The “Association” Part I

In the spring of 1865, Detective Henry W. Huthsing began hunting Captain Joseph Bloomington Swain. Also known as, “Jeff Davis,” Swain appears on Connelley’s original list of Red Legs. In the fall of 1863, Swain was commissioned a captain in Jennison’s new 15th Kansas Cavalry. Swain had been sentenced to death [commuted to life at hard labor], by a court martial at Fort Leavenworth in March 1865, but somehow managed to escape before he could be removed to a penitentiary in Missouri. The crimes committed by Swain were horrific and at some point in the near future I will print the entire court martial record. Here is Part I of Huthsing’s report on his search for Swain:


St Louis May 1865


Capt Peter Tallon, Chief U.S. Police


Sir,


I have the honor to report, that in accordance with the instructions of Special Order No. 83, I proceeded on the 4th day of April 1865 to Fort Leavenworth and reported on the 7th of April to Capt Jos. Williams A.A. General for further information and instructions – by his direction I proceeded to Leavenworth City and stayed there several days, during which time I was principally engaged in watching the movement of Mrs. Swain who resides there –


By instruction per Telegraph from Col. Davis Pro Mar Genl, (actig) I seized all letters in the Post Office directed to Mrs. Swain and from these, and other circumstances I became convinced that Swain had crossed the River at Weston on the 31st of March and was at his home on the 1st & 2nd days of April – and that on the 3rd of April he left for Paola and Mound City where his old Camp was stationed and where he intended to stay until he could hear from his wife in relation to a Petition for his pardon, to the President which had been gotten up and signed by a large number of citizens, who as a general thing were all in complicity with him, and willing to do anything to obtain his release – these men, together with a great portion of the Officers and Soldiers now stationed at Leavenworth and along the Border, formerly belonged to an Association called the Red Legs and of which, Capt Swain was an active and leading member. I presume you have long been familiar with the History of this Association and I will not therefore give any details of their purposes and doings – [when I first read this part I started banging my head into the wall].


My information is collaborated fully by the report of Capt Winsberg who was ordered by Capt Williams on a Scout to find out the whereabouts of Capt Swain, reporting to him (Capt Williams) – I reported daily to him also, in person and by his advice and consent I proceeded on the 13th of April with an Escort of 10 men under the com’d of Capt Winsberg to Mound City, distant from Fort Leavenworth 110 miles on the South Border of Kansas – I arrived in Olathe on the 14th of April – here I learned that Ch. Johnson who is a brotherin-law of Swains, had passed through the place a few days previous, with two of Swain’s horses, and had stated to some of his friends that he had left another horse, a Black Stallion with Swain – and that Swain was safe, with some of his old friends not far from Fort Scott.

More in Part II.

"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

“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.

Former Senator Thomas Ewing to President Abraham Lincoln: The Lane-Blunt Red Leg Connection

Senator James H. Lane

Senator Thomas Ewing

On 27 June 1863, former United States Senator Thomas Ewing wrote the following letter to President Abraham Lincoln. Senator Ewing's son, Brigadier General Thomas Ewing Jr. had just assumed command of the District of the Border.

Confidential

Lancaster Ohio June 27/63

Sir,

I think you have my son Thomas Ewing Jr. now in a position which he will discharge his duties to your satisfaction. I see by the Kansas City papers that he has begun well, in repelling & punishing a Guerrilla raid - a small matter to the Country at large, but important to the locality if followed up vigorously.

But the greatest difficulty is this - The Country is infested with robber bands - Jayhawkers & Red Legs - who rob & murder in behalf of the Union, as they profess, and they have had too much the countenance of the public authorities. Lane [Senator James H. Lane] first organized them and Blunt [Major General James G. Blunt] as I am well advised has since countenced and supported them. I saw Genl Denver the other day, just from Leavenworth. He says the opinion is rife that Blunt has mended his fortune by sharing their plunder. Of this he of course knew nothing & probably would not wish to be named as repeating it. My son, if allowed to do it, will deal with these fellows as he ought. I have advised him to take into the Service as many of them as choose to enlist & hold them to strict discipline and to treat as robbers or rebels all others that he shall find under arms, engaged in acts of violence. Lane is now friendly, but if Tom does his duty there will I think, almost certainly be a breach between them. I write to caution you of this and to suggest that Lane, whom nature made for a bandit, is not to be relied on as a safe & prudent counsellor...

How Blunt’s Scouts Nearly Killed Brigadier General Thomas Ewing Jr.

Cyrus Leland Jr. (Kansas Historical Society)

Brigadier General Thomas Ewing Jr.



I came across this letter sometime ago. The letter is from Lieutenant Cyrus Leland Jr. to his mother. At the time, Leland was a member of Ewing’s staff:

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF THE BORDER


Kansas City, Mo Nov. 14th , 1863

Dear Mother,

     I received your letter of the 8th inst. Was rather glad to hear of Crabb's election. So Howard has sold his Pone. I have me a fine mare. I got her three or four weeks ago. She is worth one Hundred & Twenty five dollars. By getting her, it made me a little short of money. I can send it to you. I must tell you of a little circumstance in which I was a____somewhat intended at this time. While we were down in Mo. at Neosho, the people gave us a dance. There was some of Blunt's [Major General James G. Blunt], scouts there & they got on a bust during the evening. One of them was a little more nosiy than the rest, so I put him out of the house & used him rather roughly in putting him out. After I shut the door he fired through it at me the ball passing over me and very close to Gen'l Ewing. I then got a revolver and stepped out [the] door. As he saw me step out he run (the scout). I then commenced firing. At the second shot he fell. The ball had just coursed itself on the top of his head, just enough to stun him. The folks brought him in searched his head & he came to his senses. The next morning Gen'l discharged him and all of the Fort Scott Scouts and they went back to Fort Scott. When we returned to Fort Scott, I saw this chap with his head tied up. He told the people at Fort Scott that he had been bushwhacked in coming up...

Operational Once Again!

I apologize for the long absence, but the blog is back in operation.

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!