The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-16
QUANTRELL's CLOSE CALL.
Marrow Escape or the Guerrilla from Death
During y Raid I'm Kentucky.


DANvILLE, KY, May 14.-Current stories rs
garding the career OF Quantrell. the noted guer-
rilla who harassed the Union soldiers. have
resulted in bringing to light the fact that his
most thrilling, and probably his most narrow,
escape from death occurred in Danville. Guam
trell made but one excursion through this part
Of Kentucky, but It was a bold dash and he left
a trail of blood behind him., moro than one Fed
eral soldier or sympathizer being found with the
Quantrell mark-the bullet hole in the forehead
just between the eyebrows.
On tho day of Quantrell's close call he had ar
rived in Danville from Hustonville, in Lincoln
county. At Hustonvilleh he had halted to lay in
a fresh stock Of horsefesh. and there some of
his band had murdered q Union officer. A
woman who had been at Hustonville preceded
the guerrillas to Danville, and when Quantrell
reached this city she recognized him and spoke
to him, calling him by name. Quantrell simply
smiled and said to her: why. madam, you
were never more mistaken in your life. I am
Capt. - of the Federal army"
Quantrell and all his men were attired In Fed
eral uniforms. and were posing as Federal
scouts. They halted in D~anville, and as Federal
soldiers were in the habit Of passing in and out of
the town in small squads, no particular atten.
ton was paid to the guerrillas until they had
been In the town five or six hours. The woman
who had accosted. Quantrell upon his arrival be-
lieved that he had deceived her. and she told q
young Federal Lieutenant, then in town, what
rived that morning. ouSntreii and bis
men were going about town pretty much
saloons, feeling perfect Security. The Iieuton-
ant. from the description furnished by the
treil, was convinced that the fne-iooking fellow
masQuerading in Federal clothing was mono
other than the guerrilla, and determined to kill
The Lieutenant procured q carbine and started
upon a hunt for his man. He finally caught
the town. Quantrell was alone. He walked tho
length of several squares down one side of the
tenant With the carbiRne I'm In his Hii" wake seu ali the the ti@e.
WWssiting for ,a an opportunity . to corner his man;
entered q saloon, stepped to the bar, and called
Just as Quantrell reached over the bar railing
against the wall and noticed the Federal Lieu.
tenant entering with the carbine ready to fire.
about and faced bis pursuer. The carbine had
BY this time been brought to the shoulder Of the
the Rae4riiia rs b @Sasle a %as tS E,t aHe w thESs ieeke Of
down the shining barrel was keen and cool.
Quantrell dared not make a false move. and he
making the pistols. buckled at HIS waist useless.
for q brief period, smiled, and said:
How now, eomrade; what are you going to
was the reply. You are ouantrell. You have
played It f %.s a lqI nfo tim time; but but now now you're my
Of the bar. but didn't obey the command. It
superb and his sclf-possession complete.
"Ah. see" he remarked quietly. You
sure You. MY resemblance to that scoundrel
has bee been most pr9y and iii Permit me to call
amy S Ssd trus to sst tSe Onion Snd as ! y YOU s arS. lieu h sas al i
The lieutenant looked surprised as we'll as
to be redoubled, and so he continued:
being In this section. To my certain knowledge
he T. not now In Kentucky, and you are simply
a Madf as io q s9S as vi We y Sre In the eI same aHwe ea yesr ls gun Ms
The lieutenant, completely nonplussed at
abashed, told him to call his orderly. but kept
the carbine ready to fire. On the street not far
he called 10 one OF them to entor. The man went
into the saloon, and as soon as he saw his chief
0o sstSp! %i shouted SsfS 9aSn arSM MS hN sss so fsst. Pat
S S% S 9Is% IL s ls,s s%ssia If w ahsT 4 him STs s%f IA Fl
this embarrassment may be removed,
m sAb bsr giSht t.s G}isPt1ti IN an WAS ;ns,d the 0p reply Y as Is , h;s
papers paa 1sS stil isS Soiain n his as r lss,ds PoGhH However, sSs ms iS
his right hand. He approached the LLeutenant
coat, but instead of bringing out the papers no
wildcat, sprang upon the young Federal, felled
him 70 the moor and held him fast, with the mug
zlo OF the revolver against his head, as he cried;
We TT nI%sys are s. the t BBsPsG on S SsSd 1 Ioy l lSSfbi ns 1 for:
Must give him the old mark, Captainf =
70; let the gentleman up" replied Quantrell.
The Lieutenant arose and was disarmed, and
expressed himself as very we'll satisfied with the
papers. Then the trio took a drink together.
As Quantrell and the Lieutenant continued the
conversation the other guerrilla quietly slipped
out, passed the word, and in ten minutes moro
Quantrell's horse was. standing In front Of tho
barroom, ready for him 70 mount. He shook
hands with the man who had given him one of
the worst scares Of his life, loft the saloon, and
rode away. Before the Lieutenant could collect
his thoughts QuAntrell and his band were far on
their road toward Louisville.