Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-10-31
Strange Story Of the Bushwhackcr Related
by Man Who vouches for
Its Accuracy.
lCourisr-,JournaLl

Z lively engaged IN tue stlrrlDR events Ol
the war. One OF these having read of
The decease Of the alleged Quantrell in
Alabama, dropped line to the Courier
Journal in which he said he had facts
in regard to the great guerilla which be
would communicate il it was thought
they would prove of interest. This gen
! tleman is Colonel Henry II. McDougall,
at present located of 228 Fifth street.
/ To him reporter went and received his
| statement.
II have seen the statement In regard
to Quantrell's death near birmingham.
] cannot say whether it vas Quantrell or
not, but do know that he did not die
ct the time his death was supposed to
have occurred. knew Quantre1 well,
and / saw and conversed with him as
/ late as 1863, when he was with Inc four
/ days ut JacksonpOrt, ARK.
"What kind of a looking man was
hep"
"The descriptions usually published
Of him are not correct He is described
as havinga black beard and black hair
and eyes He was a man OF about FIVE
feet eleven inches in height. with hat
might be called II sandy beard and mous-
tache-not red-with hair Of the same
color, and clear blue eyes. His beard
was coarse and not very long. He was
Of rather slender build, but all muscle,
as quick rs lightning, and as cool as a
man could possibly be. His face was
thin, and he had n long, sharp nose
"The first time l met him WAS in 1869,
when he came to my camp. He was
with me four days Mt thst time and took
part in two little fights. Quantrell was
not his name. His name was Charles
Hart and he went to Missouri and Kan
eas from Maryland. His reasons for
being out there in the Confederate army
lie gave to me ut the time / speak Of.
His brother had been in Kansas for some
time and had been involved in the famous
border war, during Wilhelm 1859 or
1sG0-he was killed by Colonel Jim
Lanes men. 1t was to avenge that bro
Tiers death that Charles Hart, or Guam
trell, was fighting.
QUANTRELL's CAREER,
"There was man named Quantreu
engaged in that same border war; He
also was killed by Lanes men in 1859 or
1860 He lived on the Wyandotte reser-
walton. 1t was doubtless his name that
Charles Hart took when he began his
work of vengeance. In 1862 when Gen
eral Van Dorm took nearly all the Con-
foderate troops east Of tho Mississippi
river / was left in command of all the
troops that remained in North Arkansas
and South Missouri, operating against
Federal wagon trains, principally, from
Rolla, Mo-, to 'Batcsville, Ark, and be-
tween RolIa and Springfield No. My
regiment was reOrganized Ia 1864 md
placed in Jahrnan's brigade of General
J. O. Shelby's division, with which We
remained till the close OF the war.
alt was in 1862, as / stated, that |
became acquainted with Quantrell. /
saw him several times in 1854. After
the battle of Glasgow, Mo-, in 1854.
while my regiment was encamped on the
north side of the Missouri river, Guam
trell came to me and wanted me to take
the regiment and 90 with him on a raid
I'D on the Hannibal and st. Joseph rail-
road. / declined. He then wanted me
to let Captain Tom Lenox, Of my com
mand. take his company and 80 with
him, but declined that also. He then
went away.
"I saw Quantrell again in the winter
of 1864, Just before he crossed over into
kentucky. ! heard that ut or near
smiley 81 think that's the name. but L
am not mre-nearly all his company
we're killed, 0uantrell himself being
wounded. Quantrell himself afterward
told me the story of that affair. He
said, to the best of my recollection, that
when surrounded in the barn he under
took to cut bis way out. There were
two men with him when he rode at the
gate. One OF these was killed aud
Ouantrell was shot off his horse, falling
among the mud and slush OF the barn
ward. He was covered with mud and
blood, and the Federals did not recog-
nize him, but supposed the man who
was killed was he. Quantreu was
brought to Louisville. The manner in
which be escaped was this:
"He was a Catholic, and was in the
hands OF two Catholic nurses, whether
male OF female do not know, but in the
course of time fellow-priscner died and
was placed in a coffin for burial. That
night, before the corpse was removed,
the coffin was opened and Quantrell was
placed in it, while the dead man was put
m his bed. In this he was assisted by
the nurses. When the coffin was
taken out it was placed in the hands
of southern sympathizers, the guerrilla
was released, and straightway sent off to
Canada. After remaining there short
| time he went TO Guatemala, thence to
| California, and thence back to Missouri.
In California he made his home por-
ton of the time with Mr.. WayIand, on
the San joaquin river, who now lives in
San Sabo county, Texas. He returned
overland to Platte county, Missouri, and
thence went to Jacksonport, Arkansas.
He found that was living there and
sent for me.
HIS SUBSEQUENT CAREER.
"As you may imagine, was very
much surprised TO see him. He remain
ed in Jacksonport several days, and du-
ring that time L concealed him in the
ante-room of Masonic lodge. -Four
other persons not necessary to name
knew OF his presence there. The coun-
" was full OF Claytons militia at the
time. and it would not do for Quantrell
to be seen. Quantrell did not consider
tho location healthy for him. and SO
struck out for Texas | advised him
that he could not pursue his plan Of
stock-farming anywhere around there,
as he said he wanted TO do.
al heard Of Quantrell frequently for
the next two years: but finally lost trace
of him. My latest information was that
he had gone back to Guatemala and set
tied in the town OF Flores, on Lake Pre-
ton. 1t was during his stay at Jackson
port that he gave me his account of his
escape from Louisville and his subse,,
quent wanderings. The last | heard
| from him Voc ~ 1870 As stated, this