The Struggle to Build an Ordered Community of Liberty on the Southeast Kansas Frontier 1867-1876
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SWORDS INTO PLOUGHSHARES: The Struggle to Build an Ordered Community of Liberty on the southeast Kansas Frontier 1867-1876 by John N. Mack Submitted to the Department of History and the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Kansas in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy _____________________ Dr. Jonathan Earle (Chair) _____________________ Dr. Theodore Wilson _____________________ Dr. Norman Saul _____________________ Dr. Paul Kelton _____________________ Dr. Stephen Hasiotis _____________________ Date Defended: April 21, 2009 Copyright 2009 John N. Mack The Dissertation Committee for John N. Mack certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: SWORDS INTO PLOUGHSHARES: The Struggle to Build an Ordered Community of Liberty on the southeast Kansas Frontier Committee: Dr. Jonathan Earle, Chairperson _____________________ Dr. Ted Wilson Dr. Norman Saul Dr. Paul Kelton Dr. Stephen Hasiotis 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Dedication Page p 4 Acknowledgments p 5 Abstract p 8 Introduction p 14 Chapter 1: “Come to the Great West:” Veterans on the Osage Ceded Lands, 1866-70 p 57 Chapter 2: United We Stand: Law and Order on the Southeast Kansas Frontier, 1867-70 p 104 Chapter 3: “Let us have Peace:” Stability on the Osage Ceded Lands, 1870-74 p 166 Chapter 4: Liberal Republicans and Liberated Women: Challenges to the Social Order, 1870-74 p 201 Chapter 5: The Hour of Triumph: the Settlers’ Victory, 1875-76 p 253 Conclusion p 297 Appendix: Osage Mission: the Story of Catholic Missionary Work in Southeast Kansas p 300 Bibliography p 335 3 Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to the thousands of Civil War veterans who immigrated to Southeast Kansas in the late 1860s and 70s. 4 Acknowledgments Many graduate students will tell you that this part of the dissertation writing process is one of the most difficult – they are correct. Writing acknowledgements is hard. This is especially true for me. As I complete my dissertation I am 45 years old – I thus finding myself having a few more people to thank than most graduates! I want to begin by acknowledging the critical role played by my dissertation director, Jonathan Earle. I remember the first time I met Professor Earle – I was finishing my Master’s degree in Modern Russian and Eastern European history and was in the process of making a decision about what to do next. I was in the hall of the old history department wing and noticed that Professor Earle was in his office. With no appointment and really not knowing what I wanted to say, I quietly knocked on his door. His enthusiastic smile and warm welcome invited me in. His words of encouragement and guidance were deeply appreciated as was his ability to appreciate the unique circumstances facing a 40 year old father of four. Looking back of my years of dissertation research and writing, I realize that it is these same qualities that have provided me with the necessary strength to continue and finish this dissertation! Dr. Earle has been positive throughout the entire process, has been remarkably accommodating 5 of my situation, and has given me the freedom to pursue my research. He has steadily guided me and given of both his time and expertise. I also want to publicly acknowledge the role played by other members of the KU History faculty. Professor Norman Saul has been steadfastly supportive of my scholarship. In fact, it was Professor Saul who first suggested that I consider Kansas history as a subject for serious academic research. Professor Saul has been both a mentor and an example of true scholarship and civic responsibility. Professor Luis Corteguera provided much needed encouragement at a point when I was ready to quit. Professor Theodore Wilson consistently has exercised himself on my behalf. I am in awe of his scholarship and humbled by his consideration of my needs. Professor Margaret Rausch of the Religious Studies Department was my first professor as a graduate student at KU. Her professionalism and her consistent support were crucial in helping me make a transition back into academia after many years. I want to thank Professor Kim Warren for her helpful comments and guidance. I also want to publicly acknowledge my debt to her scholarship. Professors Paul Kelton, Donald Worster, John Alexander, and Alexander Tsiovkh provided much needed insights into the study of history and much valued examples of true scholarship. I would be remiss if I did not also recognize the important role played by colleagues and friends outside the history department. Professor Stephen Hasiotis has been a supreme example of true professionalism and educational excellence. 