For This Land

by Kate McMullan

  September 30, 1856

  I went with Aunt Margaret to give away the clothes from the barrel. It was frosty out. We covered up with a buffalo lap robe and drove east. We stopped at a cabin built into the side of a hill. Aunt Margaret called it a “soddy.” Its roof was grass. A woman asked us in. The soddy was dark inside. And damp. The ceiling was packed dirt. And tree roots. I saw a little snake winding its way through the roots. Pres might like to live in a soddy.

  Two children sat at a table eating soup. I helped their mother pick warm winter clothing for them.

  As we were leaving, a child cried out. I looked back and saw that the little snake had fallen into her soup!

  We went to six more soddies. People took wool sweaters and shawls from the barrel. They took wool pants and socks. But nobody took the St. Louis dress.

  When we got home, Aunt Margaret said, “I guess it is yours, Meg.”

  I put it on. It fits perfectly!

  Later

  Mother did not eat much supper tonight. She is worried. Father’s wound is not healing.

  October 1, 1856

  Father has a fever. His wound is festering. Aunt Margaret mixed herbs with hot water. She wrapped them in a rag. She put this compress on Father’s wound to draw out the infection. I hope this will help him!

  October 3, 1856

  Father did not wake up all day yesterday. Mother is beside herself with worry. This is worse than cholera. I want to go home!

  October 4, 1856

  Father has not eaten in two days. George has driven Aunt Margaret to Blue Mound to get Reverend Still. He is a doctor as well as a preacher. Aunt Margaret says he will know how to help Father.

  Later

  Aunt Margaret came back without Reverend Still. He was not at home. Mrs. Still says he went off to help the Free-State Militia. Now who will help Father?

  Oh, Lord, please help Father get better. Please, please, help him get well!

  October 6, 1856

  A miracle has happened!

  Father was sleeping. The rest of us sat around the fire. The boys were mending harnesses. Mother, Aunt Margaret, and I were stitching to keep ourselves from worrying. We heard the sound of a wagon coming. Aunt Margaret hobbled to the window. She picked up the rifle she keeps in the corner. “Get down,” she said.

  I flattened myself on the floor. Mother rushed in to Father.

  I heard the wagon coming closer. My heart was pounding. Were Ruffians coming to burn our cabin?

  Aunt Margaret aimed the rifle.

  Then I heard someone call, “Whoa, Ruby! Whoa, Blanco!”

  I jumped up, shouting, “Don’t shoot! It is Dr. Baer!”

  We all ran outside. And there were Dr. Baer, Miss Peach, and Hannah Peach!

  When Mother saw Dr. Baer, tears sprang to her eyes. He had been a dear friend in St. Louis. His wife and daughters died of cholera. So he decided to move to Kansas. Mother took Dr. Baer’s hand and led him in to see Father. Dr. Baer gave him some medicine. Tomorrow when he has good light, Dr. Baer says he will take the bullet out of Father’s shoulder.

  Aunt Margaret offered to warm up some of our beef stew for Dr. Baer and the Peaches. But they are vegetarians and eat no meat. So they had only biscuits for supper.

  Even by the light of one candle I could see that Hannah Peach has lost her rosy cheeks. She has lost weight, too. So have Miss Peach and our dear “old Bear.” When I heard their story, I understood why.

  When we were on the steamboat, Dr. Baer and the Peaches showed Pres and me a pamphlet. It was from a vegetarian community in Neosho, K.T. The pamphlet had pictures of fine houses. And a flour mill on a river. Dr. Baer and the Peaches sent money to buy land in Neosho. Now Dr. Baer told us it was a bogus pamphlet. When they got to Neosho, they found nothing. No houses. No flour mill. No river. There was only rocky ground. And the deserted cabins of other vegetarians who had left Neosho. Or sickened and died.

  Hannah stood before the fire, warming her poor red hands. Miss Peach told us that several times a day, Hannah walked a mile to a stream for water. She carried a yoke on her shoulders with a bucket on each end, like an ox. Poor Hannah Peach!

  The boys brought in hay and made prairie feather beds for Dr. Baer and the Peaches.

