The Federal command in St. Louis, Mo. KANSAS CITY Ten women and girls, including three sisters born in Randolph County, were killed or seriously injured when a building owned by state Treasurer George Caleb Bingham . [93] However, a guerrilla fired his weapon before they reached the town, and the cavalry garrisoned in the town quickly withdrew into their fort while civilians hid. By the time of his death in 1864 Anderson had become one of the most sought after men in Missouri and had left a trail of blood and hatred across the west and central portions of the state. Anderson led a band that targeted Union loyalists and Federal soldiers in Missouri and Kansas. Touch for map. several of Anderson's men were cut down immediately & Anderson & 2 more continued but just a short distance when they were cut down. Answer: He mistook the cashier for Samuel P Cox, the killer of 'Bloody Bill' Anderson. On the other hand, the use of tactics like arson, robbery and murder seemed beyond the bounds of honorable combat. [124] Anderson watched the fire from nearby bluffs. Their duty will be to cut off Federal pickets, scouts, foraging parties and trains and to kill pilots and others on gunboats and transports, attacking them day and night and using the greatest vigor in their movements. He favored swift execution of captured guerrillas. A short time later, another six of Anderson's men were ambushed and killed by Union troops;[90] after learning of these events, Anderson was outraged and left the area to seek revenge. [145], Union soldiers identified Anderson by a letter found in his pocket and paraded his body through the streets of Richmond, Missouri. Bushwhacker activities in Missouri increased as a response to Federal occupation and increasingly brutal attacks and raids by Kansas soldiers, or jayhawkers. On August 30, Anderson and his men attacked a steamboat on the Missouri River, killing the captain and gaining control of the boat. William "Bloody Bill" Anderson A sociopath who lived for spilling blood, William Anderson was one of the most fearsome leaders of Confederate guerrillas in Civil War Missouri. Cox stated that he went out & took one of Anderson's pistols along with money & a gold watch. Bushwhackers and Jayhawkers. Cole Younger, 1913, The Federal command in St. Louis, Mo. General Orders No. The reason for the bloody raid that left nearly two hundred men dead and caused between $1 million and $1.5 million in damage (in 1863 dollars) is still the subject of speculation. [56] In March 1864, at the behest of General Sterling Price, Quantrill reassembled his men, sending most of them into active duty with the regular Confederate Army. They murdered my family when I was a schoolboy and I was launched into a life of shooting, reprisals and rough-riding." Anderson was known for his brutality towards Union soldiers, and pro Union partisans, who were called Jayhawkers. While on public display, a local photographer documented his death. Bloody Bill Anderson - Lies and Sensationalism. II. [Map inset] Nearby Civil War attractions include Pioneer Cemetery and Ray County Museum in Richmond, Mo. Marker is on Thornton Street north of Main Street (State Highway 10), on the left when traveling north. On October 26, 1864, the notorious Confederate guerrilla leader William "Bloody Bill" Anderson is killed in Missouri in a Union ambush. [113] One Union officer reached Centralia and gave word of the ambush, allowing a few Union soldiers who had remained there to escape. Community & Conflict website entry (Submitted on October 1, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.) Desperate to put a stop to Anderson's bloodshed, the Union Army eventually raised a small militia to hunt him down. [75] As Anderson's profile increased, he was able to recruit more guerrillas. A lot of the federal troops in Missouri were Infantry & only the officer's would have pistols. . Add to your list and mine, Bloody Bill Anderson for he was a ruthless, vicious killer. The guerrillas, however, quickly learned the signals, and local citizens became wary of Union troops, fearing that they were disguised guerrillas. They attacked the fort on October 6, but the 90 Union troops there quickly took refuge inside, suffering minimal losses. Reid draws a parallel between the bashi-bazouks of the Ottoman Army and Anderson's guerrillas, arguing that they behaved similarly.