“I became convinced that Sodom was a pure city compared to the Kansas border:” Schofield's "Smelling Committee" Part II

Continuation of Colonel John V. DuBois report to Major General Schofield:


When I arrived in Leavenworth city Jennison [Charles R. Jennison], a livery stable man stated to Capt [illegible] & Governor Carney that unless he was appointed a Colonel he would “blow the whole [illegible] Lane, Blunt & Babcock.” Mr. Hoyt (a red leg & US detective) stated to me the same thing – Jennison is now a Colonel & Hoyt a Lieut Colonel & their mouths are closed.


Governor Carney told me that Champion Vaughn had said that he had the written contract between Lane [,] Blunt & Babcock to share the profits of the beef contract. That Babcock had said that Lane & Blunt were getting more than their share for the work they did. Lieut Colonel Hoyt told [illegible] that a man named Doubleday formerly a Colonel of an Ohio regiment now conductor of a sleeping car on the Lakeshore road stated publicly after a long service in Kansas that “unless Babcocks friends came down well he would expose them.” Babcock went to Chicago to meet Doubleday, gave him $100 to go home with & told him he had paid him all he intended to. Several gentlemen told me that when Genl Blunt commanded the Dept of Kansas he was ordered to dispossess certain squatters from R.R. lands – he only obeyed the order after getting the choice of 700 acres of land at the average price – which lands he now holds…


In Kansas city I found it a matter of notoriety that Kansas troops plundered every part of the border they visited. “There’s not a man in Kansas who is not moving a horse stolen in Missouri” was the remark of very many. A company of the 9th Kansas [illegible] stationed at Westport captured a large amount of property – This was publicly sold in Westport and the proceeds divided between the company and the Red Legs. The Proprietor of a Hotel in Kansas City informed me that very few Kansas officers paid their bill – He dared not insist upon payment for he knew they would burn his property…


Prostitution is universal. All the indian and negro women are diseased & no effort made to keep them from the men. An officer of respectably informed me that on one occasion Genl Blunt & two other officers visited the quarters of these women...

To be continued in Part III.