The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-08-22
Tells Of The Centralia Massacre.
81. Lonis RcpubHc.

OF IucSuay, OcptcmDcr -, lSbl.
Nearly 200 Federal soldiers, command
cd by Major A. V. T.. johnson. Of the
Thirty ninth Missouri infantry, riding
out after gucrillas, met there Captains
Bill Anderson and George Todd with
225 men. Scarcely dozen of the
Federal soldiers escaped with their
lives, while Of the gucrrillas two only
were killed and one mortally wounded.
There is nowhere in the history Of the
world record of charge more de-
structivc than that made en- the fair
September afternoon. Every man in
the Federal line persisted, and only
half score Of those left to hold the
horses got away.
The conflict has been described by
surviving Union soldiers and by per
sons who were near at the time of or
after the fight. But not until now
has one Of the chief actors Of the Con-
fcdcratc side given his version. On
recent Sunday morning, for the
second time in his life, Frank James
rode over the battlefield and for the
first time, described the fight.
"Thcrc is the spot said Frank
James, two miles and more from Cen
tralia, shortly before the main road
was left for broad lane which led to
S. L. Garrard home. Yonder on the
rise near the hayrick was the line Of
the Federal troops. Just this side,
toward Ccntralia, stood the detach-
ment which held their horses. On
the edge Of the wood beyond our men
formed"
His memory served him we'll. He
had not been to the field before nor
since the day of the fight. No word
had been spoken to indicate the local
ity. But he remembered accurately
the entire surroundings. II can co.
he said, "to any battlefield where 1
was engaged and pick out almost in
stantiy the locations. 1 guess it's the /
closeness to death which photographs
thc.scene on ones memory"
A few moments later he came into
the field itself. Corn was growing
rank and herd Of cattle calmly feed
, ing on the pasture land. Where the
!. Federals stood was the golden yellow
of hay field. Here Mr.. James wan
dered around for few moments drink
ing in his surroundings with almost
passionate esgerness. Then he told
the story, quietly at first, but as he
proceeded his face lighted up, there
was ring in his voice and his whole
frame seemed ready for the fray
a1ain.
1.-The day before we had many
small skirmish down in Goslin's lane,
between Columbia and Rocheport.
don't know what day it was. We
could scarcely keep account Of months
at that time, much less days. We
killed dozen Federal soldiers in Cos
Inns lane and captured wagon train
Of provisions and stuff. Out in the
-Perche Hills that night we Joined
forces with Bill Anderson. ] was
with Captain George Todd, one Of the
hardest fighters that ever lived, but
sless desperate than Anderson.
James paused moment-his con-
iversation was in scraps aH day and
,only here put in connected form-he ,
,paused q moment and continued: "Bill
Anderson had much to make him
.merciless. You remember the treat.
,ment his father and sisters rcceiveds
the hands Of the Kansas Jayhawkers. |
That night we camped ON one Of the
branches leading into Young's creek
not far from the hore Of Colonel NJ.
G. Singleton. There were about 225
men. all told, IL cur combined COM
mand. Funny, isn't it? I've met
or heard Of at least 10000 men who
claimed to be with Quantrell or his
lieutcnants during the war, when the
truth Is tnere were never more tuAu
$50 or 400 from one end Of the war to
the other.
SIN the morning Anderson took
about thirty Of his company and went
into Centralia. I was not with him,
nor was any Of Todd's company. In
Centralia Anderson captured train,
carried off lot of stuff. shot down
some soldiers who were on the train
and did other things about which I
know nothing save from hearsay and
which Todd condemned when the boys
returned. In the afternoon Captain
Todd detailed o detachment Of ten
men under Dave Pool to go out and
racnnmnitar. We hAa hea..a there
were some Yankee troops in the neigh