Residents. [45] The guerrillas under Anderson's command, notably including Archie Clement and Frank James, killed more than any of the other group. The decree exiled about 10,000 people in Jackson, Cass, Bates and northern Vernon counties in Missouri. [47] The raiding party was pursued by Union forces but eventually managed to break contact with the soldiers and scatter into the Missouri woods. Jesse James and his brother Frank were among the Missourians who joined Anderson; both of them later became notorious outlaws. The argument is not that some of the members carried multiple sidearms but certainly not every member did.
Home - William C. "Bloody Bill" Anderson William Anderson was initially given a chilly reception from other raiders, who perceived him to be brash and overconfident. Then I noticed Bloody Bill Anderson and he has a very small existence in Josey Wales. A Note on Sources Todd rested his men in July to allow them to prepare for a Confederate invasion of Missouri. Anderson's horse, saddle & 2 pistols were presented later to a general. 3. [135] After Confederate forces under General Joseph O. Shelby conquered Glasgow, Anderson traveled to the city to loot. As a general rule, bushwhackers would attack quickly and withdraw if they began receiving serious casualties.
William "Bloody Bill" Anderson | American Experience | PBS The U.S. Government provided a veteran's tombstone for Anderson's grave in 1967. 11. Quantrill attained near-unanimous consent to travel 40 miles (64km) into Union territory to strike Lawrence.
Bill Anderson | Ray County Museum [82] In late July, the Union military sent a force of 100 well-equipped soldiers and 650 other men after Anderson. [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. . [89] In mid-September, Union soldiers ambushed two of Anderson's parties traveling through Howard County, killing five men in one day. They also burnt Baker's home and stole two of his horses before returning to Missouri on the Santa Fe Trail. There, his men briefly engaged a group of guerrillas loyal to Quantrill, but no one was injured in the confrontation. The Federal command in St. Louis, Mo. Bushwhackers and Jayhawkers. 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. All such organizations will be reported to their headquarters as soon as practicable. En route, they entered Baxter Springs, Kansas, the site of Fort Blair. A lack of Confederate military presence in Missouri led Southern sympathizers to form guerrilla groups to harass Union soldiers and pro-Union citizens. General Orders No. [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. By Glynda July 23, 2006 at 03:01:32. Cartridge belts standard with up to 18 bullet loops in your [] After the war, several guerrillas, such as Frank and Jesse James, continued their violent behaviors, becoming infamous outlaws.
Death Valley: The Revenge of Bloody Bill (2004) - IMDb [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. They tortured him until he was near death and sent word to the man's son in an unsuccessful attempt to lure him into an ambush, before releasing the father with instructions to spread word of his mistreatment. . USA. [5] The Anderson family supported slavery, though they did not own slaves. 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. The younger Anderson buried his father[17] and was subsequently arrested for assisting Griffith. [75] As Anderson's profile increased, he was able to recruit more guerrillas. [19] Baker and his brother-in-law brought the man to a store, where they were ambushed by the Anderson brothers. [63], Anderson and his men rested in Texas for several months before returning to Missouri. [163], Historians have been mixed in their appraisal of Anderson.
Bloody Bill Anderson - Everything2.com Others, like William Anderson, had already entered a dark abyss from which there was no return and no escape except death. [16] In May 1862, Judge Baker issued an arrest warrant for Griffith, whom Anderson helped hide. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Although some men begged him to spare them, he persisted, only relenting when a woman pleaded with him not to torch her house. William and Jim Anderson then traveled southwest of Kansas City, robbing travelers to support themselves. From Donald Hale's book " They call him Bloody Bill" it stated that Cox had sent a Lt. Baker to act as bait to lure Bill & his troops into an ambush. 2, in March 1862, allowed Union troops in Missouri to hang guerillas as robbers and murder[er]s. Future orders followed the same tone. [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. One of the leading authorities on the Civil War in the western theater, Albert Edward Castel earned his B.A. Anderson planned to destroy railroad infrastructure in Centralia, Missouri. However, his gun of choice was said to be the Dance .44 caliber cap and ball revolver. He became a skilled bushwhacker, earning the trust of the group's leaders, William Quantrill and George M. Todd. 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. These "guerrilla shirts" were pullovers with a deep v-neckline and four large pockets. 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.
