From July 1861 until the end of the war, the state suffered up to 25,000 deaths from guerrilla warfare, more than any other state. [84] The guerrillas quickly forced the attackers to flee, and Anderson shot and injured one woman as she fled the house. He was the son of a hatter who an enthusiastic pro-slavery man would often abandon his family for long periods to go gold prospecting. By the time the war started, Missouri's pro-rebel guerrillas were known as . They murdered my family when I was a schoolboy and I was launched into a life of shooting, reprisals and rough-riding." [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. Finally Speaking Up: Sexual Assault in the Civil War Era 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 . Bloody Bill Anderson - Prisoners Of Eternity [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. [54] During the winter, Anderson married Bush Smith, a woman from Sherman, Texas. Copyright20062023,Somerightsreserved. 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. CPT William T. "Bloody Bill" Anderson - Find a Grave [75] Many militia members had been conscripted and lacked the guerrillas' boldness and resolve. [97], On the morning of September 27, 1864, Anderson left his camp with about 75 men to scout for Union forces. Details on John (b. Confederate leaders were unsure about guerrillas. Around the same time, William T. Anderson fatally shot a member of the Kaw tribe outside Council Grove; he claimed that the man had tried to rob him. He was quite fast with a pair of Colt Dragoons, but he killed Wilson Anderson with a shotgun loaded with birdshot. [139], Union military leaders assigned Lieutenant Colonel Samuel P. Cox to kill Anderson, providing him with a group of experienced soldiers. In late 1863, while Quantrill's Raiders spent the winter in Sherman, Texas, animosity developed between Anderson and Quantrill. [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. Bloody Bill Anderson Name bad men in history, Caligula - Hitler - Charles Manson, more? Longley's Bloody Bill Anderson Mystery Group on July 13, 2009: " Francis M Richardson was a carpenter as shown in the 1860 Grayson County Texas Census. He concluded the letters by describing himself as the commander of "Kansas First Guerrillas" and requesting that local newspapers publish his replies. Usually a wife, sister, mother or sweetheart used ribbons, shells and needlework to create the ellaborately [sic] decorated shirts. Bloody Bill Anderson - Etsy Check out our bloody bill anderson selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops. The Bushwhacker in Missouri Historical Marker Quantrill's Guerillas and William Anderson "Bloody Bill" 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. The guerrillas were only able to shoot the Union horses before reinforcements arrived; three of Anderson's men were killed in the confrontation. It was Anderson's greatest victory, surpassing Lawrence and Baxter Springs in brutality and the number of casualties. Anderson was told to recapture him and gave chase, but he was unable to locate his former commander and stopped at a creek. Serving in the US Marine Corps in WW II, he earned a battlefield commission and decorations for valor at Guadalcanal. Many of Anderson's men also despised the Union, and he was adept at tapping into this emotion. [87] Although they forced the Union soldiers to flee, Anderson and Jesse James were injured in the encounter and the guerrillas retired to Boone County to rest. Bushwhacker activities in Missouri increased as a response to Federal occupation and increasingly brutal attacks and raids by Kansas soldiers, or jayhawkers. On the other hand, the use of tactics like arson, robbery and murder seemed beyond the bounds of honorable combat. Anderson and Todd launched an unsuccessful attack against the fort, leading charge after futile charge without injury. . 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. Maupin, pictured above. Union troops used horses to drag Anderson's body through the streets around the Ray County Courthouse. [24] Confederate General Sterling Price failed to gain control of Missouri in his 1861 offensive and retreated into Arkansas, leaving only partisan rangers and local guerrillas known as "bushwhackers" to challenge Union dominance. The Gun manufacturers did not provide extra cylinders for each firearm sold. [130] Price was disgusted that Anderson used scalps to decorate his horse, and would not speak with him until he removed them. Bloody Bill Anderson - Lies and Sensationalism - QUANTRILLSGUERRILLAS.COM Bill Anderson | Ray County Museum Their families and other local Confederate sympathizers supplied them with shelter, food, medical care and tactical information about Union activities. [139][140] Anderson killed several other Union loyalists and some of his men returned to the wealthy resident's house to rape more of his female servants. The U.S. Government provided a veteran's tombstone for Anderson's grave in 1967. . Other nearby markers. Burial. Browning James A. Fucking legend. 