Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1937-07-10

william Clark Quantrin (err0n-
eOusIy spelled "Quantreil"), alias
Charley Hart, the most noted
bushwhacker, guerilla and whole
sale murderer the American from
tier ever produced, was born in
Canal Dover, o., In 1887. His fath-
er was principal of the public
schools there. He was q religious
man, hence young Quantrin en-
loved splendid educational advant-
ages, as well as strict religious
training.
One Of the noted historians Of the
west. who wrote Quantrill's life story
and who was probably better acquaint-
ed with his career than other writer's,
wrote Of him:
"AI the evidence shows that Guam
trill was a cruel and unnatural child;
that he was degenerate and a Grim
inal from childhood from choice. There
is not a single redeeming action to his
credit in Kansas nor in any other
place. His sacking Of Lawrence and
murder of nearly 200 persons, consti-
tutes the blacklist crime ever recorded
in American history"
QuantrilI's Brother Killed
Passing over Quantrill's boyhood we
find that in 1860 he and his brother
were attacked by Jayhawkers and his
brother was killed. For this, young
Quantrill sWore vengeance An officer
Of the Eleventh Kansas cavalry asserts
that the guerilla chief had but one
redeeming feature-he never drank,
but that the devil in the man was re-
sponsible for his atrocious acts, many
of which would cause the most blood
thirsty Apache to blush for his reputa-
ton for cruelty.
When Quantrill organized his guer-
lila band, during the Civil war, he had
800 men enlisted under his black flag
"a band of as cruel and bloodthirsty
a set of human devils as could be
found in the world-far more dan
gerous than hostile Indians because OF
the fact that Indians were at once de-
tected, whereas the QuantrtH band
went to any extreme to carry out their
devilish designs, such as wearing a
uniform which would allay the sus-
picionS of those in whose section OF the
| country they were operating. Every
man was armed with a carbine and
from two to four revolvers. They SEEM
mgly 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 thou
sand infantry, guarding towns, trains
and supply depotS. The hair-breadth
escapes Of this notorious guerilla chief
would form the basis for huge vol
une.
The QuantriH Oath
The following terrible oath was re-
! quired to be taken by every new re-
cruit joining Quantrills guerillas:
I'm the name Of God and the Devil
the one to punish and the other to re-
ward, and by the powers of light and
darkness, good and evil, here, under
| the black arch of heavens avenging
! symbol, pledge and consecrate 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 of my superiors; and that
no danger or peril shall deter me from
executing their orders; that / win ex-
ert every possible means in my power
for the determination Of federalS, jay
hawkers and their abettors; that in
! fighting those whose serpent trail has
winnowed the fair fields and posses
sions Of our allies and sympathizers,
win show no mercy, but strike with an
avenging arm so long as breath re-
mains.
II further pledge my heart, my brain,
my body and my limbs never to betray
a comrade; that win submit 20 an
the fortunes cunning mankind can In
flict, and suffer the most horrible death
rather than reveal g single secret Of