12-Site Civil War Tour
Bleeding Kansas conflicts over slavery continued when Kansas entered the Union as a Free State in January 1861, and the Civil War erupted in April. Later that year, on September 8, 1861, Humboldt was raided by pro-slavery white and Indian Confederates and pro-Confederates seeking fugitive slaves from Missouri who were found hiding in Humboldt. According to three different newspaper accounts of that time, they were captured and returned to their slave owners in Missouri. Bitter over losing their pro-slavery cause in Kansas, the raiders also came to punish, harass, rob, and intimidate Free State Humboldt, a strong Union town.
Click on image to see larger view.
Civil War Monument
This large, etched marble mural pictures
stories of people and events, featured
on the 12 individual markers around town, that depict the Civil War in Humboldt
during the September Raid and October Burning in 1861.
Evidence points to John Mathews, Confederate Indian Agent among the Osage, from Little Town (now Oswego), as the leader and instigator of that September raid. Hearing that Mathews had terrorized the vulnerable women of Humboldt while their husbands and sons were away fighting for the Union, General James Lane, leader of Kansas Union forces, assigned Colonel Blunt and 200 troops to hunt down Mathews. Mathews was found and killed near present-day Chetopa in late September.
In retaliation for Mathews' death and for Lane's late September burning of Osceola, Missouri, 331 Missouri Home Guard Cavalry under Colonel Talbott, rode into Humboldt, late afternoon, on October 14, 1861, and burned Humboldt, destroying most of the businesses and displacing forty families. The flames could be seen in Iola.
Click on image to see larger view.
Lincoln Marker
This marker, bearing a quote from
Abraham Lincoln and directions
on where to find tour brochures, is located to the right (west) of the large
CIVIL WAR MONUMENT.
Colorful stories of suffering and courage during the Burning and the capture of fugitive slaves in Humboldt during the Raid are depicted at our 12 sites, graced by the marble etchings of Chanute artist, Bob Cross.
We invite you to take a self-guided tour and relive Humboldt's Civil War history. Brochures with maps are provided at several stores in Humboldt or click here for a free display of the brochure and map. Free conducted tours are available by calling in advance 620-473-2325 or 620-473-3414.
To give you an idea of what you will see on Humboldt's 12-site Civil War tour, we offer here 5 of the 12 sites. We hope you visit Humboldt soon!
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To proceed with the visual tour of the five selected sites click on the site number below the image. This will direct you to a page with a larger image and a detailed description of the importance of the site.