Brigadier-General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

James Henry Lane (June 22, 1814 – July 11, 1866) was an American politician and military officer who was a leader of the Jayhawkers in the Bleeding Kansas period that immediately preceded the American Civil War. During the war itself, Lane served in the United States Senate and as a

general officer A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED O ...

in the Union Army. Although reelected as a Senator in 1865, Lane died by

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...

the next year.

Early life

The son of

Amos Lane Amos Lane (March 1, 1778 – September 2, 1849) was an American lawyer and politician who served two terms as a U.S. Representative from Indiana from 1833 to 1837. Early life and education Born near Aurora, New York, Lane attended the public ...

, Lane was born in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, where he practiced law when he was admitted to the state bar during 1840. During the Mexican–American War, he successively commanded the 3rd and 5th Indiana Regiments. He was a

U.S. congressman The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from Indiana (1853–1855) where he voted for the Kansas–Nebraska Act. He relocated to the

Kansas Territory The Territory of Kansas was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until January 29, 1861, when the eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the United States, Union as the Slave and ...

during 1855. Remaining a Democrat for a time, he eventually became involved with the antislavery movement in Kansas, and joined the Republican party. He was often termed the commander of the Free State Army ("The Red Legs" or

Jayhawkers Jayhawkers and red legs are terms that came to prominence in Kansas Territory during the Bleeding Kansas period of the 1850s; they were adopted by militant bands affiliated with the free-state cause during the American Civil War. These gangs we ...

), a major Free Soil militant group. In 1855 he was the president of the convention that drafted the anti-slavery Topeka Constitution. In the summer of 1857, he co-founded

Falls City, Nebraska Falls City is a city and county seat of Richardson County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 4,133 at the 2020 census, down from 4,325 in 2010 and 4,671 in 2000. History Falls City was founded in the summer of 1857 by James Lane, John ...

, intending for it to serve as a station on the Underground Railroad. By 1858, Lane had become a member of the Kansas

Danite The Danites were a fraternal organization founded by Latter Day Saint members in June 1838, in the town of Far West, Caldwell County, Missouri. During their period of organization in Missouri, the Danites operated as a vigilante group and took a ...

s, a secret-society founded in 1855 to oppose Missouri's influence in Kansas. The Kansas Danites were inspired by the earlier Mormon Danites, which had formed in Missouri in 1838, during the

1838 Mormon War The 1838 Mormon War, also known as the Missouri Mormon War, was a conflict between Mormons and non-Mormons in Missouri from August to November 1838, the first of the three " Mormon Wars". Members of the Latter Day Saint movement, founded by Jo ...

in that state. On June 3, 1858, Lane shot and killed Gaius Jenkins in a land dispute in Lawrence. According to reports Jenkins was coming to get water from a well on the disputed property. Jenkins was reported to have been displaying a revolver. Lane met him with a shotgun. One of the men with Jenkins shot Lane in the leg and Lane returned fire killing Jenkins. Lane was acquitted in the trial, which kept him from participating in the convention drafting of the Wyandotte Constitution, later the official constitution for Kansas. After the Free Soilers succeeded in getting Kansas admitted to the Union in 1861 as a free state, Lane was elected as one of the new state's first

U.S. Senators The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and power ...

, and reelected in 1865.

Civil War

During the American Civil War, in addition to his Senate service, Lane formed a brigade of "

" known as the "Kansas Brigade", or "Lane's Brigade", composed of the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Kansas Volunteers. He commanded the force into action against pro-Southern General Sterling Price of Missouri in the

Battle of Dry Wood Creek The Battle of Dry Wood Creek, also known as the Battle of the Mules, was fought on September 2, 1861, in Vernon County, Missouri, during the American Civil War. After his victory at the Battle of Wilson's Creek on August 10, Sterling Price and t ...

, as Price began an offensive early in the War to retake Missouri for the pro-Confederate state government that had been deposed by pro-Union forces around St. Louis. Lane lost the battle but stayed behind and attacked pro-South areas in Missouri behind Price. During the subsequent

Siege of Lexington The siege of Lexington, also known as the First Battle of Lexington or the Battle of the Hemp Bales, was a minor conflict of the American Civil War. The siege took place from September 13 to 20, 1861 between the Union Army and the pro- Confedera ...

, General John Charles Fremont ordered General Henry Lane to make a "demonstration along the Kansas Missouri border with his Jayhawkers". Lane acted gladly on Fremont's official authorization for a raid into Missouri. He raided the village of Morristown near the state line, burned it and swept a wide path of pillage, arson and murder of private citizens through the Missouri territory six miles wide and fifteen miles long. However as it turns out it had little to no effect on Mulligan. "His raids culminated in the

Sacking of Osceola A sack usually refers to a rectangular-shaped bag. Sack may also refer to: Bags * Flour sack * Gunny sack * Hacky sack, sport * Money sack * Paper sack * Sleeping bag * Stuff sack * Knapsack Other uses * Bed, a slang term * Sack (band), an Iris ...