6 Vice-President Joe Burke of Labette Community College believed in me from the beginning and has always supported my attempts to pursue excellence as both a researcher and professor. I also wish to thank my colleagues at Labette who have, each in their own way, supported and encouraged me to do what I love best – learn and share the history of our great State. Finally, I want to thank my four children: Nathan, David, Jacob, and Michaela! Thanks for believing in your father and for supporting him during the years of transition. It has been quite a ride – thanks for hanging on!! 7 Abstract John N. Mack, Ph.D. Department of History, April 2009 University of Kansas This dissertation is a study of the settlement of southeast Kansas in the years immediately following the Civil War. It begins with the first settlers who arrived in 1867 and concludes with the triumph of the settlers in their struggle with the Railroads over land title in 1876. This story I have chosen to tell has not been studied by historians in detail. Although the territorial period in Kansas history has been the object of much scholarship as have the settlement patterns in northeastern, central and western Kansas, the history of the post-Civil War settlement of southeast Kansas has remained largely unstudied and thus unknown. It is my intention through this study to shake off the dust of scholarly inattention. In so doing, my dissertation contributes both to our knowledge of Kansas history and our understanding of the way in which Civil War veterans attempted to rebuild their lives and communities after the trauma of war. My goal has to been not only to recover the “what” but also to comprehend (as much as I can from the vantage point of 2008) the “why.” The settlers discussed in this dissertation could have made other choices. Nearby Cherokee and Crawford counties erupted in violence as settlers took up arms to confront the railroad. The residents in these counties also fought each other, as 8 some settlers chose to settle with the railroads and some did. The violence and civic discord which followed earned this region the epithet of “the Kansas Balkans.” The citizens of Labette and Neosho counties however did not take this path. They did not quit but persevered in their struggle and managed to remain remarkably unified in their opposition to the railroad claims. To understand their choices, I have relied upon the insights of political, economic, cultural, and social historians. My intent has been to hear and understand the settlers’ own words and (as much I can) thoughts. This has required me to adopt a multi-disciplinary approach and has produced a dissertation that spreads out in several directions. As I constructed the parameters for this study, I have of necessity drawn on a wide range of disciplines. My debts to scholars of Kansas history, women’s history, history of the American West, political history, social history, and Civil War history are obvious in the text. I have also benefited from the work of scholars outside the history field – especially those that have worked in the fields of communication and rhetoric, cultural geography (especially of Kansas), feminist theory, and the evolution of social capital. Finally, this work is heavily indebted to works that model the exploration of identity and identity formation. Some dissertations are like rifle shots. They fly straight towards their target and are united by a singular theme. Dissertations like mine are more like shotgun bursts which head in a singular direction but spray out along the way. 9 My advisor, Professor Jonathan Earle, has suggested that there are two ways to write dissertations. The first is to begin with a central question and then pursue the answer to that question by seeking out the appropriate sources. The second follows a different course. It begins with a collection of sources and then seeks to determine a unifying question that will help to uncover their meaning. My dissertation is of the second variety. My journey began when I was appointed associate professor of history at Labette Community College in Parsons, Kansas. As I came to know my students, I discovered that many of them were the descendants of original settlers. To my surprise, these students knew little about the history of their families and/or communities. When I turned to find articles and/or books to use in bridging this gap, I found that hardly any (beyond a few local histories written by local residents) resources existed. This is the genesis of this dissertation. The discovery process that attends every dissertation is rewarding for the scholar. This dissertation has been doubly so for me. I have come to understand my students better and have grown in my ability to teach them “from the past into the present.” In short, it has helped me become a better professor. I also believe that this dissertation will contribute to scholars’ knowledge of Kansas history and shed light on the important role fulfilled by Civil War veterans in the post-bellum settling of the Kansas frontier.