[168]. Union leaders branded bushwhackers as outlaws, issuing multiple orders to suppress guerilla activities. The guerrillas blocked the railroad, forcing the train to stop. [Photo captions, clockwise from top left, read] The tortures included jumping on him, shooting at his legs and firing guns from his knee to burn his legs with powder. [162] He also appears as a character in several films about Jesse James. Gen. Henry Halleck. In 1857, the family moved to Kansas and William worked for a time . Anderson was upset by the critical tone of the coverage and sent letters to the publications. The Tactical Genius of Bloody Bill Anderson by Sean McLachlan 2/13/2018 His ruthless nature earned his moniker and obscured a flair for strategy. Two Confederate soldiers carrying double-barreled shotguns, a favorite weapon early in the Civil War. Partisan Warfare in the American Civil War. [21][f] William Quantrill, a Confederate guerrilla leader, later claimed to have encountered Reed's company in July and rebuked them for robbing Confederate sympathizers;[22] in their biography of Anderson, Albert Castel and Tom Goodrich speculate that this rebuke may have resulted in a deep resentment of Quantrill by Anderson. Soon after Anderson left Glasgow, a local woman saw him and told Cox of his presence. Not long after her driver left to find help, three rambunctious New Jersey cavalrymen, all white, approached Brooks, demanding her money. Upon returning to the Confederate leadership, Anderson was commissioned as a captain by General Price. [3] His schoolmates recalled him as a well-behaved, reserved child. And that is the terrible truth of the story of Bloody Bill Anderson. Etsy Search for items or shops Close search Skip to Content Sign in 0 Cart Gifts for Every Valentine Jewelry & Accessories Jesse James. 1. Their familiarity with the landscape enabled them to appear and disappear into the woods like ghosts. They chased the men who had attacked them, killing one and mutilating his body. It's either the flesh eating . In late 1863, while Quantrill's Raiders spent the winter in Sherman, Texas, animosity developed between Anderson and Quantrill. Marker is at or near this postal address: 100 West Main Street, Richmond MO 64085, United States of America. After a brief gunfight, Baker and his brother-in-law fled into the store's basement. Carrying multiple loaded guns gave them an edge against soldiers equipped with a single-shot, muzzle-loading musket. 11, an evacuation order that evicted almost 20,000 people from four counties in rural western Missouri and burned many of their homes. He addressed the prisoners, castigating them for the treatment of guerrillas by Union troops. Baker, a local judge who was a Confederate sympathizer. Stockburn gets a good look at the Preacher and says "YOU". The notorious Bloody Bill was killed in a Union ambush in Missouri. Anderson and his men dressed as Union soldiers, wearing uniforms taken from those they killed. After he returned to Council Grove he began horse trading, taking horses from towns in Kansas, transporting them to Missouri and returning with more horses. They had sworn to be revenged for the death of their father, and made their troubles an excuse for the career of bushwhacking in which they engaged with the Quantrill gang. 1:27. After Frank and Jesse James joined the Anderson band, they robbed a train of $3,000 and executed 25 Union soldiers on board. Many bushwhackers wore a distinctive shirt, such as this one on T.F. They drew the Union troops to the top of a hill; a group of guerrillas led by Anderson had been stationed at the bottom and other guerrillas hid nearby. [102] This was the first capture of a Union passenger train in the war. Missouri - A State Divided: The Civil War in Missouri, Partisan Warfare in the American Civil War, Forces of Change and the Enduring Ozark Frontier: The Civil War. 3. I will have to go through my library to see what I can find. I have also read it was several Cavalry troopers, but that is another story. In early 1863 he joined Quantrill's Raiders, a group of Confederate guerrillas which operated along the KansasMissouri border. Jesse James and his brother Frank were among the Missourians who joined Anderson; both of them later became notorious outlaws. Smaller bands avoided fights with larger detachments of Union soldiers, preferring to ambush stragglers or loot Union supporters and their property. The most infamous order came in response to a brutal guerilla attack on Lawrence, Kan. Missouri's southern sympathizers hated Union Brig. [68] The letters were given to Union generals and were not published for 20 years. [115], By the end of the day, Anderson's men had killed 22 soldiers from the train and 125 soldiers in the ensuing battle in one of the most decisive guerrilla victories of the entire war. While on public display, a local photographer documented his death. [28] Castel and Goodrich speculated that this raid may have given Quantrill the idea of launching an attack deep in Kansas, as it demonstrated that the state's border was poorly defended and that guerrillas could travel deep into the state's interior before Union forces were alerted. The Gun manufacturers did not provide extra cylinders for each firearm sold. [10], After the Civil War began in 1861, the demand for horses increased and Anderson transitioned from trading horses to stealing them, reselling them as far away as New Mexico. My 1888 