Early on the morning of September 22, 1861, Lane, and his men, calling themselves “Lane’s Brigade”, rode into town and after trading small arms fire with a few sentries posted by the town, made a direct route to the bank. At the bank Lane had his men blow open the safe only to find it empty as the residents, knowing the Lane was on his way, had moved the money to a safe location before his arrival. The lack of cash in the bank enraged Lane who ordered the town burned and sacked.

 

At the beginning of the Civil War, Osceola was a thriving, Confederate leaning, town of over 2,000 residents on the southern bank of the Osage River. Being a port on the Osage River made it a target for Jayhawker units that had been terrifying southwest Missouri since the war began in April. The Chief Jayhawker in that area was Senator/General James Lane, who took the approach that all Missourians should be punished for being Missourians. To support his mission he would burn, loot and destroy over 2,400 farms and businesses from Springfield all the way north to Kansas City in the winter of 1861.

 

Early on the morning of September 22, 1861, Lane, and his men, calling themselves “Lane’s Brigade”, rode into town and after trading small arms fire with a few sentries posted by the town, made a direct route to the bank. At the bank Lane had his men blow open the safe only to find it empty as the residents, knowing the Lane was on his way, had moved the money to a safe location before his arrival. The lack of cash in the bank enraged Lane who ordered the town burned and sacked.

 

Which is exactly what happened. Lane aimed his two artillery pieces at the town and pounded away at downtown buildings and homes. Most of Osceola’s men were away from town fighting with General Price, which meant that the only male residents in town to try and stop the destruction of the town were old men, young boys, and under 20 Missouri Militiamen who were stationed in Osceola. Twelve of these defenders were captured by Lane, given a “trial” and summarily executed. The site of the execution site of these twelve men is marked in the Osceola Cemetery with a marker that uses phrases like, “rabble army”, and “questionable authority from Mr. Lincoln” (note he is not referred to as “President Lincoln”).

 

By morning, a significant portion of Lane’s Brigade was so drunk that as the wagon train was leaving Osceola with anything valuable, they had to be placed in the carts as they were too drunk to ride. Columns of liberated slaves, horses, and mules also followed Lane’s command back to Kansas.

 

The sacking of Osceola would come back to haunt Lane two years later as guerrillas were said to have been yelling, “Remember Osceola” as they rode through the streets of Lawrence during the bloody raid that occurred in that city on August 23, 1863. Despite his name being on the “Kill” list, Lane was able to escape Quantrill’s men by fleeing into a cornfield behind his home.

 

Osceola never really recovered, with its population dropping immediately after the raid to under 200 residents. There is not a lot to see in Osceola. The monument to the twelve residents who died in the raid is in the town cemetery. There is also a storyboard down by what is now Lake Osceola, which is a couple of blocks west of downtown.  Don’t forget the cheese shop.