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. [2] His siblings were Jim, Ellis, Mary Ellen, Josephine and Janie. The .500 Bushwhacker is the biggest, baddest handgun cartridge in the world right now. ; Battle of Lexington State Historic Site in Lexington, Mo. Anderson led a band of volunteer partisan raiders who targeted Union loyalists and federal soldiers in the states of Missouri and Kansas. On October 26, 1864, the notorious Confederate guerrilla leader William "Bloody Bill" Anderson is killed in Missouri in a Union ambush. Anderson, William "Bloody Bill" | Civil War on the Western Border: The William "Bloody Bill" Anderson | American Experience | PBS Assuming, of course, that you're brave enough to get within handgun range of those animals. Death 27 Oct 1864 (aged 24-25) Albany, Ray County, Missouri, USA. III. 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. I will have to go through my library to see what I can find. Their move to Kansas was likely for economic rather than political reasons. "An unusual event made a guerrilla out of William Anderson. These acts were interpreted as tyranny and compelled many Missouri men to become bushwhackers. [62][g] Quantrill was taken into custody but soon escaped. Bushwhacker activities in Missouri increased as a response to Federal occupation and increasingly brutal attacks and raids by Kansas soldiers, or jayhawkers. Born in the late 1830s, [65], On July 6, a Confederate sympathizer brought Anderson newspapers containing articles about him. In 1857, the family moved to Kansas and William worked for a time . 3916.725N, 9358.603W. Marker is in Richmond, Missouri, in Ray County. 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. He was killed in a Union ambush near Richmond, MO. The Guerrilla Lifestyle , The life of a guerrilla was difficult and violent. He retained 84 men and reunited with Anderson. The rapid rate of fire made the revolver perfect for the quick attacks executed by these men. Anderson was hit by a bullet behind an ear, likely killing him instantly. This would effectively put Bloody Bill on the list of about 450 confederate guerrillas who rode into Lawrence on that fateful day. A stagecoach soon arrived, and Anderson's men robbed the passengers, including Congressman James S. Rollins and a plainclothes sheriff. Touch for a list and map of all markers in Richmond. One of the leading authorities on the Civil War in the western theater, Albert Edward Castel earned his B.A. [41], Arriving in Lawrence on August 21, the guerrillas immediately killed a number of Union Army recruits and one of Anderson's men took their flag. [125], Anderson visited Confederate sympathizers as he traveled, some of whom viewed him as a hero for fighting the Union, whom they deeply hated. [77][78] His fearsome reputation gave a fillip to his recruiting efforts. He thought the cashier was an informant. The Texas Gun Collector article suggested the family had indicated John Shanton owned a farm in Missouri where Frank and Jesse James would hide out. Union troops set his body up for public viewing and photos at the Richmond, Missouri courthouse. The decree exiled about 10,000 people in Jackson, Cass, Bates and northern Vernon counties in Missouri. [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. [99][100] As the guerrillas robbed the stagecoach passengers, a train arrived. 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. [150][h] Flowers were placed at his grave, to the chagrin of Union soldiers. [12] In late 1861, Anderson traveled south with Jim and Judge Baker in an apparent attempt to join the Confederate Army. Anderson's bushwhacking marked him as a dangerous man and eventually led the Union to imprison his sisters. 10 of the Most Heinous Forgotten War Crimes of the American Civil War 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." An unusual event made a guerrilla out of William Anderson. 