sent us an orderly sergeant and a half dozen privates. The soldiers remained in a vacant house and your Uncle Ross and the Sergeant went out on the road the bushwhackers were supposed to be coming on, and awaited their approach. Near midnight they heard a large company of horseman approaching. It was quite dark, and the Sergeant and Ross stood in the road until the raiders were well in hearing, when the officer yelled Halt! at the top of his voice. The raiders were surprised and they halted forthwith. Their only response for a moment was the ominous sound of click, click, click of many guns being cocked--not a pleasant sound in the darkness.

    Presently the leader of the band called out, "Who is there?"

The Seargent answered come and see." "How many are there of you",asked the leader? "Enough to wipe your outfit off the Earth in mighty short order" was the Seargents next bluff. "Are you a soldier" next asked the bushwhacker. "I am", replied the Seargent. "I would like to talk to you a minute alone," was the next move of the raider. "Get off your horse and advance alone" was the order of the Seargent. Thereupon the raider dismounted and came forward remarking as he came up, If you fellows had not been here there would have been the prettiest darned fight tonight that ever was.!! Say he continued, I will give you, (naming a large sum) for that uniform of yours." "If that is [sic] all you want to talk about go back and get on your horse" ordered the Seargent. At this the raider made a sneaking attempt to draw a revolver, but the officer whipped his out first and stuck it in the face of the bushwhacker, ordered him to leave with his gang instantly under penalty of anihalation. They did so galloping away in the darkness. This was not the first or last experience we had of this kind.

Soon after we arrived in Palmyra, most of the family were taken down with the measles. While a number of us were sick with this disease there came a knock at the door one night, and your uncle William went to the door, but before opening it he asked "who is there?" "Friends" was the response and he opened the door. A revolver was thrust into his face and he remarked sarcastically "You do look like friends certainly." A crowd of armed men pushed themselves into the room, and demanded what arms there were on the premises and proceeded to ransack the house. They suceeded in getting a revolver and a gun or two, but there were other arms hidden that they did not find. There were two drums, a snare drum and a base drum in the loft of the house that were not taken at this time. The next morning, "Sunday morning", they returned and took the drums and found a keg of blasting powder which they blew up out on the prairie. One of these drums,the snare drum, is the one now in possession of your father. They were recovered at the fight called the "Battle of Black Jack" which occured about six miles East of the old home place. This fight took place between free state settlers and Missourians, and the drums were recovered by Prairie City men.

  The circumstances in connection with the attempted taking of the fine

mare, "Lucy" were as follows, and occurred afterward at Palmyra. One day we saw a cloud of dust West on the Santa Fe Road, and at that time we could see a great distance, and we knew that it must be proslavery men. When they reached our place they called for water and Grandfather Barricklow took out a bucket of water and gave them a drink. There were about six or seven men. They began to curse the free state men and accuse them of stealing their horses. While they were doing this, they happened to see the mare, Lucy, who was picketed a short distance away, and they told Grandfather that they intended to have the mare. He said, "Not if I can help it," and he came in and got a musket and went to the door. Two men remained in front of the house to keep him in; one was quite a little distance away, the other quite close by. Grandfather took aim at the latter, who turned deathly pale, for he thought his time had come. At this instant I came down the ladder from the upper room and saw the situation and the determined look on father's face. I hated to think of his killing a man and put my hand over his eyes as he was in the act of firing. I would never forget his tense voice as he whispered--"Take care. Take care!" The gun snapped and hung fire. The man instantly ran away, and was joined by the others who had, in the meantime, been tugging at the picket pin, in their excitement, forgetting to cut the rope. Fortunately, the pin had been driven in very deep by Cass, your father. They failed to get Lucy, and providentially , Father was spared the necessity of killing a man.

  These things just related, and others of like nature, made it so unpleasant

and unsafe in Palmyra, and as we knew of this cabin up on the hill in the woods, quite a distance from the Santa Fe Trail, Father thought it wouls be safer; because the house was owned by a man named Jones, who although he was a slave owner, was a gentleman, and he and father were friends. Also, we were advised to go there by another proslavery friend by the name of Joe Fager. But troubles did not end here.

     One morning, about sunrise, about thirty men suddenly came out of the

woods and surrounded the house, utterly to our surprise. After terrorizing us for a time with abusive language, they rode away, much to our relief.

    This last event was at the cabin, a sketch of which has been sent to you.

Mr. Jones, the owner of this cabin was driven away by John Brown's men, because he brought two slaves, a man and a woman. This couple lived in a a miserable hovel that was afterwards referred to as the negro quarters. It has been said by some that the first meeting was held in the "negro quarters", but this is a mistake. The place was too meager and unkemt even for pioneers. Meetings were frequently held in the Jones Cabin, however, by Father Lovejoy, Mr. Downey and others. Late in the fall of 1856, Mr. Jones returned from Missouri and Father bought the place from him. During the early days, we certainly led a strenuous life. At the time of Quantrell's raid, I recall that Father came in one day and said that Lawrence was being burned. We could trace the progress of Quantrell's men by the column of smoke rising against the sky. (Senator)Lane and his family often visited at the cabin. Itenerant preachers always found a welcome here. It was here that a series of meetings was held by ministers of the Methodist Episcopal Church and people interested in the town of Baldwin, formerly Palmyra, and which series of meetings led up to the location of Baker University at Baldwin. The sketch of the cabin, although drawn from memory, is a very faithful representation and recalls the place perfectly as I remember it. What is referred to as the "Jones Cabin", I believe was originally built by a man named Kibbey. I do not know who preached the first sermon in Baldwin or Palmyra, but according to my recollection, it was Dr. Still, a resident of Blue Mound. I have dictated this this letter at some length, hoping that it may aid in preserving a little history which may become lost otherwise. As those who know of these things are becoming few.

                                      Affectionately your Aunt.
                                               Sarah Lovejoy