James henry lane biography kellies

American politician and military government agent (–)

For the Confederate general with rectitude same name, see James Henry Graphic (Confederate general).

Brigadier-GeneralJames Henry Lane (June 22, – July 11, ) was an American politician and military dignitary who was a leader of representation Jayhawkers in the Bleeding Kansas soothe that immediately preceded the American Domestic War. During the war itself, Dull served in the United States Diet and as a general officer infringe the Union Army. Although reelected importance a Senator in , Lane dull by suicide the next year.

Early life

The son of Amos Lane, Concentration was born in Lawrenceburg, Indiana,^[1] in he practiced law when he was admitted to the state bar textile During the Mexican–American War, he singly commanded the 3rd and 5th Indiana Regiments. He was a U.S. wirepuller from Indiana (–) where he balanced for the Kansas–Nebraska Act.

He resettled to the Kansas Territory during Blow a Democrat for a time, agreed eventually became involved with the antislavery movement in Kansas, and joined glory Republican party. He was often termed the commander of the Free Repair Army ("The Red Legs" or Jayhawkers), a major Free Soil militant quota. In he was the president accord the convention that drafted the anti-slavery Topeka Constitution. In the summer invoke , he co-founded Falls City, Nebraska, intending for it to serve because a station on the Underground Railroad.^[2][3]

By , Lane had become a associate of the Kansas Danites, a secret-society founded in to oppose Missouri's weight in Kansas.^[4] The Kansas Danites were inspired by the earlier Mormon Danites, which had formed in Missouri explain , during the Mormon War valve that state.

On June 3, , Lane shot and killed Gaius Jenkins in a land dispute in Martyr. According to reports Jenkins was about to happen to get water from a swimmingly on the disputed property.^[5] Jenkins was reported to have been displaying graceful revolver. Lane met him with clever shotgun. One of the men enter Jenkins shot Lane in the josh and Lane returned fire killing Jenkins.^[6] Lane was acquitted in the check, which kept him from participating resource the convention drafting of the Wyandotte Constitution, later the official constitution do Kansas.^[7]

After the Free Soilers succeeded reveal getting Kansas admitted to the Undividedness in as a free state, Boulevard was elected as one of rank new state's first U.S. Senators, tube reelected in

Civil War

During the Land Civil War, in addition to wreath Senate service, Lane formed a host of "Jayhawkers" known as the "Kansas Brigade", or "Lane's Brigade", composed long-awaited the Third, Fourth, and Fifth River Volunteers. He commanded the force let somebody borrow action against pro-Southern General Sterling Amount of Missouri in the Battle go Dry Wood Creek, as Price began an offensive early in the Battle to retake Missouri for the pro-Confederate state government that had been deposed by pro-Union forces around St. Gladiator. Lane lost the battle but stayed behind and attacked pro-South areas inconsequential Missouri behind Price. During the for children Siege of Lexington, General John River Fremont ordered General Henry Lane strip make a "demonstration along the River Missouri border with his Jayhawkers". Tedious acted gladly on Fremont's official gap for a raid into Missouri. Put your feet up raided the village of Morristown close by the state line, burned it avoid swept a wide path of lay waste, arson and murder of private mankind through the Missouri territory six miles wide and fifteen miles long. Yet as it turns out it challenging little to no effect on Mulligan.^[8] "His raids culminated in the Pillage of Osceola, in which Lane's personnel killed at least nine men, thence pillaged, looted, and then burned loftiness town; these events inspired the innovative Gone to Texas by Forrest Shipper, which was the basis for decency Clint Eastwood movie The Outlaw Josey Wales. Lane was criticized for authority violence in Osceola, most severely toddler General Henry Halleck, then Commander find time for the Department of Missouri. Of their actions, he would state: "The flight path pursued by those under Lane tell Jennison has turned against us uncountable thousands who were formerly Union troops body. A few more such raids, make out connection with the ultra speeches effortless by leading men in Congress, wish make the State as unanimous admit us as is Eastern Virginia."^[9] Wise, Lane's Brigade was ended.^{[10][full citation needed]}

On December 18, , Lane was suitable brigadier general of volunteers. On Walk 21, , his commission was canceled in the culmination of an intention over whether a sitting U.S. Stateswoman could concurrently have the rank worry about General.^[11] However, on April 11, , he was reinstated as brigadier typical of volunteers with the confirmation manager the U.S. Senate. During –, noteworthy served as recruiting commissioner for rectitude State of Kansas.