, in which Lane's forces killed at least nine men, then pillaged, looted, and then burned the town; these events inspired the novel ''

Gone to Texas Gone to Texas (often abbreviated GTT), was a phrase used by Americans emigrating to Texas in the 19th century. During the Panic of 1819, many left the United States and moved there to escape debt. Moving to Texas, which at the time was part of M ...

'' by

Forrest Carter Asa Earl Carter (September 4, 1925 – June 7, 1979) was a 1950s segregationist speech writer, and later Western novelist. He co-wrote George Wallace's well-known pro-segregation line of 1963, "Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation ...

, which was the basis for the 1976

Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the "Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "''Doll ...

movie '' The Outlaw Josey Wales''. Lane was criticized for his violence in Osceola, most severely by General Henry Halleck, then Commander of the Department of Missouri. Of their actions, he would state: "The course pursued by those under Lane and Jennison has turned against us many thousands who were formerly Union men. A few more such raids, in connection with the ultra speeches made by leading men in Congress, will make the State as unanimous against us as is Eastern Virginia." Thus, Lane's Brigade was ended. On December 18, 1861, Lane was appointed brigadier general of volunteers. On March 21, 1862, his commission was canceled in the culmination of an argument over whether a sitting U.S. Senator could concurrently have the rank of General. However, on April 11, 1862, he was reinstated as brigadier general of volunteers with the confirmation of the U.S. Senate. During 1862–1863, he served as recruiting commissioner for the State of Kansas. On October 27–29, 1862, U.S. Senator Jim Lane recruited the

1st Regiment Kansas Volunteer Infantry (Colored) The 1st Kansas Colored Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was the first black regiment to be organized in a northern state and the first black unit to see combat during the Ci ...

who debuted at the Skirmish at Island Mound. They are the first African-American troops to fight in the war, a year before the

54th Massachusetts The 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that saw extensive service in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The unit was the second African-American regiment, following the 1st Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry ...

. In their first action, 30 of their members defeated 130 mounted Confederate guerrillas. Lane was the target of the event that became the Lawrence Massacre (or

Quantrill's Raid The Lawrence Massacre, also known as Quantrill's Raid, was an attack during the American Civil War (186165) by Quantrill's Raiders, a Confederate guerrilla group led by William Quantrill, on the Unionist town of Lawrence, Kansas, killing a ...

) on August 21, 1863. Confederate guerrillas could be heard shouting, "Remember Osceola!" Though Lane was in residence in Lawrence at the time, he was able to escape the attack by racing through a nearby ravine, hiding in a cornfield for the duration of the attack. In a speech given in 1863, while the

38th United States Congress The 38th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1863, ...

was debating a bill that would confiscate land from rebelling southerners, Lane said, "I would like to live long enough to see every white man in South Carolina in hell, and the Negroes inheriting their territory. It would not wound my feelings any day to find the dead bodies of rebel sympathizers pierced with bullet holes in every street and alley of Washington. Yes, I would regret this, for I would not like to witness all this waste of powder and lead. I would rather have them hung, and the ropes saved! Let them dangle until their stinking bodies rot and fall to the ground piece by piece." During 1864 when Sterling Price invaded Missouri, Lane served as a volunteer aide-de-camp to

Samuel R. Curtis Samuel Ryan Curtis (February 3, 1805 – December 26, 1866) was an American military officer and one of the first Republicans elected to Congress. He was most famous for his role as a Union Army general in the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the ...

, commander of the

Army of the Border The Army of the Border was a Union army during the American Civil War. It was created from units in the Department of Kansas to oppose Sterling Price's Raid in 1864. Samuel R. Curtis was in command of the army throughout its duration. Major Gener ...

. Lane was with the victorious Union forces at the

battle of Westport The Battle of Westport, sometimes referred to as the "Gettysburg of the West", was fought on October 23, 1864, in modern Kansas City, Missouri, during the American Civil War. Union Army, Union forces under Major General (United States), Major G ...

Personal life

Lane was a teetotaller. It was noted by many of his contemporaries that he was never seen to consume alcohol; he specifically ordered his troops to burn stockpiles of whiskey during the

. He was well-known, however, for his near-constant use of "dog-leg" chewing tobacco, a form of tobacco which was twisted into a stick and chewed. Lane's critics often accused him of lechery, alleging that he committed adultery with prostitutes and mistresses, and that he had made numerous unsuccessful attempts to seduce various married women while living in Lawrence. This has been disputed by Lane's defenders. Lane's wife, Mary Lane, left Lawrence to return to Indiana in 1856, and filed for a divorce. They were remarried in 1857, after which they both returned to Lawrence. Lane was a Methodist.

