HARVEY COUNTY THOMAS J. MATLOCK, farmer, Section 24, P. O. Burrton, owns 480 acres in this township, 100 in cultivation, with small orchard, five acres in cultivated timber, 160 acres fenced with barbed wire; dwelling 14 x 24, L 14 x 20, barn 17 x 38, with stock yards and sheds, and windmill pumps and large stock scales. He also owns 160 acres in Sedgwick County, with 100 acres in cultivation and dwelling 12 x 24. He makes a specialty of raising corn, cattle and hogs, and has at present 118 head of graded and domestic cattle and thirty hogs. Was born in Iowa in February, 1846, and made it his home until he enlisted in 1862 in Company E, Nineteenth Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and was with his command in Missouri for one year, then at the siege of Vicksburg and at Fordouch Bayou and at the battle of Prairie Grove. Was severely wounded by a gunshot through the leg and captured and kept a prisoner for ten months at Shreveport, La., and Fort Tyler and Marshal, Texas, where he was exchanged July 22, 1864, and returned to his command at New Orleans, La., and participated in the final engagements of the war at Goodes' Landing, siege of Spanish Fort and surrender of Mobile and saw the last gun of the rebellion fired by the confederacy and was mustered out July 10, 1865, and got his final discharge at Davenport, Iowa, July 25. After the war he returned to Iowa and came from there to Kansas in March, 1871,and homesteaded his present place March 13. Was married March 26, 1868, to Miss Mary J. Thompson, a native of Iowa. They have four children -- Lena, Nellie, George M, and Alice M. Mr. Matlock has always taken an active part in politics and educational matters and anything that tended to the welfare of his locality and has been a member of the School Board since the organization of the District and taught school for six consecutive winters and served as Township Trustee for three terms. When the question of voting bonds for another railroad was raised in the county in 1881, he took an active part against it, believing it was not to the interests of the farmers to have a heavy bonded debt hanging over the county, thereby creating a feeling in some localities which has been against him politically. He thinks this locality as good a country as can be found for combining farming with stock raising and has been very successful in his business. (Harvey County History)   LINN COUNTY   CHARLES MATLOCK   William G. Cutler's History of the State of Kansas LINN COUNTY, Part 3   The Marais des Cygnes Massacre. - This massacre occurred on the 19th of May, 1858. It was one of the most deliberate, inexcusable and atrocious massacres recorded in the annals of history. While the people of Linn County were quietly planting corn and unsuspicious of danger, a band of thirty Missourians, under command of Capt. Charles A. Hamilton, about 8 o'clock in the morning, one mile below Choteau Trading Post, captured Patrick Ross, who was going from the Post to his farm near by. Upon arriving at the Post with their prisoner, Capt. Hamilton's party arrested John F. Campbell, a store keeper there, and two or three others, who were released. Elder B. L. Reed was captured one-half mile north of the Post, while standing in the road talking about taking the school. At the same time and place, William A. Stilwell, who was on his way from Mound City to Kansas City in his wagon, was taken. Upon his driving up, Hamilton asked him if he knew Montgomery, to which Mr. Stilwell replied that he had seen him, but was not acquainted with him. Hamilton then commanded, "Get out and march in here." Stilwell got out of his wagon and took his position with the other prisoners, leaving his team standing in the road. Some other persons were then taken and released. This occurred near Mr. Nichol's house, which was searched for arms and for Mr. Nichol himself, but he was absent. Mr. Stilwell was searched for money and arms, and the following letter found upon his person, which was read aloud: "Messrs. Chick & Co., Kansas City, Mo. have sent you $200 to pay freight on goods. Please deliver to Mr. Stilwell what he can bring and I will send you the balance soon. J. W. GARRETT" Three or four of Hamilton's men were next sent to bring in Asa Hairgrove, and another party was sent after Austin and Amos Hall, the main body marching on toward Hairgrove's house, about two miles from the Post. There Amos Hall, who was nearly blind, and Mr. Hairgrove were brought in, the latter from his corn field. At the same time, William Colpetzer was captured. They then went in a north- western direction and brought in M. Robinson and Asa Snyder, who had a short time previously arrived from Illinois. Capt. Hamilton with seven men then started out to arrest Capt. Eli Snyder, the blacksmith, and bring him in, the main body proceeding on about one-half mile to the top of a high mound (Priestly Mound), from which elevated position the whole country for miles around could be overlooked. The latter party watched with considerable interest the attempt to arrest Capt. Snyder, which, on account of his courage and quickness in handling his musket, resulted in failure, and in some of Capt. Hamilton's men being severely wounded. Returning to the main body, Hamilton ordered a forward march, and the prisoners were led down to a canyon gulch by a by-path between rocks, single file, when the commands were given, " Halt," "Front face, "Close up," to the prisoners; and his own men were formed in line in front of them on a shelf or rock about as wide as a good wagon road and somewhat higher than the prisoners' heads. Deliberately the orders were given by Capt. Hamilton, "Make ready," "Take aim," but before the order "Fire" could be uttered, one of the worst of the border ruffians, Brockett by name, turned his horse away, whereupon Hamilton said to him, "Brockett, G---d d---n you, why don't you wheel into line?" Brockett said, "I'll be d---d if I'll have anything to do with such a G---d d---d piece of business as this. If it was in a fight I'd fire." At this, Hamilton took out his revolver and fired at the prisoners, giving the order to his men to fire at the same time. Alvin Hamilton's gun, which was aimed at L. B. Reed, missed fire the first time; Reed, not being hit, turned partly round to see his companions fall, and, Hamilton's gun being immediately re-cocked