The Journal

Order No. 11: The Lawlessness of Martial Law

By David W. Jackson

The Autumn 2003 JOURNAL of the Jackson County Historical Society features Order No. 11: The Lawlessness of Martial Law

By David W. Jackson

 

The Society receives frequent questions about Order No. 11 and Quantrill. A small group of recollections--primarily those of the “Southern women” mentioned in Joanne Eakin’s book, Tears and Turmoil--are available for research in the Society’s Archives and Research Library.

 

The Society has not yet acquired through donation copies of an all-inclusive bibliography, thesis or dissertation about this unique chapter in our history. Readers interested in donating original documents and artifacts relating to Quantrill or Order No. 11 that would be useful to prospective researchers are welcome to contact the Jackson County Historical Society at 816.252.7454.

 

Websites offering more information:

Order No. 11 Research at the Kansas City Public Library

Kansas City History Site’s page on Order No. 11

Bingham Waggoner Estate’s tribute to George Caleb Bingham

Bibliography of the Civil War in Kansas and the West

Ewing’s Order No. 11

Head Quarters, District of the Border,

Kansas City, Mo., August 25, 1863

General Orders

No. 11

 

I.                 All persons living in Jackson, Cass and Bates Counties, Missouri, and in that part of Vernon included in this District, except those living within 1 mile of the limits of Independence, Hickman’s Mills, Pleasant Hill and Harrisonville, and except those in that part of Kaw Township, Jackson County, north of Brush Creek and west of the Big Blue, are hereby ordered to remove from their present places of residence within fifteen days from the date hereof.

Those who, within that time, establish their loyalty to the satisfaction of the commanding officer of the military station nearest their present places of residence, will receive from him certificates stating the fact of their loyalty, and the names of the witnesses by whom it can be shown. All who receive such certificates will be permitted to remove to any military station in this District, or to any part of the State of Kansas, except the counties on the eastern Border of the State. All others shall remove out of this District.

Officers commanding companies and detachments serving in the counties named will see that this paragraph is promptly obeyed.

 

II.               All grain and hay in the field or under shelter, in the District from which the inhabitants are required to remove within reach of military stations after the 9th day of September next will be taken to such stations, and turned over to the proper officers there, and report of the amount so turned over made to District Head Quarters, specifying the names of all loyal owners and the amount of such product taken from them. All grain and hay found in such District after the 9th day of September next, not convenient to such stations will be destroyed.

III.             The provisions of General Orders No. 10 from these Head Quarters, will be at once vigorously executed by officers commanding in the parts of the District, and of [strikethrough] at the stations not subject to the operation of Paragraph I of this Order--and especially in towns of Independence, Westport, and Kansas City.

IV.            Paragraph 3, General Orders No. 10, is revoked as to all who have borne arms against the Government of this District since the 21st day of August 1863.

By order of Brig. General Ewing:

(Sgd.) H. Hannahs, A. A. A. “G” [Acting Assistant Adjutant-General]
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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