Bloody Bill Anderson Missouri Civil War Frank Jesse James [12] In late 1861, Anderson traveled south with Jim and Judge Baker in an apparent attempt to join the Confederate Army. If they were Bill's, he would have had 7 pistols on his person which to me is a little hard to believe. Notorious Confederate bushwhacker Bloody Bill Anderson Three bushwackers; Arch Clements, Dave Pool, and Bill Hendricks. Often bushwhackers wore stolen Union uniforms as a disguise. [10], In the late 1850s, Ellis Anderson fled to Iowa after killing a native American. 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. [94], On September 26, Anderson and his men reached Monroe County, Missouri,[95] and traveled towards Paris, but learned of other nearby guerrillas and rendezvoused with them near Audrain County. The next day, the elder Anderson traveled to the Council Grove courthouse with a gun, intending to force Baker to withdraw the warrant. [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. He favored swift execution of captured guerrillas.
150 Years Ago: 'Bloody Bill' Anderson tortures Glasgow businessman William T. Anderson was born around 1840 in Hopkins County, Kentucky, to William C. and Martha Anderson. [107] The guerrillas set the passenger train on fire and derailed an approaching freight train. Unexpectedly, his men were able to capture a passenger train, the first time Confederate guerrillas had done so. Banjo Heritage https://patreon.com/CliftonHicksI learned the words to "Bloody Bill Anderson" from a recording of Alvin Youngblood Hart. Bushwhacker activities in Missouri increased as a response to Federal occupation and increasingly brutal attacks and raids by Kansas soldiers, or jayhawkers. Richeson, Richerson, Richardson originally from Taylor County, Kentucky.
Bloody Bill Anderson: Missouri's bushwhacking devil - HubPages [161] James Carlos Blake's novel Wildwood Boys (2000) is a fictional biography of Anderson.
The Tactical Genius of Bloody Bill Anderson - HistoryNet On the other hand, the use of tactics like arson, robbery and murder seemed beyond the bounds of honorable combat. [149] Some of them cut off one of his fingers to steal a ring. Captains will be held responsible for the good conduct and efficiency of their men and will report to these headquarters from time to time. 1. Gen. Henry Halleck's General Orders No. The Missouri act was an offshoot of the Confederate Partisan Ranger Act instituted by Confederate President Jefferson Davis in April 1862. [124] Anderson watched the fire from nearby bluffs. Local citizens demanded possession of the corpse. William Quantrill and William "Bloody Bill" Anderson are well-known bushwhacker leaders in Missouri. After camping near New Hope Church in Fort Henry about. Although Union supporters viewed him as incorrigibly evil, Confederate supporters in Missouri saw his actions as justifiable. Marker is on the Ray County Courthouse grounds. They buried him in an unmarked grave in Richmond's Pioneer Cemetery. The order was intended to undermine the guerrillas' support network in Missouri. [58], A short time later, one of Anderson's men was accused of stealing from one of Quantrill's men. [29], In early summer 1863, Anderson was made a lieutenant, serving in a unit led by George M. Todd. 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. [49], Four days after the Lawrence Massacre, on August 25, 1863, General Ewing retaliated against the Confederate guerrillas by issuing General Order No. ; and Confederate Memorial State Historic Site in Higginsville, Mo. A State Divided: The Civil War in Missouri. [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. The Gun manufacturers did not provide extra cylinders for each firearm sold. His family had been living in Council Grove, Territory of Kansas at the . The tension between the two groups markedly increasedsome feared open warfare would resultbut by the time of the wedding, relations had improved. Touch for map. From famous outlaws like Billy the Kid and Jesse James to lawmen like Wyatt Earp and Wild Bill Hickok to trailblazing pioneers and frontiersmen, this podcast tells the true stories of the real-life characters who shaped this iconic period in American history.
