Battle of Fort Titus

Part of Bleeding Kansas

Date	August 16, 1856
Location	Lecompton, Kansas
Result	Free-State victory

Belligerents

Free-State

Southern partisans

Commanders and leaders

Samuel Walker

Henry T. Titus

Strength

ca. 400

More than 21

Casualties and losses

1 mortally wounded, 8 wounded

2 killed, 5 seriously wounded, 17 captured

In August 1856 Camp Sacket, a U.S. Army post, was about a mile away from Fort Titus. Fort Saunders, some distance south of Fort Titus, was destroyed by free-state partisans on August 15, 1856. Fort Titus was attacked the next day. This was the Battle of Fort Titus. About 400 free-staters under the command of Samuel Walker attacked Fort Titus. Titus had a force of at least twenty-one men, including thirteen German stonemasons from nearby Lecompton, Kansas, with him. The attack was launched before a brass cannon had arrived on the site. This attempt was unsuccessful and the leader of this first attack was killed. Apparently some of the men from this attack placed themselves between Lecompton and the Army troops, so no messages could be sent between Wilson Shannon, the governor, and the troops.

Once the cannon arrived the battle ended quickly, since the fort's walls were no match for the cannon balls, which passed entirely through the fort. This cannon, named Old Sacramento, had changed hands between the northern and southern partisans three times prior to this battle. The cannon balls were made from type from a Lawrence newspaper. The battle probably lasted no more than thirty minutes. The Camp Sacket commander, Maj. John Sedgwick, moved toward Fort Titus to stop the battle, but it was over before troops arrived.

As soon as the battle was finished, the prisoners were taken to Lawrence and Fort Titus was burned, never to be rebuilt.

CAPTURE OF COL. TITUS-THE TREATY-THE EXCHANGE. The following was written by a correspondent of the New York Times dated Lawrence, Sunday, August 17, 1856.

"When the advance guard of the Free-State forces arrived at Judge Wakefield's, on the California road, they were fired upon by a company of Pro-slavery men under Col. Titus. The fire was returned, and Titus and his men retreated, leaving one of their number dead.

Colonel Titus's cabin was within two miles of Lecompton, and like the other brigand leaders, he fortified it against attack. Early in the morning a party of Free-State cavalry made a charge upon some tents near the cabin, the inmates of which ran for the cabin, and were followed by the horsemen, who went too near the cabin, when they were fired upon by those inside, wounding four one, Capt. Shombre, from Indiana, mortally. The cannon was then brought up, and Cpt. Bickerton cooly brought his piece to bear upon it. Seven balls had been fired into it, when Col. Titus showed the white flag, and surrendered. Seventeen prisoners, twenty-five stands of arms and a quantity of provisions were taken; the cabin was then burned. During the attack, the United States troops, who were encamped near by, took a position between the Free-State forces and Lecompton, directly upon the road. Unwilling to attack the troops, as they feared they would be compelled to, instead, of attacking Lecompton the Free-State men with their prisoners marched to Lawrence.

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Wikipedia