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Archiver > MO-CW > 2008-03 > 1204421051


From: "rose" <>
Subject: Re: [MO-CW] Quantrill's Lawrence Raid
Date: Sat, 1 Mar 2008 19:24:11 -0600
References: <647022.32340.qm@web50207.mail.re2.yahoo.com>


Yes, they are having a re-enactment of the burning of Dayton March 29-30. I
would love to attend. The William Clarke Quantrill Society is going to
help. I have met Mr. Petersen. I don't have his book, but I do have
Leslie's book. Richard Brownlee's book, The Gray Ghosts of the Confederacy
is a very good book. I have John N. Edward's book, Noted Guerrillas and
William Connelley's book, Quantrill and the Border Wars. Both are biased
but between the 2 one can get an idea of some of the things that happened.
There were atrocities on both sides. But when I make speaches I often end
with, "Sherman burned several states; Quantrill burned Lawrence. If the
South had won would Sherman be the scoundrel and Quantrill the hero?" Of
course there are some that think that anyway. I try not to be too biased on
the side of Quantrill and his men, and like I said there were atrocities on
both sides.

Rose Mary Lankford
www.geocities.com/outlaw72532/techie.html

----- Original Message -----
From: "Arleigh Birchler" <>
To: <>
Sent: Saturday, March 01, 2008 7:02 PM
Subject: Re: [MO-CW] Quantrill's Lawrence Raid


> Thanks, Rose. I really do recommend Paul Petersen's book: "Quantrill of
> Missouri." I think I need to find a copy of Leslie's "The Devil Knows How
> to Ride" and re-read some parts. One of my distant McFerrin Cousins in
> Cass County sent me a notice this morning, I guess they are going to burn
> Dayton again, and have a battle at the Lotspeach farm. My McFerrin
> ancestors lived on Sugar Creek, near Dayton.
>
> rose <> wrote: This is what I have in my
> book, The Encyclopedia of Quantrill's Guerrillas, on Lawrence. Lawrence,
> Douglas County, KS. On Friday, Aug. 21, 1863, Quantrill sacked Lawrence.
> He had several reasons. One, James Lane sacked Osceola, St. Clair County,
> MO, on Sunday Sept. 22, 1861. This started many retaliations from the MO
> Confederates. Cole Younger's grandfather lived there at this time. Lane
> also raided Butler and Parkeville, MO.
>
> Then Lane came back a second time and destroyed Osceola & burned the
> courthouse, on Tues., May 27, 1862. It was one of the largest towns in
> western MO.
>
> Three months before the Lawrence attack, Lane was responsible for killing
> several hundred people (at different times). Kansas officers burned down a
> multitude of houses. Even as little as 15 days before Lawrence was
> attacked, pro-Union men killed over 200 men in MO.
>
> Next, Brig-Gen Thomas C. Ewing arrested & jailed 17 women who were
> relatives of well known guerrillas (3 were William T. "Bloody Bill"
> Anderson's sisters). They were held as prisoners in a 3-story building
> that was owned by Martha Livingston Lykins, who later married Caleb
> Bingham (noted artist that painted General Order #11).
>
> Rumors were spread around that Ewing ordered the building to be weakened.
> Some people said hogs rooted the foundation. One source admitted to
> Ewing's negligence for the poorly constructed building. The building was a
> "ramshackled" house that was used as a grocery store on the first floor.
> The 2nd floor, which held the women, was reached by outside stairs.
> Several of the women were killed & many were injured.
>
> Four days after the building collapsed, on Aug. 18, 1863, Ewing passed
> General Order #10, adding insult to injury. Some 20,000 people from Bates,
> Cass & Jackson counties were banished. Ewing thought some of the families
> should be put on steamboats with nothing but their clothing and bedding, &
> sent south to the St. Francis or White Rivers in Arkansas. Quantrill & his
> men had had enough. They met at Capt. Purdee's farm in Johnson County, to
> vote on raiding Lawrence.
>
> The 19th, Quantrill's scouts, disguised as farmers, watched Federal
> troops. Col. John C. Holt, a Confederated officer, who had 104 men, joined
> Quantrill. Holt took no part in the attack; he protected several men as
> did Cole Younger, Fletch Taylor & Quantrill. Quantrill also protected the
> City Hotel (Whitney House).
>
> Union Capt. J. A. Pike saw the invaders, but didn't attack because he was
> outnumbered. He sent a courier to Little Santa Fe spreading the alarm. The
> guerrillas entered Lawrence at 5am, Aug. 21, 1863 & left at 9am. Different
> sources claimed the number of men who rode with Quantrill that day was
> 250, 310, 450 or 448 men.
>
> Quantrill gave the order that every man who could carry a gun was to be
> killed, & no harm was to come to any women or children, nor were the women
> to be violated. There were also on the look out for Jim Lane to take him
> back to MO to be tried & hung. Lane escaped into a corn field with nothing
> on but his night shirt. Cole Younger claimed one Negro woman was killed
> accidentally. They killed 187 (again the numbers vary) men. The Methodist
> Church, in Lawrence, was used as a morgue. Only one guerrilla, Larkin
> Skaggs, was killed, & 2 were wounded.
>
> Union troops approached from the north & west. Quantrill retreated,
> burning & killing men in a swath 12 miles wide. The guerrillas later
> claimed that they only killed soldiers who were armed & ready for battle.
>
> In a sense, they were right because Major George Collamore, mayor of
> Lawrence, had been warned Quantrill might come. He collected guns for the
> defense, but the people laughed at him. The guerrillas also stated that
> 5,000 men came to the defense of Lawrence & were on their trail within 2
> hours of the raid. Union Lt. Col. C. S. Clark, 9th KS Cavalry followed
> Quantrill.
>
> Four days after the Lawrence attack on Aug. 25, 1863, Lane persuaded Ewing
> to pass Gen. Order #11.
>
> Rose Mary Lankford
> www.geocities.com/outlaw72532/techie.html
>
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>
>
> Arleigh Birchler, BSN, MDiv
> 69 Gray Ghost St
> Benson NC 27504
>
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