Anderson, William "Bloody Bill" | Civil War on the Western Border: The Anderson led a band of volunteer partisan raiders who targeted Union loyalists and federal soldiers in the states of Missouri and Kansas. Gen. Thomas C. Hindman was the head of the Confederate Army's Trans Mississippi Department in Little Rock, Ark. [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. 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. Clad in Union uniforms, the guerrillas generated little suspicion as they approached the town,[92] even though it had received warning of nearby guerrillas. They found the guerrillas' horses decorated with the scalps of Union soldiers. [50], They departed earlier in the year than they had planned, owing to increased Union pressure. ; Battle of Lexington State Historic Site in Lexington, Mo. The Union militias sometimes rode slower horses and may have been intimidated by Anderson's reputation. Carrying multiple loaded guns gave them an edge against soldiers equipped with a single-shot, muzzle-loading musket. [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. Bloody Bill Anderson was a character played by John Russell in the 1976 film 'The Outlaw Josey Wales' directed by Clint Eastwood.
[13], Upon his return to Kansas, Anderson continued horse trafficking, but ranchers in the area soon became aware of his operations. 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. Again, were those 2 pistols found on the horse or were there more as Cox's statement was in the plural. Gen. John McNeil, the "Butcher of Palmyra." 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.
Anderson, William | Community and Conflict Photo Archive - Ozarks Civil War Gen. Henry Halleck's General Orders No. [158] He was later discussed in biographies of Quantrill, which typically cast Anderson as an inveterate murderer. [160] Asa Earl Carter's novel The Rebel Outlaw: Josey Wales (1972) features Anderson as a main character. They acquired arms where they could, including taking what was left behind on the battlefield. 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. A lot of the federal troops in Missouri were Infantry & only the officer's would have pistols. He was quite fast with a pair of Colt Dragoons, but he killed Wilson Anderson with a shotgun loaded with birdshot. During the American Civil War, the James family sided with the Confederates, and Frank and Jesse James joined a group of guerrillas, or . The muzzle-loaders required no special ammunition or training and were effective out to about seventy-five or one hundred yards. (, 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. John Wallace (within shouting distance of this marker); Colonel Alexander W. Doniphan (within shouting distance of this marker); Ray County Bicentennial Memorial (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); 1856 Courthouse Cornice Planter (about 300 feet away). (, In his biography of Quantrill, historian Duane Schultz counters that General, Some accounts of Anderson's death relate that he was decapitated and his head impaled on a telegraph pole. Although he learned that Union General Egbert B. "Bring Lieutenant Coleman to me." 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. A stagecoach soon arrived, and Anderson's men robbed the passengers, including Congressman James S. Rollins and a plainclothes sheriff. The guerrillas blocked the railroad, forcing the train to stop. [60][61][62] They told General Cooper that Quantrill was responsible for the death of a Confederate officer; the general had Quantrill arrested. 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. Violence Was No Stranger (1993). "An unusual event made a guerrilla out of William Anderson. Two Confederate soldiers carrying double-barreled shotguns, a favorite weapon early in the Civil War. [115] The attack led to a near-complete halt in rail traffic in the area and a dramatic increase in Union rail security. His family had been living in Council Grove, Territory of Kansas at the start of the war. Anderson was told to recapture him and gave chase, but he was unable to locate his former commander and stopped at a creek. Posted on 19th March 2021. [111] Anderson then led a charge up the hill. [127] Although many of them wished to execute this Union hostage, Anderson refused to allow it. [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. There is no evidence to support that assumption. 2. And that is the terrible truth of the story of Bloody Bill Anderson. [Map inset] Nearby Civil War attractions include Pioneer Cemetery and Ray County Museum in Richmond, Mo. Your choice of white or . 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". Born in the late 1830s, The guerrillas heard that the cavalry was approaching,[110] and Anderson sent a party to set an ambush. 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. [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. [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. 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. Jesse James. Anderson subsequently returned to Missouri as the leader of his own group of raiders and became the most feared guerrilla in the state, robbing and killing a large number of Union soldiers and civilian sympathizers. [80] In 1863, most Union troops left Missouri and only four regiments remained there. In September 1864, Anderson led a raid on the town of Centralia, Missouri. The guerrillas were only able to shoot the Union horses before reinforcements arrived; three of Anderson's men were killed in the confrontation. He was, however, impressed by the effectiveness of Anderson's attacks. Concluding that eliminating the bushw[h]acker's support network would help end guerilla fighting, Brig. Usually a wife, sister, mother or sweetheart used ribbons, shells and needlework to create the ellaborately [sic] decorated shirts. [30] The first reference to Anderson in Official Records of the American Civil War concerns his activities at this time, describing him as the captain of a band of guerrillas. [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". [83] On August 1, while searching for militia members, Anderson and some of his men stopped at a house full of women and requested food.