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. Casey, you have me at a slight disadvantage at the moment in that I have to rely on my memory from what I have read. 1. The True Story of Bush Smith, The Sweetheart of Bloody Bill Anderson. When as many as 10 men come together for this purpose they may organize by electing a captain, 1 sergeant, 1 corporal, and will at once commence operation against the enemy without waiting for special instructions. The guerrillas then attacked Allen, Missouri. The Dalton gang, cousins of the Younger brothers and imitators of the James gang, met their end at a bloody dual bank robbery in this Kansas town. [91], Anderson met Todd and Quantrill on September 24, 1864; although they had clashed in the past, they agreed to work together again. It is possible that Jim Anderson might have married Bloody Bill's widow IF the 22 August 1866 marriage of J. M. Anderson and Malinda Anderson was the marriage of James Madison Anderson and Malinda Bush Smith. He protested the execution of guerrillas and their sympathizers, and threatened to attack Lexington, Missouri. And a lot of the Cavalry didn't have sidearms early in the war. Henry Fuller's interview articles appeared in newspapers and magazines all across the United States. He was buried in a nearby fieldafter a soldier cut off one of his fingers to steal a ring. Bloody Bill Anderson - Lies and Sensationalism. His gun changed a few times, semi, handgun, revolver . The U.S. Government provided a veteran's tombstone for Anderson's grave in 1967. Clad in Union uniforms, the guerrillas generated little suspicion as they approached the town,[92] even though it had received warning of nearby guerrillas. [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. Touch for map. [55] Anderson ignored Quantrill's request to wait until after the war and a dispute erupted, which resulted in Anderson separating his men from Quantrill's band. 11. Raised by a family of Southerners in Kansas, Anderson began to support himself by stealing and selling horses in 1862. Usually a wife, sister, mother or sweetheart used ribbons, shells and needlework to create the ellaborately [sic] decorated shirts. These companies will be governed in all respects by the same regulations as other troops. The Brownwood Bloody Bill Myth. The Myth that Bloody Bill Anderson had [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. Anderson led a band that targeted Union loyalists and Federal soldiers in Missouri and Kansas. After the attack, one of Anderson's guerrillas scalped a dead militiaman. 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. The film follows a group of people trying to survive while stranded in Sunset Valley, a desert ghost town inhabited by the murderous spirit of Confederate war criminal, William T. Anderson and his horde of zombies. The Missouri Partisan Ranger Act This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Settlements & Settlers War, US Civil. [76] Anderson was selective, turning away all but the fiercest applicants, as he sought fighters similar to himself. . [11] He joined the freight shipping operation for which his father worked and was given a position known as "second boss" for a wagon trip to New Mexico. He addressed the prisoners, castigating them for the treatment of guerrillas by Union troops. Soon after Anderson left Glasgow, a local woman saw him and told Cox of his presence. CPT William T. "Bloody Bill" Anderson Famous memorial Birth 1839. 100, in April 1863, set a national policy, outlining guerrillas and their treatment. [105] Anderson gave the civilian hostages permission to leave but warned them not to put out fires or move bodies. The Death of William Anderson 11, an evacuation order that evicted almost 20,000 people from four counties in rural western Missouri and burned many of their homes. They chased the men who had attacked them, killing one and mutilating his body. ; and Confederate Memorial State Historic Site in Higginsville, Mo. Violence dropped in the area affected by Order No. So they couldn't have obtained many from the Infantry. [113] One Union officer reached Centralia and gave word of the ambush, allowing a few Union soldiers who had remained there to escape. Unexpectedly, his men were able to capture a passenger train, the first time Confederate guerrillas had done so. William Quantrill and William "Bloody Bill" Anderson are well-known bushwhacker leaders in Missouri. . [143] The victory made a hero of Cox and led to his promotion. Anderson, William | Community and Conflict Photo Archive - Ozarks Civil War An unusual event made a guerrilla out of William Anderson. Your choice of white or . These "guerrilla shirts" were pullovers with a deep v-neckline and four large pockets. [158] He was later discussed in biographies of Quantrill, which typically cast Anderson as an inveterate murderer. [Photo captions, clockwise from top left, read] , . 