Freedom’s Champion, (Atchison, KS) Saturday, February 12, 1859; Issue 48; col B
Off-Hand Pencillings of the Members of the Kansas Legislature
In speaking of T. R. Roberts, a legislator from Ft. Scott, “His politics he defines as Republican and anti “jayhawking”…
From other articles I came across, it appears that there was an actual political movement or “party” in later years called the Anti-Jayhawkers. (Much as in the Benton County area of Missouri, there were the “Horsethieves” and “anti-Horsethieves” in the late 1840s to 1850s--ref. "The Slicker War".)
The Kansas Herald of Freedom, (Wakarusa, KS) Saturday, May 07, 1859; Issue [40]; col A
Original Miscellany The Jay-Hawker; a Tale of Southern Kansas by P. P. Fowler.
This extensive article describes various incidents during the “bleeding Kansas” period…refers to “jayhawking the language”, and to a person whose intent it is to “jayhawk” (steal) boots from an abandoned store. This was apparently a “serial”, as it is sub-titled Chapter VIII.
One of the most interesting references I came across comes from
The Daily Cleveland Herald, (Cleveland, OH) Saturday, December 21, 1861; Issue 301; col B:
Jayhawkers.
Some inquiry has been made as to the origin of the term “Jayhawkers”, used to designate the Free State guerrillas of Kansas. One suggestion is that there is a bird in Missouri called a “Jayhawk” which does not at once sweep down on its prey, but torments it for a while, like a cat does a mouse, and that the proceedings of the Kansas “Jayhawkers” are of a similar character. Another authority says that the word is not new, but existed at the time of the Revolution. It was not used precisely in contradistinction to the expression Cowboys, but “Jayhawkers” were a body of men, who being true patriots and followers of the well-known patriot and statesman, John Jay, were sworn to maintain an apparent neutrality while they never lost an occasion to aid the cause of the United Colonies. In a small volume of “Reminiscences”, prepared by Nathaniel Niles, in 1828, a mention of Jayhawkers is made.
Thanks for giving me another learning opportunity!