  Mother says her prayers have been answered. Mine have, too.

  October 7, 1856

  Soon after sunup, Dr. Baer got his bag. He asked Aunt Margaret to get the whiskey. But there is no whiskey. The Ruffians stole it. Now Father will have nothing to ease his pain.

  Dr. Baer went in to Father. Mother and Aunt Margaret went in to help. I heard Dr. Baer talking. Then I heard Father scream. I ran from the cabin.

  I am sitting in the prairie grass now. I am not at all brave. I could not stand Father’s screams. But I know good Dr. Baer will take good care of Father. I am thinking on the good. Good, good, good, good.

  Later

  I am holding a bullet in my hand. Dr. Baer took it out of Father’s shoulder. He says now Father’s wound will heal.

  I remember the day George and I made bullets. Then, I did not know what one small bullet could do. This little lump of lead nearly killed my father. Did the bullets I made kill anyone? I will never know. But I will never make another one as long as I live.

  October 10, 1856

  Father is better! He is sitting up. He is eating soup and asking for more.

  The rest of us have been working to bring in the wheat. Theo, Sam, and William Vanbeek came to help. We gathered the sheaves together and tied them into bundles. It is hard, hard work.

  October 13, 1856

  Today we dug ten bushels of potatoes out of the ground. Our fingers turned blue from the cold.

  October 15, 1856

  First frost last night. We got the wheat and potatoes in just in time!

  The boys moved the cookstove back into the cabin. Pres wanted to move Jake into the cabin, too. Mother said Jake is happy right where he is.

  October 16, 1856

  Father got out of bed today. He sat in the rocker. Dr. Baer made a sling for his arm. He says Father is on the mend.

  Mother let Pres show Jake to Father. Father said he was quite a snake. Then Pres showed Father “Boy with a Two-Headed Snake.” For the first time since he was brought home in the wagon, Father laughed. Pres said he knew Jake would cheer Father.

  Aunt Margaret takes food to Uncle Aubert in prison when she can. The trial date for the Free-State prisoners is set. It will be on the last day court is in session. We are all on pins and needles, hoping the judge will free the prisoners.

  Bedtime

  I still pray for Father’s health. And for Uncle Aubert in prison. But now I can spare some prayers for Lily’s baby sister.

  October 22, 1856

  George, Charlie, John, Pres, Grace, and I rode to Lecompton with Aunt Margaret. We went for Uncle Aubert’s trial. Aunt Margaret asked us to go. She wanted to show the judge what a fine family Uncle Aubert has waiting for him back home. Mother put my hair in French braids. I put on my blue St. Louis dress. The boys got slicked up, too. It was cold. So we bundled under the buffalo robe for the ride.

  We reached Lecompton. We saw men standing around the cabin used for a courthouse. Some had on Free-State Militia uniforms. Mr. Young was there, taking photographs.

  Aunt Margaret pointed out a man with a red scarf tied around his neck. She said he was Jim Lane, leader of the Free-State Militia. He came over to us. He looked angry. He told Aunt Margaret that Judge Cato did not come to court today. Jim Lane said it is a pro-slavery man’s trick. Now the trial must be put off until spring. Now Uncle Aubert will be in prison all winter long!

  Mr. Young came over to us, too. He said how sorry he was. Then he said as long as we were here, he would like to take our photograph. Aunt Margaret agreed. She says she will give Uncle Aubert the likenesses of his children for Christmas.

  Mr. Young lined us up in two rows. I stood at the end in the second row. Pres stood in front of me.

  “Hold still!�
� called Mr. Young. He began to count, “One … two … three …”

  When Mr. Young said, “Seven!” Pres darted out of his place. He ran around back of everyone to the other side of the first row. Then he stood still.

  Mr. Young counted, “Fourteen … fifteen! Got it!”

  “Pres! What in the world?” said Aunt Margaret.

  “You will see,” said Mr. Young. He winked at Pres. He promised to bring the likeness by our cabin soon.

  We were all quiet riding home.

  Later

  I was glad to take off my St. Louis dress. I forgot how a lace-trimmed collar can itch.