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. In addition, it is included in the Missouri - A State Divided: The Civil War in Missouri series list. . World War Memorial (here, next to this marker); World War II and Korean War Memorial (a few steps from this marker); Vietnam War Memorial (a few steps from this marker); Richmond (within shouting distance of this marker); Pvt. It is in Richmond in Ray County Missouri, "The war brought on hate and strife and killing around here. After hearing their accusations against his sons, he was incensedhe found Baker's involvement particularly infuriating. Anderson and his companion "took a negro girl of 12 or 13 years old into . Although Union supporters viewed him as incorrigibly evil, Confederate supporters in Missouri saw his actions as justifiable. Bloody Bill Anderson "Bill Anderson!" William Clarke Quantrill commands. The Terrible Tale of Bloody Bill Anderson: Rebellion and Revenge on the Cole Younger, 1913, The Federal command in St. Louis, Mo. The muzzle-loaders required no special ammunition or training and were effective out to about seventy-five or one hundred yards. They also burnt Baker's home and stole two of his horses before returning to Missouri on the Santa Fe Trail. ), Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History, Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., September 17, 2020. [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. Anderson planned to destroy railroad infrastructure in Centralia, Missouri. General Orders No. A lack of Confederate military presence in Missouri led Southern sympathizers to form guerrilla groups to harass Union soldiers and pro-Union citizens. [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. They were still suffering from the wounds inflicted by Jayhawkers in their attempt to murder them while being held as prisoners during the summer of 1863. [148] Union soldiers buried Anderson's body in a field near Richmond in a fairly well-built coffin. Although he learned that Union General Egbert B. After a building collapse in the makeshift jail in Kansas City, Missouri, left one of them dead in custody and the other permanently maimed, Anderson devoted himself to revenge. He angered Anderson by ordering his forces to withdraw. Death Valley: The Revenge of Bloody Bill - Wikipedia [144] Four other guerrillas were killed in the attack. [136][137] Anderson indicated that he was particularly angry that the man had freed his slaves, then trampled him with a specially trained horse. Anderson was known for his brutality towards Union soldiers, and pro Union partisans, who were called Jayhawkers. There are other examples as well, such as . They attacked the fort on October 6, but the 90 Union troops there quickly took refuge inside, suffering minimal losses. A State Divided: The Civil War in Missouri. He worked with his brother Jim, their friend Lee Griffith and several accomplices strung along the Santa Fe Trail. [107] The guerrillas set the passenger train on fire and derailed an approaching freight train. William Anderson was initially given a chilly reception from other raiders, who perceived him to be brash and overconfident. In June and July, Anderson took part in several raids that killed Union soldiers, in Westport, Kansas City and Lafayette County, Missouri. The Union troops took his body to Richmond, Mo. [89] In mid-September, Union soldiers ambushed two of Anderson's parties traveling through Howard County, killing five men in one day. Powered by Tetra-WebBBS 6.21 / TetraBB PRO 0.30 2006-2012 tetrabb.com. Please note that we are about 6-7 months in backorder and the wait is worth it. They used it to attack other boats, bringing river traffic to a virtual halt. His family had been living in Council Grove, Territory of Kansas at the . Wood speculates that it was "Thomas", his grandfather's name. [106] Although he was alerted to the congressman's presence in the town, he opted not to search for him. Richeson, Richerson, Richardson originally from Taylor County, Kentucky. Life of a Guerrilla in Missouri | The Civil War in Missouri If they were caught, Federals considered them criminals not prisoners of war. If they were Bill's, he would have had 7 pistols on his person which to me is a little hard to believe. [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. [23] They also attacked Union soldiers, killing seven by early 1863. . 