From the collections at the Leavenworth County Historical Society and Museum. Reprinted with permission from The Leavenworth County Historical Society and Museum and the Leavenworth Times. Donated by Debra Graden.

The Eleventh Kansas Unit was sent to Kansas City and became part of the District of the Border. Thomas Ewing, Jr., was made Brigadier-General in command of the District. Conditions were deplorable on the border. It was thought the wish to engage in the irregular and unrestrained warfare was a strong desire of the guerrilla forces. Some of the guerrilla leaders were: Quantrill, a man named Todd and later, Bill Anderson. A few of the lesser leaders were the Youngers and Parker, all bent on the murder of Union people, be they soldiers or civilians. It took the law 30 years to eliminate robbery after the Civil War.

Some of the warfare was between the people of Kansas and Missouri. For the most part, however, it was between the people of Missouri.

General Ewing felt that two-thirds of the families were related to the guerrillas and they were supporting them. He was given permission to send the families of the most active guerrillas out of his area to Arkansas. They were to remain there till the end of the war.

General Ewing was to protect and patrol the area from Fort Leavenworth to Fort Scott. This was an area of 60,000 square miles and he had few men. To prevent any invasion of Kansas he established posts or stations about 12 miles apart. This would appear to be to spread alarm, rather than combat. Urgent information was sent by courier to Kansas City, as well as the town in the guerrillas' path.*

*Kansas and Kansans page 736 Submitted by Betty Wasmer