The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1898-07-30
I%QUANTRELL, MONSTER
KENTUCKY WRITER WHOKNOWS
HIS INNER HISTORY.
Murdered Innocent People-Slaughtered
Men, Women and Children - How
Lieut.. Barnett Went to His Death
Fell Into the GuerriIla's Trap. .


there appeared an article about Guam
trell's mother. The writer of that ar
ticle has evidently heard only n side
of the life of the notorious guerrilla
chieftain, William Clark Quantrell. II
you will kindly accord me the neces-
sary space for this reply, l desire to
place on record a few circumstances
which came under the personal obser-
walton Of the writer and which will
throw some light on the darker side
of the character of one of the most
cowardly, cruel and inhuman monsters
that ever disgraced the soil of Ken
lucky, says a writer in the Louisville
Commercial. / quote from the article
the following: His friends say he
was in fact humane and generally
shrank from the needless taking of
of human life" Again: "Those living
today who were under his command
on those memorable occasions nave tes-
titled that Quantrell's horror of need
less blood splitting held his men very
much in check and minimized the
slaughter" There are hundreds, yes
thousands, of men now living in the
state of Kentucky, who in all probable
ity will read the above quotations with
scorn and contempt. The good people
Of Kentucky had long ago hoped that
the air Of our beloved state would new
er again be contaminated by the name
of William Clark Quantrell. In JUS
tice to the memory of some of those
who met their death at the hands of
this slaughterer of innocent men, wo-
men and children, l will relate the cir
cumstances to which l have referred.
The present postmaster of Hartford,
KY, Capt. Wood Tinsley, Lieut.. An
drew Barnett and the writer were in
Ohio county, Kentucky, during the
months of December, 1864, and jan
uary, 1865, on a recruiting expedition.
We were quartered at the house Of
Joseph G. Barnet, father of Andrew
Barnett, about four miles from Hart
ford. On Sunday morning, the first
day Of January, 1865, we received word
from Col. @. G. Shanks that a Capt.
William Clark had arrived at that
place in command of a company of
federal soldiers and had requested the
colonel to send for us to act as guides
on a guerrilla hunt, there being many
of these lawless ruffians in Ohio coun-
ty. Young Barnett, who was as brave
a boy as ever lived and was anxious to
help rid the county of the pests, sig
nified his willingness to start at once.
I, however, questioned closely the col
onel's messenger John Mauzy) in re-
gard to the dress, arms, ETC., of the
supposed federals, and while I could
scarcely believe that such men as Col.
Shanks, Judge G. ]. Lawton and num-
bers of other prominent union men in
Hartford had been deceived, yet | felt
assured that it was a trap to catch my
friend Barnett and me. I told the lat
ter of my fears and suspicious, but all
to no purpose. He was confident that
no guerrilla could deceive Col. Shanks
so I decided that if he insisted on
going I would accompany him. I told
him that l was so impressed with the
idea that We were going to fall into
the hands of the guerrillas that
would not take n arms or money
with me. / then gave to George Bar
nett, Andrews brother, my pocket
book containing about $500 in green
backs and some notes, and instructed
him what to do, with them in case
never returned. This greatly excited
young Barnett's mother, and she, too
demonstrated with her son, but with.
out changing his determination in the
least.
We were soon mounted and gone
Capt. Clark had so successfully deceiv.
ed everybody in Hartford that he fell
sure Of meeting lis on the way to joir
him, and he and his band had, there.
fore, left Hartford via the Owensbort
road at about the same time we leff
Barnett's house. Barnett and l me
them just as we were coming out O
the Livermore road into the Hartford
and Greensboro road. Barnett rodt
UP on the left Of Capt. Clark and l OF
the left of Barnett. | was convinced
at once that my suspicious were wei
founded and that we were indeed IL
the hands of guerrillas. I believed
that we were done for, but, hoping t,
: escape by stratagem, I turned to Clarl
and said: II had suspected you of be
ing guerrillas or rebel soldiers befor
! I left home and therefore did not brin,
my arms, ammunition or money.
was determined that if you were guer
rillas o should not profit by any
thing more than my humble self. Blu
now that | am with you and see tina
you are all right, when we get a shor
distance further on l will cut acros
the country to my home, get my arms
money and a better horse and be wit
you in an hour Or So" l saw that h
cared for nothing but the money s
I told him how much I had. l plsye
my $500 for all it was worth and save
my life by it. When We got to tn
Hawesville road they turned into
and 1 kept straight ahead, telling Clar
l would soon rejoin them. About on
J. mile from where l left them he de
tailed five men to waylay me on m
return, get the money and kill mt
During the time those events were TAX
ing place, Mrs. Barnett, who had be
come very much excited over my sus
p~icions, had asked We Townsley,
discharged federal soldier and son {
a respectable and respected farmer, t
90 to Hartford and get all the informs
ton possible about Capt. Clark an
his followers. Townsley, willing to d
this kindness for her. mounted hi
horse and started. He still had on h
= feders- uniform. Coming into tn