Early Report on Scouts in Red Leggins

The newspaper clipping below can be found in the Jennison Scrapbook at the Kansas Historical Society. There is no date or other identification with the clipping. The Jennison Scrapbook contains a host of interesting articles. It would appear that Charles Jennison's wife, Mrs. Mary Jennison, assembled the scrapbook. After interviewing Mrs. Mary Jennison in 1905, William E. Connelley reported that, "She had many scrap books containing clippings of accounts of Jennison, but she sold them in San Francisco. She said she would borrow them for me."

Lies

The "Republican" says that the "Red Legs" never fought Quantrile [Quantrill], thereby intimating a collusion between them. The writer lies, and knows it, in the statements thus made. Let us give a fact. In the winter of '61 and '62, Captain (now Col.) Oliver, Seventh Missouri Volunteers, was in command of a battalion at Independence. Oliver had been educated under Jennison, and knew how to deal with bushwhackers.
Quantrile was ranging in that section. Boorn Swaine [Joseph Bloomington Swain], (better known as Jeff Davis) John Bridges [Jack Bridges], (Beauregard) and eleven other Federal scouts were empowered by Oliver to hunt Quantrile down, receiving as compensation the horses and arms they might capture from the guerrillas, not belonging to Union men. One or two men in the party wore red leather leggins. This was adopted as an insignia by the scouts. Within two weeks they had nine fights with Quantrile, shooting three horses from under him, and reducing band to twelve or fifteen men.
A change occurred. It didn't suit officers of the Gamble-Republican stripe to destroy him entirely. He might have a vote when the rebellion was over. His friends would be offended. So [,] Lieut Col. Brown (now General) of the Seventh Missouri, an officer of conservative opinions, relieved Capt. Oliver, who was sent under arrest to Lexington on charges of Jayhawking. The "Red Leg" scouts were all arrested and kept in the Independence Guard House for forty days. The only charge was irregular warfare. The real offence was exterminating bushwhackers. The "Republican" and its set have not changed a bit. To-day they would rather that Quantrile and his friends should escape, than that the martyred dead of Lawrence should be avenged.

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.   



        

"I Speak of the Well Known Spy - 'Beauregard'"

I found this fascinating letter at the Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center Congressional Archives. The correspondence reveals why detective papers were so important to the Red Legs. The letter was written by Ms. Fannie Wright for Jack L. Bridges, alias “Beauregard” and addressed to Kansas Congressman Sidney Clarke. Clarke was a former assistant provost marshal at Fort Leavenworth and had once served as Senator James H. Lane’s personal secretary. As Kip Lindberg and I wrote some time ago, it is perhaps the most flagrant surviving example of the Red Leg patronage system. It would appear that the note was written in February 1865.




Syracuse Kans Feb 7


Hon Sidney Clarke


For a friend in the following fix. He was mustered into the U states service by Col Robt White of St. Louis, just before the battle of Lexington, in the hurry of the moment he was given no papers certifying to his enlistment, was mustered as “scout & spy, consequently , his name does not appear on muster roll at Wash. I speak of the well known spy, - Beauregard. The sum of my request is this – that “detective papers” be given him under you, you undoubtedly are aware of the gain pecuniary to be realized from such papers exercising jurisdiction over country south of this, he expecting to share liberally with his friends. Write immediately saying what can be done about these papers.


Direct Troy Doniphan Co

Very Respectfully
Address Fannie L. Wright

Jack L. Bridges aka "Beauregard"

Kansas Congressman Sidney Clarke