The following letter was printed in the Abbeville [S.C.] Banner, 3 July 1856, p. 2, c. 4, 5:
FRANKLIN, K. T., June 8th, 1856
Dear Firend Davis: On this beautiful Sabbath morning, and surrounded by the vast level prairie, which seems to praise God and rejoice in its green waving dress, I seize a short half hour to write. There is a greater probability of a letter reaching home from this palce than from Lecompton, as the Lecompton mail passes through Lawrence, and it is said to be a practice with the Post Office officials at that important City to open communications going South, and if they see proper, "suppress the documents." The fact is, I generally send my mail matter by private hands to Leavenworth, thereby detaining it two or three days.
The town of Franklin is a hamlet of some dozen shanties, situated in the beautiful Wakulasa Valley, about seventeen miles below Lecompton and four miles below Lawrence. It has a mixed population of pro-slavery and Free State men -- nearly equal in number. There are two stores, three grogshops, and one hotel. The latter is a small log hut containing two rooms -- one devoted to cooking and eating, and the other to sleeping and other household purposes "too tedious to mention." For the honor of this place, however, a large frame buidlign is going up, with a flaming sign already swinging in front, marked "Franklin House." The town is laid off into lots of 60 X 150 feet, selling now at from $25 to $100. The prairie around is so perfectly level, and so free of anything but grass, that one can see a man readily at four or five miles in any direction. The timber on the banks of the Kansas and Wakalusa (pronounced Waw-ka-loo-sa)limits the view, and does not seem to be over a mile off. The fact is, distances are more deceptive on the prairie than they are even at sea. One can see the road over which he has to travel for an hour or two ahead.
This place is in the centre of the excitement now prevailing. Almost daily we haear fresh rumors of violence, murder, horse theft (or "pressing," as it is delicately termed), robbery and house-burning. Neither party is responsible for these outrages, irresponsible individuals on both sides are equally concerned. The consequence is, that considerable bodies of men have to be ordered out by the officers for the protection of life and property, and meeting with resistance, a battle ensues. So far is true of the pro-slavery party, but there is the strongest reason to believe that the principal citizens of Lawrence do not scruple to fit up large parties with horses, arms and ammunition, for the purpose of reprisal and revenge for the destruction of the Free State Hotel. My business here is in connection with one of these midnight raids. I came down yesterday on a visit of consultation, to a Mr. Teschemaches, shot in a battle here last Wednesday. A party of Abolitionists succeeded in getting into the town a short time before day and attempted to get possession of a piece of Artillery. The alarm was given by the guard, but the pro-slavery men being scattered about in different houses could not get together a larger force than ten men to resist some seventy-five or eighty. Firing from behind houses was kept up for some time with equal ardor. The cowards (you know who I mean) finally withdrew about day-break, leaving blood on the ground, although they did not confess to any loss or wounded on their side. Teschemacher was shot in the lung just as he left his door. No one else was touched, although Teschemacher's house was completely riddled with Sharp's Rifle balls, his family narrowly escaping. Teschemacher will die.
Gov. Shannon is doing his best to put a stop to this state of affairs, but he lacks that Jacksonian decision and energy which are such desiderata in an emergency. Sumner has his troops stationed in various parts of the country, with orders to disperse all bodies of armed men. But what but his partiality to the Lawrenceites can explain his inactivity, when a troop of dragoons only a mile and a half off, cannot protect Franklin from midnight assassins and robbers? Last night a lady here received a message from a free-soiler to remove from this place immediatley, for that his party would not come again with less than one hundred men. There are not voer twenty-five here who are considered "right on the G. Q," the greater part of whom are Buford's men.
These fanatics little imagine the lion-spirit they are arousing. The Border Ruffians have not yet engaged in the difficulty. There were not seventy-five of them at the attack on Lawrence; but they sent us word that they were in readiness at a moment's warning to march to match any force that is requisite to defend the law. I fear that these blind fools will urge the point to that issue; if so, God help the Union!
There are very few emigrants coming into the Territory; while a great many of the more peaceably-inclined, are leaving daily. At present, I believe, we have the majority every where except around here. At any rate we can hold our own by force of arms, if necessary, until the October elections, by which time I expect the arrival of large bodies of emigrants from both North and South, will materially affect the issue at the ballot box. One cannot predicate from the past or present state of affairs, what it will be then. The South must awaken, for the struggle has but just began. We need her men, her resources, her countenance; but above all, we need the divine blessing on our just cause.
Sincerely yours,
J. M. P."
J. M. P. was Dr. John M. Pelot, an arrival in the spring of 1856 from Abbeville District, South Carolina.