The following letter appeared in the [Spartanburg, S.C.] Carolina Spartan, 10 July 1856, p. 2, c. 6:

"Fort Scott, Kansas Territory,

June 16, 1856.

I left home on the 11th April and reached here in ten days. Had an agreeable trip, and find the country in every respect as good, or better, than it had been represented. It is one of the finest countries on God's green earth, and the only prairie country I ever saw that had plenty of good spring water. It abounds in game and fish of almost every description. Society too is good -- better than almost any other new country. At this place we have the most excellent society -- the Methodist Church South has quite a fine house of worship here and are just about establishing a male and female school -- have one of the very best of buidlings. Originally cost $9,000. They have advertised for a teacher of their own persuasion. None of the scholars are far advanced, nor will there be more than thirty to forty in attendance. At present we have no teacher. Have a Sunday School here. Our town residences are really magnificent. I have one of the best houses in the Territory, sixty feet by forty, two and a half stories high, finely finished and plenty of good water and shade trees, with good negro quarters and fine stables attached. Both were built by the government, and cost about $18,000. Of course, it did not cost me so much. Nearly every house in our village is of similar elegance.

Last week I bought a young badger, which I inted to bring home with me. They are very domestic animals.

The Osage Indians live within twenty miles of us, and come daily into town to trade -- their only articles are ponies and buffalo robes. Ponies sell from $20 to $40, and robes from $3 to $4. They are the finest specimens of the human race I ever saw -- scarcely one among them less than six feet high, with the most perfect symmetry and beauty of form. The squaws do all the drudgery -- tether and saddle the horses, cook the meals, and carry every burden. In fact, the men do nothing but hunt, smoke and go to war. Warbuskey (flour) and blankets are the chief articles which they pruchase. War Eagle and White Hair are the chief men of the nation. They were in a few days laying in their summer supplies for their summer hunt. I got a pipe from War Eagle which I intend to bring home. Father Schonemaker and Father Pansetillo have a school, or mission, in the Osage nation, where they have under their charge about 200 young Indians. The nation generally are Catholic.

Belcher, of Abbeville [S.C.] and myself are apponted Commissioners to run a road from here to Fort Atkinson, on the Arkansas river, about 350 miles distant. Our route will lead us through the Comanche, Pawnee, and Apache Indians, and where we will see plenty of Buffalo, Deer, Elk, Antelope, Bear, Wolves, &c. Won't we have a glorious time of it? I shall keep notes of the travel, and the number of Bears, Buffaloes, &c., &c., which I kill (that is if I kill any at all). I have a sharp shooter, shot gun and revolver. Will carry along two negroes (Dick and Drayton); in all our party will consist of 18 men all armed to the teeth. We will be gone on this road some three months -- that is, if we are allowed to proceed with the survey.

At this moment we are all anarchy and confusion. Civil war is the programme of the play. [Did he write day, and miscopied by the compositor?] We are ordered to await orders to march at once when called upon. May be called out this day. Stand guard every night. Murder, assassination, and house-burning are only common occurrences now. Every day brings us intelligence of some new offense against the laws -- all by the Abolitionists. They set at defiance the laws of the country -- and are usually called the higher law or no law party.

To-day we ahve preaching. Methodist quarterly meeting commenced yesterday. Elder Bradly and Parson James are quite intelligent and sprightly preachers.

We have just got on a new printing press here, to be called the Southern Kansas, edited by a young man form Mississippi. We got up a subscription and bought the press for him. I will send Mr. ____ [left blank in original] some of the first numbers, and he must try and get us some hundred, and upwards, subscribers. Inthis way he can help us a great deal. We want every Southern man to take the paper. Surely they ought to take it!"

N. B. The name of the letter writer is not given. The preface to the letter stated it was from a "distinguished and reliable" source in Kansas Territory. Elder Bradly would have been the Presiding Elder of the Methodist District in which Fort Scott was located, probably the Missouri Conference. Quarterly conference was conducted under the supervision of the Presiding Elder. Today, in the United Methodist Church, that official is called the District Superintendent.