Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-10-22
QUANTRELL, THE GUERRILLA.
The Story OF His Escape in q Coffin and
Subsequent Career.

QUANTRELL, THE GUERRILLA.
The Story Of His Escape in q Coffin and
Subsequent Career.
A few days since an account was publi.hed =.
which has been spread all over the country,
stating that Quantrell. the famous guerrilla,
who was wounded in q skirmish in Kentucky,
brought to Louisville, placed in q hospital,
where he is generally conceded to have died,
did not die there, but escaped by some means
and died only short time ago near Birming.
ham, Ala. The Courier-yournai says: This
story was generally regarded as akin to those
published occasionally about Wilkes Booth and,
aside from the interest with which such
sketches are usually read, excited no great
amount of comment save among men who were
actively engaged in the stirring events of the
war. One of these having read Of the decease of
the alleged Quantrell in Alabama, dropped a
line to the Courier-JoTndl, in which he said
that he had facts in regard to the great guer-
thought they would prove of interest. This
gentleman is Col Henry H. McDougall. at
present located at 228 5th street. To him a
Cour'er-Jomnat reporter went and received his
statement
II have seen the statement in regard to
Quantrelrs death near Birmingham. / cannot
say whether it was Quantrell or not. but l do
know that he did not die at the time his death
was supposed to have occurred. knew QUAINT
rell well and saw and conversed with him as
late as 1868, when he was with me four days at
Jacksonport, Ark"
What kind Of u looking man was hep"
"Ihe descriptions usually published Of him
are not correct. He is described as having a
black beard and black hair and eyes, He was
man OF about five feet eleven inches in height,
with what might be called a sandy beard and
moustache-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 as
lightning and as cool as q man could possibly
be. His face was thin, and he had a long,
sharp nose.
THE first time met him was in 1862, when
he came to my camp. He was with me four
days at that time and took par: in two little
fights. Quantrell was not his name. His
name was Chas. Hart, and he went to Missouri
and Kansas from Maryland His reasons for
being out there in tho confe ierate army he
gave to me at the time speak OF. His brother
had been In Kansas for some time and had been
involved in tho famous border war. during
which-in 1859 or JS60-he was killed by Col
brothers death that Chas Hart or Quantrell,
was fighting.
There was man named Quantrell engaged
In that same border war; He also was killed
by Lanes men in 1859 or 1860. He lived on the
Wyandotte reservation. Irswas doubtless his
hoho suas SuaTIes uart LOOK winch ne DeSan
his work OF vengeance. In 1862, when Gen.
Van Dorm took nearly all tho confederate
troops east Of the Mississippi river. was LETT
in command Of the troops that remained in
north Arkansas and south Missouri, operating
against the federal wagon trains principally,
from Rolla, No., to Batesville, Ark, and be-
tween Rolla and Springfield, Mo. My regiment
was reorganized in 1864 and placed in Jack
mans brigade Of Gen. ]. o. Shelby's division,
with which we remained till the close of the
war.
TT was in 1862. as stated, that I became
acquainted with Quantrell saw him several
times in 1864. After the battle of Glasgow,
NO., in 1864, while my regiment was encamped
on the north side of the Missouri, Quantrell
came to me and wanted me to take the regi-
ment and 60 with him on a raid up on the
Hannibal and st. Joseph railroad declined.
my command take his company and 60 with
him, but declined that also. He then went
away.
II saw Quantrell again in the winter Of 1864.
just before he crossed over into Kentucky.
heard that at or near Smiley's-I think that's
the name, but l am not sure-nearly all his
company were killed, Quantrell 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 undertook to cut his way out.
There were two men with him when he rode a,
the gate. One Of these was killed and Guam.
trell was shot off his horse, falling among the
mud and slush Of the barn yard. He was GOV.
cred with mud aud blood and the federals did
not recognize him, but supposed the man who
was killed was him. Quantrell was brought to
Louisville. The manner in which he escaped
was this:
"He was a Catholic, and was in the hands Of
two Catholic nurses, whether male or female
do not know, but in the course Of time a fellow
prisoner died and was placed in a coffin fol
hat iohf hafnrn fha
moved, the coffin opened and Quantre
was placed in it, while the dead man was put
in 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 a short
time he went to Guatemala, thence to Califor-
MIA, and thence back to Missouri. In Califor-
mia he made his home a portion of the time
with a Mr.. Wayland, on the San Joaquin river
who now lives in San Sabo county, Texas. He
returned overland to Platte county, No., and
thence went to Jacksonport, Ark. He found
that l was living there, and sent for me.
As you may imagine, was very much sur
prised to see him. He remained in Jackson.
port several days, and during that time con-
cealed him i'll the ante-room of a Masonic
lodge. -Four other persons not necessary &c
name knew of his presence there. The county
was full of Clayton's militia at the time, and il
would not do for Quantrell to be seen. Guam.
trel did not consider the location healthy for
him, and SO struck out for Texas. 1 advised
him that he could not pursue his plan of stock
farming anywhere around there, as he said he
wanted to do.
II 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 settled in the town OF
Flores, on Lake Peton. 1t was during
his stay at Jacksonport that he gave
mo his account of his escape from
Louisville and his subsequent wanderings.
The last heard from him was in 1872
As 1 stated, this story, told by Quantrell
himself-or Hart, il you choose to call him So
can be substantiated by men whom it is not
necessary to name. knew Quantrell well and
cannot be mistaken in his identity Whether
the man who died near Birmin CHAM was he or
not, cannot say, but the description suits the
guerrilla better than any have seeu."