Many bushwhackers wore a distinctive shirt, such as this one on T.F. In early 1863 he joined Quantrill's Raiders, a group of Confederate guerrillas which operated along the KansasMissouri border. Anderson and his companion "took a negro girl of 12 or 13 years old into . . He favored swift execution of captured guerrillas. It is in Richmond in Ray County Missouri, "The war brought on hate and strife and killing around here. A Note on Sources Also see . A State Divided: The Civil War in Missouri. 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". The tortures included jumping on him, shooting at his legs and firing guns from his knee to burn his legs with powder. However, he was quickly released owing to a problem with the warrant, and fled to Agnes City, fearing he would be lynched. The Guerrilla Lifestyle , The life of a guerrilla was difficult and violent. Even before Union forces finally shot him down in his final gunfight, the man called Bloody Bill had become equal parts legend and infamous nightmare. He was buried in a nearby fieldafter a soldier cut off one of his fingers to steal a ring. Anyway, this has been a very interesting thread & we can agree that we each have an opinion on this matter. A wide-brimmed slouch hat was the headgear of choice. Below is one of the articles written by Brownwood Banner - Bulletin staff writer Henry C. Fuller after Interviewing William C. "Bloody Bill" Anderson of Quantrill's Guerrillas of the Civil War at his home at Salt Creek, Brown County, Texas in 1924. Union leaders branded bushwhackers as outlaws, issuing multiple orders to suppress guerilla activities. [2] During his childhood, Anderson's family moved to Huntsville, Missouri, where his father found employment on a farm and the family became well-respected. Quantrill and other guerrillas nonetheless sought and sometimes received formal Confederate commissions as partisan rangers. . Bloody Bill dead. The next day, the elder Anderson traveled to the Council Grove courthouse with a gun, intending to force Baker to withdraw the warrant. 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. One of the leading authorities on the Civil War in the western theater, Albert Edward Castel earned his B.A. Jesse James. All such organizations will be reported to their headquarters as soon as practicable. General Orders No. There, his men briefly engaged a group of guerrillas loyal to Quantrill, but no one was injured in the confrontation. The Fate of the Bushwhackers [96] Although a large group of guerrillas was assembled, their leaders felt there were no promising targets to attack because all of the large towns nearby were heavily guarded. [163], Historians have been mixed in their appraisal of Anderson. Gen. John McNeil, the "Butcher of Palmyra." Concluding that eliminating the bushw[h]acker's support network would help end guerilla fighting, Brig. They used it to attack other boats, bringing river traffic to a virtual halt. [39] Anderson was placed in charge of 40 men, of which he was perhaps the angriest and most motivatedhis fellow guerrillas considered him one of the deadliest fighters there. On July 15, 1864 "Bloody Bill" Anderson returned home. [115] The attack led to a near-complete halt in rail traffic in the area and a dramatic increase in Union rail security. Guerrilla Tactics , William Quantrill and William "Bloody Bill" Anderson are well-known bushwhacker leaders in Missouri. Erected by Missouri State Parks. If you're a fan of games like Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption or Gameloft's Six-Guns: Gang Showdown, The Wild West is definitely worth checking out. "Born in Kentucky in 1839 before moving to Missouri and eventually living in Kansas when the Civil War started, Bill Anderson soon earned the nom de plume "Bloody Bill.". 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. After the attack, one of Anderson's guerrillas scalped a dead militiaman. [72] Anderson's men robbed the town's depository, gaining about $40,000 (equivalent to $693,000 in 2021) in the robbery, although Anderson returned some money to the friend he had met at the hotel. The Missouri in the Civil War Message Board - Archive is maintained by Webmaster Burial. En route, some guerrillas robbed a Union supporter, but Anderson knew the man and reimbursed him. Even then, reloading the powder & ball would have been almost as fast as changing out the cylinder. 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. [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. Plot [ edit] Cocaine dealer, Darrell, leads a cop on a chase through the desert. Etsy Search for items or shops Close search Skip to Content Sign in 0 Cart Gifts for Every Valentine Jewelry & Accessories As you said, they could have obtained pistols from the local population but remember, the average farmer probably wouldn't have shelled out the $15.00 to buy a sidearm as he was more dependent on a long arm & $15.00 was a fortune. Anderson was known for his brutality towards Union soldiers, and pro Union partisans, who were called Jayhawkers. I will have to go through my library to see what I can find. 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. 2. 