"But I Can Fire a Pistol"

"But I Can Fire a Pistol" (HM10KU)

Location: Fort Scott, KS 66701 Bourbon County
Buy Kansas State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 37° 50.65', W 94° 42.294'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 492 views
Inscription
"But remember this, I am a girl, but I can fire a pistol and if ever the time comes I will send some of you to the place where there is [sic] 'weeping and knashing of teeth'...."
Gene Campbell, in a letter to James Montgomery, January 4, 1859.

Gene Campbell's anger testifies to the hatred and ill will prevalent during the pre-Civil War era called "Bleeding Kansas," and to her anguish over the violence - on this site - that ended the life of her fianc?, pro-slaver John Little.

At daybreak, December 16, 1858, about 100 heavily armed "free-staters" invaded Fort Scott to liberate a companion jailed in the Free State Hotel (directly in front of you). They corralled hostages in front of the hotel. Shots erupted. A bullet pierced John Little's skull as he peered from the window above the door of his father's store (formerly the post headquarters, reconstructed ahead and to your left).

Violent acts like this, initiated by both free-staters and pro-slavers, symbolized the division of the nation soon to be at war.

An artist envisioned the scene (above) in which free-state raiders force a hostage down the hotel steps as shooting erupts. James Montgomery (left), an ardent free-stater, led the Fort Scott raid. After Montgomery was chosen leader, fellow abolitionist John Brown (of later Harpers Ferry fame) declined to go on the raid.
Details
HM NumberHM10KU
Tags
Year Placed1998
Placed ByNational Park Service
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Saturday, October 11th, 2014 at 6:40pm PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)15S E 349992 N 4189894
Decimal Degrees37.84416667, -94.70490000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 37° 50.65', W 94° 42.294'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds37° 50' 39.00" N, 94° 42' 17.64" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)620, 913
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 501 Buchanan St, Fort Scott KS 66701, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. Is this marker part of a series?
  2. What historical period does the marker represent?
  3. What historical place does the marker represent?
  4. What type of marker is it?
  5. What class is the marker?
  6. What style is the marker?
  7. Does the marker have a number?
  8. This marker needs at least one picture.
  9. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  10. Is the marker in the median?