."

As with all real leaders of men, the source of his power was a mystery.
Tall, thin, bent, with red hair, a rugged countenance and rasping voice,
he had little oratorical attractiveness, and what he said never read
convincingly in print. No man, however, ever excelled him before an
audience, and he swayed men as the winds do the sea.

274

Lane was born in Lawrenceburg, Ind., in 1814, and was therefore 47 years
of age. His father was Amos Lane, a lawyer of great ability, a member of
Congress, and conspicuous in Indiana. James H. Lane went into politics
at an early age, and entered the Mexican War as Colonel of the 3d Ind.,
distinguishing himself at Buena Vista, where he was wounded. Upon the
expiration of the term of service of his regiment he raised the
5th Ind., and became its Colonel. This gave him quite a prestige in
politics, and he was elected Lieutenant-Governor, and Representative
in Congress. The atmosphere of Indiana was, however, too quiet for his
turbulent spirit. He broke with his party, joined in the rush to Kansas,
and speedily became the leader of the out-and-out Free State men. On the
strength of his Mexican War reputation these elected him Major-General
of their troops, in the troubles they were having with the Pro-Slavery
men and the United State troops sent to assist in making the Territory a
Slave State. When the Free State men gained control of the Territory,
he was made Major-General of the Territorial troops. His principal
lieutenants were James Montgomery and Dr. Charles R. Jenni-son, brave,
daring men, colleagues of "Old Osawatomie Brown," entertaining the same
opinions as he with regard to slavery, and with even fewer scruples than
he as to other forms of property.

275

When the United States troops were assisting the Pro-Slavery men,
Montgomery and Jennison went into active rebellion at the head of some
hundreds of bold, fighting men--"Jayhawkers"--who carried terror into
the ranks of their adversaries. They insisted that they were acting
according to the light of their own consciences and the laws of God.
So terrible did they become that, Nov. 26, 1860, Geo. M. Beebe,
Acting Governor of the Territory, reported to President Buchanan
that Montgomery and Jennison, at the head of between 300 and 500
"well-disciplined and desperate Jayhawkers," equipped with "arms of the
latest and most deadly character," had hung two citizens of Linn
County, and frightened 500 citizens of that Coun