Missed that. Every time i speak about this event in a community setting, i see a healing occur. I can see families come out and talk about it and it gives us, in a way, we are getting this off of our chest. We are expressing this for the first time. There are many loved ones who lost loved ones at the time who never spoke about it. Now they have an avenue to talk about it. Inspired by lewis and clark, kansas pioneer samuel reader kept the diary starting in 1849 about his travels in the kansas territory. Up next on the cspan cities to work, a state archivist reads portions of samuel readers diary. Michael samuel reader was a kansas pioneer, farmer, soldier, artist and photographer, among many other things. He capped a daily kept a Daily Journal from 1849 to 1913, from age 13 to 878, i believe. The diary was donated to the society by his daughter right after his death in 1914. He created 15 journals over his life, but we only received 13 because in 1890s farmhouse burned and they were only able to save 13 of the journals. Two, volume one and four, perished in the fire. He was influenced by the reading of journals of the lewis and clark definition. He wanted to keep a journal like they did and was interested in the illustrations. He wanted to illustrate too. 1849aily journals began in and proceeded his whole life until 1913 and he became too sick to continue. These are the diaries we have. Have items ofs particular interest. Example, is, for the most lavishly illustrated volume and it is also the volume that covers much of the territorial period from 1855 through 1857. In particular, it includes descriptions of the readers involvement of the battle of Hickory Point. The battle of Hickory Point 1856red on september 13, when general james lane, who was leader of the free state forces and will become an early senator kansas was in the vicinity of topeka when he received reports that Landing Forces were causing trouble in kansas. He took his units and noticed that the proslave forces had congregated near Hickory Point. He asked for reinforcements and reader can to assist on september 13 came to assist. On september 13, reader writes got here after signup. Fisher let me ride old gray horse. Got to Hickory Point. They will fight. Fired some. We were treated we retreated to ozaukee. Several ruffians killed. Eight watermelons. Several started home for fear of the u. S. Government. Bought a pickle box for six dollars. Got home late. Sleepy and tired, but full of glory. Includes 1854, 1869, including his involvement in the battle of the big blue. The battle of the big blue involve the second regiment of the kansas state militia, also led by general james lane, and he pursued and fought Confederate Forces led by general Sterling Price in jackson county, missouri, near the Big Blue River on october 27, 1864. Reader had enlisted in the Second Division of the kansas militia when the war began. He was involved in this conflict. The confederates routed lanes forces and anyone left behind who was not killed was taken prisoner. Reader was taken prisoner. He surrendered peacefully and he recounts in the diary as well his time as a prisoner. They were marching the soldiers south, the prisoners south, apparently to texas and reader was able to get away and escape by pretending to be a confederate soldier. 21, before the day of battle, he writes we went to the big lou and camped one half mile in blackjack saplings covered with deadly. Nearly stole a turkey. We had nice fires. We heard cannon shots from the northeast. Tom wallace laughed and said he would rather hear the baby cry. William bergman says he wants to see a battle. Well, i dont care. Im not afraid as i can see. We loaded our guns. I slept with ron. He fears we will fight and he will be killed. I talked to him about our future state. It will be a better than thi s. He said, i dont know about that. He has no very distinct views on the subject. He became active in his community and was involved in building bridges and designing structures for the community. He was trusted for cemeteries and things like that. After the civil or he became the civil war, much of his activity became Community Focused and the health of his family. In volume 12, it is the building of his farmhouse which happened in 1890. Interestingly, in 1887, where he dreamed that his house had burned down and he wrote, i dreamed of the house of fire. In 1890, hisater house did burn. Newspaper clipping on the event, and he titled the entry conflagration, with a small illustration of his house on fire and little bells ring. 18721874. Ers at the end of the volume, rita back back reader looks in self reflection and thinks about the value of the journals 100 years after he is writing them and he has this to say if these journals are preserved for 100 years, they will be a window to seekers of a long forgotten past. Me being a kansas pioneer and a follower of jim lane in 1856 enhance their value. They will show how a farm was opened up in the onehorse way of the primitive backwoods men. Would we not think the old manuscript worth keeping . Like old one, they would be age, and so we may think of these journals of samuel reader. Coming up, two writers of the book pulledve