4. [26] In early 1863, William and Jim Anderson traveled to Jackson County, Missouri, to join him. Bloody Bill's Death Anderson's violent pillages, attacks, and murders came to an end at Albany, Missouri, on October 26th, 1864one month after he carried out a systemic massacre at Centralia, Missouri, on September 27 of 22 unarmed Union troops who had been on their way home on furlough. Henry Fuller's interview articles appeared in newspapers and magazines all across the United States. [7][b] Animosity and violence between the two sides quickly developed in what was called Bleeding Kansas, but there was little unrest in the Council Grove area. Dec 28, 2022. [162] He also appears as a character in several films about Jesse James. [1] There he robbed travelers and killed several Union soldiers. several of Anderson's men were cut down immediately & Anderson & 2 more continued but just a short distance when they were cut down. Biographer Larry Wood wrote that Anderson's motivation shifted after the death of his sister, arguing that killing then became his focus, and an enjoyable act. 11. On March 12, 1864, in the midst of a bloody war which had long overflowed its thimble, Margaret Brooks was returning from her home near Memphis, Tennessee when her wagon broke down in Nonconnah Creek. [31] By late July, Anderson led groups of guerrillas on raids and was often pursued by Union volunteer cavalry. Anderson's horse, saddle & 2 pistols were presented later to a general. [125], Anderson visited Confederate sympathizers as he traveled, some of whom viewed him as a hero for fighting the Union, whom they deeply hated. The Andersons barricaded the door to the basement and set the store on fire, killing Baker and his brother-in-law. [142] Anderson and his men charged the Union forces, killing five or six of them, but turned back under heavy fire. . [43] Anderson personally killed 14 people. [152] In 1967, a memorial stone was placed at the grave. [79] General Clinton B. Fisk ordered his men to find and kill Anderson, but they were thwarted by Anderson's support network and his forces' superior training and arms. Answer: Coffeyville. I. Anderson, William William T. "Bloody Bill" Anderson was born in Kentucky in 1839; he migrated with his family from Missouri to the Council Grove, Kansas area before the war. As Quantrill and Todd became less active, "Bloody Bill" Anderson emerged as the best-known, and most feared, Confederate guerrilla in Missouri. In response, Union militias developed hand signals to verify that approaching men in Union uniforms were not guerrillas. The Union troops took his body to Richmond, Mo. The Union troops took his body to Richmond, Mo. Add to your list and mine, Bloody Bill Anderson for he was a ruthless, vicious killer. declared martial law in August 1861, giving Union forces broad powers to suppress those who resisted Union control. He angered Anderson by ordering his forces to withdraw. As far as the partisans carrying extra cylinders, that is possibly a misnomer unless, they cannibalize other pistols just for the cylinders & that wouldn't make sense. He addressed the prisoners, castigating them for the treatment of guerrillas by Union troops. From the town, they saw a group of about 120 guerrillas and pursued them. 2, in March 1862, allowed Union troops in Missouri to hang guerillas as robbers and murder[er]s. Future orders followed the same tone. [122] In the aftermath of the massacre, Union soldiers committed several revenge killings of Confederate-sympathizing civilians. (. However, most were hunted down and killed. [127] Although many of them wished to execute this Union hostage, Anderson refused to allow it. There he met Baker, who temporarily placated him by providing a lawyer. [73], In June 1864, George M. Todd usurped Quantrill's leadership of their group and forced him to leave the area. [33] In August 1863, however, Union General Thomas Ewing, Jr. attempted to thwart the guerrillas by arresting their female relatives,[34] and Anderson's sisters were confined in a three-story building on Grand Avenue in Kansas City with a number of other girls. William "Bloody Bill" Anderson . 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. Anderson led a band of volunteer partisan raiders who targeted Union loyalists and federal soldiers in the states of Missouri and Kansas. Anderson was fatally shot twice in the back of the head. Bloody Bill was born in either 1838 or 1839 and moved to Kansas in the late 1850s. He was killed in a Union ambush near Richmond, MO. [110] By mid-afternoon, the 39th Missouri Volunteer Infantry had arrived in Centralia. On August 10, while traveling through Clay County, Anderson and his men engaged 25 militia members, killing five of them and forcing the rest to flee. The Union militias sometimes rode slower horses and may have been intimidated by Anderson's reputation. [25] Quantrill was at the time the most prominent guerrilla leader in the KansasMissouri area. [13] Anderson had told a neighbor that he sought to fight for financial reasons rather than out of loyalty to the Confederacy. [19] Baker and his brother-in-law brought the man to a store, where they were ambushed by the Anderson brothers. While they rested at the house, a group of local men attacked. Gen. Thomas Ewing issued General Orders No. [104] Anderson forced the captured Union soldiers to form a line and announced that he would keep one for a prisoner exchange but would execute the rest. III. Gen. Henry Halleck. [167], In a study of 19th-century warfare, historian James Reid posited that Anderson suffered from delusional paranoia, which exacerbated his aggressive, sadistic personality. This action angered his men, who saw themselves as the protectors of women, but Anderson dismissed their concerns, saying such things were inevitable. If they were caught, Federals considered them criminals not prisoners of war. The guerrillas then attacked Allen, Missouri. Depending on which side you asked, these bushwhackers were either heroes or criminals. Bushwhacker activities in Missouri increased as a response to Federal occupation and increasingly brutal attacks and raids by Kansas soldiers, or jayhawkers. The rapid rate of fire made the revolver perfect for the quick attacks executed by these men. 