[27], In May 1863, Anderson joined members of Quantrill's Raiders on a foray near Council Grove, Kansas,[27] in which they robbed a store 15 miles (24km) west of the town. Topics and series. The life of a guerrilla was difficult and violent. You may have your own list of heartless maniacal killers. Again, were those 2 pistols found on the horse or were there more as Cox's statement was in the plural. Bloody Bill Anderson got little respect in death. Anderson led a band of volunteer partisan raiders who targeted Union loyalists and federal soldiers in the states of Missouri and Kansas. [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. [38], Although Quantrill had considered the idea of a raid on the pro-Union stronghold that was the town of Lawrence, Kansas before the building collapsed in Kansas City, the deaths convinced the guerrillas to make a bold strike. After Frank and Jesse James joined the Anderson band, they robbed a train of $3,000 and executed 25 Union soldiers on board. Bloody Bill Anderson - Lies and Sensationalism. [13] Anderson had told a neighbor that he sought to fight for financial reasons rather than out of loyalty to the Confederacy. [158] He was later discussed in biographies of Quantrill, which typically cast Anderson as an inveterate murderer. Union leaders branded bushwhackers as outlaws, issuing multiple orders to suppress guerilla activities. 11, but guerrilla activity continued throughout the war in other regions of the state. Residents. [68] The letters were given to Union generals and were not published for 20 years. [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. ; and Confederate Memorial State Historic Site in Higginsville, Mo. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Settlements & Settlers War, US Civil. Anderson ordered them outside the car and lined up in two files. Union leaders branded bushwhackers as outlaws, issuing multiple orders to suppress guerilla activities. Get A Copy Kindle Unlimited $0.00 Amazon Stores Anderson was told to recapture him and gave chase, but he was unable to locate his former commander and stopped at a creek. [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. Erected by Missouri State Parks. [85], In early August, Anderson and his men traveled to Clay County. Anderson was hit by a bullet behind an ear, likely killing him instantly. Note: Click on photos to get larger view. Anderson and his men were in the rear of the charge, but gathered a large amount of plunder from the dead soldiers, irritating some guerrillas from the front line of the charge. The U.S. Government provided a veteran's tombstone for Anderson's grave in 1967. [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. 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 . 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. [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. [154] Most Confederate guerrillas had lost heart by then, owing to a cold winter and the simultaneous failure of General Price's 1864 invasion of Missouri, which ensured the state would remain securely under Union control for the rest of the war. . It was Anderson's greatest victory, surpassing Lawrence and Baxter Springs in brutality and the number of casualties. 3. Bloody Bill Anderson & the Missouri Bushwhackers - YouTube 0:00 / 1:05:58 Bloody Bill Anderson & the Missouri Bushwhackers Wild West Extravaganza 14.8K subscribers 132K views 1 year ago. On the other hand, the use of tactics like arson, robbery and murder seemed beyond the bounds of honorable combat. Anderson was fatally shot twice in the back of the head. [Photo captions, clockwise from top left, read] [120][121] Anderson evaded the pursuit, leading his men into ravines the Union troops would not enter for fear of ambush. Gen. Henry Halleck's General Orders No. [161] James Carlos Blake's novel Wildwood Boys (2000) is a fictional biography of Anderson. In 1857, the family moved to Kansas and William worked for a time . Anderson's horse, saddle & 2 pistols were presented later to a general. William T. "Bloody Bill" Anderson (circa 1838 - October 26, 1864) was a pro-Confederate guerrilla leader in the American Civil War. After the war, several guerrillas, such as Frank and Jesse James, continued their violent behaviors, becoming infamous outlaws. On June 12, 1864, Anderson and 50 of his men engaged 15 members of the Missouri State Militia, killing and robbing 12. Marker is on the Ray County Courthouse grounds. Marshal, but spoke amicably with an acquaintance he found there. Quick Description: An historic cemetery that lies a little northwest from the town square in Richmond, Missouri has new life and a monument to Mormon pioneers; but, it also contains the gravestone of the notorious civil war guerrilla leader "Bloody Bill" Anderson. 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. The Guerrilla Lifestyle Then I noticed Bloody Bill Anderson and he has a very small existence in Josey Wales. 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. 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. [57] Quantrill appointed him a first lieutenant, subordinate only to himself and to Todd. However, he was quickly released owing to a problem with the warrant, and fled to Agnes City, fearing he would be lynched. [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. En route, they entered Baxter Springs, Kansas, the site of Fort Blair. [156] Jim Anderson moved to Sherman, Texas, with his two sisters. [43] Anderson personally killed 14 people. 