John and Letitia Weidemeyer One of the most intriguing images encountered in my research was that of John and Letitia Weidemeyer. It is one of the few photos that have been discovered of anyone who lived in Osceola in 1861. Letitia’s account of events and her ordeals after the event provided a glimpse of a…
Category: Before Lawrence
Before Lawrence: Observations
James Lane — Was He a Military Officer Before Lawrence is about the burning of Osceola, Missouri. It is not a indepth investigation into the the life of James Lane. Yet it is almost impossible to avoid the controversy that surrounds this man, least of which was whether he was actually a military officer in…
Before Lawrence
The Forward: Why was Before Lawrence written One of the darkest days of the Civil War was on August 21, 1863. Riding into the town of Lawrence, Kansas were a ruthless band of pro-Southern guerrilla fighters led by William Quantrill. Within hours, 150 men and boys would be executed and a quarter of the town…