Luscomb #b. They soon arrived at the small town of Centralia and proceeded to loot it, robbing people and searching the town for valuables. As soon as the company attains the strength required by law it will proceed to elect the other officers to which it is entitled. [48] After a dead raider was scalped by a Union-allied Lenape Indian during the pursuit, one guerrilla leader pledged to adopt the practice of scalping. The partisans would have had to encounter only the Cavalry to obtain anywhere near that amount. However, he was quickly released owing to a problem with the warrant, and fled to Agnes City, fearing he would be lynched. [91], Anderson met Todd and Quantrill on September 24, 1864; although they had clashed in the past, they agreed to work together again. Born in Kentucky in 1839 before moving to Missouri and eventually living in Kansas when the Civil War started, Bill Anderson soon earned the non de plume "Bloody Bill.". Many of Anderson's men also despised the Union, and he was adept at tapping into this emotion. From the town, they saw a group of about 120 guerrillas and pursued them. [141] On October 26, 1864, he pursued Anderson's group with 150 men and engaged them in a battle called the Skirmish at Albany, Missouri. William "Bloody Bill" Anderson . His family had been living in Council Grove, Territory of Kansas at the start of the war. 6 guns of ouTlaWs Residue of WaRThe RaideRs 7 Then I noticed Bloody Bill Anderson and he has a very small existence in Josey Wales. [128] On October 6, Anderson and his men began travelling to meet General Price in Boonville, Missouri;[124][129] they arrived and met the general on October 11. [21] Anderson and his gang subsequently traveled east of Jackson County, Missouri, avoiding territory where Quantrill operated and continuing to support themselves by robbery. [58], A short time later, one of Anderson's men was accused of stealing from one of Quantrill's men. Touch for directions. The guerrillas were only able to shoot the Union horses before reinforcements arrived; three of Anderson's men were killed in the confrontation. The Union troops took his body to Richmond, Mo. Usually a wife, sister, mother or sweetheart used ribbons, shells and needlework to create the ellaborately [sic] decorated shirts. (. Residents. [66][67] In the letters, Anderson took an arrogant and threatening yet playful tone, boasting of his attacks. Marker is on the Ray County Courthouse grounds. These companies will be governed in all respects by the same regulations as other troops. [123] They burned Rocheport to the ground on October 2; the town was under close scrutiny by Union forces, owing to the number of Confederate sympathizers there, but General Fisk maintained that the fire was accidental. [142] Anderson and his men charged the Union forces, killing five or six of them, but turned back under heavy fire. He angered Anderson by ordering his forces to withdraw. [1] By 1860, the young William T. Anderson was a joint owner of a 320-acre (1.3km2) property that was worth $500;[c] his family had a total net worth of around $1,000. [114] Anderson's men mutilated the bodies of the dead soldiers and tortured some survivors. Gen. Thomas C. Hindman was the head of the Confederate Army's Trans Mississippi Department in Little Rock, Ark. The guerrillas gathered at the Blackwater River in Johnson County, Missouri. [29], In early summer 1863, Anderson was made a lieutenant, serving in a unit led by George M. Todd. You certainly wouldn't do that aboard a horse. Union leaders branded bushwhackers as outlaws, issuing multiple orders to suppress guerilla activities. The two were prominent Unionists and hid their identities from the guerrillas. The Wild West Extravaganza is a history podcast that delves into the fascinating and often tumultuous world of the American Old West. The .500 Bushwhacker is the biggest, baddest handgun cartridge in the world right now. [59] It is likely that this incident angered Anderson, who then took 20 men to visit the town of Sherman. William T. Anderson was one of the most notorious Confederate guerrillas of the Civil War. During the American Civil War, the James family sided with the Confederates, and Frank and Jesse James joined a group of guerrillas, or . William and Jim Anderson then traveled southwest of Kansas City, robbing travelers to support themselves. The Myth that Bloody Bill Anderson had survived the war and was living in Brownwood Texas originated in 1924, after a young Brownwood reporter named Henry Clay Fuller spent several hours talking . Pioneer Cemetery. By the time the war started, Missouri's pro-rebel guerrillas were known as . William T. Anderson (1839 - October 26, 1864), better known as "Bloody Bill," was one of the deadliest and most brutal pro-Confederate guerrilla leaders in the American Civil War.Anderson led a band of Missouri Partisan rangers* that targeted Union