Q. From your own knowledge, and from information derived from others in the organization to which you belonged, was the organization gotten up to meet the contingency contemplated in that resolution?

A. I think not, in this last organization. We have never had any other organization. I do not know as any organization has ever been. gotten up in regard to any portion of that resolution.

Continued by Mr. Woodson:

I do not know of any arms being procured upon the recommendation of this resolution. Before the passage of this resolution, which was on September 5th and 6th, 1855, there was no organization and procurement of arms in this Territory. I think the commencement of the organization of military companies was at the commencement of our difficulties here last fall. There was no organization until that time, November and December; and I do not think there was any complete crganization until it was given by Governor Shannon, by giving commissions to General Robinson and Colonel Lane. The first arms that I know of being procured was in the first of that organization.

The chairman of the Big Springs convention was Judge Smith, as he is called. I do not know who draughted the resolutions. I forget who was the vice-president or secretary.. I do not know all who had a part in drawing the resolution that has been read here. I believe Judge Schuyler and John Wright were on the committee, but I cannot recollect the names of them all. I believe I was on that committee. The proceedings will show, as we made no secret about it.

To Mr. Reeder:

As I understood, Governor Shannon repudiated these Missourians at the last as part of his forces, though report was that at the first he commanded them. I did not hear Governor Shannon say so myself. It was against these Missourians that he repudiated that our organization was made. I did not hear Governor Shannon say that he recognised any of them, as I never heard him say anything at any time.

To Mr. Woodson:

I do not know that I can speak as to the full extent of the intention expressed here by our organization, but I understood that we were here to defend ourselves and our property against any body of men who came here to destroy us and our property. I do not recollect of hearing anybody say we were to resist Governor Shannon and the men he was in command of.

To Mr. Oliver:

To my understanding, it was not the purpose of this body of men in this place to resist the laws of the Territory, to be carried out by the sheriff, assisted by Governor Shannon and his forces. Our organization here had nothing to do with or against any laws, so far as I understood it, but for self-defence and the defence of our property.

To Mr. Woodson:

When Governor Shannon was approaching the city with his posse, in aid of the sheriff, I heard no expression as a body of men in regard to it. I believe I can say, upon report, that it was not the intention of the people of Lawrence to resist the writs in the hands of the sheriff.

To Mr. Howard:

As an organized expression of the people here, I know of no expression of opinion as to the obeying of the Territorial laws or not. I frequently heard individuals of this organization express themselves upon this subject. I do not know as I can name any of them, but I think, probably, a quarter of them, or more, spoke of it, but never except as an individual matter. I heard no man who undertook to speak for any but himself. The general tenor of the sentiment thus expressed was to resist, except the United States officers, and I don't know that any one expressed himself as being willing to resist those officers. What I meant by Territorial laws, was the laws of the Territorial legislature, and not the organic act. I never heard any man in the Territory express any disposition to resist the organic act that I know of.

To Mr. Oliver:

These expressions of opinion I have referred to were made at the time we were organized here, and when it was understood that Governor Shannon was coming here with his forces.

To Mr. Reeder:

These expressions of opinion were not in favor of a resistance to the Territorial laws, by the means of this body of men then assembled here,. but by individuals; each man to act for himself, resist or not, as he chose.

To Mr. Sherman:

Q. Was it the purpose of the company of men assembled at Law rence to resist Governor Shannon, aided by the citizens of the Territory, or to resist the Missourians, who they understood had come to invade them?

A. My understanding, from all that I heard said, was that if Governor Shannon had come with the militia of the Territory alone, no man would have resisted him. But the body of men we assembled here to resist, was the Missourians who came here with the threats to destroy us and our property.

LAWRENCE, K. T., April 30, 1856.

WILLIAM JESSEE.

ROBERT F. BARBER called and sworn.

I live six miles west from Lawrence, about three-fourths of a mile south of Judge Wakefield's. Thomas Barber was my brother.

H. Rep. 200-71*

He

was shot on the 6th of December, 1855, on Thursday, about two o'clock in the afternoon. I was in company with him at the time. He was shot about three and a half miles from here, going west. I was by his side when he was shot. My brother, and brother-in-law, Thomas M. Pearson, and myself, had started from Lawrence after dinner. We were on horseback. I told my brother, Thomas Barber, that I had better come back to Lawrence and borrow a pistol. At that time we had got but about 200 yards out of town. He said he did not think it was necessary to have one; but if I wanted to go back and borrow one, he would wait for me. I then came back and got one of Colt's naval revolver pistols, and then rode back after him. After we had got, I should judge, between 2 and 3 miles from Lawrence, we saw a party of men. We remarked, when we saw them, that they were Missourians, and supposed, at the time, there were 12 or 15 of them.

They came round a corn-field, directly up towards the California road that we were then on, but close to where we intended to turn off towards home. We rode on some distance, not very far, and this party came right towards us, and two of them rode out from the rest, and rode on and headed us. The eornfield that they came round when we first saw them, was on the north side of the California road. The road we intended to turn off in to go home, led off south from the California road.

We had turned off on our road home, and had gone some little distance on it, when those two men left the others and rode along to head us off. They rode right up to us, and when they came off against us, one of them ordered us to halt. The rest of the party to which these two belonged had crossed the California road, and got into our road behind us. When we were ordered to stop, the two men were not more than five yards from us. We halted immediately, and one of the two rode directly before us in the road, and turned round facing us. The other was on our right side, a very little be hind, if anything. My brother and myself were side and side-my brother on my right. My brother-in-law was about the length of hig horse behind me, a little to my left.

