Levi J. Hampton Biography
"Levi J. Hampton was born in Boyd County, Kentucky. The old family homestead is on the Big Sandy River, three miles above Catlettsburg. This Hampton family is a part of the distinguished family of the same name so widely scattered in the South. Levi J. Hampton was cousin to the mother of this author, whom he visited before starting to Kansas. His family was quite wealthy and owned slaves.
The writer's mother was an Abolitionist. Her parents were Virginians . . . [yet] she desired to see freedom in all America. When Levi J. Hampton visited her to say good-bye before going to Kansas to help force slavery on that Territory, she urged him to remain at home, saying that it was monstrous to engage in such an enterprise. Hampton, however, was determined to go to Kansas in the interest of slavery. There are numerous references to him and his actions in the early newspapers of Kansas, and they are all complimentary.
At one time he led a force against a company under the command of General James H. Lane. Hampton had succeeded in passing the Free-State lines, and found Lane lying on some straw under a wagon. He had a personal acquaintance with Lane. Lane demanded to know what Hampton was doing at that time in his camp. Hampton replied that he had some thoughts of killing Lane. Lane came out and stood by Hampton and said, "No man can avoid assassination. To assassinate me, Hampton, would not stop the Free-State movement. No one man is essential to a great cause. I believe it would be better for you to take your men, go on back to your camp, and endeavor to fight this war out on the principles of war." Hampton felt humiliated that he had entertained any such purpose, and so informed Lane.
He went back to his camp and from that day determined to abandon the Pro-Slavery cause as soon as he could find an opportunity to leave Kansas. When he returned to Kentucky . . . he said to his cousin that she had been right and that he had been wrong.
It had taken the trip to Kansas and the participation in the troubles to convince him that she was right. His views were completely changed. When the Civil War came on, he enlisted in the 39th Kentucky Volunteers and was made Quartermaster of the regiment. He was taking some supplies up the Big Sandy River when his detachment was attacked at Wireman's Shoal, about ten miles above Paintsville, by a Confederate force under Jenkins. The Union force was small and most of it was captured.
Hampton had received an injury to one of his ankles a day or two before and could not get away. He sat down on the hillside and surrendered, but when the Confederates came up they disregarded his surrender and shot him dead."
Source: William E. Connelley, "Kansas and Kansans", Vol. 2
| �RETURN TO MAIN PAGE� |