The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1901-06-20
Sam HildebFand $ Way.


souri, woods were full OF men who
could hit bulls eye or human
target ten times out oil ten. Only a
few OF them, however. kept on shoot
ing long enough after the war 70 en-
sure lasting regulations.
Passing through PinckneyviIlr. III.
few days ago. | was reminded OF
the fact that in that town. in l~1-.
persisted Sam Hiidehrand. the Big
river bushwhacker. the most noted
OF the southeast Missouri fighters
during the war and after.
Sam was a character III his day lie
killed more than a hundred men.
He used to carry rifle which he
called old Kill Devil. because. a.
he said he had killed 81 many devils
with il. Sam also carried pocket
knife with which he would cut "a notch
in the stock OF odd Kill Devil every
time he killed q man with the gun.
When he lost the weapon in Big river,
st. Francois county. during hot
foot escape from troop OF federal
cavalry toward the close OF the war.
there were 81 notches in the stock
But it must not be imagined that
these 81 nOtches include Sam Hide
brand entire output He also car
ried pistol or two OF generous size,
aud at close range, dashing through
Federal camps which he had surpris-
ed, or closing III upon private enc
mics, whom he had sworn to sIay. he
frequently used the pistols As it i
we'll known fact down III southeast
Missouri that Sam never missed. it
may be taken for granted that he
added quite cosy number of homi-
cides to his record by means OF the
pistols.
Sam Hildebrand was about as
picturesque a bushwhacker as ever
picked off a farmer at long range or
cut a throat He was absolutely IL
Iiterate and knew no more OF the real
merits OF the war than a raccoon
knows of Christian science. But
when company al federal home
guards burned his mothers home
stead over her head. shot To death
| his little brother as he rode away
down the highroad. and then went to
| a lead mine where Boune Terre Is
now located. called an older brother
out of n shaft and shot him, Sam
collected himself and a few chosen
spirits in cave on Big river and
vowed vengeance in realistic dime
novel style Sam. however, meant
it He swore he would kill every
man in the home guards. In
order to further his design and make
his killings legal. so lar a. war is
legal. he Joined the army.
During the war Sam very nearly
carried out his threat. Sam killed
most of the home guards. and. incl
dentally. many others The Others
happened TO come his way, trying TO
collect the rewards offered by the
state and national governments for
Sam. dead or alive. and he was
brought to the painful necessity OF
elimina ting them. After awhile Sam
got SO that he delighted in the pro
cess of elimination and would rather
eliminate than eat
But when the war was over Sam
| Hildebrand' ; vengeance was satiated.
He concluded to let the remaining
home guards live if they would let
him live, possibly on the theory that
the extra men he had killed We're suf-
fcient to make up for the few home
guards that had escaped him.
The rewards. however. We're still
offered. Sam went back TO his fam
| lily and began putting in d crop Of
Icorn. He was attacked and com
PEELED to take to the woods For II
wears ne was chased by soldiers, pri
vate and individual citizens who
thought TO win a ttlereward on the
side. but. until he thoughtIe>slv i'm
bibed too much liquor in Pinckney
willie one night. he was immune.
! Hildebrand. ike Jesse James. was
reported dead many times. He al
WAYS showed up--until after ths
Plnckneyville incident. Sam was il
saloon. 4 man insulted him and
he forgot his incOg.
DO YOU know who you are talk
Ing to?