At least 40 members of the 17th Illinois Cavalry and the Missouri State Militia were in town and took shelter in a fort. He addressed the prisoners, castigating them for the treatment of guerrillas by Union troops. [65], On July 6, a Confederate sympathizer brought Anderson newspapers containing articles about him. ; and Confederate Memorial State Historic Site in Higginsville, Mo. By 1860 the .44- caliber New Model Army revolver soon rivaled the Navy on which it was based. It was Anderson's greatest victory, surpassing Lawrence and Baxter Springs in brutality and the number of casualties. The Bushwhacker in Missouri. [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. And that is the terrible truth of the story of Bloody Bill Anderson. Many bushwhackers wore a distinctive shirt, such as this one on T.F. [81], On July 23, 1864, Anderson led 65 men to Renick, Missouri, robbing stores and tearing down telegraph wires on the way. They relied on knowledge of the local terrain for survival. . 11. In one of the passenger cars they found 23 unarmed Union soldiers on furlough and headed home on leave. In October of 1864, Anderson's unit was trapped and outnumbered in Missouri, and 'Bloody Bill' was killed when he charged the Union troops. 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. Gen. Henry Halleck's General Orders No. [148] Union soldiers buried Anderson's body in a field near Richmond in a fairly well-built coffin. Answer: Coffeyville. The order was intended to undermine the guerrillas' support network in Missouri. Others, like William Anderson, had already entered a dark abyss from which there was no return and no escape except death. Anthony Edwards as "Goose" in Top Gun (1986) : As he entered the building he was restrained by a constable and fatally shot by Baker. [69], In early July, Anderson's group robbed and killed several Union sympathizers in Carroll and Randolph counties. If they were caught, Federals considered them criminals not prisoners of war. The Federal command in St. Louis, Mo. Although he learned that Union General Egbert B. His gun changed a few times, semi, handgun, revolver . 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. Some local citizens suspected the Anderson family was assisting Griffith and traveled to their house to confront the elder William Anderson. Serving in the US Marine Corps in WW II, he earned a battlefield commission and decorations for valor at Guadalcanal. [167] He maintains that Anderson's acts were seen as particularly shocking in part because his cruelty was directed towards white Americans of equivalent social standing, rather than targets deemed acceptable by American society, such as Native Americans or foreigners. Anderson was known for his brutality towards Union soldiers, and pro Union partisans, who were called Jayhawkers. Brown had devoted significant attention to the border area, Anderson led raids in Cooper County and Johnson County, Missouri, robbing local residents. Some, like the veterans attending the bushwacker reunions under Quantrill's vacant gaze, managed to adjust to post-war life. [58], A short time later, one of Anderson's men was accused of stealing from one of Quantrill's men. [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. [108] Anderson's band then rode back to their camp, taking a large amount of looted goods. [133] The group then traveled west, disregarding the mission assigned by General Price[134] in favor of looting. The Missouri in the Civil War Message Board - Archive is maintained by Webmaster 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. [140][139] He left the area with 150 men. Now that statement is a little murky. . [119], Anderson left the Centralia area on September 27, pursued for the first time by Union forces equipped with artillery. 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. 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. Etsy Search for items or shops Close search Skip to Content Sign in 0 Cart Gifts for Every Valentine Jewelry & Accessories These "guerrilla shirts" were pullovers with a deep v-neckline and four large pockets. Upon returning to the Confederate leadership, Anderson was commissioned as a captain by General Price. [113] One Union officer reached Centralia and gave word of the ambush, allowing a few Union soldiers who had remained there to escape. The Guerrilla Lifestyle , The life of a guerrilla was difficult and violent. [98] They found a large supply of whiskey and all began drinking. Union troops set his body up for public viewing and photos at the Richmond, Missouri courthouse. While they were confined, the building collapsed, killing one of Anderson's sisters. [84] The guerrillas quickly forced the attackers to flee, and Anderson shot and injured one woman as she fled the house. Bloody Bill Anderson. It is in Richmond in Ray County Missouri, "The war brought on hate and strife and killing around here. [16] In May 1862, Judge Baker issued an arrest warrant for Griffith, whom Anderson helped hide. 100% heavyweight Gildan brand cotton t-shirt. While they rested at the house, a group of local men attacked. Anderson led a band that targeted Union loyalists and Federal soldiers in Missouri and Kansas. [Map inset] Nearby Civil War attractions include Pioneer Cemetery and Ray County Museum in Richmond, Mo. [162] He also appears as a character in several films about Jesse James. The rapid rate of fire made the revolver perfect for the quick attacks executed by these men. On October 26, 1864, the notorious Confederate guerrilla leader William "Bloody Bill" Anderson is killed in Missouri in a Union ambush. Bloody Bill Anderson was a character played by John Russell in the 1976 film 'The Outlaw Josey Wales' directed by Clint Eastwood. Unexpectedly, his men were able to capture a passenger train, the first time Confederate guerrillas had done so. While on public display, a local photographer documented his death. In 1908, the ex-guerrillas and former outlaws Jim Cummins and Cole Younger arranged for a funeral service at Anderson's gravesite. Rains, son of rebel Gen. Cox stated that he went out & took one of Anderson's pistols along with money & a gold watch. [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. 