Battle of Osawatomie

Battle of Osawatomie
Part of Bleeding Kansas
Date August 30, 1856 (1856-08-30) Location Osawatomie, Kansas Result Pro-slavery victory
Belligerents
Free-State (Abolitionists)	Slave State
Commanders and leaders
John Brown	John W. Reid Rev. Marvin White
Strength
40	250-300
Casualties and losses
unknown	unknown

The Battle of Osawatomie took place on August 30, 1856 when 250-300 Border Ruffians led by John W. Reid and Rev. Marvin White attacked the city of Osawatomie. John W. Reid was intent on destroying free state settlements and then moving on to Topeka and Lawrence to do more of the same. John Brown first got word that the group was coming when they shot his son Frederick. Brown with forty or so men tried to defend the town against the pro-slavery partisans, causing heavy casualties before being forced to withdraw; the town of Osawatomie was then looted and burned. This was one event in series of skirmishes between abolitionists and pro-slavery Missourians in what has been known as Bleeding Kansas.

Soldiers Monument

The Soldiers Monument, dedicated August 30, 1877, was paid for by friends and relatives to commemorate those who died in the battle of Osawatomie. The names of the deceased listed on it are Fredrick Brown, George W. Partridge, David Garrison, Theron Parker Powers, and Charles Kaiser. All of these men (except Charles Kaiser) are buried beneath the monument. John Brown's name also appears on the monument, but he is buried in North Elba, New York.

External links

• City Of Osawatomie Website
• Territorial Kansas Online- A source of primary documents for Bleeding Kansas.