Bloody Bill Anderson | Books by Gayle - Gayle Lunning (, 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. He addressed the prisoners, castigating them for the treatment of guerrillas by Union troops. Concluding that eliminating the bushw[h]acker's support network would.
Finally Speaking Up: Sexual Assault in the Civil War Era [85], In early August, Anderson and his men traveled to Clay County. They soon arrived at the small town of Centralia and proceeded to loot it, robbing people and searching the town for valuables. [68] The letters were given to Union generals and were not published for 20 years. [109], Anderson arrived at the guerrilla camp and described the day's events, the brutality of which unsettled Todd. In October of 1864, Anderson's unit was trapped and outnumbered in Missouri, and 'Bloody Bill' was killed when he charged the Union troops. [66][67] In the letters, Anderson took an arrogant and threatening yet playful tone, boasting of his attacks. On this day during the Civil War in 1864, the notorious Confederate guerrilla leader William "Bloody Bill" Anderson was shot and killed. [146] The corpse was photographed and displayed at a local courthouse for public viewing, along with Anderson's possessions. Stockburn gets a good look at the Preacher and says "YOU". [126] The Union soldier held captive at Centralia was impressed with the control Anderson exercised over his men. 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. 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. 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 . John Russell. [120][121] Anderson evaded the pursuit, leading his men into ravines the Union troops would not enter for fear of ambush. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Settlements & Settlers War, US Civil. Anderson and Todd launched an unsuccessful attack against the fort, leading charge after futile charge without injury. "Bloody" Bill Anderson (1840-1864), the most prolific mass murderer on the American frontier. 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. William "Bloody Bill" Anderson . Cox's bugler gathered up 6 pistols around the body. On the other hand, the use of tactics like arson, robbery and murder seemed beyond the bounds of honorable combat. [73], In June 1864, George M. Todd usurped Quantrill's leadership of their group and forced him to leave the area. Raised by a family of Southerners in Kansas, Anderson began to support himself by stealing and selling horses in 1862.
The Outlaw J.W. - Pale Rider connection. - Clint Eastwood 11, but guerrilla activity continued throughout the war in other regions of the state. Browning James A. [162] He also appears as a character in several films about Jesse James. 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. Eventually, the six-shot revolver became the weapon of choice for the bushwhacker because it was considered better for firing from horseback. 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. 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. 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. [98] They found a large supply of whiskey and all began drinking. On August 30, Anderson and his men attacked a steamboat on the Missouri River, killing the captain and gaining control of the boat. [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.
The Wild West Extravaganza on Stitcher [6] Kansas was at the time embroiled in an ideological conflict regarding its admission to the Union as slave or free, and both pro-slavery activists and abolitionists had moved there in attempts to influence its ultimate status. William T. "Bloody Bill" Anderson (circa 1838 - October 26, 1864) was a pro-Confederate guerrilla leader in the American Civil War. The rapid rate of fire made the revolver perfect for the quick attacks executed by these men. Bloody Bill Anderson "Bill Anderson!" William Clarke Quantrill commands. His family had been living in Council Grove, Territory of Kansas, at the start of the war. [139], Union military leaders assigned Lieutenant Colonel Samuel P. Cox to kill Anderson, providing him with a group of experienced soldiers. 6 guns of ouTlaWs Residue of WaRThe RaideRs 7 These "guerrilla shirts" were pullovers with a deep v-neckline and four large pockets. Anderson himself was killed a month later in battle. He took a leading role in the Lawrence Massacre and later took part in the Battle of Baxter Springs, both in 1863. [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. Bushwhackers were involved in Price's 1864 Raid, the last official Confederate campaign in Missouri.
William T. Anderson | Military Wiki | Fandom You certainly wouldn't do that aboard a horse. [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. [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.