The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-04-11
TERROR Of
WAR DAYS.
0UANTRELL AND HIS GUERRILLAS.
How a Mild hammered, Peaceful
Ohio Youth Grew to Be the Most
Cruel and Bloodthirsty Fig
ure ofthe Rebellion-His
Mother Still Living.

The slow-going, old fashioned Village
of Canal Dover, in Ohio, pleasantly sit
uated in the broad, fertile valley of the
Tuscarawas, was the birthplace of VIII
liam Clark Quantrell, one Of the strang-
est and most sinister figures Of the late
war, and here his aged, white haired
mother, after a peaceful and blameless
life that throws in stronger light the
bloody and violent career ofLer wayward
son, awaits the final summons The
small story and half cottage in which
Quantrell was born is still standing at the
corner of two of the side streets of the
village, says the Kansas City !Sar cores
pon1ent, and there are many of the
villagers who recall the guerrilla leader
as smoOth-faced, ilaxen-haired, light
hearted boy upon whom the baleful
shadow OF future events had not yet fall
en-. In visits to Missouri and Kansas
baye met and talked with many of the
companions of Quantlell and with others
who were eye witnesses Of his deeds. To
secure the prologue to his career l jour
neyed to this place and for several hours
this afternoon sat and talked with the
mother of this extraordinary man about
whom so much has been said and writ
ten and of whom so little that is really
true is known.
THE BOYHOoD OF QyASTRELL.
Mrs. Quantrell is now "A years old,
having been born in Somerset county,
Pennsylvania, in April, 1919, but carries
well her weight of years. She is below
the medium height, her blue eyes are un-
dimmed by age, and her round, pleasant
face mus; have once been very hand
some. There is q strong resemblance be-
tween the features of the mother and
those of the son, as seen in the portrait in
oil that hangs on the wall on her humble
home Il can only tell you" she said,
"of my sons life before the war. God
and his men alone know his later deeds
and the motives that prompt them. No
one else does. My son was born here in
Canal Dover, July 81, 1913. My hus-
bands father was a lifelong resident of
Hagerstown, Nd, and my husband was
borne in that place in 1913. Soon after l
Was born my own father moved to Cham
bersburgh, Pa, where l passed my girl
hood and received my education. My
husband had relatives in Chambersburg,
and it was while visiting them that we
met and became engaged. In 1886 he
decided to start in business here in Canal
Dover, and so we were married in Cham
bersburg in October of that year and
came west. Our son William was born
in the following year, the first Of fami
ly of eight children given to us in time
and four of whom died in infancy. My
eldest daughter died in 1868, and my son
Franklin in 1882, leaving wife and four
children, who are now grown. My son
Thomas is the only one of my children
still alive. He lives in Montana, where
be has family and is doing well.
any husband was tinker by trade,
but soon after we came to Canal Dover
became school teacher and in time prin-
cipal of Union College, in which position
he died in 1854. As boy William was
bright and studious. He attended Union
College under his father and graduated
when he was Is. In the following fall
he became a teacher in one of the lower
departments of the college and later
taught for several terms in the district
schools about here.
SETTLED IN MENDOZA, ILL.
ain 1855, thinking be could do better
farther west, he went to Mendoza, ILL.,,
and taught there for year. Then he re-
turned home and remained until 1857,
when he went out to Kansas Territory
with a party of Canal Dover business
men and l never saw him again. He
was handsome boy, slender in build,
but muscular. His eyes were blue and
his hair soft as silk. Though of a retir
ing nature he had ready smile and a
warm heart and was never known to be
quarrelsome ] never knew such un-
bounded surprise as was expressed by
those who knew him when-we began to
hear Of his war exploits" and the old
lady's chin quivered as she spoke.
One of Qusntrell's redeeming traits
seems TO have been deep and tender
love for his mother He wrote her more
or less regularly during all his western
wanderings and until the war came al
ways sent her part ofthe money he arne-
ed. His letters. along with other memen-
tos gathered with loving and patient care
the mother still faithfully treasures. In
these letters he constantly expresses re-
gret at having led rowing, reckless life
and makes Oft repeated promises to SOW
bis wild oats and settle down. l was
shown the last two letters his mother ever
received from him, written from Stanton.
Kan, where be wss then teaching school
in the winter of 1860. The handwriting,