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. eHistory website entry (Submitted on October 1, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.) William T. Anderson (1840 - Oct. 26, 1864) known as "Bloody Bill" Anderson was one of the deadliest and most brutal pro-Confederate guerrilla leaders in the American Civil War. By 1860 the .44- caliber New Model Army revolver soon rivaled the Navy on which it was based. [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. The Andersons barricaded the door to the basement and set the store on fire, killing Baker and his brother-in-law. Anderson planned to destroy railroad infrastructure in Centralia, Missouri. [63], Anderson and his men rested in Texas for several months before returning to Missouri. Please note that we are about 6-7 months in backorder and the wait is worth it. [114] Anderson's men mutilated the bodies of the dead soldiers and tortured some survivors. Bloody Bill Impostor William C. Anderson 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 with an 84 year old William C. Anderson in his home on Salt Creek. [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. On this day during the Civil War in 1864, the notorious Confederate guerrilla leader William "Bloody Bill" Anderson was shot and killed. They soon arrived at the small town of Centralia and proceeded to loot it, robbing people and searching the town for valuables. [125], Anderson visited Confederate sympathizers as he traveled, some of whom viewed him as a hero for fighting the Union, whom they deeply hated. [115] The attack led to a near-complete halt in rail traffic in the area and a dramatic increase in Union rail security. 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. On July 15, 1864 "Bloody Bill" Anderson returned home. Death 27 Oct 1864 (aged 24-25) Albany, Ray County, Missouri, USA. The Bushwhacker in Missouri. [122] In the aftermath of the massacre, Union soldiers committed several revenge killings of Confederate-sympathizing civilians. Now that statement is a little murky. William "Bloody Bill" Anderson . [129] Anderson presented him with a gift of fine Union pistols, likely captured at Centralia. ; Battle of Lexington State Historic Site in Lexington, Mo. Unexpectedly, his men were able to capture a passenger train, the first time Confederate guerrillas had done so. During the American Civil War, the James family sided with the Confederates, and Frank and Jesse James joined a group of guerrillas, or . Anderson participated in Quantrill's raid on Lawrence, Kansas on August 21, 1863. [113] One Union officer reached Centralia and gave word of the ambush, allowing a few Union soldiers who had remained there to escape. You certainly wouldn't do that aboard a horse. [132], Anderson traveled 70 miles (110km) east with 80 men to New Florence, Missouri. And that is the terrible truth of the story of Bloody Bill Anderson. Not long after her driver left to find help, three rambunctious New Jersey cavalrymen, all white, approached Brooks, demanding her money. In early 1863 he joined Quantrill's Raiders, a group of Confederate guerrillas which operated along the KansasMissouri border. He addressed the prisoners, castigating them for the treatment of guerrillas by Union troops. Community & Conflict website entry (Submitted on October 1, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.) In late 1863, while Quantrill's Raiders spent the winter in Sherman, Texas, animosity developed between Anderson and Quantrill. and also on the Agnes City Census of Kansas in 1850. 17 reviews The first-ever biography of the perpetrator of the Centralia and Baxter Springs Massacres, as well as innumerable atrocities during the Civil War in the West. . [23] They also attacked Union soldiers, killing seven by early 1863. The Union militias sometimes rode slower horses and may have been intimidated by Anderson's reputation. 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. Most fought to protect or revenge their families from what they saw as injustices heaped upon them by the Union army and Union sympathizers. Touch for a list and map of all markers in Richmond. [18], On July 2, 1862, William and Jim Anderson returned to Council Grove and sent an accomplice to Baker's house claiming to be a traveler seeking supplies. He angered Anderson by ordering his forces to withdraw. [102] This was the first capture of a Union passenger train in the war. They also burnt Baker's home and stole two of his horses before returning to Missouri on the Santa Fe Trail. One dating device is the guns; they are all germane to the late 1860s and early 1870s at the . and M.A. [19] Baker and his brother-in-law brought the man to a store, where they were ambushed by the Anderson brothers. 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. 