The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1923-10-05
Wv VILLAIN CLARK QUANTRILL
W Enormously spelled "Quan-
w trell'), alias Charley Hart,

Wv WILLIAM CLARK QUANTRILL
i M Enormously spelled "Quan-
W trell"), alias Charley Hart
the most noted bushwhacker, gueril-
la and wholesale murderer the Amer
lean frontier ever produced, was born
in Canal Dover, Ohio, in 1887. His
father was principal of the public
schools there. He was religious
man, hence young Quantrill enjoyed
splendid educational advantages, as
well as strict religious training.
William e. Connelley, secretary of
the Kansas Historical Society and
one of the most noted historians of
the west, who wrote Quantrill's life
story and is probably better acquaint-
ed with his career than any other
writer, says of him:
''All the evidence shows that Guam
triIl was cruel and unnatural child;
that he was a degenerate and a
criminal from childhood from choice.
There is not a single redeeming ac-
tion to his credit in Kansas nor in
any other place. His sacking of Law
renee and murder of near 200 per-
sons, constitutes the blacklist crime
ever recorded in American history"
Quantrill's Brother Killed
Passing over Quantrill's boyhood
we find that in 1860 he and his bro
Their were attacked by Jayhawkers
and his brother was killed. For this,
young Quantrill swore vengeance. An
officer of the Eleventh Kansas cav
airy asserts that the guerilla chief
had but one redeeming feature-he
never drank, but that the devil in
the man was responsible for his afro
cious acts, many of which would
cause the most bloodthirsty Apache
to blush for his reputation for
cruelty.
When Quantrill organized his
guerilla band, during the Civil war,
he had six hundred men enlisted I'M
der his black flag-a band of as cruel
and bloodthirsty set of human dew
lis as could be found in the world
far more dangerous than hostile In
dams because of the fact that Ind
ians were at once detected, whereas
the Quantrill band went to any ex-
IRENE to carry out their devilish de-
signs, such as wearing a uniform
which would allay the suspicious of
those in whose section of the country |
they were operating. Every man was
armed with carbine and from two to
four revolvers. They seemingly |
could never be caught mapping, and
were enabled by their daring, dash
ing and unexpected attacks to keep
four thousand federal cavalry busy
for three years, besides some five I
thousand infantry, guarding towns,
trains and supply epots. The hair
breadth escapes of this notorious
guerilla chief would form the basis
for huge volume.
The Quantril Oath
The following terrible oath was
required to be taken by every new
recruit joining Quantrill's guerillas:
''In the name of God and the Devil,
the one to punish and the other to
reward, and by the powers of light
and darkness, good and evil, here,
under the black arch of heavens
avenging symbol, I pledge and con-
secrate my heart, my brain, my body
and my limbs, and swear by all the
powers of hell and heaven to devote
my life to obedience to my superiors;
and that no danger or peril shall de-
.er me from executing their orders;
hat / will exert every possible means
n my power for the determination
If Federals, Jayhawkers and their
Lbettors; that in fighting those whose
serpent trail has winnowed the fair
fields and possessions of our allies
ind sympathizers, 1 will show no
mercy, but strike with an avenging
Lrm so long as breath remains.
81 further pledge my heart, my
rain, my body and my limbs never
o betray comrade; that / will sub
nit to all the tortures cunning man
lind can inflict, and suffer the most
lorrible death rather than reveal
ingle secret of this organization, or
single word of this, my oath.
II further pledge my heart, my
ody, my brain and my limbs never
o forsake a comrade, when there is
ope, even at the result OF great
eril, of saving him from falling into
be hands of our enemies; that Will
ustain Quantrill's Guerillas with my
hight and defend them with my
lood, and, if need be, die with them.
n every extremity I will never with
old my aid nor abandon the cause
18th which I now cast my fortunes,
ly honor and my life.
Before violating a single clause
r imperiled pledge of this obllga-
on, will pray for an avenging Coo F
nd an unmerciful Devil to tear out =
~ heart and roast it over the flame =