uster - like ▁hair ▁and ▁fr ing ed ▁bu ck sk in , ▁and ▁was ▁character ized ▁as ▁either ▁" a ▁scal aw ag ▁of ▁the ▁worst ▁type , ▁a ▁bur ly , ▁sw agger ing , ▁reck less ▁character " ▁or ▁as ▁a ▁Mos es ▁leading ▁his ▁people ▁to ▁the ▁promised ▁land , ▁depending ▁on ▁whether ▁the ▁descri ber ▁agreed ▁with ▁his ▁politics , ▁or ▁not . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁media ▁of ▁the ▁day , ▁he ▁was ▁sometimes ▁sty led ▁" Col onel " ▁Car p enter ▁and ▁" General " ▁Car p enter , ▁but ▁no ▁source ▁of ▁a ▁military ▁rank ▁other ▁than ▁his ▁rank ▁of ▁Captain ▁during ▁his ▁Civil ▁War ▁service ▁has ▁been ▁documented . ▁ ▁In ▁late ▁April ▁ 1 8 7 9 , ▁Car p enter ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁tra ve led ▁from ▁Kansas ▁City , ▁Kansas ▁to ▁Independ ence , ▁Kansas ▁to ▁set ▁up ▁a ▁headquarters ▁for ▁organ izing ▁the ▁potential ▁sett lers ▁and ▁solic iting ▁don ations ▁from ▁town ▁mer ch ants ▁to ▁support ▁the ▁effort . ▁Car p enter ▁issued ▁a ▁statement ▁announ cing ▁that ▁" All ▁parties ▁and ▁colon ists ▁wish ing ▁to ▁join ▁my ▁expedition ▁to ▁the ▁Indian ▁Territ ory ▁will ▁concent rate ▁at ▁Independ ence , ▁Kansas , ▁between ▁May ▁ 5 th ▁and ▁ 7 th ," ▁from ▁which ▁location ▁he ▁instruct ed ▁the ▁Bo om ers ▁to ▁move ▁into ▁Oklahoma ▁and ▁rende z vous ▁at ▁his ▁general ▁headquarters ▁at ▁Car p enter ' s ▁City , ▁eigh teen ▁miles ▁west