2. The True Account of William "Bloody Bill" Anderson Quantrill and other guerrillas nonetheless sought and sometimes received formal Confederate commissions as partisan rangers. It could be interpreted that the bugler picked up a total of 6 pistols that belonged, possibly to the other men that fell 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. Quantrill and other guerrillas nonetheless sought and sometimes received formal Confederate commissions as partisan rangers. Bloody Bill was born in either 1838 or 1839 and moved to Kansas in the late 1850s. I have also read it was several Cavalry troopers, but that is another story. He then ordered and conducted the massacre soldiers. All such organizations will be reported to their headquarters as soon as practicable. The order was intended to undermine the guerrillas' support network in Missouri. Pioneer Cemetery. Anderson was fatally shot twice in the back of the head. Bloody Bill Anderson Also included in the list was Cole Younger, whose father was killed by the Kansans, and his mother made homeless after watching their house burn to the ground. [14] However, the group was attacked by the Union's 6th Regiment Kansas Volunteer Cavalry in Vernon County, Missouri;[e] the cavalry likely assumed they were Confederate guerrillas. Quantrill expelled him and warned him not to come back, and the man was fatally shot by some of Quantrill's men when he attempted to return. Clifton Hicks - Ballad of Bloody Bill Anderson by Alvin - YouTube Cox stated that he went out & took one of Anderson's pistols along with money & a gold watch. 1840-1864. 2, in March 1862, allowed Union troops in Missouri to hang guerillas as robbers and murder[er]s. Future orders followed the same tone. Anderson's horse, saddle & 2 pistols were presented later to a general. William T. Anderson - Wikipedia [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. (, At the time, some U.S. states allowed slavery, primarily those in the south, and some explicitly forbade it, primarily those in the north; whether newly created states would be "slave states" was a contentious and hotly debated issue. The Man Who Killed Quantrill Missouri Life Magazine Confederate States Army. [19] Baker and his brother-in-law brought the man to a store, where they were ambushed by the Anderson brothers. 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. By August 1864, they were regularly scalping the men they killed. . Jesse James and his brother Frank were among the Missourians who joined Anderson; both of them later became notorious outlaws. John Russell - IMDb Anderson and his men dressed as Union soldiers, wearing uniforms taken from those they killed. [119], Anderson left the Centralia area on September 27, pursued for the first time by Union forces equipped with artillery. Relatives of William T. Anderson , known as "Bloody Bill". This action angered his men, who saw themselves as the protectors of women, but Anderson dismissed their concerns, saying such things were inevitable. Jesse James. declared martial law in August 1861, giving Union forces broad powers to suppress those who resisted Union control. However, his gun of choice was said to be the Dance .44 caliber cap and ball revolver. The act sanctioned guerrilla activities against the Union army while attempting to gain some measure of control over the guerrillas. The guerrillas heard that the cavalry was approaching,[110] and Anderson sent a party to set an ambush. For the American Revolutionary War loyalist, see, Anderson's middle name is unknown. Born in Randolph County, Missouri in 1839, William T. Anderson would, by his death on October 26, 1864, be known and feared throughout the Unionas "Bloody Bill" Anderson, a barbaric, pro-Confederateguerilla leader in the American Civil War. His dark good looks brought him to the attention . Anderson's prodigious talents for bloodshed were such that, by the end of his life in 1864, he'd left a trail of destruction across three states which took just two years to blaze. He commanded 3040 men, one of whom was Archie Clement, an 18-year-old with a predilection for torture and mutilation who was loyal only to Anderson. [60] Sutherland described Anderson's betrayal of Quantrill as a "Judas" turn. Some bands of guerrillas, like William Quantrill's, had 400 or more members, but most were much smaller. By 1860 the .44- caliber New Model Army revolver soon rivaled the Navy on which it was based. Smaller bands avoided fights with larger detachments of Union soldiers, preferring to ambush stragglers or loot Union supporters and their property. [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. 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. Forces of Change and the Enduring Ozark Frontier: The Civil War. As Quantrill and Todd became less active, "Bloody Bill" Anderson emerged as the best-known, and most feared, Confederate guerrilla in Missouri. They opposed the Union army in Missouri for a variety of reasons.