  November 3, 1856

  The land office in Lecompton is open again. Dr. Baer and Miss Peach drove in and staked claims. Now they both own plots of land some six miles east of here.

  November 4, 1856

  Mr. Young stopped by. He gave Aunt Margaret the photograph he took of us in Lecompton.

  “I call it ‘Twins in the Family,’ ” he said.

  We all looked at the photograph. Pres stood at one end of the first row. And Pres stood on the other end of the first row, too.

  “Oh, Preston!” said Mother. “You have ruined the picture!”

  But Aunt Margaret laughed. She said seeing the Pres twins would cheer Uncle Aubert to no end. She said he is a man in need of cheer.

  November 7, 1856

  Governor Geary has toured K.T. He says it is free of Ruffians. Now we are truly at peace. He has named November twentieth as a day of Thanksgiving in K.T. We have lived through a terrible time. Now we will have a day to give thanks and count our blessings.

  Later

  Theo Vanbeek came to help with chores. I am still angry at him. But when Hannah Peach saw him, roses came back into her cheeks. Wait until I tell Lily!

  November 8, 1856

  Mother and Aunt Margaret are organizing a big Thanksgiving dinner in Lawrence. They will sell tickets for two dollars each! That is a lot to pay for a dinner. But the money will go to buy bedding and warm winter clothing for the Lecompton prisoners. After the dinner there will be music and dancing. Pres and John are making the tickets. Mother says we will cook up a storm.

  Later

  Lily rode Honey over today. The Peaches had gone to their claim. So Hannah was not here. But I told Lily about her. And how her face turned pink when she spoke to Theo. Lily says we must get Theo to ask Hannah to dance at the Thanksgiving dinner.

  I told Lily I have been praying for her sister. She was happy to hear it.

  Then Lily and I had the best idea! We asked Mother if we could ride to the neighbors’ cabins to sell Thanksgiving dinner tickets. She said yes!

  November 10, 1856

  George hitched Bay to the wagon. I drove to Lily’s house. She sat beside me on the wagon seat as we drove from neighbor to neighbor. Everyone bought tickets. Some paid with little gold dollars. Some with banknotes. Lily kept all the money in her pocket.

  Our last stop was Mrs. Biggs’s cabin. I feared that by now, she must surely have gone to her heavenly reward. But she was sitting on her porch. She told us that Sally had found her way home!

  We asked Mrs. Biggs if she would like to buy a Thanksgiving dinner ticket. She said two dollars was a fortune. She said she would probably not last until Thanksgiving. But then she said she would not need money where she was going. So she might as well buy herself a ticket. She also bought a ticket for her daughter. And one for her daughter’s husband. And ten more for all her ten grandchildren!

  We drove home with sixty-four dollars. Lily said carrying so much money made her feel dizzy.

  November 11, 1856

  Mr. Vanbeek came to see about chores today. He and Father talked for a long time. When Mr. Vanbeek left, I went to sit beside Father. I said he must be angry with Mr. Vanbeek and his sons for not fighting for a free K.T. But Father surprised me. He said he thought Mr. Vanbeek was brave not to fight in the war.

  I could not believe my ears!

  “But you fought!” I said. “You almost died for this land.” But Father said that if only everyone believed as the Vanbeeks did, there would be no war at all.

  I will have to think on this. Maybe Theo and his family have the right idea after all.

  November 12, 1856

  Mother and Father drove into Lawrence today. They brought back a package from the post office for Aunt Margaret. She opened it and said, “I’ll be!” She held up a stack of banknotes. The government in Washington sent them to her to replace the roll of burned money. George whooped for joy. Aunt Margaret says maybe some day paper money will catch on after all.

  Then Mother said she had a surprise. She told us that today she and Father staked a claim for land two miles north of here. Father said in the spring, we will build a cabin.

  Everyone whooped and cheered. Everyone but me. I cannot quite believe it. We will not be going home to St. Louis after all.

  November 20, 1856

  More than one hundred people came to Thanksgiving dinner. Father was mended enough to come!

