1854. The Kansas-Nebraska Act becomes law. After a generation of containment by the Missouri Compromise, a path is created for slavery to expand. Southerners are ecstatic and northerners enraged. Both sides rush settlers to the Kansas Territory, seeking to gain the majority. Guerilla warfare results, with Americans killing Americans.
Monty Tolliver, a former congressman from Ohio, inspired by a remote figure from his past, moves to Kansas, determined to make it a free state. Two young men, Billy Rutledge from Mississippi and Robert Geddis from Rhode Island, seek a new start on life in Kansas. They all find in Kansas a land embroiled in violence, and cross paths with abolitionist John Brown, Abraham Lincoln, and other historical figures. When a grisly double murder occurs, the investigation uncovers secret societies, betrayals, and cover ups.
Chronicling the “Bleeding Kansas” era of the 1850s, a precursor to the Civil War, And Union No More confirms that one cannot fully understand the latter without knowledge of the former.
1854. The Kansas-Nebraska Act becomes law. After a generation of containment by the Missouri Compromise, a path is created for slavery to expand. Southerners are ecstatic and northerners enraged. Both sides rush settlers to the Kansas Territory, seeking to gain the majority. Guerilla warfare results, with Americans killing Americans.
Monty Tolliver, a former congressman from Ohio, inspired by a remote figure from his past, moves to Kansas, determined to make it a free state. Two young men, Billy Rutledge from Mississippi and Robert Geddis from Rhode Island, seek a new start on life in Kansas. They all find in Kansas a land embroiled in violence, and cross paths with abolitionist John Brown, Abraham Lincoln, and other historical figures. When a grisly double murder occurs, the investigation uncovers secret societies, betrayals, and cover ups.
Chronicling the “Bleeding Kansas” era of the 1850s, a precursor to the Civil War, And Union No More confirms that one cannot fully understand the latter without knowledge of the former.
May, 1856— A cool, late-spring dawn had just broken over the Kansas prairie. Monty called Robert’s name, quietly, a couple of times. With everything that had gone on in the past few days, he knew that startling a man sleeping with a loaded pistol at his side was not a good idea.
He saw Robert’s eyes dart open and the instinctive grab for the weapon, stopping when he recognized Monty standing next to the pile of straw that he had been resting on. He and the younger Robert had become close friends after both had arrived in Kansas several months ago.
“Get up, we need to go!,” said Monty. “Something terrible has happened. I’ve already got the horses saddled.” He shoved a cup of hot coffee into Robert’s hands. “Drink fast, and grab your gear.”
“What now? What is it? Where are we going?,” asked a puzzled Robert.
“I’ll tell you once we get going.”
Monty watched as Robert gulped down the weak coffee and pulled on his boots. Having slept in their clothes, both were already dressed. He looked in his saddle bag and the only extra clothes he had brought along, a few shirts, some drawers, and a couple of pairs of socks, were still there. The events of the last few days raced through his mind. It was Tuesday, he was pretty sure. It had been less than a week since it all began. Last Wednesday, the long-anticipated attack on Lawrence, the town that served as the headquarters of the free-state movement in the Kansas Territory, had finally occurred. He had seen it all, crouched beside Robert, as they hid in a shed. Proslavery thugs from neighboring Missouri, with the backing of federal authorities, had stormed into the town. They called themselves a “sheriff’s posse,” but to Monty and others in Lawrence, they were nothing more than an invading mob. They burned the town’s main hotel, destroyed the offices of its newspapers, and looted most of the shops. Monty and Robert had been frustrated and angry, disagreeing with the command from their superiors in the free-state militia to stand down and not oppose the attack. Since then, however, they had come around to believing that it had been the correct decision, as they had been hopelessly outnumbered. Any resistance would have been futile, and would have resulted in many deaths.
In the aftermath of the attack, Monty and Robert had fled Lawrence. The men in their unit had scattered. There was no one to lead, at least for now, and Robert had insisted on getting Monty away from danger. It would have been a coup for the degenerates who attacked the town to get their hands on such a prominent figure in the free-state cause as Monty, a former congressman and a captain in the militia. Several of the movement's leaders had already been captured and imprisoned. Monty and Robert had first headed east of town, but the roads were blocked by the ruffians, forcing them to turn and head south, toward Ottawa. They covered almost twenty-five miles, resting only a few hours in the darkest hours of the night. Early the next morning, they came across a friendly settler, a free-stater living in an isolated cabin with his family, who welcomed them and let them stay in his barn. They had hoped to get on their way the next day, to circle around to the west and eventually make their way back to Lawrence, but the settler told them that slavers continued to patrol all the nearby roads and paths, and that it was not safe to leave. Each day, the settler ventured out as a scout, but he came back with the same news. They had been in hiding for four days, growing more impatient with each. But last evening, Monty had learned of something even worse.
Monty was glad to now finally be on the move, but he was worried. The danger had not passed. They could still be ambushed at any minute. Despite this, whatever the risk, he had to go and see for himself what had happened, if the news received last night was correct. He wanted it to not be, but he had a sinking feeling that it was.