Death and legacy

On July 1, 1866, Lane shot himself in the head as he jumped from his carriage in

Leavenworth, Kansas Leavenworth () is the county seat and largest city of Leavenworth County, Kansas, United States and is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 37,351. It is located on the west bank of t ...

. He was allegedly deranged, depressed, had been charged with abandoning his fellow Radical Republicans and had been accused of financial irregularities. He died ten days later near

, a result of the self-inflicted gunshot.

Edmund G. Ross Edmund Gibson Ross (December 7, 1826May 8, 1907) was a politician who represented Kansas after the American Civil War and was later governor of the New Mexico Territory. His vote against convicting President Andrew Johnson of "high crimes and ...

was appointed to succeed him in the Senate. Lane's posthumous legacy has been controversial, both among supporters of the Union as well as those of the Confederacy. The Southern view of Lane has been almost entirely negative, often portraying him as a corrupt and genocidal war criminal. Many abolitionists have presented him with almost equal unfavourability, often painting him as an unscrupulous, corrupt political opportunist who feigned his radicalism in order to achieve power in antislavery Kansas. Much of the criticism directed towards Lane from the Northern side stems from his many disputes with

Charles L. Robinson Charles Lawrence Robinson (July 21, 1818 – August 17, 1894) was an American politician who served in the California State Assembly from 1851-52, and later as the first Governor of Kansas from 1861 until 1863. He was also the first governor of ...

, the first

governor of Kansas A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...

. The dispute between the two men centered mostly around personal animosity, as well as political rivalry, but it also represents ideological, class, and regional differences as well. Robinson was a long-term Republican and a staunch abolitionist, while Lane was a former

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

and merely an antislavery man. The Robinson faction in Kansas generally consisted of abolitionist immigrants from New England, many of them religious and well-to-do, who opposed slavery on what they considered a "moral" ground. Lane's supporters, on the other hand, were mostly working-class

Midwesterners The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. I ...

who opposed slavery in the Kansas Territory due to class interests. As such, his reputation has often been maligned among New Englanders, while he is viewed more positively in the

Midwest The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...

. While many of Lane's pro-Union apologists concede that Lane often made ruthless use of realpolitik, they defend him on the grounds that he did what was needed to defeat slavery in Kansas, as well as to protect its citizens during the Civil War, when many of the more radical and idealistic abolitionists, such as Robinson, were seeking passive and ineffective alternatives. The following places were named in honor of the late senator: * Lane University, Lecompton *

Lane, Kansas Lane is a city in Franklin County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 241. History The first temporary settlement near what would become Lane occurred in 1838 when Rev. Robert Simerwell establishe ...

* Lane County, Kansas

In popular culture

* Lane appears in Stan Haynes' 2023 historical fiction: ''And Union No More: A Novel'' which depicts some of the events of "Bleeding Kansas" * Jim Lane appears as a character in ''Wildwood Boys'' (William Morrow, New York; 2000), a

biographical novel The biographical novel is a genre of novel which provides a fictional account of a contemporary or historical person's life. Like other forms of biographical fiction, details are often trimmed or reimagined to meet the artistic needs of the fiction ...

of Bloody Bill Anderson by

James Carlos Blake James Carlos Blake (born May 26, 1947) is an American writer of novels, novellas, short stories, and essays. His work has received extensive critical favor and several notable awards. He has been called “one of the greatest chroniclers of the my ...

. * Jim Lane is a main character in the book ''The 116'' by James P. Muehlberger. *Jim Lane and his brigade is mentioned in Colter Wall's, "Wild Bill Hickok" from his 2018 album, ''Songs of the Plains''. *In the 1976 film '' The Outlaw Josey Wales'', Senator Jim Lane (portrayed by Frank Schofield) is the general who commissions the reward for the title character (portrayed by Clint Eastwood.)

References

External links

* Retrieved on 2008-02-19 *
James H. Lane at Territorial Kansas Online

James H. Lane at Downfall Dictionary

James H. Lane at Mr. Lincoln's White House

Senator Jim at Bull Run
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lane, James Henry 1814 births 1866 deaths 1860s suicides People from Lawrenceburg, Indiana Lieutenant governors of Indiana American military personnel who died by suicide American politicians who died by suicide Suicides by firearm in Kansas Indiana lawyers People from Kansas Territory People of Kansas in the American Civil War American abolitionists Union (American Civil War) political leaders Union Army generals Members of the Indiana House of Representatives People of Indiana in the American Civil War American people of the Mexican–American War Indiana Democrats Kansas Republicans Radical Republicans Republican Party United States senators from Kansas Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Indiana Perpetrators of American Civil War prisoner of war massacres 19th-century American legislators 19th-century American lawyers Methodists from Kansas 19th-century Indiana politicians