Report of the Special Committee Appointed to Investigate the Troubles in Kansas, 1856

pp.  409-411, concerning the election of 30 March 1855

William H. Adams called and sworn.

To Governor King:

I came from Missouri to the Territory, and settled in Leavenworth City in August, 1854; I was among the first here and knew a great many of the settlers, and was here at the election on the 30th of March, 1855; I saw several Missourians here on that day, and think I know the inducements which brought them here.  For about a month or six weeks previous to the election a general rumor prevailed among the free State men in this place that a large number of eastern emigrants would be at the election—this before we knew when the election would be, and before the proclamation was published.  It was rumored that it was known in the east that the election would take place here before we knew it ourselves; and that there would be a sufficient number of emigrants here to elect the free State ticket.  It was also rumored, and believed by the people here and by the people in Platte county, Missouri, that this was the work of regular organized societies in the eastern and northern States.  Owing to those rumors, as they said, they came over at that election, or about that time.  I never heard any threat that they intended to take control of polis, or to take the election out of the hands of the bona fide residents.  They said that they came over here to offset the votes that might be shipped up here by the Emigrant Aid Society.  The first notice that ever I saw giving the time of the election was in the Boston Atlas.  I stated that it would be on the 22d of March.  We received the notice, and gave it to the public through the Kansas Weekly Herald about two weeks previous to the election.  I think we had some three or four hundred majority in this election district if no Missourians had voted.  I think the election was conducted orderly.  I saw no badges except ne or two hemp badges on the hat; one of whom was a Wyandott, and one was a white man.  I was here when Felix 0. Braden declined being a candidate of the “free State party.”  He said he was in favor of making this a free white State, but that he had made the canvass of this district and was thoroughly convinced that it would be utter folly for him to run; that the pro- slavery party had a large majority in the district.  He said he would prefer seeing it a “free white State,” but that he did not want to see it an abolition or a free soil State, that he was neither himself.  He said by running, it would cause fathers and sons to have hard feelings, and cause contention, and for that reason he would not run.  H. Miles Moore, whose name is said to be on the poll book, and who was said to be a Missourian, voting here, was in the Territory at the time of the election and before; he was a shareholder here in this town, said this was his home, was here at our nominating convention, made a speech, and sought a nomination as candidate for a legislative office, but was not nominated.  I heard no one dispute the legality of his citizenship.  I looked upon him in the same way that I looked upon many others who had property, and lived here most of the time.  He had no family or property that I know of in Missouri.  He staid at Weston a portion of the time; said he intended to move here and stay here all the time as soon as he could get an office here.

To Mr. Sherman:

Mr. Braden withdrew the day before the election at about eleven o’clock.  He made a short speech at the Kansas house; he said he did not want to run as a candidate, and wanted his name off.  There were a good mny people in the town at that time, say 250; there was public speaking by the candidates in the town that day.  It was rumored that there would be several hundred emigrants at our rolls on the 30th of March, and this induced the Missourians to come over.  The eastern emigrants did not arrive that day.  I cannot explain why the Missourians voted, and I do not know how many did vote.  I know, as a matter of fact, that a great many of those eastern emigrants came up in a few days.  They told they were eastern men, and were generally Massachusetts emigrant aid men.  They returned a few days afterwards, and told me that they came here just to vote, and did not intend to settle.  They did return.  I was one of the proprietors of the “Kansas Weekly Herald” at that time, and am now.  I was here at the time Phillips was taken across the river in May.  I decline to say what occurred there on the ground that it may implicate me.

WILLIAM H. ADAMS.
LEAVENWORTH CITY, K. T., May 31, 1856.

pp. 526-527, concerning the election of 22 May 1855

William H. Adams, testifies:

To Governor King: . 

I was residing here at the May election, and had resided here since August 1854.  At that election, the same candidates which had been elected at the 30th of March election, and which election had been set aside by the governor, were re-elected on that day, though they did not proclaim themselves as candidates, from the fact that they considered their previous election legal.  I never heard a charge that the election of the 22d of May was carried by illegal voters.  They gave it up, considering that they were in a minority in this district; that the pro-slavery party was the strongest.  I did not see many Missourians here on the 22d of May.  Some few of them I saw vote, but some of them said they considered themselves residents of this district, and had property here.  I think we had five hundred majority in this district at that time. 

On the day of the election, I saw a steamboat called Kate Kassell.  I saw one of the free-State candidates on the boat.  I couldn’t tell what he was doing.  He was on the lower deck among the hands.  After that, some twenty or thirty of the deck hands came up and voted the free-State ticket.  From my knowledge of the Missourians, who voted here that day, I think it was about a fair stand off.  That has always been my impression.

To Mr.  Sherman:

I was on the “Kassel” that day myself.  I know those men voted the free-State ticket, by the color of their ticket.  I do not know why they were not challenged.  I was present at the time.  I do not know that any one was challenged that day.  We did not consider that election as a legal election, as the candidates had before been elected.  I cannot say whether there were more than fifty illegal votes that day, more or less.

WM. H. ADAMS.
LEAVENWORTH CITY, K. T., May 31, 1856.

from Report of the Special Committee Appointed to Investigate the Troubles in Kansas: With the Views of the Minority of Said Committee
By United States Congress.  House.  Committee to Investigate the Troubles in Kansas, William Alanson Howard, Mordecai Oliver, United States Congress.  House
Published by C. Wendell, printer, 1856