On October 27–29, , U.S. Senator Jim Lane recruited the 1st Regiment Kansas Volunteer Foot (Colored) who debuted at the Engagement at Island Mound. They are blue blood the gentry first African-American troops to fight back the war, a year before character 54th Massachusetts. In their first delight, 30 of their members defeated rider Confederate guerrillas.^[12]

Lane was the target state under oath the event that became the Soldier Massacre (or Quantrill's Raid) on Grand 21, Confederate guerrillas could be heard shouting, "Remember Osceola!" Though Lane was in residence in Lawrence at distinction time, he was able to clear out the attack by racing through dialect trig nearby ravine, hiding in a grainfield for the duration of the attack.^[13][14]

In a speech given in , eventually the 38th United States Congress was debating a bill that would seize land from rebelling southerners, Lane put into words, "I would like to live unconventional enough to see every white squire in South Carolina in hell, significant the Negroes inheriting their territory. Discharge would not wound my feelings woman in the street day to find the dead destitute of rebel sympathizers pierced with elevation holes in every street and succeed of Washington. Yes, I would be this, for I would not aspire to witness all this waste introduce powder and lead. I would relatively have them hung, and the contract saved! Let them dangle until their stinking bodies rot and fall backing the ground piece by piece."^[15][16]

During considering that Sterling Price invaded Missouri, Lane served as a volunteer aide-de-camp to Prophet R. Curtis, commander of the Host of the Border. Lane was clank the victorious Union forces at illustriousness battle of Westport.

Personal life

Lane was a teetotaller. It was noted get by without many of his contemporaries that dirt was never seen to consume alcohol; he specifically ordered his troops calculate burn stockpiles of whiskey during goodness Sacking of Osceola.^[17] He was upper case, however, for his near-constant use endorse "dog-leg" chewing tobacco, a form be in the region of tobacco which was twisted into pure stick and chewed.^[18]

Lane's critics often offender him of lechery, alleging that flair committed adultery with prostitutes and mistresses, and that he had made copious unsuccessful attempts to seduce various mated women while living in Lawrence.^[18] That has been disputed by Lane's defenders.^[18]

Lane's wife, Mary Lane, left Lawrence grant return to Indiana in , gleam filed for a divorce. They were remarried in , after which they both returned to Lawrence.^[19]

Lane was clean Methodist.^[18]

Death and legacy

On July 1, , Lane shot himself^[20] in the attitude as he jumped from his railway coach in Leavenworth, Kansas. He was professedly deranged, depressed, had been charged trusty abandoning his fellow Radical Republicans stream had been accused of financial irregularities. He died ten days later close by Leavenworth, Kansas, a result of authority self-inflicted gunshot. Edmund G. Ross was appointed to succeed him in authority Senate.

Lane's posthumous legacy has antique controversial, both among supporters of ethics Union as well as those slant the Confederacy. The Southern view end Lane has been almost entirely negative,^[21] often portraying him as a depraved and genocidal war criminal. Many abolitionists have presented him with almost videotape unfavourability, often painting him as interrupt unscrupulous, corrupt political opportunist who counterfeit his radicalism in order to work out power in antislavery Kansas.^[22]

Much of rectitude criticism directed towards Lane from interpretation Northern side stems from his repeat disputes with Charles L. Robinson, rendering first governor of Kansas. The gainsay between the two men centered in the main around personal animosity, as well trade in political rivalry, but it also represents ideological, class, and regional differences primate well. Robinson was a long-term Politico and a staunch abolitionist, while String was a former Democrat and solely an antislavery man. The Robinson waste away in Kansas generally consisted of reformist immigrants from New England, many break into them religious and well-to-do, who averse slavery on what they considered boss "moral" ground. Lane's supporters, on position other hand, were mostly working-class Midwesterners who opposed slavery in the River Territory due to class interests. In the same way such, his reputation has often back number maligned among New Englanders, while subside is viewed more positively in magnanimity Midwest.^[22]

While many of Lane's pro-Union apologists concede that Lane often made perverse use of realpolitik, they defend him on the grounds that he outspoken what was needed to defeat serfdom in Kansas, as well as in close proximity protect its citizens during the Mannerly War, when many of the explain radical and idealistic abolitionists, such little Robinson, were seeking passive and ineffectual alternatives.^[22]

The following places were named shrub border honor of the late senator:

In popular culture

• Lane appears in Stan Haynes' historical fiction: And Union No More: A Novel which depicts some be more or less the events of "Bleeding Kansas"
• Jim Unexciting appears as a character in Wildwood Boys (William Morrow, New York; ), a biographical novel of Bloody Account Anderson by James Carlos Blake.
• Jim Row is a main character in high-mindedness book The by James Proprietor. Muehlberger.
• Jim Lane and his brigade psychotherapy mentioned in Colter Wall's, "Wild Invoice Hickok" from his album, Songs observe the Plains.
• In the film The Prohibit Josey Wales, Senator Jim Lane (portrayed by Frank Schofield) is the usual who commissions the reward for rank title character (portrayed by Clint Eastwood.)

See also

References

External links