[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. [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. Serving in the US Marine Corps in WW II, he earned a battlefield commission and decorations for valor at Guadalcanal. They relied on knowledge of the local terrain for survival. The defeat resulted in the deaths of five guerrillas but only two Union soldiers, further maddening Anderson. James Jay Carafano. On the western Missouri border, especially, much of the hardships experienced by these families could be traced to the violence of the 1850s Kansas Missouri Border War. It was Anderson's greatest victory, surpassing Lawrence and Baxter Springs in brutality and the number of casualties. I. [42] The Provost Marshal of Kansas, a Union captain who commanded military police, surrendered to the guerrillas and Anderson took his uniform[43] (guerrillas often wore uniforms stolen from Union soldiers). [44] They proceeded to pillage and burn many buildings, killing almost every man they found, but taking care not to shoot women. Pioneer Cemetery Richmond, Missouri - Waymarking On August 30, Anderson and his men attacked a steamboat on the Missouri River, killing the captain and gaining control of the boat. Although some men begged him to spare them, he persisted, only relenting when a woman pleaded with him not to torch her house. [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. , Cole Younger, 1913. [15] The Anderson brothers escaped, but Baker was captured and spent four months in prison before returning to Kansas, professing loyalty to the Union. On July 17, 1862, Confederate Gen. Thomas Hindman issued the Missouri Partisan Ranger Act. A lack of Confederate military presence in Missouri led Southern sympathizers to form guerrilla groups to harass Union soldiers and pro-Union citizens. The residents of Lawrence, Kansas, would never forget what happened on August 21, 1863, if indeed they were lucky enough to survive. Quantrill disliked the idea because the town was fortified, but Anderson and Todd prevailed. [54] During the winter, Anderson married Bush Smith, a woman from Sherman, Texas. Anderson was fatally shot twice in the back of the head. 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. [106] Although he was alerted to the congressman's presence in the town, he opted not to search for him. As he entered the building he was restrained by a constable and fatally shot by Baker. 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 Tactical Genius of Bloody Bill Anderson by Sean McLachlan 2/13/2018 His ruthless nature earned his moniker and obscured a flair for strategy. Although Union supporters viewed him as incorrigibly evil, Confederate supporters in Missouri saw his actions as justifiable. After selecting a sergeant for a potential prisoner swap, Anderson's men shot the rest. 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. Reid draws a parallel between the bashi-bazouks of the Ottoman Army and Anderson's guerrillas, arguing that they behaved similarly.[168]. William "Bloody Bill" Anderson . They soon arrived at the small town of Centralia and proceeded to loot it, robbing people and searching the town for valuables. [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. [113] One Union officer reached Centralia and gave word of the ambush, allowing a few Union soldiers who had remained there to escape. [75] Many militia members had been conscripted and lacked the guerrillas' boldness and resolve. Although he learned that Union General Egbert B. declared martial law in August 1861, giving Union forces broad powers to suppress those who resisted Union control. [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 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. Then I noticed Bloody Bill Anderson and he has a very small existence in Josey Wales. The Brownwood Bloody Bill Myth. The Myth that Bloody Bill Anderson had Touch for a list and map of all markers in Richmond. They found the guerrillas' horses decorated with the scalps of Union soldiers. "Bloody Bill" Anderson killed - HISTORY [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. Notorious Confederate bushwhacker Bloody Bill Anderson Three bushwackers; Arch Clements, Dave Pool, and Bill Hendricks. On this day during the Civil War in 1864, the notorious Confederate guerrilla leader William "Bloody Bill" Anderson was shot and killed. Anderson was upset by the critical tone of the coverage and sent letters to the publications. 