The Cairo daily bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1870-1872, 1871-08-11
QUANTRELL'S DEATH.
THE MYsrERY ABOUT THE BLoopY BUSH
wHACK-DEAD OR ALIVE


From the St. Louis Republican, Aus.n
4 Despite the detailed account Of Quan.
/ trells death given by tho Kansas City
Times, two weeks age, . paragraph des-
cribing that noted guerilla W still living
Is going the rounds Of tho pfess. The Gu
riosity felt concerning his Ultimate fate,
| and the attempt made to persot,as him, re-
markably illustrate the attraction OF 'mys-
terry, aud the morbid admiration fsh by
some coarse natures to usurp lnotOssty for
deeds of blood. Soon after the close Of
our civil war, as the Times relatss, some
adventurer was bold enough 70 70 into the
very midst of the confederate colonists at
Vera Cruz, and claim TO be Quantreil
but too many of them were we'll sequsint-
cd with the guerillss features and the inn
posture was soon exposed. Some Of these
colonists removed 70 Honduras, and there
they heard that Quantrell had proceeded
them on inspection, this second inpostor
turned out TO be swarthy New Orleans
The latest revival Of Quantrell 10 in the
shape of an account by two different "reli-
able" gentlemen, that they met him in
1868 at Fort Lyon, New Mexico, and con-
versed with him about his exploits in the
war, and his raid into Kansss in 1868
But however vigorous these sham Guam
trells may be, the real one is very effect
ually buried by the Kansas City Times
1t says that two men who attended him in
his last moments, and saw him buried,
now reside in Jackson County, in this
State. Their statement 10 that he WAS
MORALLY wounded In fight with federal
troops in Kentucky, in 1864, and taken I'm
der an assumed name, 10 . hospital in Lou.
isville, where he died. Disguised ~ civil
ians, those faithful.followers attended on
him in the hospital and 70 the grave.
A mystery has hung about the move
ments of Quantrell after his, retreat to
Texas, immediately subsequant 70 his raid
on the town Of Lawrence, in Kansas, in
1868. The Times says merely that he rbs.
1864 went to bushwhack east Of the Mis-
sissippi making his way far up into Ken
lucky. But from the various account.
brought homo by returning confederates
it would appear that he had very GOO
b reasons for being "tirsd" OF war in Nilsson
ri. The usual fate ofguerilla chiefs will
their own bands pursued him. Qusrrols
! originating, it was believed, in tho dasat
: isfaction Of some Of his followers with tn,
? distribution Of the real or supposed spoils
Of Lawrence led his band to select som,
other leaders. Commanders of regular
forces are almost always hostile 10 pArti
san warfare. as 1t reacts in uriously on The
disciplin of their own troops, complicatei
questions Of exchange OF prisoners and IRE
: lation," and often seriously interferes with
regular military operations. II SO hap.
pened that Quantrells massacre at Law.
renee not only excited general disgust and
horror among rejecting confederAtes, but
csnpletly thwarted very daring project
OF the confederate authorities The incur
soin of General Shelby into Missouri in the
fall OF 1863 was planned on the informa-
ton, correct at the time, that Missouri
was almost denuded of available Union
troops and he was expected to be able to
maintain himself at least q fortnight on
tho Missoui River and gather in o larger
number Of recruits before being forced to
return. The Lawrence outrage occasioned
q sudden reunion of for iriajable force 70
pursue Quantrell, and Shelby, aunsxpect-
eddy finding himself in the very Jaws Of 1t
was forced to retreat without accomplish
ing all he had aimed at. When Guam trell
got within the confederate lines, he con-
sequently found himself not very welcome
10 tho authorities, and they consented to
his remaining in Texas with his band till
FIRST grass" OF next spring, only on condi-
tisn that he and his comrades should then
leave, and in their true operations under
tho black flag should not in any way
claim to DO confederate troops, or ask pro-
lection as such.
| Thus practically outlawed by both sides,
and his influence with his own men i'm.
paired, Quantrell had TO seek some other
Held of operations than Missouri. Unfa.
miliar with Kentucky, he was st dissd-
vantage In exercising his skill In guerilla
warfare, and soon fell into the hands of
tho Union forces ending his bloody career
bys death SO obscure US to bs now even
| hisnutal altogetht9