In 1976, the book was adapted into a film, The Outlaw Josey Wales, which portrays a man who joins Anderson's gang after his wife is killed by Union-backed raiders. After a former friend and secessionist turned Union loyalist judge killed his father, Anderson killed the judge and fled to Missouri. Banjo Heritage https://patreon.com/CliftonHicksI learned the words to "Bloody Bill Anderson" from a recording of Alvin Youngblood Hart. If they were caught, Federals considered them criminals not prisoners of war. [145], Union soldiers identified Anderson by a letter found in his pocket and paraded his body through the streets of Richmond, Missouri. [58], A short time later, one of Anderson's men was accused of stealing from one of Quantrill's men. Life of a Guerrilla in Missouri | The Civil War in Missouri Union troops used horses to drag Anderson's body through the streets around the Ray County Courthouse. However, he was quickly released owing to a problem with the warrant, and fled to Agnes City, fearing he would be lynched. William C. Anderson (1820 - 1862) - Genealogy - geni family tree Anderson was outraged and went to Missouri with his siblings. The two were prominent Unionists and hid their identities from the guerrillas. [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. 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. Copyright20062023,Somerightsreserved. 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. [40] On August 19, the group, which proved to be the most guerrillas under one commander in the war, began the trip to Lawrence. They often used unorthodox tactics to fight Union troops, such as using a small party of horsemen to lure them into an ambush. 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.". CPT William T. "Bloody Bill" Anderson Famous memorial Birth 1839. [21] Anderson and his gang subsequently traveled east of Jackson County, Missouri, avoiding territory where Quantrill operated and continuing to support themselves by robbery. declared martial law in August 1861, giving Union forces broad powers to suppress those who resisted Union control. More lies and sensationalized stories have been told of William T. Anderson than any other Civil War Border War guerrilla except those of William Clarke Quantrill himself. The guerrillas blocked the railroad, forcing the train to stop. 2, in March 1862, allowed Union troops in Missouri to hang guerillas as robbers and murder[er]s. Future orders followed the same tone. 100, in April 1863, set a national policy, outlining guerrillas and their treatment. The order was intended to undermine the guerrillas' support network in Missouri. [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. 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. I will have to go through my library to see what I can find. John Nichols, a bushwacker who operated in Johnson and Pettis Counties in 1862-1863, prior to his execution in Jefferson City, Missouri, October 30, 1863 They chased the men who had attacked them, killing one and mutilating his body. [157], After the war, information about Anderson initially spread through memoirs of Civil War combatants and works by amateur historians. [132], Anderson traveled 70 miles (110km) east with 80 men to New Florence, Missouri. 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. ; and Confederate Memorial State Historic Site in Higginsville, Mo. . Gen. Henry Halleck. In 1857, the family moved to Kansas and William worked for a time . A short time later, another six of Anderson's men were ambushed and killed by Union troops;[90] after learning of these events, Anderson was outraged and left the area to seek revenge. 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 . He was killed in a Union ambush near Richmond, MO. In response, Union militias developed hand signals to verify that approaching men in Union uniforms were not guerrillas. Dec 28, 2022. 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. He favored swift execution of captured guerrillas. Maupin, pictured above. Marker is on Thornton Street north of Main Street (State Highway 10), on the left when traveling north. Browning James A. The rest rushed to obey the orders. Bloody Bill and some five or six of his associates in crime came dashing considerably in the advance of their line and their chieftain Anderson, with one other supposed to be Lieut. 