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. He took a leading role in the Lawrence Massacre and later took part in the Battle of Baxter Springs, both in 1863. The guerrillas blocked the railroad, forcing the train to stop. [126] The Union soldier held captive at Centralia was impressed with the control Anderson exercised over his men. These "guerrilla shirts" were pullovers with a deep v-neckline and four large pockets. [132], Anderson traveled 70 miles (110km) east with 80 men to New Florence, Missouri. [85], In early August, Anderson and his men traveled to Clay County. Willaim "Bloody Bill" Anderson's Grave - Richmond, MO - Roadside William and Jim Anderson then traveled southwest of Kansas City, robbing travelers to support themselves. The Death of William Anderson , On Oct. 27, 1864, about 300 men of the Enrolled Missouri Militia, led by Union Lt. Col. Samuel P. Cox, ambushed Anderson and his guerrilla force in Ray County's Albany, Mo. Anderson was fatally shot twice in the back of the head. Raised by a family of Southerners in Kansas, Anderson began to support himself by stealing and selling horses in 1862. [73], In June 1864, George M. Todd usurped Quantrill's leadership of their group and forced him to leave the area. Unexpectedly, his men were able to capture a passenger train, the first time Confederate guerrillas had done so. So . [98] They found a large supply of whiskey and all began drinking. After a former friend and secessionist turned Union loyalist judge killed his father, Anderson killed the judge and fled to Missouri. 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. 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.". This Day In History: Bloody Bill Anderson Is Killed In Missouri (1864) In addition, it is included in the Missouri - A State Divided: The Civil War in Missouri series list. Union troops used horses to drag Anderson's body through the streets around the Ray County Courthouse. Most fought to protect or revenge their families from what they saw as injustices heaped upon them by the Union army and Union sympathizers. William Quantrill and William "Bloody Bill" Anderson are well-known bushwhacker leaders in Missouri. [25] Quantrill was at the time the most prominent guerrilla leader in the KansasMissouri area. However, most were hunted down and killed. They often used unorthodox tactics to fight Union troops, such as using a small party of horsemen to lure them into an ambush. Todd rested his men in July to allow them to prepare for a Confederate invasion of Missouri. Gen. Henry Halleck's General Orders No. [23] They also attacked Union soldiers, killing seven by early 1863. [129] Anderson presented him with a gift of fine Union pistols, likely captured at Centralia. The two were prominent Unionists and hid their identities from the guerrillas. USA. After Bill Anderson's death in Richmond, Missouri on October 27, 1864 his brother Jim Anderson gathered together their surviving sisters, Mollie and Mattie and took them to Sherman, Texas. [152] In 1967, a memorial stone was placed at the grave. In July of 1864 Anderson moved his operations to Carroll and Randolph Counties. 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. Your choice of white or . 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. [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. 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. My 1888 Luscomb #b. 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. The Union troops took his body to Richmond, Mo. Bushwhacker - Wikipedia 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. After hearing of the engagement, General Fisk commanded a colonel to lead a party with the sole aim of killing Anderson. He visited the house of a well-known Union sympathizer, the wealthiest resident of the town, brutally beat him, and raped his 12- or 13-year-old black servant. One of the leading authorities on the Civil War in the western theater, Albert Edward Castel earned his B.A. Violence Was No Stranger (1993). Add to your list and mine, Bloody Bill Anderson for he was a ruthless, vicious killer. On October 26, 1864, the notorious Confederate guerrilla leader William "Bloody Bill" Anderson is killed in Missouri in a Union ambush. His family had been living in Council Grove, Territory of Kansas, at the start of the war. 100, in April 1863, set a national policy, outlining guerrillas and their treatment. Often group sizes fluctuated as they came together for larger raids and then broke apart after the raid. By 1860 the .44- caliber New Model Army revolver soon rivaled the Navy on which it was based. A Note on Sources Anderson suggested that they attack Fayette, Missouri, targeting the 9th Missouri Cavalry, which was based at the town. 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. Outlaw Jesse James Attributed Smith & Wesson Schofield & Holster [88] On August 27, Union soldiers killed at least three of Anderson's men in an engagement near Rocheport. [114] Anderson's men mutilated the bodies of the dead soldiers and tortured some survivors. [99][100] As the guerrillas robbed the stagecoach passengers, a train arrived. Their move to Kansas was likely for economic rather than political reasons. Union leaders branded bushwhackers as outlaws, issuing multiple orders to suppress guerilla activities. Powered by Tetra-WebBBS 6.21 / TetraBB PRO 0.30 2006-2012 tetrabb.com. Bloody Bill - True West Magazine Anderson and Todd launched an unsuccessful attack against the fort, leading charge after futile charge without injury. As Quantrill and Todd became less active, "Bloody Bill" Anderson emerged as the best-known, and most feared, Confederate guerrilla in Missouri. Death Valley: The Revenge of Bloody Bill (2004) - IMDb For the American Revolutionary War loyalist, see, Anderson's middle name is unknown. Fucking legend. Bloody Bill Anderson - Etsy Bloody Bill Anderson "Bill Anderson!" William Clarke Quantrill commands. In 1857, the family moved to