"Hell and its Fury" Part I

From about the last week of March until approximately the third week of April 1863, the Kansas Red Legs, lead by Hoyt, launched a series of deadly raids deep into Missouri. They were, perhaps, the largest Red Leg incursions of the war and certainly the most violent. Below is a list of newspaper articles related to these raids:

28 March 1863

Weekly Champion and Press (Atchison, Kansas)

Late yesterday evening we received information to the following effect: Sixty of Maj Ransom's men and thirty Red Legs were on High Blue all day Sunday and killed the notorious [illegible] Perry and several other bushwhackers. They arrived at Raytown at nine o'clock yesterday morning and heard there of the disaster to Penick's men. Late dispatches from Capt. Harvey [could be "Jack" Harvey], says that he has reliable information that Quantrill returned on Saturday with very considerable force, making the enemy's force about two hundred. --Kansas City Jour. of Com.

It is very possible that some or all of this group of Red Legs were the ones mentioned by Lieutenant Hankins as "going home to Lawrence," in his report dated 30 March.

8 April 1863

Boston Daily Advertiser (Boston, MA)

Successful Scouting Expedition

Kansas City, Mo., April 7 - Major Ransom of the 6th Kansas, has just returned from a highly successful scout. Thirty-one guerillas were killed, 15 camps broken up and nearly all the camp equipage, arms, horses, &c., captured, 27 houses and places of resort burned and two leaders hung. The latter were concerned in the robbery of the steamer Gaty. A large amount of powder and other munitions of war were destroyed. Only one of Ransom's men was wounded, and he will return to the field in a day or two.

11 April 1863

Freedom's Champion, (Atchison, Kansas)

Bushwhackers Cleaned Out - Capt. Hoyt and his squad of men who have been down below with Maj. Ransom, cleaning out bushwhackers, returned yesterday. Maj. Ransom had about 160 men, under Capts. Stout and Harvey. Capt. Hoyt had 30, making in all nearly 200. The expedition was all commanded by Maj. Ransom, and had for its object the killing and driving out of the bands of rebels which have so long infested that district. The raid has been very successful. About forty rebels have been killed, over twenty rebel houses burned, and Maj. Ransom has seized a large amount of rebel munitions, &c. Several of the negroes who escaped from the Gaty were rescued. Among the rebels killed were some of those engaged in the steamboat massacre. None of our men were hurt. Capt. Hoyt's men killed 32. [see comments by "Fifth Cavalry" http://jayhawkersandredlegs.blogspot.com/2009/09/i-believe-red-legs-will-kill-any-man-in.html ].

Capt. Todd, who commands the bushwhackers was badly wounded.-He was shot in three places, but escaped. This effective raid will doubtless terrify the rebels in that part of the country, so that the business of murdering, stealing and plundering, which they have carried on so long, will not be a very popular calling for some time to come - Leav. Conservative.

25 April 1863

Appleton Crescent (Wisconsin)

Creating a Union Sentiment in Missouri

A letter from Lexington, Lafayette county, [Missouri], dated the 6th inst., informs us that, within the five days previous, some thirty or forty Kansas Red Legs, and one hundred and fifty or two hundred of Burris' [Lieutenant Colonel John T. Burris 10th Kansas Volunteer Infantry], regular United States soldiers had entered the southwest part of that county, "and burnt at least thirty houses and killed at least fifty men, who were unarmed and heretofore lived in peace and quiet through all the troubles which have existed in that country." It was enough that a man has taken the alarm, and carried his negroes and stock away, to mark his property for confiscation by the Red Legs. Among those who have had their property burned, the writer names Dillard, Walker, Bledsoe, Woods, and others. Several Union men were killed, among them one James, near Chapel Hill. The southern men killed had taken the oath of allegiance and given bonds, and no one ever charged them with a violation of either. "Even while I write (says the correspondent), the streets are full of wagons and stock belonging to persons fleeing from that section of the country."