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. [16] In May 1862, Judge Baker issued an arrest warrant for Griffith, whom Anderson helped hide. Anderson, perhaps falsely, implicated Quantrill in a murder, leading to the latter's arrest by Confederate authorities. Bloody Bill Anderson - Everything2.com He favored swift execution of captured guerrillas. For instance, you could play Jesse James-an American outlaw who was also a confederate soldier under Bloody Bill Anderson's leadership. They buried him in an unmarked grave in Richmond's Pioneer Cemetery. Anderson led a band of volunteer partisan raiders who targeted Union loyalists and federal soldiers in the states of Missouri and Kansas. Quantrill's Guerillas and William Anderson "Bloody Bill" [117] However, Frank James, who participated in the attack, later defended the guerrillas' actions, arguing that the federal troops were marching under a black flag, indicating that they intended to show no mercy. Many bushwhackers wore a distinctive shirt, such as this one on T.F. [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. By the time he turned 21 he was accompanying wagon trains on the Santa Fe Trail, selling stolen horses. As Quantrill and Todd became less active, "Bloody Bill" Anderson emerged as the best-known, and most feared, Confederate guerrilla in Missouri. William T. Anderson - Wikipedia On July 30, Anderson and his men kidnapped the elderly father of the local Union militia's commanding officer. [70] On July 15, Anderson and his men entered Huntsville, Missouri and occupied the town's business district. Their duty will be to cut off Federal pickets, scouts, foraging parties and trains and to kill pilots and others on gunboats and transports, attacking them day and night and using the greatest vigor in their movements. There are other examples as well, such as . They also burnt Baker's home and stole two of his horses before returning to Missouri on the Santa Fe Trail. It is in Richmond in Ray County Missouri, "The war brought on hate and strife and killing around here. Anderson retreated into the lobby of the town hotel to drink and rest. Marker is on the Ray County Courthouse grounds. These "guerrilla shirts" were pullovers with a deep v-neckline and four large pockets. The tortures included jumping on him, shooting at his legs and firing guns from his knee to burn his legs with powder. NPS Ozark Historic Research Study (Submitted on October 1, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. Anderson's horse, saddle & 2 pistols were presented later to a general. The Missouri Partisan Ranger Act The trip was not successful and he returned to Missouri without the shipment, saying his horses had disappeared with the cargo. On this day during the Civil War in 1864, the notorious Confederate guerrilla leader William "Bloody Bill" Anderson was shot and killed. Gunfighters of the Old West Online Trivia | U.S. History | 10 Questions Anderson led a band of volunteer partisan raiders who targeted Union loyalists and federal soldiers in the states of Missouri and Kansas. While they were confined, the building collapsed, killing one of Anderson's sisters. . Jesse James and his brother Frank were among the Missourians who joined Anderson; both of them later became notorious outlaws. [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. Even then, reloading the powder & ball would have been almost as fast as changing out the cylinder. [105] Anderson gave the civilian hostages permission to leave but warned them not to put out fires or move bodies. Marker is at or near this postal address: 100 West Main Street, Richmond MO 64085, United States of America. Plot [ edit] Cocaine dealer, Darrell, leads a cop on a chase through the desert. Gen. John McNeil, the "Butcher of Palmyra." [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. Local citizens demanded possession of the corpse. At least 40 members of the 17th Illinois Cavalry and the Missouri State Militia were in town and took shelter in a fort. The decree exiled about 10,000 people in Jackson, Cass, Bates and northern Vernon counties in Missouri. 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. [107] The guerrillas set the passenger train on fire and derailed an approaching freight train. The Outlaw J.W. - Pale Rider connection. - Clint Eastwood William T. Anderson (c.1838 - 1864) - Genealogy - geni family tree Anderson suggested that they attack Fayette, Missouri, targeting the 9th Missouri Cavalry, which was based at the town. One one hand, they were useful, serving to tie down Union forces. Born about 1839 in Kentucky, the family early moved to Missouri, where William grew up near the town of Huntsville in Randolph County. [32], Quantrill's Raiders had an extensive support network in Missouri that provided them with numerous hiding places. His family had been living in Council Grove, Territory of Kansas at the . . The guerrillas were only able to shoot the Union horses before reinforcements arrived; three of Anderson's men were killed in the confrontation. Anderson led a band that targeted Union loyalists and Federal soldiers in Missouri and Kansas. The life of a guerrilla was difficult and violent. [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. The Man Who Killed Quantrill. Bloody Bill Anderson got little respect in death. [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. [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. Powered by Tetra-WebBBS 6.21 / TetraBB PRO 0.30 2006-2012 tetrabb.com. After Frank and Jesse James joined the Anderson band, they robbed a train of $3,000 and executed 25 Union soldiers on board. 