William Clark Quantrill was one of the most notorious guerrilla warriors that ever lived. He was a partisan ranger, who committed most of his crimes in the Kansas and Missouri areas. He was a young man when he first became involved in the War between the States. He joined the army as a promising young soldier but later deserted and formed his own band of men. Quantrill is most famous for the sacking of Lawrence Kansas in 1863. He along with his sidekicks Bloody Bill Anderson, Frank and Jesse James, and Cole and Jim Younger murdered over 100 men, and burnt the town to the ground. The Union Jayhawkers led by James H. Lane were able to put down the conflict. The relationship between Quantrill and Anderson became strained when Anderson falsely implicated Quantrill for murder. Quantrill later moved into the Kentucky area to continue his raids. This move proved deadly for Quantrill as he was killed in a Union massacre in 1863. He was only 27 years old. A tragic end to a promising military career.
Stay tuned for more articles about guerrilla leaders in the Civil War. For more info on William Clark Quantrill I highly recommend Daniel Sutherland's book A Savage Conflict.
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