[GENERAL ORDERS No. 20 RELATING TO THE DISCHARGE OF MAJ. WILLIAM R. MONTGOMERY AND HIS ATTEMPT TO ESTABLISH A SETTLEMENT IN KANSAS]

Washington, 1855. 9pp. 12mo. Dbd. Internally clean. Very good. 9pp. 12mo. Dbd. While serving as commanding officer of Fort Riley, Kansas Territory in 1855, William Montgomery abused his position as the highest ranking military officer in the area in his attempt to establish a civilian settlement just outside the post. As leader of what he called the "Pawnee Association," Montgomery acted outside his authority in distributing over four hundred acres at a public sale to a host of eager settlers. He took little care to conceal his activities, and printed at least one broadside advertising the newly available land. In 1954, Edward Eberstadt offered this broadside for sale, writing that it is "the only known copy of the earliest specimen of territorial printing to bear the printer's office, place and date." Despite being responsible for the first definitive printed Kansas document, the army was quite displeased with Montgomery's entrepreneurial efforts and discharged him in December. Regardless, the territory had already become a mecca for numerous pioneers, and Montgomery's efforts played a key role in the opening of the West. The present orders provide details of his court-martial, including the text of a letter he wrote promoting his scheme. An excellent Kansas item. EBERSTADT 135:461 (ref). HEITMAN, p.720