Kansas and William worked for a time . Bloody Bill dead. 0:02. [71] Anderson killed one hotel guest whom he suspected was a U.S. Anderson was described as "nearly six feet tall, of rather swarthy complexion and had long, black hair, inclined to curl. Bloody Bill Anderson was a character played by John Russell in the 1976 film 'The Outlaw Josey Wales' directed by Clint Eastwood. . Unraveling Myth of 'Bloody Bill' - RealClearHistory In June and July, Anderson took part in several raids that killed Union soldiers, in Westport, Kansas City and Lafayette County, Missouri. [68] The letters were given to Union generals and were not published for 20 years. They attacked the fort on October 6, but the 90 Union troops there quickly took refuge inside, suffering minimal losses. Raised by a family of Southerners in Kansas, Anderson began to support himself by stealing and selling horses in 1862. William T. "Bloody Bill" Anderson (circa 1838 - October 26, 1864) was a pro-Confederate guerrilla leader in the American Civil War. Bloody Bill was born in either 1838 or 1839 and moved to Kansas in the late 1850s. On October 2, a group of 450 guerrillas under Quantrill's leadership met at Blackwater River in Jackson County and left for Texas. Pin on Leather museum - Pinterest [135] After Confederate forces under General Joseph O. Shelby conquered Glasgow, Anderson traveled to the city to loot. One way he sought to prove that loyalty was by severing his ties with Anderson's sister Mary, his former lover. [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. 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. 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. [151] In 1908, Cole Younger, a former guerrilla who served under Quantrill, reburied Anderson's body in the Old Pioneer Cemetery in Richmond, Missouri. 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. [150][h] Flowers were placed at his grave, to the chagrin of Union soldiers. Its frame and grip initially matched the Navy in size, but Colt later lengthened the grip to absorb. Maupin, pictured above. Anderson, William "Bloody Bill" | Civil War on the Western Border: The [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. [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. [161] James Carlos Blake's novel Wildwood Boys (2000) is a fictional biography of Anderson. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Settlements & Settlers War, US Civil. The Wild West Extravaganza on Stitcher 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. He addressed the prisoners, castigating them for the treatment of guerrillas by Union troops. At the end of P.R. [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. several of Anderson's men were cut down immediately & Anderson & 2 more continued but just a short distance when they were cut down. Gen. John McNeil, the "Butcher of Palmyra." [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. 150 YEARS AGO: Sisters of 'Bloody Bill' Anderson caught in fatal 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. [70] On July 15, Anderson and his men entered Huntsville, Missouri and occupied the town's business district. Anderson's horse, saddle & 2 pistols were presented later to a general. The cashier pulled a gun on him and James killed him in self-defence. I do not claim to be an expert on guerrilla warfare in Missouri but am a student of the war in general. They buried him in an unmarked grave in Richmond's Pioneer Cemetery. Bloody Bill Anderson - Etsy Check out our bloody bill anderson selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops. Bloody Bill Anderson | Brushy Bill - Billy The Kid Message Board Touch for map. [13] Anderson had told a neighbor that he sought to fight for financial reasons rather than out of loyalty to the Confederacy. 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. Anderson, perhaps falsely, implicated Quantrill in a murder, leading to the latter's arrest by Confederate authorities. [12] In late 1861, Anderson traveled south with Jim and Judge Baker in an apparent attempt to join the Confederate Army. He was killed in a Union ambush near Richmond, MO. He concluded the letters by describing himself as the commander of "Kansas First Guerrillas" and requesting that local newspapers publish his replies. 2, in March 1862, allowed Union troops in Missouri to hang guerillas as robbers and murder[er]s. Future orders followed the same tone. They murdered my family when I was a schoolboy and I was launched into a life of shooting, reprisals and rough-riding." [155] As the Confederacy collapsed, most of Anderson's men joined Quantrill's forces or traveled to Texas. They had hoped to attack a train, but its conductor learned of their presence and turned back before reaching the town. ; and Confederate Memorial State Historic Site in Higginsville, Mo. 