Abolitionist Elias Snyder Unsung Hero In Osawatomie’s History

By Grady Atwater

Grady Atwater

Elias Snyder was a militant abolitionist who was a determined foe of pro-slavery forces. Snyder was a blacksmith by trade and tough as the nails that he made in his shop.

Charles Hamilton and a force of pro-slavery guerillas raided his home near Trading Post, Kansas on May 19, 1858.

Hamilton’s force tried to capture Snyder, but after Eli and his son shot two of Hamilton’s men out of their saddles with shotguns, the guerillas decided to move on to easier prey.

Later that day, Hamilton’s men lined up 11 Free State men in a ditch south of Snyder’s home and opened fire, killing five and wounding five, with one man surviving by feigning death.

Snyder moved to Osawatomie and was a leader of the militant abolitionists in the city.

Edward E. Leslie, in “The Devil Know How to Ride: The True Story of William Clarke Quantrill and His Confederate Raiders,” reports that William Quantrill slipped back into Kansas on March 25, 1861 to visit John Bennings at his home north of Osawatomie. Snyder found out and rounded up 12 Free State guerillas to capture Quantrill with the legal blessing of Justice of the Peace Samuel Houser, who sent constable E.B. Jurd along to arrest Quantrill and make sure that the legal niceties were observed.

Early on the morning of March 26, Snyder’s posse surrounded Benning’s cabin. When Quantrill looked out and saw Snyder, he refused to come out, fearing that Snyder would shoot him.

Constable Jurd assured Quantrill that he would protect him from Snyder, and Snyder and his men took Quantrill to Stanton, where there were several attempts on Quantrill’s life.

This volatile mix became more combustible when W.L. Potter and 16 pro-slavery guerillas rode in from Paola to free Quantrill. Despite Snyder’s strong opposition, Justice of the Peace Houser gave in to the pro-slavery forces and ordered Quantrill to be released into their custody.

Quantrill was taken to Paola, where he was greeted as a hero. He was placed in the Paola jail, and after legal maneuvering by pro-slavery supporters, he was freed. Quantrill was wined and dined in Paola, and he was celebrated by pro-slavery supporters.

His sojourn in Paola was cut short by news that Snyder was riding into Paola with a warrant for his arrest by a Lawrence magistrate. Quantrill was given a horse and lunch and rode out of Paola just ahead of Snyder and his Free State guerillas.

Elias Snyder is an unsung hero in Osawatomie’s and national history. He and 12 Osawatomie citizens seized the moment and successfully accomplished what the Union Army in Missouri could not, which was to capture William Clarke Quantrill.

Snyder was a courageous and resourceful Osawatomie pioneer who stood against the pro-slavery forces and fought them with fury and determination to ensure that Free State forces would prevail in Kansas.

— Grady Atwater is the site administrator at John Brown Museum State Historic Site.