Charles R. Jennison
During the difficult days of Bleeding Kansas, when residents of Kansas were fighting over the slavery issue several years before the Civil War, the Battle of Paris was fought on December 1, 1859.
Taking place in Linn County, Kansas, the conflict was not a battle of arms but a battle of will and words. After Linn County had voted on November 8, 1859, to move the county seat from Paris to Mound City, pro-slavery advocates of Paris refused to move the county records. Forces from Mound City under Charles R. Jennison marched on Paris, threatening an attack if the records were not surrendered. In an attempt to keep the records, the Paris faction stated that they did not know where they were. Combat was close, but the Parisians, in the end, wanting to avoid a battle, eventually surrendered the records.
©Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated March 2026.
Also See:
Kansas-Missouri Border War Timeline
See Sources.