To the editor:

I see the reported territorial history of Lawrence (“Today marks the 150th anniversary of the 1st raid on city – not Quantrill’s,” Journal-World, May 21) falls short of giving all the facts of the 1856 legal action by the territorial government against Lawrence. Samuel J. Jones was a Kansan, a businessman, a lawyer, an entrepreneur, and the duly appointed sheriff of Douglas County, Kansas Territory. Jones came from Virginia, spent time in Missouri, helped found the community of Lecompton, settled there, owned and ran a sawmill and built several buildings.

Jones was shot in the back while inside a military officer’s tent in Lawrence trying to serve warrants, thus setting the stage for the official territorial government to send in a federal marshal and the sheriff (Jones had recovered from the ambush well enough to go along). Kansas’ territorial militia backed them up and also a posse made up of Missourians. Warrants were served and arrests made.

No casualties or injuries were reported during this action. Lawrence was in “insurrection” as far as the federal government and territorial government were concerned, and insurgents needed to be dealt with. There was property damage and looting, but the individual citizen was not a target. The Free State Hotel was a target because the sale of “Jayhawked” (stolen) goods from Missouri was held at its location.

Today’s citizens of Lawrence, Lecompton and Douglas County should remember that there were two sides to the story, and both included the bad and good.

Elsie Middleton,

Scottsdale, Ariz.