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. Two hesitated coming down the steps. Pioneer Cemetery Richmond, Missouri - Waymarking [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. Quantrill and other guerrillas nonetheless sought and sometimes received formal Confederate commissions as partisan rangers. The Terrible Tale of Bloody Bill Anderson: Rebellion and Revenge on the William T. Anderson was one of the most notorious Confederate guerrillas of the Civil War. Anderson ordered them outside the car and lined up in two files. 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. Confederate States Army. William Anderson was initially given a chilly reception from other raiders, who perceived him to be brash and overconfident. After selecting a sergeant for a potential prisoner swap, Anderson's men shot the rest. Some bands of guerrillas, like William Quantrill's, had 400 or more members, but most were much smaller. [29], In early summer 1863, Anderson was made a lieutenant, serving in a unit led by George M. Todd. This would effectively put Bloody Bill on the list of about 450 confederate guerrillas who rode into Lawrence on that fateful day. 1840-1864. View character biography, pictures and memorable quotes. The most infamous order came in response to a brutal guerilla attack on Lawrence, Kan. Richeson, Richerson, Richardson originally from Taylor County, Kentucky. Carrying multiple loaded guns gave them an edge against soldiers equipped with a single-shot, muzzle-loading musket. Union leaders branded bushwhackers as outlaws, issuing multiple orders to suppress guerilla activities. Often bushwhackers wore stolen Union uniforms as a disguise. Desperate to put a stop to Anderson's bloodshed, the Union Army eventually raised a small militia to hunt him down. [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". Similarly, Jesse James' brother Frank became . Gen. Henry Halleck's General Orders No. Kansas/Missouri Border War - Lawrence Massacre and 'Burnt District' Bloody Bill Anderson Name bad men in history, Caligula - Hitler - Charles Manson, more? [140][139] He left the area with 150 men. A significant historical year for this entry is 1913. Anderson and his companion "took a negro girl of 12 or 13 years old into . Upon returning to the Confederate leadership, Anderson was commissioned as a captain by General Price. ; Battle of Albany Civil War Marker near Orrick, Mo. 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. If they were Bill's, he would have had 7 pistols on his person which to me is a little hard to believe. Anderson was hit by a bullet behind an ear, likely killing him instantly. For the American Revolutionary War loyalist, see, Anderson's middle name is unknown. These acts were interpreted as tyranny and compelled many Missouri men to become bushwhackers. On the other hand, the use of tactics like arson, robbery and murder seemed beyond the bounds of honorable combat. Bloody Bill Anderson - movieneon.com 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. [166] According to journalist T.J. Stiles, Anderson was not necessarily a "sadistic fiend",[167] but illustrated how young men became part of a "culture of atrocity" during the war. Details on John (b. 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. William Thomas Anderson was born in Randolph County, Missouri in 1837, the exact date and location of his birth, remain uncertain. [15] The Anderson brothers escaped, but Baker was captured and spent four months in prison before returning to Kansas, professing loyalty to the Union. [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. If they were caught, Federals considered them criminals not prisoners of war. [Photo captions, clockwise from top left, read] , . [111] Anderson then led a charge up the hill. 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. Rains, son of rebel Gen. 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. Outlaw or Hero? You Decide Quiz | U.S. History | 10 Questions [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. 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. [101] Anderson's men quickly took control of the train, which included 23 off-duty, unarmed Union soldiers as passengers. [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. One way he sought to prove that loyalty was by severing his ties with Anderson's sister Mary, his former lover.