loyalists and Federal soldiers in Missouri and Kansas. [144] Four other guerrillas were killed in the attack. Some, like the veterans attending the bushwacker reunions under Quantrill's vacant gaze, managed to adjust to post-war life. While they were confined, the building collapsed, killing one of Anderson's sisters. Maupin, pictured above. [25] Quantrill was at the time the most prominent guerrilla leader in the KansasMissouri area. After camping near New Hope Church in Fort Henry about. One one hand, they were useful, serving to tie down Union forces. In what became known as the Centralia Massacre, Anderson's bushwhackers killed 24 unarmed Union soldiers on the train and set an ambush later that day which killed over a hundred Union militiamen. Details on John (b. [35] In the aftermath, rumors that the building had been intentionally sabotaged by Union soldiers spread quickly;[36] Anderson was convinced it had been a deliberate act. [110] By mid-afternoon, the 39th Missouri Volunteer Infantry had arrived in Centralia. Todd rested his men in July to allow them to prepare for a Confederate invasion of Missouri. On July 15, 1864 "Bloody Bill" Anderson returned home. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Settlements & Settlers War, US Civil. Powered by Tetra-WebBBS 6.21 / TetraBB PRO 0.30 2006-2012 tetrabb.com. [71] Anderson killed one hotel guest whom he suspected was a U.S. [152] In 1967, a memorial stone was placed at the grave. Date Posted: 8/12/2009 1:51:23 PM. [1] There he robbed travelers and killed several Union soldiers. John Nichols, a bushwacker who operated in Johnson and Pettis Counties in 1862-1863, prior to his execution in Jefferson City, Missouri, October 30, 1863 Anderson retreated into the lobby of the town hotel to drink and rest. The cashier pulled a gun on him and James killed him in self-defence. The attacks prompted the Kansas City Daily Journal of Commerce to declare that rebels had taken over the area. Erected by Missouri State Parks. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. "The war brought on hate and strife and killing around here. Browning James A. . He then ordered and conducted the massacre soldiers. The muzzle-loaders required no special ammunition or training and were effective out to about seventy-five or one hundred yards. Gen. John McNeil, the "Butcher of Palmyra." Banjo Heritage https://patreon.com/CliftonHicksI learned the words to "Bloody Bill Anderson" from a recording of Alvin Youngblood Hart. Union troops used horses to drag Anderson's body through the streets around the Ray County Courthouse. Bloody Bill and some five or six of his associates in crime came dashing considerably in the advance of their line and their chieftain Anderson, with one other supposed to be Lieut. His gun changed a few times, semi, handgun, revolver . He protested the execution of guerrillas and their sympathizers, and threatened to attack Lexington, Missouri. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. William T. Anderson (1840 - October 26, 1864), better known as Bloody Bill, was one of the deadliest and most brutal pro- Confederate guerrilla leaders in the American Civil War. Only advantage would have been if you were behind a barrier, in a gun battle. Usually a wife, sister, mother or sweetheart used ribbons, shells and needlework to create the ellaborately [sic] decorated shirts. They will receive pay and allowance for subsistence and forage for the time actually in the field, as established by the affadavits of their captains. [89] In mid-September, Union soldiers ambushed two of Anderson's parties traveling through Howard County, killing five men in one day. [53], On October 12, Quantrill and his men met General Samuel Cooper at the Canadian River and proceeded to Mineral Springs, Texas, to rest for the winter. The Union troops took his body to Richmond, Mo. ; Battle of Albany Civil War Marker near Orrick, Mo. He concluded the letters by describing himself as the commander of "Kansas First Guerrillas" and requesting that local newspapers publish his replies. [10], In the late 1850s, Ellis Anderson fled to Iowa after killing a native American. "Bloody" Bill Anderson (1840-1864), the most prolific mass murderer on the American frontier. The Civil War was a brutal and savage conflict, but try as I might, I can't think of anyone as bloodthirsty as William T. "Bloody Bill" Anderson. [138] Local residents gathered $5,000, which they gave to Anderson; he then released the man, who died of his injuries in 1866. Wood describes him as the "bloodiest man in America's deadliest war"[164] and characterizes him as the clearest example of the war's "dehumanizing influence". [112] Although five guerrillas were killed by the first volley of Union fire, the Union soldiers were quickly overwhelmed by the well-armed guerrillas, and those who fled were pursued. [45] The guerrillas under Anderson's command, notably including Archie Clement and Frank James, killed more than any of the other group. [117][118] Sutherland saw the massacre as the last battle in the worst phase of the war in Missouri,[119] and Castel and Goodrich described the slaughter as the Civil War's "epitome of savagery". They may be found on the 1850 Census of Randolph County,MO. En route, they entered Baxter Springs, Kansas, the site of Fort Blair. Often bushwhackers wore stolen Union uniforms as a disguise. 