QUANTRILL, THE GUERILLA LEADER
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William Clark Quantrill, was born at Canal Dover, Ohio, July 19, 1837. His father was
Thomas Quantrill, of Hagerstown, Md. His mother was a native of Chambersburg, Pa.,
her maiden name being Caroline Clark. These two people were married October 11,
1836, and moved to Canal Dover, in the following December. Thomas Quantrill died
December 7, 1854, being at the time, principal of the Canal Dover Union Schools. Mrs.
Caroline Quantrill is still living at Canal Dover, and is respected by all.
William C. Quantrill was educated at Canal Dover Union Schools, of which his father
was a Director and afterwards superintendent. William C. himself became a teacher in
one of the lower grades of the school in the fall of 1853. He then went to Fort Wayne
and studied Latin, trigonometry, philosophy, and surveying. Early in 1856 he returned
to Canal Dover, and on the 25th of February, 1857, started to Kansas with H. V.
Beeson, who paid his fare to St. Louis. Here Mr. Beeson waited for Mr. Torrey, who
leaving Canal Dover on the 23rd of February, had started to Kansas via New York city.
Upon Mr. Torrey's arrival at St. Louis, the party proceeded on their way to Kansas. Mr.
Torrey paying Quantrill's fare the balance of the way. They arrived in Lykin's County,
and settled near Stanton on the 22nd of March, each one of the three taking a claim, or
rather buying a pre-emption right of a squatter, Beeson and Torrey each paying $500
for their claims, and also paying $250 for the claim standing in Quantrill's name. Some
time afterwards Quantrill desired to sell out his interest in the claim; and as he and Mr.
Torrey could not agree as to what was rightly due Quantrill, the matter was submitted
to a "squatter's court" for arbitration. The court decided that Beeson and Torrey owed
Quantrill $63. The financial relations between Messrs. Beeson and Torrey were such
that the understanding was reached between then that the latter should pay Quantrill
the $63. Torrey had no money to pay with, and in order to raise the money it was
necessary for him to go to Lecompton to sell some land warrants he held. On account
of sickness he was unable to go to Lecompton. In consequence of this delay Quantrill
became impatient, and in order to get his pay, stole a yoke of cattle belonging to Mr.
Beeson. Some few days thereafter Beeson met Quantrill about sunrise on the prairie.
Quantrill turned to avoid Beeson, when the latter, bringing his rifle to bear upon the
former, who was about ten rods distant, hailed him with "Bill, stop! I want to see you."
Quantrill turned towards Beeson, when the latter again commanded, "Lay your gun
down in the grass!' This order was also obeyed, when Beeson said, "You must bring my
oxen back by three o'clock this afternoon, or I shall shoot you on sight!" Quantrill
promised to return the oxen, and did so about four o'clock that day.
In the winter of 1857-58, he taught school in Judge Robert's district in Stanton
Township, and in the following spring went to Salt Lake City. In 1860, he returned to
Kansas, making Lawrence his headquarters, and going by the name of "Charlie Hart."
While here he made frequent incursions into the country, kept bad company, gambled
somewhat, and became a suspicious character. This drew upon him the surveillance of
the civil authorities. Up to this time his sympathies had been with the Free-state men;
but his downward course which drew upon him suspicion and surveillance, as naturally
led him towards the Missourians. In order to ingratiate himself into their affections and
confidence, he conceived and carried out one of the basest betrayals of confidence
known to the annals of history. He induced three or four young men, one of them a
distant relative of Capt. Snyder, of Marais des Cygnes Massacre fame, to join him in
robbing a Mr. Walker's house, in Jackson County, Mo. Having completed his plan for the
attack, he next informed Walker that he had discovered a plat among certain parties in
Kansas to rob him (Walker) of his money and slaves, and that he had joined the party
for the purpose of defeating its object. Upon approaching Walker's house at the head
of his little company of dupes, they with the real purpose, he, with the pretended
purpose, of robbing it, he went on ahead to "enter the house and get matters properly
arranged for the attack." Upon the attack being made, he stepped to the porch and
shot one of the attacking party with his own hands. All were killed but one, who
severely wounded, crawled away and recovered. As a reward for this enterprise,
undertaken to gain the confidence of the slaveholders of Missouri, he was presented
by Walker with a magnificent horse and saddle.
Soon after this affair he came to Miami County, and stopped at the house of John
Benning, near Stanton. Capt. Snyder, with a company of men surrounding Benning's
house, with the purpose of taking Quantrill out and killing him for the part he had
played in betraying the above mentioned young men to their death, but failed to
accomplish his purpose. Snyder, however, did succeed in arresting him on a charge of
grand larceny and having him confined in the Paola jail for a time. Being furnished by
his friends with his pistols and bowie-knives, he made an attempt on the life of his
jailor. April 2, 1861, he was released on a writ of habeas corpus. At the court house
door he found his horse awaiting him, and in a few hours he was safe among his
friends in Jackson County, Mo.
Accounts of his raids upon Aubrey, Olathe, Lawrence and Baxter Springs, will be found
in their proper connections. This sketch may properly close with an account of his
death, copied from a Louisville, Ky., paper:
"On the 1st of March, 1865, Quantrill stopped at Wakefield's barn, near Fairfield, in
Nelson County, in order to find shelter from the rain, which was pouring down. His
command was then reduced to fifteen men. While in the barn, and not suspecting the
enemy, Capt. Ed Terrell, at the head of forty-five Federal guerrillas charged down upon
him which took the whole party completely by surprise. Just as Quantrill was coming
out of the door he received a mortal wound. Richard Glasscock, who had rejoined him
after making his escape from Louisville, and Clark Hockersmith, while attempting to
Quantrill on his horse were killed. All the balance of the guerrillas succeed in getting
away. Quantrill was left at a farm house close by and his wounds were considered of
such a dangerous character, that Terrell left no guard over him. He was afterward
visited by one of his own men, who endeavored to get him to escape, but he declined,
saying that he knew he was mortally wounded, and desired to be left quiet. He was
soon after removed to Louisville and in about a month, died of his wounds. He was
generally known here in Kentucky as "Captain Clark" and that was the name he gave
when he was captured. His men also created the impression through the country until
after his death, when they acknowledged the "Captain Clark" was none other than
Quantrill, the famous guerrilla of Missouri."