https://www.kshs.org/index.php?url=km/items/view/210774 (photo of Matthews)
https://www.kansasmemory.org/item/210597
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Paul,_Kansas
https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=96966
Lieut. Cvil. Blunt, with four companies of Home Guards, returned on the 21st from an excursion down on the Indian central lands, whither he had been in pursuit of the notorious Mathews and his gang of whites and " Indians. He succeeded iu capturing 27 prisocer, 1000 buffalo robes and ponies, but had to shoot Mathews he refusing to make any surrender although urged so to do, he fell pierced with more than forty ball holes in his person. A report has also reached here that a detachment of Home Guards was 6ent out day before yesterday from Fort Scott-down on the Dry wood where a small force of rebels were encamped, and that they succeeded in suprising them and capturing several horses and some twenty prisoners, also, that McCulloch's forces have commenced a march from where they were encamped, and that their course istowards Fort Lincoln, whether true or not time will reveal, yet reliable information is being received that secession forces are daily augmenting in South Western Missouri, and unless more force is sent to guard our border, Southern Kansas must yield a prey to the rebels. Gen. Lane has again called out all the forces able to leave home along our line for ten days, and men are re sponding to the call, and are flocking to Wc-t Point, and other places along on the line, although some had hardly arrived at home ; many of them, their hay not yet cut, tbeir wheat stacks partly thrashed, and consequently left much exposed to the weather, and should a sever rain coma or, thousands of dollars -will be loet to S-mthern Kansas, by reason of their being ca'led out at a time they are so much needed at home to finish and secure their hay and grain. Yet unless they go, certainly it is, that the rebel forces will come ia and then the distruction of course will be more terrible and the consequences more severe. Col. Jennison is rectuiting his regiment still at this place, yet very slowly owing to the fact that almost every mtn that could, has enrolled himself in some other regiment , before he commenced. He is expecting several companies from the north, as also the enrolling of some of the brave second regiment when discharged. , - KANSAS.
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The Kansas State Journal
Lawrence, Kansas
26 Sep 1861, Thu • Page 2
The Home Guard regiment, untler command of Col. Blunt, had marched 70 or 80 miles south from Fort Scott, surprising the notorious Mathews, who sacked Humboldt, and killing him and two or three others; recovering nearly all the property taken at Humboldt, as well as capturing a large amount of other property.
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The Wabaunsee Patriot
Wabaunsee, Kansas
28 Sep 1861, Sat • Page 2
HUMBOLDT BURNED! We learn from Col. Jennison that the town Of Humboldt, in Allen county, has been burned to ashes by Secessionists from the Indian Country. Every house was burned. No person was killed and only one wounded. It will be remembered that Humboldt was sacked about a month ago by a party under Mathews. Mathews was afterwards pursued by Col. Blunt, found and killed. Humboldt had lately been made the seat of the Land Office, and it is probable that all its valuable papers and records have been destroyed.
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The Leavenworth Times
Leavenworth, Kansas
19 Oct 1861, Sat • Page 2
Rebels In Southern Kansas Humboldt---Sacked.
James Christian, Esq., of Lawrence, writes us, under date of the 12th: , We have just learned from Mr. Squires, proprietor of the Humboldt Stage Line,1 who just arrived, that the town of Humboldt was visited on last Monday afternoon by a band of Secession desperados headed by one Matthews, formerly a trader on the Cherokee Indian Lands, and completely cleaned out. "They first visited the house of Mr. Thurston, now in command of a company at Barnesville, and robbed the house of everything valuable taking Mrs. Thurston's gold watch, silver spoons, breast pin, and other jewelry. They robbed several stores of all their groceries, took eight or ten negroes and fourteen horses, and pressed two wagons to their service to carry the goods off. The villains set fire to Thurston's house two or three times as often Mrs. T. extinguished the flames. Nothing but her courage and fearlessness saved the house from destruction. There was not a man in the place to defend it ; all had gone to Fort Lincoln. From the Lawrence Journal, we learn that the marauding party consisted of 125 men, a part of them whites disguised as Indians, and the rest Indians. The town was surrounded and no person was allowed to escape, several being shot at in attempting to do so. No person was seriously injured. --Mr. Rush, of Humboldt, who was in the place when the desperadoes entered, called upon us yesterday. He confirms the statements above.
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The Leavenworth Times
Leavenworth, Kansas
14 Sep 1861, Sat • Page 2
Gen. Lane in a speech on Oct 8th 1861 took credit for ordering Blunt to kill Matthews:
But the Kansas Brigade is to be dissolved because it built forts and organized forces at Humboldt,, Leroy, .Neosho. Falls, .Verdigris, Walnut Creek, Full River, Turkey Creek seven forts on your frontier, where the people, instead of being stampeded and driven from the State rally for your defence. Is it because Mathews invaded Humboldt? Four days before that raid I ordered a Fort to be built there', but -for some reason it was not done. But who followed Mathews and killed him ? My order book will show that I ordered Lieut. Col. Blunt to pursue Mathews to Arkansas, and he did pursue him -till he slew him. Blunt marched down into the Cherokee country; he followed Matthews to his den and killed him.
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The Leavenworth Times
Leavenworth, Kansas
09 Oct 1861, Wed • Page 2
FURTHER FROM HUMBOLDT. Leroy, Thursday, 12thi September, 1861. The nearer we get to Humboldt, the more connected become the statements of the doings of the marauding party that visited that place on Monday afternoon last. I have just seen Mr. W. A. Ela, of Hampden, who left Humboldt this morning. He reports everything quiet, and gives the following version of the Monday affair, which he says is the diepassionate, candid statement of the citizens of Humboldt, who witnessed the whole of it. It will be seen that it differs in many respects from my statement which I forwarded from Burlington. It is undoubtedly more correct : The party numbered one hundred and twenty-five, mostly whites, the remainder Cherokees. ,They were commanded by a half-breed Osage. They pressed two teams with their drivers into their service, for the purpose of carrying off the goods. They were discharged when the party arrived at the Osage Mission. They also took away twelve horses, and took from various persons about one hundred dollars in money. They took away Gilmore and his family. Gilmore, it will be remembered, was the ostensible owner of a stock of goods claimed by one of the marauders named Livingston. It is now suspected that Gilmore was in complicity with the marauders. They carried off about a dozen negroes living there most probably fugitives from Missouri. They also threatened to return soon. No violence was offered to any one. P. B. PLUMB.
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The Weekly News-Democrat
Emporia, Kansas
21 Sep 1861, Sat • Page 1
The Rebel Mathews Killed. The expedition undertaken by Col. Judson and Lieut. Col. Blunt, wns completely successful They went down as far as Quapaw, on the Neutral Lands, 100 miles south of Fort Scott, found Mathews, defeated his force and killed him. On his body an order from Ben McCullough was found authorizing Mathews to organize the Quapaw Indians, All the property stolen from Humboldt was recovered, and a large number of prisoners taken. Col. Judson proceeded to Dry Wood, surprised a rebel camp, killed three, took seven teen prisoners and seventy horses.
The Leavenworth Times
Leavenworth, Kansas
26 Sep 1861, Thu • Page 2
See https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90914569/ for a lengthy detailed report of the raid on Humboldt, and the relationship of Mathews, Gilmore and Thomas Livingston who became infamous in his own right in SW MO later in the war. Livingston led the "Cherokee Spikes" which likely rose from the group that Mathews et al raised in mid 1861 in southern Kansas and SW MO.
Hope this helps, JJR