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Title | Creator | Date Made Visible | None
William Y. Roberts and Samuel Clarke Pomeroy to Cyrus Kurtz Holliday
Roberts, William Y
William Y. Roberts and Samuel C. Pomeroy reported their activities from Willard's, a hotel popular with wealthy congressmen in Washington, D. C., to Cyrus K. Holliday in Topeka, Kansas Territory. They described the legislators' and President Franklin Pierce's eagerness to resolve K. T. troubles. While approving the July 4th meeting of the free state legislature, they cautioned Holliday to promote peace.
previewMary Dillon Holliday to Cyrus Kurtz Holliday
Holliday, Mary Dillon, 1833-1908
Mary Holliday of Meadville, Pennsylvania reported the contents of a letter her husband, Cyrus K. Holliday, had received from William D. Paul of Topeka, Kansas Territory. Cyrus was speaking in New Castle, PA on the behalf of Republican presidential candidate John C. Fremont. Paul wrote that Harry G. Young was living in Cyrus' Topeka house. Milton C. Dickey and Dr. George A. Cutler had returned to Topeka without weapons, to the disappointment of the "Topeka boys," who anticipated conflict with Missourians. Mary recommended reading the New York Times. She wrote of her dissatisfaction with their separation and readiness to emigrate to Kansas Territory.
previewWilliam Morris Davis to Cyrus Kurtz Holliday
Davis, William Morris
William Morris Davis, a Quaker and abolitionist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, wrote to Cyrus K. Holliday, who was speaking in PA. In response to a report Holliday sent of their work on behalf of Republican presidential candidate John C. Fremont, Davis sent $500.00 reimbursement to Holliday and William Y. Roberts, also of Topeka, Kansas Territory. Davis mentioned Jefferson Davis, secretary of war in President Franklin Pierce's administration and a Missouri slave owner. (March 4th, 1857 was the day James Buchanan took presidential office.)
previewCyrus Kurtz Holliday to Mary Dillon Holliday
Holliday, Cyrus Kurtz, 1826-1900
Cyrus K. Holliday, soon to return to Topeka after a productive territorial legislative session in Lawrence, wrote to his wife, Mary Holliday, in Meadville, Pennsylvania. He wrote about a festival held at the Eldridge House, and reported on several other incidents of note: the arrest of John W. Doy, captured by Missourians while helping former slaves travel to Iowa; John Brown's avoidance of capture by [John P.] Woods (at the Battle of the Spurs on January 31, 1859); and Charles Fischer's escape after being twice arrested as "a fugitive slave." Holliday also wrote that the legislature had passed and Governor Samuel Medary would approve a bill granting Josephine Branscomb a divorce. Despite Holliday's efforts, the constitutional convention would be held at Wyandotte in July. He had refused [Alfred L.] Winans' request for a recommendation.
previewCyrus Kurtz Holliday to Mary Dillon Holliday
Holliday, Cyrus Kurtz, 1826-1900
Cyrus K. Holliday wrote from Topeka, Kansas Territory to his wife, Mary Holliday, who had returned to Meadville, Pennsylvania to give birth to their second child, Charles. Cyrus had been joined in Kansas Territory by his mother and two brothers, James T. and George K. Holliday. Cyrus sadly told of his mother's death at George's home in Wakarusa, Kansas Territory. He suggested that Mary wait to return to Topeka until May 1st, when Alfred Huidekoper of Meadville would issue him a loan. Cyrus also mentioned his political aspirations and two upcoming elections, the first at the Osawatomie Republican Convention, the second for delegates to the Wyandotte Constitutional Convention.
previewCyrus Kurtz Holliday to Mary Dillon Holliday
Holliday, Cyrus Kurtz, 1826-1900
Cyrus K. Holliday wrote from the Wyandotte Convention to his wife, Mary Holliday, in Meadville, Pennsylvania. His efforts to ensure that Topeka would be the capital of Kansas Territory had set back his personal political career (territorially and nationally, that is; he had recently been elected mayor of Topeka). Cyrus anxiously awaited the return of Mary and their children, Lillie and newborn Charles.
previewJohn James Ingalls to Elias T. Ingalls
Ingalls, John James, 1833-1900
From Lawrence, K.T., where he went to lobby the territorial legislature on behalf of Sumner's city charter and a "Pikes Peak Express Company," John J. Ingalls wrote to tell his father about the journey that took him through Leavenworth. He made some interesting observations about the condition of the roads and the general discomfort involved in overland travel ("The coaches are constructed with special reference to safety in passing over corduroy roads, through sloughs and ravines, having no regard whatever to the comfort of the passengers."), as well as nice descriptions of both cities, Leavenworth and Lawrence.
previewJohn James Ingalls to Elias T. Ingalls
Ingalls, John James, 1833-1900
On the first day of the Wyandotte Constitutional Convention, Ingalls wrote from Wyandotte, Kansas, with observation on the city and the nature of the convention, which he considered "not a very superior one." Nevertheless, the Republicans had a big majority, and Ingalls was "on some of the most important committees in the convention and shall be obliged to do some hard work."
previewJohn James Ingalls to Elias T. Ingalls
Ingalls, John James, 1833-1900
In this rather lengthy letter from his home in Sumner, Ingalls commented on many different facets of his personal and professional life to date in Kansas Territory and about his prospects for the future; these included his law practice (now mostly in Atchison), his interest in journalism and politics, and his interest in a variety of speculative opportunities. The future of Kansas looked good to Ingalls, despite continued problems with drought that was forcing many to sell out.
previewHiram Hill to Charles A. Wright
Hill, Hiram, 1804-
Hiram Hill wrote from Williamsburg, Massachusetts, to Charles Wright in Kansas Territory. Hill expressed disbelief at the reports of violence and destruction that crossed his ears, but accepted them to be true based on his experiences in Missouri the previous winter. To Hill, it appeared that they would have to "take the field to Regain our Liberties that have been struck down". He also referred to actions of the National Republican Convention in Philadelphia (which named John Fremont as their presidential candidate) and dubbed the nomination "their only hope -- short of a Bloody Revolution".
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