George Washington Collamore, born on April 1, 1818, in Boston, Massachusetts, studied law and was admitted to the Suffolk County bar in 1852. He formed a partnership with future Massachusetts governor John A. Andrew which lasted until 1856. An abolitionist, Collamore moved his family to Kansas in 1856, and became the agent of the New England Kansas Relief Committee, which furnished seed corn, potatoes and other items to Kansas settlers.

When the Civil War began, Collamore was commissioned a brigadier general and named quartermaster general of the state of Kansas. Collamore used his own personal funds and credit to outfit the early Kansas volunteer regiments. Removed from that position in March 1862, he was elected mayor of Lawrence, Kansas, in 1863. Collamore was at home on the morning of August 21, 1863, when William Clarke Quantrill and his guerrillas attacked Lawrence.

This account of Collamore’s death appeared in William G. Cutler’s History of the State of Kansas (1883):

“Gen. Collamore, Mayor of this city, was awakened by their shouts around his house. His house was evidently well known and they struck for it first to prevent his taking measure for defense. When he looked out, the house was surrounded; escape was impossible; there was but one hiding place, the well; he at once went into the well; the enemy entered the house and searched for the owner, swearing and threatening all the while; failing to find him, they fired the house, and waited round to see it burn. Mrs. Collamore went out and spoke to her husband while the fire was burning; but the house was so near the well that when the flames burst out they shot over the well and the fire fell in. When the flames subsided, so that the well could be approached, nothing could be seen of Mr. Collamore or the man who descended into the well with him. After the rebels had gone, Mr. Lowe, an intimate friend of Gen Collamore, went at once down the well to seek for him; the rope supporting him broke and he also died in the well, and three bodies were drawn from its cold water.”

Collamore’s body was returned to Boston, where a “solemn and impressive” funeral was held.

His son, John Hoffman Collamore, was wounded in the attack on Lawrence, and served in Company A, 17th Kansas Infantry for 100 days from July to November 1864. He was then commissioned a second lieutenant in Company M, 3rd Massachusetts Heavy Artillery. He fell ill from typhoid fever and died in Boston on September 17, 1865 at the age of 19.

Both George Collamore and his son are buried in Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Carte-de-Visite by F.L. Lay, Boston.

Image Courtesy Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield; WICR 31986