Kickapoo Rangers.—Holloway's History of Kansas (p. 408) says the northern division of the territorial militia was known as the "Kickapoo Rangers." The name must have been adopted late in 1855 or early in 1856, for on May 21, 1856, after the militia had entered Lawrence, David R. Atchison made a speech, liberally punctuated with profanity, in which he said: "Boys, this day I am a Kickapoo Ranger. This day we have entered Lawrence with Southern rights inscribed on our banner, and not one abolitionist dared to fire a gun. And now, boys, we will go in again with our highly honorable Jones, and test the strength of that Free-State hotel, and teach the Emigrant Aid company that Kansas shall be ours. Boys, ladies should, and I hope will, be respected by every gentleman. But, when a woman takes upon herself the garb of a soldier by carrying a Sharp's rifle, she is no longer worthy of respect. Trample her under your feet as you would a snake. . . . If one man or woman dare stand before you, blow them to hell with a chunk of cold lead."

Gihon says the Kickapoo Rangers numbered 250 or 300 men, and that at the time the militia was disbanded by Gov. Geary on Sept. 15, 1856, they were commanded by "Col." Clarkson. That afternoon the rangers forded the Kansas river at Lecompton on their way to the northern part of the territory, where they belonged. Says Gihon: "This party was mounted and well armed, and looked like as desperate a set of ruffians as were ever gathered together. They still carried the black flag, and their cannon, guns, swords and carbines were yet decorated with the black emblems of their murderous intentions."

This description was written by a free-state partisan, but it gives a pretty definite idea of the character of the Kickapoo Rangers. On their way back to their homes some of the party left the main body and killed David C. Buffum, a free-state man. (See Geary's Administration.)