More in Part II

Initial Beginnings of the Kansas Red Legs

William S. Tough

George H. Hoyt

Jack Bridges "Beauregard"



The Chicago Tribune published this interesting story on 18 November 1862:

The War on the Border

From Kansas another corespondent writes:

It is proposed to raise here, if Gen. Curtis will sanction the proceedings, a force of 400 or 500 mounted men to be enrolled, for three months, and to be employed especially in the task of hunting Quantrell and his followers. We have about that number of young men who have been with the army as scouts, etc; and who are, of all the men on this border, the ones to place in such service. It is daring and comparative freedom that would suit them, and there is a strong ambition among them to be so employed. The ordinary supplicants of warfare will never reach the guerilias [guerrillas] and we shall have to accept the services of men who know their every haunt, and if allowed to go at it in their own way, will clear the border in a short time. Under the leadership of Captains Hoyt, Boom, Swain [Joseph Bloomington Swain], Bridges [Jack Bridges “Beauregard”], Tufts [could be William S. Tough], and others they can exterminate Quantrell by New Years, if allowed to go ahead. The mustering into service for three months will be a sufficient restraint upon the men and the officers of such an organization and provide against the irregularities which attend the operations of irresponsible scouting parties.   



        

Dawson A. Hook

Interesting article found by Bill Hoyt on Detective Dawson A. Hook. Hook's name can be found under my previous posting:
DETECTIVES, SCOUTS AND GUIDES EMPLOYED UNDER GEORGE H. HOYT FOR BRIG. GEN THOMAS EWING, JR., IN 1863:
Hook, Dawson A., Detective, 16 June-31 Aug.

"An article in the White Cloud Kansas Chief talks about one of Ewing's Detectives named Dawson A. Hook, who got drunk and threatened the editor with pistols for mentioning his name in an article. I don't remember seeing his name listed before, but it looks to me like the detectives were getting a really, really bad name by the Time of the Lawrence Massacre (see Columns 2&3)."


 D. A. Hook, Detective.



Having had business at St. Joseph, we started, for that place, on Saturday morning last. While in the Treasurer's office, atTroy, attending to a little business which we had there, an individual who has been circulating somewhat extensively through this upper country, as a sort of detective, by name Dawson A Hook, came swaggering' (or staggering) In, and immediately commenced, taking us to task for something we had published about Ewing. It appears that the offensive article was a statement which we had made, upon. facts gathered from a police report in the Leavenworth Bulletin, that a couple of Ewing's detectives had been detected endeavoring to kidnap a negro, and that Mayor Anthony had prevented it. Hook's main grievance
seemed To be, that we bad not given the names of those detectives ; and as be; D. A. Hook, was universally known.as Ewing's secret detective, everybody wonld think that he was the one alluded to not that he had any great scrnples against catching a nigger, but he didn't want the impression to prevail that his master's great adversary, Mayor Anthony, had "brought him to taw." We quickly saw that the fellow was so drunk that all explanation wonld be wasted upon him, and therefore endeavored to have as little as possible to do, with him ; but he nevertheless went on with his bullying and threats, occasionally throwing back his coat to exhibit a brace of revolvers buckled at his sides, which frightened us so terribly that we soon after went to the hotel and devoured, a hearty dinner. He swore that no editor should "buck sgainst Ewing over the backs, of his detectives;" that we shouldn't publish anything about the detectives, without also giving their names; and boasted that he was the only man who had ever caught a nigger in Kansas, and returned him to Missouri After reaching Elwood, and going on board the ferry boat, Hook again made his appearance, and his battery, in the same, strain as before. This time he hauled out his revolvers,, flourishing them somewhat, but through mistake held them both in one hand, which, to a person not used to being shot, did not look very terrifying. We promised him then and there, that he should have no occasion to complain that we did not mention names in onr next article. Now, we care nothing for D. A Hook's abuse and threats. He was sober enough to know that his business was not to go abont shooting people, and he had no such intention. He merely want'ed to blow and bully. Had he attempted anything else, cither at Troy or on the ferry boat, there wonld not have been enough left of him to have made a respectable stink. Neither do we' believe that Gen. Ewing would approve of his conduct in the least. But we wish to know whether the whole State of Kansas
is under martial law, that detectives can roam in every direction, insulting and abusing peaceable citizens at pleasure under cover of their commissions? Is this the sort of men Ewing employs to perform particular and secret service? We always had an idea that a detective should be a man who conld go his ronnds without creating suspicion, instead of one who constantly kept beastly drnnk, boasted of his business to every one, and insulted and abused persons indiscriminately.
Lord forgive us for swearing!