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. Banjo Heritage https://patreon.com/CliftonHicksI learned the words to "Bloody Bill Anderson" from a recording of Alvin Youngblood Hart. William T. "Bloody Bill" Anderson was a southern sympathizing bushwhacker born in Missouri and raised in Kansas. [144] Four other guerrillas were killed in the attack. Stories about Anderson's brutality during the War were legion. (. It is in Richmond in Ray County Missouri, "The war brought on hate and strife and killing around here. Anderson led a band of volunteer partisan raiders who targeted Union loyalists and federal soldiers in the states of Missouri and Kansas. Usually a wife, sister, mother or sweetheart used ribbons, shells and needlework to create the ellaborately [sic] decorated shirts. Local citizens demanded possession of the corpse. 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. Jesse James and his brother Frank were among the Missourians who joined Anderson; both of them later became notorious outlaws. Date Posted: 8/12/2009 1:51:23 PM. A low-level conflict had already been raging in the Missouri-Kansas borderlands in the years preceding the outbreak of the Civil War. 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. Some, like the veterans attending the bushwacker reunions under Quantrill's vacant gaze, managed to adjust to post-war life. [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. After Frank and Jesse James joined the Anderson band, they robbed a train of $3,000 and executed 25 Union soldiers on board. 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. 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. [23], Missouri had a large Union presence throughout the Civil War, but was also inhabited by many civilians whose sympathies lay with the Confederacy. [101] Anderson's men quickly took control of the train, which included 23 off-duty, unarmed Union soldiers as passengers. from Wichita State University and his Ph.D. in History and Political Science from the University of Chicago. Bloody Bill Anderson - Lies and Sensationalism. "The war brought on hate and strife and killing around here. Bill and Jim Anderson soon after this drifted off to the Sni Hills, in Missouri, where they had relatives. Anderson led a band of volunteer partisan raiders who targeted Union loyalists and federal soldiers in the states of Missouri and Kansas. He favored swift execution of captured guerrillas. Bloody Bill Anderson - Prisoners Of Eternity The Tactical Genius of Bloody Bill Anderson - HistoryNet After the attack, one of Anderson's guerrillas scalped a dead militiaman. [139], Union military leaders assigned Lieutenant Colonel Samuel P. Cox to kill Anderson, providing him with a group of experienced soldiers. [10], In the late 1850s, Ellis Anderson fled to Iowa after killing a native American. 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. [20], William and Jim Anderson soon formed a gang with a man named Bill Reed; in February 1863, the Lexington Weekly Union recorded that Reed was the leader of the gang. Union troops used horses to drag Anderson's body through the streets around the Ray County Courthouse. [Map inset] Nearby Civil War attractions include Pioneer Cemetery and Ray County Museum in Richmond, Mo. 27 Strange And Interesting Facts About William Quantrill [115] The attack led to a near-complete halt in rail traffic in the area and a dramatic increase in Union rail security. [66][67] In the letters, Anderson took an arrogant and threatening yet playful tone, boasting of his attacks. [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. All such organizations will be reported to their headquarters as soon as practicable. [50], They departed earlier in the year than they had planned, owing to increased Union pressure. Bloody Bill was played by John Russell who played Marshall Stockburn in Pale Rider. A wide-brimmed slouch hat was the headgear of choice. [64] The next day, in southeast Jackson County, Anderson's group ambushed a wagon train carrying members of the Union 1st Northeast Missouri Cavalry, killing nine. [50] Shortly after the initial assault, a larger group of Union troops approached Fort Blair, unaware the fort had been attacked and that the men they saw outside the fort dressed in Union uniforms were actually disguised guerrillas. [145], Union soldiers identified Anderson by a letter found in his pocket and paraded his body through the streets of Richmond, Missouri. [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. Other nearby markers. [58], A short time later, one of Anderson's men was accused of stealing from one of Quantrill's men. This historical marker was erected by Missouri State Parks. Fueling this conflict was a dispute over whether Kansas should be a slave-holding state or not. 4. [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. Bloody Bill Anderson: The Short, Savage Life of a Civil [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. There is no evidence to support that assumption. One dating device is the guns; they are all germane to the late 1860s and early 1870s at the . By the time he turned 21 he was accompanying wagon trains on the Santa Fe Trail, selling stolen horses. They later fought under "Bloody Bill" Anderson . Depending on which side you asked, these bushwhackers were either heroes or criminals. The guerrillas gathered at the Blackwater River in Johnson County, Missouri. 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. ; and Confederate Memorial State Historic Site in Higginsville, Mo. . On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title.