Page:American Historical Review, Volume 12.djvu/568

558 JV. H. Isely pany is strll preserved among the Cabot papers/ This bill was drawn on S. C. Pomeroy, purchasing agent of the Emigrant Aid Company in Kansas ; but the rifles Hsted in it were for a long time in the hands of the " enemy ". Along with four breech-loading cannon, these rifles were originally placed in the care of David Starr Hoyt, of Deerfield, to be conveyed by him to Kansas Territory.^ While he was on board the river steamboat Arabia, a letter written by Hoyt to his mother, announcing his successful departure from St. Louis and describing how his precious guns were safe in the hold of the vessel, fell into the hands of the captain of the Arabia-. The letter was read by the captain to the passengers, many of whom were border ruffians, and created intense excitement. A mob took possession of Hoyt and his companion, William B. Parsons, and voted to throw them into the Missouri River, but were persuaded from this course by Charles Keurney of Westport. When the boat tied up at Lexington, it was surrounded by a thousand armed Missourians. Hoyt was ordered by the leaders of the mob to sign a surrender of the arms, but although repeatedly threatened with death, he positively refused ; the arms were then forcibly removed. All that Hoyt could show S. C. Pomeroy, whom he met some hours later in Kansas City, was a schedule indorsed " Taken from D. S. Hoyt the following described property, to be delivered to the order of Wilson Shannon, Governor of Kansas Territory, or his successor in office ". The guns, however, were useless, as Dr. Calvin Cutter had carried the breech-blocks to Kansas by a different route, an action characterized by the border ruffians as a " d Yankee trick ". Hoyt at once returned to St. Louis, libelled the Arabia, and col- lected the full value of the arms given up by the officers of the boat '"Hartford, Ct., March 19, 1856. Gen'l Sam'l C. Pomeroy, To Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Co., Dr. For 100 Carbines, @ $30 3,000.00 Less 10 % 300.00 2,700.00 " 29 Sharps Primers @ $1/8 32.62 " 20 Bullet Moulds (Box 50 c) @ $1 20.50 " 10 Bo.xes @ $2 20.00 $2,773-12 By draft on S. Cabot, Jr., i day sight $1,286.56 " this amount allowed as agreed 200.00 1,486.56 Balance due $1,286.56" The bill also contains a complete list of the numbers of each rifle. ' A full account is given in " David Starr Hoyt ", by William B. Parsons, Kansas Magazine, II. 42-45.