and fired, received the ball on one of his ribs and fell. Thus all these innocent, brave men were brought down. On their part, there was no flinching nor begging for quarter. Mr. Hairgrove, just before the order to fire was given, said: "Gentlemen, if you are going to shoot us, take good aim." After waiting a few minutes, Hamilton gave the order to his men to go down and see who were dead, and to shoot those who were not. Two of the ruffians went down among the fallen and fired three shots at different ones who gave signs of life. Amos Hall was shot through the mouth. One said "Old Reed ain't dead yet," and a shot was fired, when the remark was repeated, "Old Reed ain't dead." " Which is him?" was asked. "Why, there the old devil is, looking at you." But Pat Ross got the balls and he was killed. Another ruffian said, "See that man humped up, he ain't dead." The man "humped up" was Austin Hall, and his body was perfectly rigid. One of those who were finishing the butchery, kicked Mr. Hall, rolled him over, and remarked, "He's as dead as the Devil," and so let him alone. Mr. Hall was the only one not hit. One of the ruffians said, "There's a man that's got $200," meaning Stilwell; but they did not fine the $200. It had been hid in the wagon by Mr. Stilwell at the time of his capture. Another said, "There's a fellow that's got a good watch," meaning J. F. Campbell. The watch was taken. Hamilton and his men then rode away in squads, six or seven at first, then twelve, and soon after the balance, leaving their victims all for dead. The result of the shooting was that five were killed, five wounded and one unharmed. The killed were, John F. Campbell, William Colpetzer, Patrick Ross, William Stilwell and M. Robinson; the wounded, Amos Hall, William Hairgrove, Asa Hairgrove, B. L Reed and Asa Snyder. The body of William Stilwell was taken to Mound City for burial; those of the others were all buried in one grave, some distance south of the scene of the massacre. The wounded all recovered. It has been a query why any of those captured were released, and why Brockett at the moment of command to fire, refused to do so. From the best information obtainable it is believed that some were released on account of their youth, others because they were believed to be Pro-slavery, and still others because they gave the Masonic sign of distress, which all good Masons must recognize. It is also believed that Brockett refused to fire upon recognition of the same sign made by Mr. Stilwell, who was a Mason. Capt. Hamilton had prepared a list of from sixty to seventy Free-State men whom he had proscribed, and this massacre was the first of a contemplated series of massacres which was to be continued until the whole list had been slain. Happily it chanced to be the last as well as the first. Montgomery was advised of the general plan, and had been furnished with a list of the proscribed men. He determined to kill Hamilton at the first opportunity. To this end, about the first of May he approached Hamilton's house, a log one, with a party of men for the purpose of capturing him; but finding he could effect nothing in the way of an attack with rifles alone, he sent a squad of men to bring the howitzer. But before its arrival a body of United States troops, on their way to Leavenworth, were called to Hamilton's relief, and Montgomery was obliged to disperse his men. Montgomery then went to the Sheriff of Linn County, acquainted him with Hamilton's designs, showed him the list of the proscribed Free-State men, and received assurances from that official that the men so proscribed should be protected from all harm. The descent when made was made unexpectedly. Montgomery was away in Johnson County. He returned in the evening of the day of the massacre. The next evening a force of about two hundred citizens, under Sheriff McDaniel, Col. R. B. Mitchell and Montgomery, approached West Point, Mo., to which place it was believed the murderers had retired. Before entering the town a consultation was held, at which, against the remonstrance of Montgomery, it was decided to send forward a deputation and ask the leading citizens to come out to a conference. While this deputation was delayed, men were seen to leave the town from the opposite side, Montgomery and his men gave chase, captured one prisoner, against whom nothing could be proved, and so released him. The citizens when they finally came out to the conference, deplored the massacre, denied all knowledge of the whereabouts of the murderers and refused to aid in their apprehension. The citizens retired discomfited, and separated into two divisions to watch for the re-approach of Hamilton in case he should further pursue his murderous designs against the Free-State men of the Territory. They remained on duty until superseded by Capt. Weaver in command of a body of regular militia. This body of troops so vigilantly guarded the border all summer that Capt. Hamilton never again made his appearance.   During the summer one of the murderers, Charles Matlock, was arrested, but while at Paris awaiting his trial, escaped from the guard and was never re-captured. Another of Hamilton's men, William Griffith, was arrested in Platte County, Mo., in 1863, and taken to Mound City, Linn County, Kan.,for trial on an indictment against Charles A. Hamilton et al. for murder in the first degree. Griffith plead "not guilty," and set up as defense the "Amnesty act," approved February 11, 1859, alleging that the murder grew out of "political differences of opinion." The jury, "good and lawful men," not satisfied with the plea as a defense, brought in the following verdict: "We, the jury, do find the defendant, William Griffith, guilty." A motion for a new trial was overruled, as was also a motion for arrest of judgment, and the Judge, Solon O. Thacher ,pronounced the sentence that the said William Griffith, on the 30th day of  October, A. D. 1863, between the hours of 9 A. M. and 2 P. M., be hung by the neck until he be dead."  The sentence was duly carried into effect, and, with almost poetic justice, Mr. William Hairgrove, one of the survivors of the massacre, acting the part of executioner.   Graphics and page designed by Leona1999 January, 2005 Copyright © The main image is a courtesy of http://dirk.holoweb.net/~liam/pictures/oldbooks/pictures-of-old-books/ Updated May 2008