Below are three of the six Lone Jack men killed during the exodus of General Order #11. This massacre left four widows and twenty-six orphans.
On Sunday morning, September 6, 1863, Captain Charles F. Coleman and a squad of the 9th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry were tracking the signs left by hundreds of horses leading back into Missouri. Coleman had spent many days chasing and skirmishing with Quantrill’s raiders during their flight from the devastating raid on Lawrence, Kansas on August 21st. Captain Coleman had retraced Quantrill’s route to a location four miles Southeast of Lone Jack, Missouri.
A month earlier (August 19, 1863) Quantrill’s men had camped at the Benjamin Potter Farm. The men had been well fed from Ben’s smokehouse, and neighbors had brought food and well wishes for the young warriors. The horses were fed a stack and a half of oats and at sundown they proceeded on their way to camp for the night on the Middle Fork of the Grand River before entering Kansas.
When Coleman’s men arrived the residents of this area were making preparations to evacuate the area in compliance with General Ewing’s infamous “Order #11” which had been issued on August 25th. The order would de-populate most of Jackson, Cass, Bates and Vernon Counties. Coleman and his squad approached from the east on what is now Boswell Road. Before he got to the crossroad of the modern day Outer Belt he arrested David Hunter. Looking westward up a slight incline he saw the Rice Family loading their wagon. Coleman sent his “Sons of Kansas [sic]” to arrest Martin Rice, his son Isaac, and son-in-law William “Calvin” Tate. Martin presented Coleman with his “Loyalty Papers” that he had received the previous day from the garrison at Pleasant Hill. Undeterred, Coleman arrested them anyway.
Coleman now had four prisoners (all non-combatants). He called his pack to heal and wheeled back east to the crossroads where he turned South on today’s Outer Belt Road. A few hundred yards down the road, young Andrew Owsley was taken prisoner. He had been riding from his grandfather’s farm to see Martin Rice about borrowing one of his wagons to help his grandparents move.
Coleman’s soldiers then stopped at the home of John Cave. He arrested Mr. Cave and William Hunter here and added them to his list of captives. As they were leaving, 75 year old Benjamin Potter rode up and was arrested also. Ben had been out looking for his son and grandson who had been sent to gather a team of oxen to haul their wagon load of household goods. As the Kansans and their prisoners rode past the Potter farm, Ben’s daughter and granddaughter stood on the porch watching. Ben stared straight ahead so as not to give the Kansas Captain a reason to harm the women.
The prisoners were marched to the camp of Lieutenant Colonel Charles S. Clark, and ordered to sit next to a fence row. Colonel Clark appeared and took the name of each prisoner and the “loyalty papers” belonging to Martin Rice. After a brief interlude Colonel Clark spoke briefly with Captain Coleman and returned the “loyalty papers” to Martin Rice. Coleman then released Martin Rice and his son Isaac, after retrieving a hat that had been stolen from Isaac by one of Coleman’s men.
Before Martin and Isaac Rice traveled the half mile back to his home, a series of shots was heard…..a volley followed by scattered reports. Returning home, Martin assured his family that the shots were probably just some soldiers killing chickens for their breakfast.
Miss Jane Cave left from Rice’s to look for the horse that John Cave was riding when he was captured. When she arrived at the camp where the prisoners were held, she found the bodies of six men, murdered by the Kansans. Some of the men were riddled with bullets. David Hunter, who had broke and run, was found several yards away, shot in the head many times after he had been killed. 75 year old Ben Potter had been “gut shot” and left to die slowly. Andrew Owsley was killed as he tried to jump the fence, and was left hanging there. She rushed home to relate the scenes of horror that she had just witnessed.
Everyone except these few families had already left the county so there was only Martin and Isaac Rice and John Hunter left to bury the slain men. The three dug a shallow trench and gathered the scattered remains from the site. They placed the victims shoulder to shoulder, facing west, and covered them with blankets and then dirt. Elderly John Hunter (75 years old) had just buried his only sons, a son-in-law, grandson and two other relatives.
Mattie Rice Tate, daughter of Martin Rice and widow of Calvin writes in a letter dated December 14, 1864.
Excerpt:
Oh what a sight to Behold[.] they were shot all to pieces most and left on [page 3] the ground by them to stay there Forever for what they care[.] there was but three Men left to Bury them[,] my Father[,] Brother[,] and Uncle John Hunter[,] 70 years old[,] the Father of the two that was killed[.] everybody was gone but those familys and one other woman and we had to just dig a hole and put them all six in without any Coffins or Boxes[,] nothing But Blankets[,] and right where they were Massacred by a band of Murderers and a set of Blood thirsty—-[.] None of those men have ever been in arms on either side except Davie Hunter who was in the Malisha [militia] at Kansas City about two weeks[.] they were all at home and have been[,] and was minding their own Business[.] they were killed in the Morning about 10 Oclock and we left home about 4 in the evening[,] that home that was to Be home no more for me[.]
For More information see the links below.
Martha “Mattie” Rice Tate Letter Dated December 14, 1874
Monument Placed on the grave of the six men killed on Sept 6, 1863