1840-1864. The Missouri act was an offshoot of the Confederate Partisan Ranger Act instituted by Confederate President Jefferson Davis in April 1862. 11. Historians have made disparate appraisals of Anderson; some see him as a sadistic, psychopathic killer, while others put his actions into the perspective of the general desperation and lawlessness of the time and the brutalization effect of war. Assuming, of course, that you're brave enough to get within handgun range of those animals. There, his men briefly engaged a group of guerrillas loyal to Quantrill, but no one was injured in the confrontation. [165] Castel and Goodrich view Anderson as one of the war's most savage and bitter combatants, but they also argue that the war made savages of many others. Note: Click on photos to get larger view. Anderson was under Quantrill's command, but independently organized some attacks. [54] During the winter, Anderson married Bush Smith, a woman from Sherman, Texas. Rains, son of rebel Gen. Official Records of the American Civil War, "Sideshow no longer: A historiographical review of the guerrilla war", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=William_T._Anderson&oldid=1137633714, People of Missouri in the American Civil War, People with sadistic personality disorder, Confederate States of America military personnel killed in the American Civil War, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Use shortened footnotes from November 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 5 February 2023, at 17:50. [46] They left town at 9:00am after a company of Union soldiers approached the town. Anderson remained in Agnes City until he learned that Baker would not be charged, as the judge's claim of self-defense had been accepted by legal authorities. Location. [139], Union military leaders assigned Lieutenant Colonel Samuel P. Cox to kill Anderson, providing him with a group of experienced soldiers. Operating against Unionists in the midst of the guerrilla war in Missouri and Kansas, he was a leading figure in the infamous Lawrence Massacre and the Centralia Massacre, gaining the nickname "Bloody Bill" for the perceived savagery of his exploits. Their families and other local Confederate sympathizers supplied them with shelter, food, medical care and tactical information about Union activities. William Quantrill and William "Bloody Bill" Anderson are well-known bushwhacker leaders in Missouri. Anderson reached a Confederate Army camp; although he hoped to kill some injured Union prisoners there, he was prevented from doing so by camp doctors. [37] Castel and Goodrich maintain that by then killing had become more than a means to an end for Anderson: it became an end in itself. He became a skilled bushwhacker, earning the trust of the group's leaders, William Quantrill and George M. Todd. [116] Anderson achieved the same notoriety Quantrill had previously enjoyed, and he began to refer to himself as "Colonel Anderson", partly in an effort to supplant Quantrill. Some bands of guerrillas, like William Quantrill's, had 400 or more members, but most were much smaller. Handsome, rugged American leading man John Russell (whose credits are often confused with those of child actor Johnny Russell) attended the University of California, where he was a student athlete. Others, like William Anderson, had already entered a dark abyss from which there was no return and no escape except death. Barbed Wire Press. The Missouri in the Civil War Message Board - Archive is maintained by Webmaster [80] In 1863, most Union troops left Missouri and only four regiments remained there. They often used unorthodox tactics to fight Union troops, such as using a small party of horsemen to lure them into an ambush. One way he sought to prove that loyalty was by severing his ties with Anderson's sister Mary, his former lover. Bloody Bill dead. [85], In early August, Anderson and his men traveled to Clay County. [120][121] Anderson evaded the pursuit, leading his men into ravines the Union troops would not enter for fear of ambush. [136][137] Anderson indicated that he was particularly angry that the man had freed his slaves, then trampled him with a specially trained horse. The act sanctioned guerrilla activities against the Union army while attempting to gain some measure of control over the guerrillas. Confederate leaders were unsure about guerrillas.
Crime In Guanajuato, Mexico 2021, Articles B