The following article appeared in the [Spartanburg. S.C.] Carolina Spartan, 7 Aug 1856, p. 2, c. 5:
"The following letter has been handed to us for publication and will be read with interest:
'Leavenworth City, K. T., July 8 [or 6], 1856
Mr. P. O. Lemmons
SIR: I take the present opportunity to drop you a line. We arrived here last Monday week, without accident, and I have been looking around ever since to see something to write about that might interest or amuse you, but can find nothing.
We passed through a great many towns, and saw multitudes of people, but to give a description of all the towns, people, &c., would take a quire of paper; so I shall not attempt such a thing.
We are now in Leavenworth, a new-city about three miles below "Fort Leavenworth," which you can find by reference to the map. This is quite a pretty place to its age. It is about a mile square, and nearly half its inhabitants are abolitionists, and are the most dastardly cowards you ever saw.
We struck a breeze of fun the other day. About fifteen to eighteen yankees came up to this city. We suffered them to land, but took them and searched their baggage, and found twenty-three ("Sharp's Rifles") Ward Beecher's Bibles, with powder, lead, caps, &c. -- which we took from them, and told the "boys" they might take a view of "the Promised Land," but could never enjoy it. We marched them to a boat, saw them on board, and guarded them to St. Louis, then told them to depart in "peace." About this time "Uncle Sam's" boys got wind of what we were doing, and about fifty came charging in, and called for our captain, (Capt. Clark, of this place.) The officers had a private interview, which terminated all right. About this time a Mr. Murphy, a pro-slavery man, and an abolitionist had a few words, when Murphy showed him how Brooks served Sumner, by practically demonstrating the Southern application of a cane. The free soiler, to show his celerity on foot, broke, when one of our party fired a Repeater at him, but now one owns it now. I suspected we would have a full growth "row," but did not.
We then had a drawing for the guns that we had taken. I drew one of the Sharp's Rifles; our company drew in all 8 Rifles and Carbines.
We have to stand guard every night, as though we were in regular service. We are very well fixed here. We have a good house, with a mattress and two blankets to every two of us. We have a bountiful supply of provisions, for the present, such as Ham, Beef, Flour, Sugar, Coffee, Rice, &c., and, withal, a cook to cook it, all of which are furnished by the Emigrant Aid Society. With all this, and nothing to do but act the soldier, some of our boys are cursing the country.
W. A. Lipscomb, M. F. Armstrong, and Wm. McArthur have gone to work in a brick yard. They get $25 per month and board. The rest of us have done nothing. I have not been out of this city but twice. I then went down to Delaware City, about eight miles below this, where Gen. [A.C.] Jones and his [Laurens] company are stationed. I have seen nothing but prairies yet. You can imagine all that country, some ten miles each way around Limestone, entirely destitute of timber or shrubbery, with the exception of a few trees, and here and there a hazel bush; the ground is covered with fine meadow grass, from 6 inches to waist high, and you will have some idea of this country.
The manners and customs of the people are the same as your own -- take the ladies (God bless the) out. There are some fine ladies here, but they are mostly married.
The number of inhabitants in this city is about 1,500, with 200 houses, 40 of which are groceries. The wet ticket is in force here. The lands can't be over-rated or misrepresented in point of fertility.
Under the present excitement a man can't get wages. The Bogus Legislature convened at a place called Topeka, and there was about 1,500 yankees there, armed with Sharp's Rifles, to defend it. "Uncle Sam" sent some boys down to disband the abolitionists, but found them too strong; they compromised the matter, and the Legislature broke, without spilling any blood, or the yankees being disbanded. I think we will have a chance in a few days to try our pluck.
W. D. CAMP"