before coming to lawrence, the bushwhackers had broken into the united states arsenal at liberty, missouri, and stolen guns, swords, a cannon and ammunition. in lawrence, john brown and james lane had mustered free-state settlers into a defending army and erected barricades. no attack on lawrence was made. it was the first time armies from missouri and kansas faced each other. it was demanded free-staters obey the laws and give up their weapons. but they replied they had broken no laws and had the right to bear arms. the only fatal casualty occurring during the siege was of a free-state man named thomas barber. on december 6, 1855 he was shot and killed by george w. clark, the indian agent, on a road four miles outside of lawrence.