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 rapid rate of fire made the revolver perfect for the quick attacks executed by these men. [150][h] Flowers were placed at his grave, to the chagrin of Union soldiers. There is no evidence to support that assumption. By the time the war started, Missouri's pro-rebel guerrillas were known as . His family had been living in Council Grove, Territory of Kansas, at the start of the war. They chased the men who had attacked them, killing one and mutilating his body. ; and Confederate Memorial State Historic Site in Higginsville, Mo. Add to your list and mine, Bloody Bill Anderson for he was a ruthless, vicious killer. [103], Anderson ordered his men not to harass the women on the train, but the guerrillas robbed all of the men, finding over $9,000 (equivalent to $156,000 in 2021) and taking the soldiers' uniforms. On the other hand, the use of tactics like arson, robbery and murder seemed beyond the bounds of honorable combat. Henry Fuller's interview articles appeared in newspapers and magazines all across the United States. William T. Anderson was one of the most notorious Confederate guerrillas of the Civil War. 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. Again, as I posted earlier, only those that carried the Model 1861 Remington could possibly have availed themselves to this convenience as all the other sidearms took some time to change out the cylinder. The Fate of the Bushwhackers , Confederate leaders were unsure about guerrillas. Eventually, the six-shot revolver became the weapon of choice for the bushwhacker because it was considered better for firing from horseback. An unusual event made a guerrilla out of William Anderson. [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. He retained 84 men and reunited with Anderson. [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. Anderson was fatally shot twice in the back of the head. USA. declared martial law in August 1861, giving Union forces broad powers to suppress those who resisted Union control. The next day, the 4th Missouri Volunteer Cavalry pursued them, but Anderson launched an ambush that killed seven Union soldiers. Clad in Union uniforms, the guerrillas generated little suspicion as they approached the town,[92] even though it had received warning of nearby guerrillas. 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. [1] There he robbed travelers and killed several Union soldiers. [44] They proceeded to pillage and burn many buildings, killing almost every man they found, but taking care not to shoot women. [157], After the war, information about Anderson initially spread through memoirs of Civil War combatants and works by amateur historians. Some local citizens suspected the Anderson family was assisting Griffith and traveled to their house to confront the elder William Anderson. 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. 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. Concluding that eliminating the bushw[h]acker's support network would. [58], A short time later, one of Anderson's men was accused of stealing from one of Quantrill's men. The argument is not that some of the members carried multiple sidearms but certainly not every member did. 2. 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. As armies march across America from 1861 to 1865, other combatants shot soldiers from ambush and terrorized civilians of opposing loyalties in a fierce guerrilla war. Their families and other local Confederate sympathizers supplied them with shelter, food, medical care and tactical information about Union activities. [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. I do not claim to be an expert on guerrilla warfare in Missouri but am a student of the war in general. [153], Archie Clement led the guerrillas after Anderson's death, but the group splintered by mid-November. Bushwhackers and Jayhawkers. On August 30, Anderson and his men attacked a steamboat on the Missouri River, killing the captain and gaining control of the boat. Bloody Bill Anderson - Etsy Check out our bloody bill anderson selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops. Bill and Jim Anderson soon after this drifted off to the Sni Hills, in Missouri, where they had relatives. After the robbery, the group was intercepted by a United States Marshal accompanied by a large posse,[28] about 150 miles (240km) from the KansasMissouri border. Anderson was fatally shot twice in the back of the head. Quantrill and other guerrillas nonetheless sought and sometimes received formal Confederate commissions as partisan rangers. Quantrill disliked the idea because the town was fortified, but Anderson and Todd prevailed. The Missouri act was an offshoot of the Confederate Partisan Ranger Act instituted by Confederate President Jefferson Davis in April 1862. Raised by a family of Southerners in Kansas, Anderson began to support himself by stealing and selling horses in 1862. [98] They found a large supply of whiskey and all began drinking. [131] Price instructed Anderson to travel to the Missouri railroad and disrupt rail traffic,[129] making Anderson a de facto Confederate captain. (, Although Wood states that Baker's group sought to join the Confederate army, Castel and Goodrich write that the group planned to conduct ", In his 2003 history of Civil War Missouri, Bruce Nichols stated that Reed led the gang until mid-July 1863. As a general rule, bushwhackers would attack quickly and withdraw if.
