John C. Gage, a resident of Kansas City, Missouri and apparently a lawyer by trade, was anything but thankful in the weeks following the Thanksgiving of 1862. His letter of December 8, 1862 addresses friends in Pelham, New Hampshire, and in it and a preceding letter, Gage complains that his Southern sympathies left him vulnerable to attacks from Kansas “jayhawkers,” including James H. Lane and Charles “Doc” Jennison. The letter begins warmly enough, with Gage referencing a “little party” for Thanksgiving and a dinner that included such timeless staples as turkey, mince pie, and champagne.