  Mr. Young took a photograph of all of us sitting on benches at a long table made of boards. Nell and India were there. Mrs. Biggs came. Her daughter’s whole family did, too. So did Mr. Silas Ogden. When all were seated, we held hands. We bowed our heads. A Reverend Hutchinson offered a prayer. He gave thanks for this time of peace in Kansas Territory.

  Then we feasted on vegetable stews, roasted turkey, baked ham, chicken pie, and fixings.

  After dinner, I helped clear plates. For a dying woman, Mrs. Biggs surely has a good appetite! While I cleared, others served pie. Then we had announcements. Miss Peach stood. She thanked Mother and Aunt Margaret for putting on the dinner. Others stood. They said they hoped the Lecompton prisoners would soon be freed. Mother slipped Lily and me seconds on pie. It helped us last through the announcements. Theo Vanbeek stood. He announced that the Lawrence School would begin next week. Lily and I threw our arms around each other. School! We whooped with joy. Finally Mr. Silas Ogden stood. He said this was the best dag-blasted dinner he had ever eaten.

  Mr. Vanbeek tuned up his fiddle. Aunt Margaret got out her tambourine. The music started and everyone began to dance. Theo walked right up to Hannah Peach. The next minute, the two of them had joined the dancing. Lily and I did not have to do a thing. We watched them dance. Lily asked if Hannah were a Quaker. I said she was a vegetarian. Lily said that in K.T. that might be close enough.

  Bedtime

  We will not be going home to St. Louis. I am still getting used to the idea. And when I think about it, how could we go home? Our house has been sold. And our carriage. Dear Nellie has moved to New York to marry Sean O’Brien. We can never go back to that St. Louis. So I am no longer a St. Louis girl.

  And if we could go back? I would miss Aunt Margaret and her cheerful ways. I would miss Uncle Aubert. And my cousins. I would miss Lily. And her prayed-for sister. I would miss my walk with Kip to the stream each morning. I would miss Mollie’s sweet cow’s breath. I would miss sleeping next to Grace in the Blue Quilt Room. I would miss Hannah Peach. I would even miss Jake. And anyone who could miss a snake is surely a prairie girl.

  In 1856, Kansas was a territory belonging to the United States. Franklin Pierce was president of the United States. Everyone knew that Kansas would soon become a state. But would it allow slavery? Or would it become a state where slavery was against the law? Most Northerners wanted Kansas to be a free state. Most Southerners wanted Kansas to allow slavery. Everyone felt strongly about slavery.

  President Pierce did not want to take a stand on slavery. He did not want to anger voters in the North or the South. So he declared that Kansas Territory hold an election. He said that the citizens of K.T. should vote on what kind of a state it should become. This solved President Pierce’s problem. But it caused terrible problems for everyone in K.T.

  At this time, only white men could vote. But which white men? New people arrived in K.T. every day. Some planned to stay and make K.T. a home. Others wer
e just looking around.

  Ferrying pro-slavery voters to Kansas.

  Because so many people were arriving in K.T., some pro-slavery judges came up with a plan. They made a rule that if a man had lived in K.T. for one hour, he could vote. After this, men from the South rode to K.T. Many of them were a rough sort. When they crossed the border into K.T., they were called Border Ruffians. Some Ruffians voted once in the K.T. election. Others voted many times! When the votes were counted, it was no surprise that K.T. had elected a pro-slavery government.

  Border Ruffians invading K.T.

  The Free-State settlers set up a government of their own. For a time, there were two governments in K.T. Both governments created armies or militias. These militias fought for control of K.T. The fighting was fierce. K.T. became known as “Bleeding Kansas.”

  The town of Lawrence, Kansas, was settled by people who believed that slavery was wrong. Some hid runaway slaves in their homes. The Underground Railroad had many “stations” in Lawrence. They helped runaway slaves escape north to freedom.

  In September 1856, 2,500 armed pro-slavery soldiers and Ruffians surrounded Lawrence. There were only 300 men in the Free-State Militia. The town was in terrible danger. But just before it was attacked, the governor sent U.S. troops to save Lawrence.

  The war in K.T. took place five years before the Civil War began. The Civil War is sometimes called the War Between the States. The war in K.T. could be called the same thing.

  The destruction of Lawrence and the Free State Hotel.