The one that was ahead of us did all the talking. He asked u where we were from. My brother told him we were from Lawrence The next question was, where we were going. One of us, if not both told him we were going home. He asked then what was going on ir Lawrence. My brother told him there was nothing very particula going on; but the citizens were preparing for defence, or I think something near that. This man then said they had orders from Governor Shannon to have the laws of the Territory enforced. My brother asked him what laws the citizens of Lawrence, or the citizen. of the Territory in general, had disobeyed. The man used som expression after that-I do not recolleet what-and said, "what in hel was the reason the citizens of the Territory could not obey the laws?' When he had made that remark, he ordered us to turn our horses heads and turn back, pointing to the main body of men behind us My brother said we could not do so, as we wanted to go home. H then remarked, and said, "you won't, hey ?" and then rode aroun

to the right of my brother, drawing his pistol as he started. My brother turned his horse a little towards him as he rode around to our right. Having seen this man drawing his pistols, I endeavored to draw mine. My pistol was behind me, and the flap of the holster was buttoned. As I was getting my pistol out, I saw this man ride up and point his pistol directly towards my brother, and fire, and then ride back behind us. By that time I had got my pistol ready, and turned my horse slightly in the same direction my brother had done, and fired at the man that shot at my brother. About the same time I shot, the other man, who had ridden up and headed us, shot also. I am not certain whether either of these men shot more than once each. When the second shot was fired, the one who fired rode back to where the first man had gone. About the time the two men had got together, I shot again, having turned round still farther. They two came together, said something, I did not hear what, and then rode off as fast as they could go to the main party, which was between 300 and 400 yards off. After they started off for the main party, I fired at them the third time. After I shot the third time, my brother said, "Boys, let us be off, too" We then started off in a gallop towards home. My brother had no arms with him of any kind, but my brother-in-law had a pistol; but he did not fire it at all. After we had ridden on about a hundred yards, my brother said, "That fellow has shot me. This was the first intimation I had that he was shot. I asked him where he was shot. He pointed to his side, a little in front, just above the hip, and I said, "Not possible, Thomas." He nodded his head, and I could just hear him say "Yes," and he then immediately sunk down on his horse. I saw he was going to fall, and I rode up to him and caught him tightly by the left shoulder, and held him on his horse; in which manner we rode fifty, perhaps one hundred yards. I could hold him no longer, and I called out, "Whoe," and both our horses stopped. Just as we stopped, my brother fell between our two horses. I immediately jumped off and went to him. After I got off, I found he was dead, and I think he was dead when he fell. I asked my brother-in-law then what we should do. My brother-in-law was then sitting on his horse; having stopped as I did. He asked me if my brother was dead. I told him I was pretty sure he was dead. After I said this to my brother-in-law, I saw this party coming towards us again. I thought at the time that the whole party was coming towards us, bu. I may have been mistaken. We had not got out of sight of the party after the shots had been fired. I asked my brother-in-law what we should do; and he said, "Let us stay here, and let them take us prisoners." I told him my brother was dead, and we could do him no good by staying there, and they would have to kill me before they took me prisoner. He said, "Then let us be off." I jumped on my horse, and we started off in the road towards home. My brother's horse came right on after us. After we had rode perhaps 200 yards or more, as I was a little ahead of my brother-in-law, he asked me if I saw them coming after us. I looked back, and I told him I saw two men coming, and they were about where my brother lay. He then asked me again to stop and let them take us prisoners. I said they should not take me prisoner then at all. He said then, "Let us ride like the devil, and get out of their road.”

We rode on as hard as we could go, and I do not think we saw them any more after that.

We were then going right towards my brother-in-law's house, and we made directly towards that. His house was just across a ravine, about 400 yards from it. Both of us rode into the ravine, my brotherin-law in one direction and I in another. When I got into the ravine I jumped off my horse, and found it was shot. I then left my horse standing there. Supposing these men were following us, and would try to find us, I went on about a mile in a northwest direction on foot. I did not see my brother-in-law again until about 10 o'clock that night.

My horse was shot just behind the fore shoulder, and I knew nothing about it until I jumped off him when I was in the ravine. The horse died that night. The first place I stopped at after I got off my horse in the ravine, was at the house of Mr. Hazelton. I told him what had happened, and he started right off to get some persons go back with us to get my brother's body, as we wanted to be prepared to meet any of this party that we thought might be watching us, expecting us to come back after his body.

to

I did not know either of the two men who shot at us. The one that was in front of us rode a grey horse. The other one rode a sorrel horse. None in this party of men had military clothes on, that I recollect of. None of our party had any military clothes on, but were dressed in citizen's clothes. I have never seen any of those persons since, to know them.

LAWRENCE, K. T., May 10, 1856.

R. F. BARBER.

THOMAS M. PEIRSON called and sworn.

I reside between six and seven miles from this place, west. I was in company with Thomas Barber on the 6th of December, 1855, when he was shot. We had started from Lawrence that afternoon, myself and Thomas and Robert Barber, my brothers-in-law, for home, and had got about 3 miles on the California road, when I saw a body of ten or twelve men. A few minutes after we saw this party, we turned off to our left from the California road towards our home. Just after we turned off, or about that time, two men of this party we had seen crossed the California road, and we slackened up when we saw them. We went on that road something short of a mile, and then two men headed us, and came in before us and stopped us. They inquired where we were going, and we told them we were going home; and inquired where we had been, and we said at Lawrence. Thomas Barber did the talking for our party. They asked us what was going on in Lawrence, and Thomas Barber said there was not much. After some other conversation, they ordered us to wheel round and go back. Thomas Barber told them we could not do that, as we wished to go home to our families.