The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-09-02
QUANTRELL's BLACK FLAG.
Thirty.fifth Anniversary OF Massacre
at Lawrence. -QuantrelI's Death.

at lawrence -QuantrelI's Death.
On the morning of August n. lsGs. $50 citi
zens OF this place were massacrcd and si5o.
600 worth of property was destroyed. Thrc,
years ago monument was dedicated in IN,
cemetery here by the citizens This is th'
| inscriptions
ITO the memory of the $50 citizens who
dcfcnceless, fell victims To tho fcrocity o
border guerillas, led by the infamous Quan
treli, August Si, lsCs."
The 35tb anniversary Of the massacre wa,
observed informally by some OF those who
were witnesses of the horrors that occurred
petween the hours of 4 and o'clocls In tho
morning. Nearly every year since the mas
sacre somebody hss started the story thai
Qunntren was alive. II came up again al
this anniversary. II. w. Read of this city
says he received n letter eight years age
from one OF Quantrell's men, In which the
writer offered, for consideration OF $4,000, tc
show that Quantrell was teaching schoolt 0
that time In an Arizona town. Read con
terred with citizens, who authorized him Ia
pledge s250o from the town II the informant
would give the information. Pending ncgo.
tintions the Arizona correspondent died.
Read thinks that Quantrell may be aliye.
Another survivor here Is james &. Horton.
He has made this statement, which has never
been printed:
The direct cause OF the raid was the
presence In Lawrence of General Jim Lane,
former governor; Charles Robinson and DIR.
Richard Cordlcy. These men were tho hated
aboiitionists of the border. They were the
men whose lives had been demanded by
Missourians OF the pros slavery party. Guam
treii and his men, 2Jl, met In Columbus. John.
son county, Mo- II has always been under.
stood that tho men who rode into Lawrence
under Quantrell were gucrillas The james
boys and the Youngers were the only men
who could be called such. Tho others were
farmers from jackson county. They lived
near Kansas City. They joined Qnantreil
In the belief that:they were going into Kan.
sas 10 recover stolen property. The Law
renee raid was never intimatcd to them.
The dash into the town was made at O'Clock
In the morning. Women and children fed
TO the woods for shelter. Men were shot
down In the streets, and after the stores had
been looted the torch was applied to the
buildings. Lane and Robinson ana Cordicy
had escaped the day before. At O'Clock
Quantrell ordered his men TO retreat They
left loaded with booty. Several hours later
eitizcns went In pursuit. Only one man was
captured, and he was lynched. Nearly rs
persons in Lawrence survive that massacre.
OF the Quantrell men is are living"
One Quantrell raider lives In New York.
The Lawrence information was read by him.
"Its the same old story" he said. Not
long ago read an article in the sun about
how Quantrell died and was buried in Ken.
lucky. The information In that article was
correct.
'The Lawrence raid was planned In the
farm house of Captain Purdee, near noted
stream called Blackwater. There were alO
who answered the roll call. There were
'ieutenants in the house far better known
than either the James boys or tho foungers.
These were Todd, Jarrettc, Blunt. Gregg.
anderson, Yager. Estis and Holt.
"Quantrcll had sent one of his men. Lieu.
tenant Fletcher Taylor, to Lawrence, dis
yuised as a cattle trader. He had plenty of
money. He gave dinner at one of the
hotels to some of the leading abolitionists OF
The town. There was not much champagne
In the town, but what there was Fletcher
Taylor bought and opened. In tins way he
much that Quantrell wanted to know,
md the meeting at Purdee's house in John
,on county was to hear his report. He made
{ briefly, for Quantrell never liked much
ak. When Fletcher Taylor was through
luantrell asked some of his leaders few
questions. IL was curious council OF war,
put characteristic Of the men and times.
When Anderson was asked what he thought,
ie answered:
"'Lawrence or hell, with the proviso that
we kill every male thing
George Todd said: Lawrence, II I knew
hat not man would get back alive
"Gregg said: Lawrence. It's Jim Lanes
lome'
George Shepherd, who is still living,
aid: .Lawrcnce? i know 1t of old. It's a |
boston colony
"Dick Maddox had been educated for the |
He had seen Jcnnison's horses fed |
n his church, his pews used for stalls When |
le was questioned, he said: Lawrence; an /
we for an eye. and a tooth for tooth. God |
better than we do the equilib. |
ium OF war;
There were some Others and their replies
vere similar. Quantrcll gave the character.
site order, Saddle up In that march, for
he first time in the organization, the black
lag was unfurled. In the centre OF IL,
Torked In red silk, was the word, .QuantrelI.'
he flag had a language. II 1t was nnfurled
'hen II went into battle, 1t meant that moth
ng lived that fell into the hands of Quan.
rell's men. II 1t were not unfurled, the fight
ook its chances; so did the victims.
"Under that nag we heard the order, Form
ours and galloped to the city in sight. so
ar as ! know, every man In the command
nd asked the privilege of killing the mum.
or OF men that he thought would avenge his
'rong. ! remember that Bill Anderson
laimcd Is. and he counted that many dead
fter the raid.
"what OF the raid? Nobody has ever told
as II happened. And nobody ever will. IL
just as well that II Is SO. II should be for.
often. But Quantrell died long ago while
ster of Charity held his hand and heard his
st words."-The sun.
MnYaNeo