The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-09-13

to protect himself and friends against
unjust encroachment from his enc
mics, he organized and put into mo-
ton, that dread band "Quantrelps
Guerrillas," and a bloody trail he left.
The United States government claim
ing he had no commission from the
Confederate States, and not in the
governments pay, declared him and
his followers outlaws, and should be
hung as such. AS against this out
lawry, Quantrell declared he would
hang two for one, hoisted the dread
black flag, asked no quarters nor gave
any. Once while Quantrel was in
camp somewhere in Missouri three of
his men were captured in little ham,
let where were stationed several hum
dred federal troops, and condemned to
be hung. One Of the younger brothers,
afterwards so notorious with the band
Of Jessie James, but at this time quite
a lad, on learning the dreadful fate Of
his friends, mounted his horse and
shot like a thunderbolt to Quantrells
camp. Quantrell had his bugle sound
ed, hoisted the black flag, and up
wards of thousand of the most reck-
less and daring riders as ever lived
struck the trail. Union troops were
scattered all over the State, and
these had to be avoided. Their course
was towards the West, out in the
trackless wastes, and as the blazing
sun was sinking behind the mountains
in their front, amid airless heat, their
horses Injured to hard riding and long
fasts they rode at a rapid pace. They
travelled silently over the mesas, the
wild trundas of the plain, sandy was
tes, they turned to the northeast,
passing unexpectedly into the
enemy's country. AS the soft mellow
haze of the night had paled, and the
morning light was trailing in from
the east, Quantrell was many miles
within the enemy's outpost. Passing
by half finished struggling hamlets, on
by the ranch wagons, that were bring
ing in from the few sections Of the
county, that had not been ravaged
by friend or foe, the farm products
for the Union army, Quantrell fell up
on the town like a yeritable cyclone,
cut the greater number of soldiers to
~pieces, driving others into the swanaps,
in fact everything flew before him like
chaff before the wind. But he man
aged to corral a few Of the old cittz-
ems that had been instrumental in the
hanging of his men, and driving 9th.
ers out of the county. But Quantrell
was twelve hours too late to save his
men. They were still dangling from
a limb of tree in the heart Of the
town. He cut these down, and in
place hung six Of the citizens, took
quantities Of army supplies, money
from the quartermaster's department,
sufficient to pay his men one years
salary, then leisurely departed for the
plains, taking with them several hum
dred captured horses. Reverend Dr.
Kuhns, a. pastor of the Lutheran
church in Newberry, told the writer
that once he witnessed from his break
fast table the hanging Of six OF Juan
trell's men in Kansas, he being mis-
sionary in that country, during the
war, but that in a few weeks a terri
bic retribution was taken on the Un-
ion men. 1t continued thus through
out the war, all along the borders OF
Kansas and Missouri. When Grant
flushed with victory at Paducah, Ky.'
he invaded Missouri with large
army, was badly defeated at Belmont.
Quantrell held on in che wake OF his
retreating army, like a shadow, his
black flag always in the forefront Oh
the battle. Grant was so sorely press
ed that BE experienced great difficult
ty in ceembarking his troops.
His enemies called Quantrell the
ssscourge of the West" while his
friends called him "deliverer."
!. Quantrell did not wish to involve
his government into any entangling
violation of civilized warfare, he de-
clared himself responsible alone tcr
his acts,. that the people could have
peace or war" in the two States, but
as they had chosen war, they should
have war, and war under the dread
folds of the black flag. Books could