The following article appeared in the [Spartanburg, S.C.] Carolina Spartan 25 Sep 1856, p. 2, c. 2:

"We have been permitted to make the following extract from a letter received by Dr. J. G. Gaffney, of Limestone [present-day Gaffney, S.C.], from his nephew, James M. Mills, who went to that [Kansas] Territory in the Union [S.C.] company. It is dated Leavenworth, August 29, 1856:

'A company of South Carolinians, in charge of Maj. Wilkes, arrived here on Sunday last -- 56 in number, and also a company of Georgians to-day -- some 35 in number. The Government has given loose rein to discord and confusion. The failure on the part of Congress to make any provision for the support of the laws here, and the refusal on the part of the troops to act without a specific order from the President, have thrown the whole country into an uproar. The Missourians are coming over in force, but still, to make Kansas a slave State, we need men, moiney and arms.

This is one of the finest countries that I have seen. The lands, without an exception, are the richest black loam. It produces from 50 to 75 bushels of corn and from 20 to 40 of wheat to the acre as an average, and some of it more. If this can be made a slave State, I think there is no place where a man could make a fortune by farming so easy as here. It is also one of the greatest stock countries in the world, and every kind of stock brings the highest price. Oxen sell at from $60 to $125 per yoke, and they have the finest here I ever saw. One firm in this place owns over 2,000 yoke.

An express passed through here this morning, with orders from Gen. Atchison, ordering the different bodies of pro-slavery men to march on to Lawrence, and as they are none of them more than 20 miles from here, we expect to hear of a fight in a day or two, the result of which IO have doubts about, as the enemy are at least equal in numbers, and are far better armed, and have a strong fortification at Lawrence.

The greatest objection I have to the country is one that will soon be removed upon the establishment of a State government -- that is, drinking and gambling. There are in this place, out of about 400 houses, some 50 grog shops, and about one half of the population are gamblers, so that there is no end to the fights and rows that occur every day. I have not done anything since I have been here, but I shall go to work at a job of surveying as soon as I am able."