From the Freemen's Champion, Prairie City, August 27, 1857.
     We have seen many accounts of the treatment a company of emigrants from Chicago, while coming up the Missouri on their way to the territory last season [1856], received from Border Ruffians, but none so minute and accurate as the statement contained in a letter which was written by a member of the company to a friend, shortly after the occurrence, but which has never yet appeared in print. We have been permitted to make a few extracts:

     "We left Chicago about the middle of June, via. the Chicago, Alton & St. Louis R. R. We numbered sixty-eight, including the women and children, and were composed of farmers, mechanics of every branch, three printers, one minister, one doctor and two lawyers. Our intention was to form a Free State colony, and were provided with all the necessaries for establishing one. Upon our arrival at Alton we proceeded to the steamer `Star of the West,' which had been engaged for the conveyance of our company up the river, and which we supposed had been chartered exclusively for us and other companies that were to join us there. By some misunderstanding that arrangement had failed to be effected, and we found ourselves on board of a Border Ruffian steamer, manned by a Border Ruffian crew from captain to deck-hands, and in company with a large number of Border Ruffian passengers. Everything passed off very quietly and nothing occurred worthy of note until we reached Waverly, a little town about twenty-five miles below Lexington, where a passenger, whom we subsequently learned was employed on the river as a spy, got ashore, with a horse which accompanied him, and put off at lightning speed for Lexington, to warn the citizens of our coming. In his haste to get there, it is said he rode his horse to death. At about eleven o'clock Sunday night, the boat was moored to the levee in Lexington by two iron cables and all the ropes belonging to the boat. The night being dark as pitch, it was impossible to distinguish anything on shore, and we were unable to conjecture what was to be our fortune. Presently a few men made their appearance and came on board, followed by others in small squads, until before we were hardly aware of it, the cabin was filled from one end to the other by many of the best citizens of Lexington, intermingled by a number of the most fiendish devils the infernal regions ewer puked up. Just at this juncture the steamer lit a torch-light, which enabled us plainly to distinguish on shore a large body of men, armed with U. S. muskets, and three brass field pieces loaded with grape-shot. A committee of seven were appointed by the Lexington people, to hold council with the officers of our company, and the captain of the steamer, after seeking them, took them, with the Lexington committee, into his cabin. The committee demanded, in the name of the people they represented, the arms furnished us by the Chicago people.- Have them they would, if it cost the entire annihilation of our party. If we quietly submitted to their demand, they would only take the arms furnished us by

the Chicago people; would give us receipt for the same and return them when the difficulties in Kanzas were settled, and would leave our private arms unmolested.- Our officers at first stoutly refused to surrender a thing, and not until two hours had been consumed in parleying, with the advice, influence and persuasion of the steamer captain, did our company consent to yield to their demand. Many, rather than deliver up their guns, threw them overboard. Fifty-eight condemned United States breach-loading Hall's rifles, and seventy-five pounds of powder was the extent of their robbery. They assured us that we would meet. with no more obstacles on our journey, and would be able to enter the territory now without any difficulty whatever; whereas, if we had went in the condition we were previous to their interference, we would have conflicted with U. S. troops! Feeling grateful for the interest manifested in our behalf (!) at six o'clock next morning we were pursuing our journey again. At three o'clock the following morning we reached Kanzas City, where a detachment of Col. Buford's company, (South Carolina desperadoes) numbering upwards of fifty, armed with muskets, revolvers, and bowie knives with others, came on board. Matters passed on quietly until we had proceeded eight or ten miles further, when it was discovered that among the large augmentation to the passengers at the latter city, were Generals Atchison, Stringfellow, Jones, and other notorious ruffian leaders, who sought an interview with our president and told him that our company should not land in Kanzas Territory; that if we attempted it, every soul of us would be slaughtered! They advised us to return on the first steamer, and should be allowed to do so without molestation. As we had only about a dozen rifles, with as many revolvers, we saw that we were virtually prisoners, and deemed their advice wholesome, under the circumstances. A meeting of the company was held and we decided to go back. Upon arriving at Leavenworth City, we found another large armed body of ruffians waiting for us, drawn up in military order on the river banks. Arrangements were made for us to remain on board the boat and return on the same, and after searching all of our baggage, stripping us of our remaining arms, tents, camp-equippage and agricultural implements, a guard of thirty-five picked men, under command of Capt. Clarkson, was stationed over us to prevent our escaping. Weston, six miles further up the river, was the termination of the steamer's route. Here we remained for two days, in close confinement on the boat being allowed to go ashore only in small parties at a time, well guarded. "At Lexington, on our return, we were informed that a party of Massachusetts men were expected there that. day, on the steamer `Sultan,' and that they intended to meet them with a reception similar to the one we were honored with. When about fifty miles below, we met the said steamer, and word having been given our captain that we wished to communicate with them, a signal was made and the boats stopped. Our president endeavored to board their steamer, but was prevented by one of Col. Buford's lieutenants, who was stationed on the taff-rail of our boat, and who drew a revolver on him and ordered him back. Not relishing this assumed authority, our president was about to level him to the deck-he had no arms-when the lieutenant fired. A friend of the lieutenant-Capt. Bell, of South Carolina-knocked the revolver aside, and the ball just barely missed your humble correspondent, who