The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-06-19
OUANTRELL.
A Sketch of the Famous Out
laws Life.
Something of the Outlaws Mother-A Cen
tlemanIy Loafer-The Lawrence Raid
-Disbanded and Reorganized.
Correspondence of the Globe.Democrat.

| correspondence Oh tue OlODe-DeIlOcIdts
OZARK, Mo-. May 26.-A well-known and
reliable citizen of johnson county, Mo-, who
was intimately acquainted with the famous
| guerrilla chief, William Clark Quantrell, and
most of his now historic followers, gives the
| Globe-Democrat correspondent the following
additional facts respecting the eyentful career
| Of this singular outlaw leader, whom the dark
fortunes of war made the vengeful scourge of
the Kansas border twenty-five years ago:
81 was personally acquainted with Quantrell
and most of his band, and know the real his
| tory of the man from the time he came to Mis-
| souri, till his death. Much that has been
written about the guerrilla chieftain and his
| rowing band of picked confederates is as fabu-
| lous as the tales of the arabian Nights
Those sensational stories about the black flag
terror of the Missouri and Kansas border that
have painted the pages of SO many 10-cent
romances must be largely discarded before the
real history of the man can be known. All of
the so-called histories of Quantrel's war career
have seen abound in the most unfounded
statements, the usual blood and thunder fan
cies of the enterprising author Of the dime
novel being substituted for facts which were
either not known by the writer or rejected
because they were considered too prosaic to
adorn tale.
QUANTRELL's MOTHER.
"Of one thing am thoroughly satisfied. and
that is that this woman from Ohio, who is now
passing as the mother of William Clark Guam
trell. is a first-class fraud. According to this
woman's story the guerilla chieftain was born
in Ohio in 1887. The alleged Mrs. Quantrelr
being now only Ct years old, she would have
been but IS when the noted raider born.
When William Clark Quantrell came to Mis-
souri, en- route for Kansas i'll 1851, he was ac-
companied by brother several years his
,4n1
DR. Quantrell located in Kansas Immediately,
where he began practicing his profession,
remaining there until he was murdered some
time after the opening of the war.
GAS DR.. Quantrell must have been three
foHr years older than his brother of guerilla
fame, this woman from Ohio who claims to be
the mother of the raiding chieftain must
amend her story with respect to dates before it
can be made very credible. 1t is hardly prob
able that Mrs. Quantrell was but - years old
when she gave birth to her eldest son. Again,
the guerilla leader always claimed that he was
born in Hagerstown, Nd. Quantrell's young
est brother lived with me several months after
the war, during which time / received from
him detailed history of his family. Young
Quantrell always said that he and his guerilla
brother were born in Maryland.
"a GENTLEMAN LoAFER."
"While William Quantrell lived in Johnson
county he had no well-defined business. He
did do little farm work for Morgan Walker,
but seemed to be in the main a gentleman
loafer' more than anything else. He never
seemed to care for money, and in all of his
war career ] am sure that the guerilla leader
did not seek plumber. Gold had no glitterng
fascination for the outlaw chieftain that could
| have allured him SO many times into such
| desperate risks.
THE YoUNGERs AND THE GUERILLA CHIEF.
another false statement which so many of
| the sensational accounts of Quantrells career
make, is the association of the Younger
brothers with the guerilla during the war.
! Only Cole Younger belonged to Quantrells
| famous band Bob Younger was but years
old when the war began, and, with all the
native thirst for blood that has been attributed
to his family, the boy could not have followed
! the daring leader of the raiding band during
| the war; however much his young heart might
have longed for the saddle, spurs and pistols of
| that rowing life. Cole ounger was Quantrells
| most trusted follower and warmest friend. To
| him more than to any other member of the
| famous band the guerilla chieftain unbosomed
| generous, brave and companionable, and
| Quantrell learned to appreciate his warm
| heart in the social intercourse around the
| camp fire, as well as depend on his fearless
| arm in the peril of combat. Yet even Cole
| Younger was never taken into his leaders
| plans Quantrell kept his purposes secret
! from all his men. He was absolutely his own
| counselor at all times, and taught his men that
it was their first and last duty to follow where
| he led the way. 1t was this air of mystery
about the man that gave the guerilla such
| power over his men.
| THE LAWRENCE RAID.
| "He was unapproachable on the subject of
| his plans. Even on the Lawrence raid l doubt
| whether single member of the band knew
| the object of that movement. 1t has been
| published again and again that Quantrell had
on the fatal raid only handful OF picked men.
| The truth is, that i'll addition to the small
company of select men composing QUantrell's
| regular band, he had ON the Lawrence raid
| over 100 old men and boys without arms of any
| kind whom the guerilla forced into service on
| the march Tor the purpose of making a show of
| strength. These old men and boys took no
| part in the Lawrence massacre, and were
| formed in line along the river to scare the
federal soldiers camped on the opposite bank
| of the stream.
"Quantrell had an old deep-seated grudge
| against Lawrence on account of some i'll treat
ment he received there during the Kansas
| trouble, and that bloody massacre was proba-
bly, planned for personal revenge.
oft has been said by many of Quantrell's
cXtravagant and reckless historians, that the
dreaded guerilla chieftan always carried in
battle black flag, whose symbolzed merci-
less vengeance was invariably executed on
every Yanquished foe. This is not true.
Quantrel marched under no such savage
standard. and never refused quarter to a regu-
lar federal soldier. To Kansas iayhawkers
and Missouri militia, however, the guerilla
leader was absolutely merCileSs, and while no
black flag proclaimed the impacable hostility
of the band to these hated fees, they were shot
down whenever oyerpowered.
| DISBANDED AND REORGANIzFD.
CATER the Lawrence massacre Quantrell
disbanded his men in order to avoid being
captured by the overwhelming foes who were
pursuing him to avenge the slaughter of the
inhabitants Of the fated Kansas town. The
guerilla band after being dispersed in western
NJ ssouri, was recognized into several indie
pendent squads, under the leadership of George
Todd Gregg, Dave Poole, and others. There
was some difficulty between Quantrell and
Todd, growing out of feeling of rivalry prob
ably. Quantrell told Cole Younger that he
could not stay in the country without killing
Todd. While Quantrelrs old band was thus
divided up into these various factions the
noted guerilla lived in Howard county, Mo-,
working on farm.
In 1864, when Quantrell was preparing for
his last raid, he organized a company of
twenty-five picked men, most of them having
been members of the old guerilla band. Not
one of the men knew what Quantrell wanted
with them or whore he designed going. With
that mysterious force Of character, that indie
scribable personal magnetism that belonged TO
the man, he gathered around him this select
| band of followers, who were ready to obey
without questioning their leaders unknown