The following two articles appeared in the Laurensville [S.C.] Herald, 27 June 1856:
On page 2, c. 3:
"LETTER FROM GEN. A. C. JONES
Just before going to press we received a long letter from Gen. A. C. Jones, which we are sorry cannot appear this week. The Company is in good health, and ready and willing to fight or work but have not as yet been able to get a chance at either. They are generally in need of men and money, and calls [sic] upon the District for the remainder of the money promised but not paid. Shall we neglect them in this trying time? We answer: Laurens will never permit her name to be tarnished by such ungrateful conduct.
He requests us to state that his post office is Westport, Jackson Co., Mo."
And on Page 2, c. 5:
"CORRESPONDENCE OF THE ANDERSON GAZETTE.
MISSOURI HOTEL,
St. Louis, Missouri, May 28, 1856
My Dear Earle [the editor of the Gazette, later editor of the Anderson, S.C., Intelligencer]: When I last wrote you, our little Company of Kansas Emigrants were on board the Steamer "Rock City," en route for the city of St. Louis. We left Nashville about 9 o'clock on the morning of the 24th May, and reached the little town of Paducah, about 11 o'clock the next day. Paducah, in the State of Kentucky, is situated near the junction of the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers, about 225 miles from Nashville. It contains about 5000 inhabitants and is a quiet and orderly place. We spent our first Sabbath at this place. The ladies of Laurens had presented each member of the company (myself among the number) with a Bible, previous to our departure. A reader was appointed who read aloud from the scriptures, in presence of the company, each member with bible in hand, and thus was spent our first sabbath on our way to the western wilds! The sentiment, so aptly expressed by a member of the Company, in responding to the present, found a hearty response in the breast of all of us -- "may the ruler of the Universe throw his protecting arms around the fair donors of these Holy Books!" I may as well mention that our company is composed of sober gentlemanly and determined men. We have not a single disorderly man. They are all going with cool heads and stout hearts, with the determination to do their duty. Civil War has already ___ [probably "erupted"] in Kansas, and if the worst comes to the worst, you may expect to hear a good report from Gen. Jones' company. But to return from the digression. At Paducah we fell aboard the packet "Fashion," and landed here at 2 o'clock yesterday morning. We have spent two days in the City, and have employed ourselves making hostile preparations. We leave for Lexington, Missourri, at 4 'clock this evening on the steamer John H. Lucas. [Note that Dandridge Boyd stated they traveled on the Jewel] We have been advised, by those friendly to our cause, that it will be more prudent for us to land at Lexington, about 45 miles from the nearest point in Kansas, and provide ourselves with provisions and all other ___ , and our gallant General, I believe, has determined to do so. Provisions, it is said, can be purchased at much cheaper rates in Lexington, than in the Territory, and, besides, we will meet with warm hearted friends there who will willingly lend us every assistance in their power.
We have had a most delightful trip thus far; and save one little occurrence nothing has occurred to mar our pleasure or ruffle our feelings. On yesterday whilst we were at dinner, an attempt was made by some cowardly assassin to force open the door of the room occupied by Gen. Jones. Mrs. Jones, however, always prompt and vigilant, returned from the table before the scoundrel had accomplished his foul purpose! To use her own language, had she been present, she would have "shot the robber dead with her pistol," and this is not the langauge of a braggadocio -- She would have acted promptly and efficiently! Gen. Jones having occasion to be absent in the city, on business for several hours, yesterday, Mrs. Jones, like a brave Roman matron, sat in her ___ ___ ___ her pistol, ready for the approach of the robber or robbers. This Missouri Hotel is a notorious hotel. Bufort was robbed of two thousand dollars here, and Chapman's men -- the Richland [District, S.C.] company were also stripped of a large amount of property. Let Travelers beware of the Missouri Hotel! Our landlord seems to regret the occurrence of yesterday, and I freely exonerate him from all blame. We were preparing to leave his house on yesterday, and he begged us to stay until to day, gratis, and we have run the risk of being robbed
and complied with the request!
Our men have all enjoyed excellent health, and are in the very best of spirits. All of us are very much attached to the General and his lady, and will follow them anywhere. I see it stated that the ladies of Lawrence in Kansas, are arming themselves for the conflict. The Southern portion of them could never find a more gallant and intrepid leader than Mrs. Jones. I have never known a lady in whose courage and patriotism I have so much confidence as I do in that of Mrs. A. C. Jones. She is a prudent, brave and gallant help-meet and advisor of a brave and gallant General. With such leaders we ahve nothing to fear.
Ibzan J. Rice"
Rice was the only member of the company not from Laurens District; he was from neighboring Anderson District, probably originally from the area west between Honea Path and Belton, in southeastern Anderson District. No copies of the Anderson [S.C.] Gazette are known to exist. None are on file at South Caroliniana Library, University of South Carolina, Columbia, which has the most extensive collection of South Carolina. Rice was the law partner of James L. Orr, who was a member of the U. S. Congress and Speaker of the House in 1859-60; they practiced together in the court house town of Anderson. When the company returned to South Carolian in the fall of 1856, Rice stayed in Kansas, and he was killed in a fall from the steps of the Leavenworth Journal, of which paper he was assistant editor. His death was reported in the Laurensville Herald, 23 Oct 1857, p. 2, c. 2.