Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1907-11-01
SOLDIERS STORIES.
"REMINISCENCES
OF THE WAR.
Graphic Account of Stirring Scenes
Witnessed on the Battlefield and
in Camp-Veterans of the Rebel
lion Recite Experiences.

That William Quantrell the noted
Confederate guerrilla leader, is not
dead, but living under the name Of
John Sharp at Quatsini on the north
west coast of Vancouver island, is fiat
ly denied by Thomas Clark Quantrell,
cousin Of the warrior, who is now in
the employ of the government in Wash
! ington.
The report that the guerrilla fighter
! Is not dead came to Washington
through a Western newspaper few
days ago.
Mr.. Quantrell has no doubt whatever
that his cousin was killed in Ken
lucky. He is we'll acquainted with the
guerrilla leaders career and his family
and tells many interesting facts regard
ing them.
| Mr.. Quantrell obtained his informa
ton as to the fate of the guerrilla chief
from the latter's mother Mrs. Guam
trell died but a few years ago at an
advanced age at Canal Dover, Ohio.
She was a Clark of Virginia, and a
woman of great intelligence and finely
educated Thomas Clark Quantrell
knew his aunt we'll and she lived with
him in Washington for time. In that
time, she acquainted him with many
things concerning her son.
"Quantrell's mother told me herself"
said the cousin recently, in discussing
the report that Quantrell had turned
up on Vancouver island under the name
of John Sharp, that her son was badly
shot to pieces the latter part of the
war, and was taken to hospital at
Louisville. She was then living at
Canal Dover, Ohio. She was Informed
when he died and went to Louisville
herself with q prominent citizen Of
Canal Dover, the postmaster, | believe,
and saw the body. She identified the
remains as those Of her son William
as she always called him. She always
| believed he had died of his wounds at
that time. | never heard her express
doubt Of it. She was a woman of force
and activity, and had he been alive she
would probably have known it and have
located him. She has told me that if he
had not been dead he would have com
municated with her and that with the
war closed he had no reason for keep
ing in hiding If he were alive. She had
heard various stories that he was liv-
ing, but had no confidence in them.
William Quantrell had a younger
| brother Thompson, who went to New
Mexico and to Texas some years after
! the war From there he may have
drifted to the Northwest. We have not
heard of him for many years, and it is
barely possible he Is the Quantrell who
Is said to be living on Vancouver ISL
and. l had an uncle, William Guam
trell, who disappeared about the time
Of the opening of the war When we
first heard of Quantrells guerrillas,
we thought 1t was my uncle that was
leading them, instead Of my cousin"
While he does not enter into any
defense of his cousin, Thomas Clark
Quantrell says many things were charg-
ed to William Quantrell, or "BilP'
Quantrell, jayhawkers Of Kansas that
| he raised Ddllu anu IOuSAI OI the
| Confederate side.
lone thing that can be said of Guam
| trell is that he never harmed woman
or permitted his men to, and he would
! shoot a man that insulted a woman if
he knew it. He told his men that he
was making war on men and not on
women.
| "All of Quantrell's people were on
the Union side. l have never heard
his mother say what she thought of
| Williams fighting on the other side,
except to remark that If he had not
| been wronged In Kansas he would not
| have taken the course he did. His
| father and the whole family were
strongly Union. The Quantrells were
of old Wing stock, some Of them joining
the Know Nothing party, which in
sisted on America for Americans.
Grandfather Quantrell was fighter, so
that William may we'll have inherited
some of his fighting and military quail
tiles. In 1914 grandfather raised
company of soldiers at Hagerstown and
marched to the defense of Baltimore.
He was badly wounded by she'll at
North Point For his bravery, he was
made major on the field and was Of
fered a commission in the regular army.
Had Ire remained in the service he
would have outranked Gen. Scott at
the beginning of the Civil War. But
he concluded to take up law instead
and for time had his office here in
Washington.
William Quantrell was man of
about my own build. Not long after
the war | went to Canal Dover for a
visit and was met at the station by
Thomas Quantrell and driven to the
house In a wagon. 1t was at night and
the people that saw me thought was
William. l slept in the room in the
corner Of the house near the street and
I heard crowds gathering and whisper
ing that Bill Quantrell had returned.
T wondered whether they were going