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. 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. This may help as far as relatives of Bloody Bill Anderson,who was William T.Anderson born 1839,son of William Anderson and Martha Thomasson. In December, 1861, he organized his infamous guerrilla band, which included William "Bloody Bill" Anderson, George Todd, Fletcher Taylor, Cole Younger, and Frank James, to name a few. TII Armory's James Tow says it's powerful enough to ethically take any game animal on the planet, including all the African Big 5. [146] The corpse was photographed and displayed at a local courthouse for public viewing, along with Anderson's possessions. [113] One Union officer reached Centralia and gave word of the ambush, allowing a few Union soldiers who had remained there to escape. Marker is at or near this postal address: 100 West Main Street, Richmond MO 64085, United States of America. [47] The raiding party was pursued by Union forces but eventually managed to break contact with the soldiers and scatter into the Missouri woods. [71] Anderson killed one hotel guest whom he suspected was a U.S. [81], On July 23, 1864, Anderson led 65 men to Renick, Missouri, robbing stores and tearing down telegraph wires on the way. Although Union supporters viewed him as incorrigibly evil, Confederate supporters in Missouri saw his actions as justifiable. This would effectively put Bloody Bill on the list of about 450 confederate guerrillas who rode into Lawrence on that fateful day. In addition, it is included in the Missouri - A State Divided: The Civil War in Missouri series list. "Bloody" Bill Anderson (1840-1864), the most prolific mass murderer on the American frontier. He retained 84 men and reunited with Anderson. [52] Not satisfied with the number killed, Anderson and Todd wished to attack the fort again, but Quantrill considered another attack too risky. Although he learned that Union General Egbert B. ; Battle of Lexington State Historic Site in Lexington, 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 . Anderson planned to destroy railroad infrastructure in Centralia, Missouri. More lies and sensationalized stories have been told of William T. Anderson than any other Civil War Border War guerrilla except those of William Clarke Quantrill himself. The .500 Bushwhacker is the biggest, baddest handgun cartridge in the world right now. Anderson himself was killed a month later in battle. [40] On August 19, the group, which proved to be the most guerrillas under one commander in the war, began the trip to Lawrence. Smaller bands avoided fights with larger detachments of Union soldiers, preferring to ambush stragglers or loot Union supporters and their property. [Map inset] Nearby Civil War attractions include Pioneer Cemetery and Ray County Museum in Richmond, Mo. Doing some quick math on the number of men who rode with Quantrill, numbers around 700 ( those who can be named), maybe more. [109], Anderson arrived at the guerrilla camp and described the day's events, the brutality of which unsettled Todd. Many bushwhackers wore a distinctive shirt, such as this one on T.F. 11, but guerrilla activity continued throughout the war in other regions of the state. In June and July, Anderson took part in several raids that killed Union soldiers, in Westport, Kansas City and Lafayette County, Missouri. 0:02. After camping near New Hope Church in Fort Henry about. This is his story. [23], Missouri had a large Union presence throughout the Civil War, but was also inhabited by many civilians whose sympathies lay with the Confederacy. He thought the cashier was an informant. [8] After settling there, the Anderson family became friends with A.I. . Anderson was fatally shot twice in the back of the head. Residents. Among his troops was a well-established group of guerrilla fighters led by William Anderson, who was known by the nickname " Bloody Bill ." Among his guerrillas was a pair of southern Missouri brothers named Frank and Jesse James. [82] In late July, the Union military sent a force of 100 well-equipped soldiers and 650 other men after Anderson. The guerrillas gathered at the Blackwater River in Johnson County, Missouri. . Only advantage would have been if you were behind a barrier, in a gun battle. The guerrillas were only able to shoot the Union horses before reinforcements arrived; three of Anderson's men were killed in the confrontation. In 1908, the ex-guerrillas and former outlaws Jim Cummins and Cole Younger arranged for a funeral service at Anderson's gravesite. ; and Confederate Memorial State Historic Site in Higginsville, Mo. They often used unorthodox tactics to fight Union troops, such as using a small party of horsemen to lure them into an ambush. Then I noticed Bloody Bill Anderson and he has a very small existence in Josey Wales. [139], Union military leaders assigned Lieutenant Colonel Samuel P. Cox to kill Anderson, providing him with a group of experienced soldiers. Bushwhacker activities in Missouri increased as a response to Federal occupation and increasingly brutal attacks and raids by Kansas soldiers, or jayhawkers. One dating device is the guns; they are all germane to the late 1860s and early 1870s at the .