As they rode, he could sense Robert’s annoyance at the lack of information. After their horses had been trotting to the southeast for a few minutes, the inevitable question came.
“Anytime you want to tell me where we’re headed, and why, I’m all ears.”
“We’re going to Pottawatomie Creek,” Monty responded, “About twenty miles away. After you retired to the barn last night, a man stopped by the cabin. Said that there had been an attack around there. Several men hacked to death with swords. I need to investigate and report back to our militia leaders. I doubt any of them are as close to the place as we are.”
“Hacked to death, you say? Goddamn border ruffians,” responded a dismayed Robert. “First the attack on Lawrence, and now this. Have the slavers lost all decency?”
“It’s worse than that,” replied Monty.
“How could it be?”
“If what I was told last night is true, the victims were slavery men and the killings were done by our men, by free-staters.”
“That can't be. I don't believe it,” replied a shocked and skeptical Robert.
“The fella last night seemed pretty sure of it.”
As they rode on in silence, Monty sighed and shook his head in disgust. Another day, and more violence in Kansas. How had it come to this? Americans not only killing their fellow Americans, but now butchering them. Could this have been done by the side that he was supporting, that he was fighting for? Had he been a fool, he wondered, to leave a safe and prosperous life in Ohio to come here and join the fight against slavery? On most days, when such questions entered his head, he eventually answered no, concluding that being part of this cause was worth it. On this brisk morning in late May, as he headed toward the site of a massacre, he was not so sure.
First and foremost, a large thank you to Reedsy Discovery and Stan Haynes for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
Stan Haynes is back with another novel rich in US history, providing his reader with something enticing that is also highly educational. There is a change in the air and with the push to end slavery, parts of the US are not entirely pleased. Haynes provides readers with some context for the heightened political clashes ahead of the Civil War, focussing his attention on a key piece of legislation that appeared to draw deeper lines in the sand. With wonderful characters and an easy-to-follow narrative, the reader can see the seeds of discontent being planted and the kernel of irreconcilable distrust on both sides. Haynes serves this novel up as a preface of what is to be ‘no more’.
When Congress passed the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854, slavery remained at the heart of the matter. While many thought slavery’s expansion was stymied with the Missouri Compromise, this new piece of legislation opened the doors to further infect the still-fragile country. Those in the South are gleeful to know that there could soon be additional states where slavery is permitted, while Northerners stand in awe that Congress could have been so ignorant as to leave the gate unlatched. Under the new law, the people will choose the state’s direction, a more ‘democratic’ means, forcing those on both sides to push settlers into the region ahead of any vote.
Monty Tolliver was once a member of Congress from Ohio, though he left before any of this politicking started. Rather, he is eager to help shape the country and moves to Kansas in order to drum up support for the free-state option. His views are widely held, but people are very easily swayed, which could prove problematic for his cause. Two others, Billy Rutledge and Robert Geddis arrive in Kansas for a new start as well. They find the country in turmoil and at the edge of disaster. Rutledge, a former Mississippian, can see the southern influence slipping into Kansas, though he refuses to believe that the people will fall into the trap. Geddis, hailing from Rhode Island, can only hope that Northern influence will keep Kansas free and out of the clutches of the Democrats, who seem to be on a path of locking down the slavery question with support all the way up to the White House.
In the lead-up to the vote, all three men encounter the likes of John Brown, a staunch abolitionist, who will stop at nothing to ensure his views are heard, even if they do not align with that of the federal government. Brown will soon have to face the courts, which are still locked into the old views of two classes of citizenry. His trial will prove to be a turning point in the push for freedom in the North, using Brown as a hero of sorts.
With politics taking on new and varied directions, one former congressman, Abraham Lincoln, arrives in Kansas to speak to the need for freedom. His classic debates with Democratic Senator Stephen Douglas are soon to come, but for now, the two men clash on their views surrounding the slave trade and what it means for America. Will these debaters help shape the vote in Kansas? It’s anyone’s guess, as both sides make their final push, using any tactic they can to ensure success. Three men from various backgrounds can only watch as the country waits to see how slavery will be accepted. This serves as foreboding for what is to come, in a country that is fraying at the edges and rotting to its core over the issue of freedom and equality. This is a decent piece by Haynes, which elucidates some of the lesser-known political struggles surrounding slavery ahead of the bloody Civil War.
When first I encountered the work of Stan Haynes, I was highly impressed. He is able to mesh fiction together with the historical record, creating a piece that is well worth the reader’s time. A strong narrative foundation provides the reader with a roadmap for success, in hopes that they will be able to follow all the action that follows. Characters, some returning from the previous novel, and others new to the scene emerge to offer their own perspectives and help flesh out the truths on both sides of the argument. While using history as a guide, there are some twists embedded within the larger story that help keep the reader on their toes. Haynes does really well to develop these plots and provides a precursor to the imminent destruction of the country.
Kudos, Mr. Haynes, for keeping me highly entertained and educated throughout this novel.