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. Gen. Henry Halleck's General Orders No. Often group sizes fluctuated as they came together for larger raids and then broke apart after the raid. [19] Baker and his brother-in-law brought the man to a store, where they were ambushed by the Anderson brothers. Fucking legend. 11, but guerrilla activity continued throughout the war in other regions of the state. . [66][67] In the letters, Anderson took an arrogant and threatening yet playful tone, boasting of his attacks. 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. 2. The Dalton boys grew up outside of Coffeyville and . The guerrillas blocked the railroad, forcing the train to stop. Wood speculates that it was "Thomas", his grandfather's name. [85], In early August, Anderson and his men traveled to Clay County. While on public display, a local photographer documented his death. General Orders No. Anderson's horse, saddle & 2 pistols were presented later to a general. 11, an evacuation order that evicted almost 20,000 people from four counties in rural western Missouri and burned many of their homes. Although some men begged him to spare them, he persisted, only relenting when a woman pleaded with him not to torch her house. Born in the late 1830s, [47] The raiding party was pursued by Union forces but eventually managed to break contact with the soldiers and scatter into the Missouri woods. [82] In late July, the Union military sent a force of 100 well-equipped soldiers and 650 other men after Anderson. [23] They also attacked Union soldiers, killing seven by early 1863. 2, in March 1862, allowed Union troops in Missouri to hang guerillas as robbers and murder[er]s. Future orders followed the same tone. [4] In 1857, they relocated to the Kansas Territory, traveling southwest on the Santa Fe Trail and settling 13 miles (21km) east of Council Grove. Not long after her driver left to find help, three rambunctious New Jersey cavalrymen, all white, approached Brooks, demanding her money. Also see . Anderson participated in Quantrill's raid on Lawrence, Kansas on August 21, 1863. [102] This was the first capture of a Union passenger train in the war. [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. Born about 1839 in Kentucky, the family early moved to Missouri, where William grew up near the town of Huntsville in Randolph County. Anyway, this has been a very interesting thread & we can agree that we each have an opinion on this matter. His dark good looks brought him to the attention . Local citizens demanded possession of the corpse. The tension between the two groups markedly increasedsome feared open warfare would resultbut by the time of the wedding, relations had improved. 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. 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. A low-level conflict had already been raging in the Missouri-Kansas borderlands in the years preceding the outbreak of the Civil War. Only advantage would have been if you were behind a barrier, in a gun battle. Wood believes that these stories are inaccurate, citing a lack of documentary evidence. Reid draws a parallel between the bashi-bazouks of the Ottoman Army and Anderson's guerrillas, arguing that they behaved similarly.[168]. Bloody Bill Anderson "Bill Anderson!" William Clarke Quantrill commands. [138] Local residents gathered $5,000, which they gave to Anderson; he then released the man, who died of his injuries in 1866. 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. One dating device is the guns; they are all germane to the late 1860s and early 1870s at the . 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. This action angered his men, who saw themselves as the protectors of women, but Anderson dismissed their concerns, saying such things were inevitable. 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. Quantrill and other guerrillas nonetheless sought and sometimes received formal Confederate commissions as partisan rangers. [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. [88] On August 27, Union soldiers killed at least three of Anderson's men in an engagement near Rocheport. Note: Click on photos to get larger view. , Cole Younger, 1913. By the time he turned 21 he was accompanying wagon trains on the Santa Fe Trail, selling stolen horses. The tortures included jumping on him, shooting at his legs and firing guns from his knee to burn his legs with powder. Eventually, the six-shot revolver became the weapon of choice for the bushwhacker because it was considered better for firing from horseback. Gen. Thomas C. Hindman was the head of the Confederate Army's Trans Mississippi Department in Little Rock, Ark. [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. Browning James A. Jesse James. [51] The guerrillas charged the Union forces, killing about 100. Anderson's bushwhacking marked him as a dangerous man and eventually led the Union to imprison his sisters. eHistory website entry (Submitted on October 1, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.) [75] As Anderson's profile increased, he was able to recruit more guerrillas. [129] Anderson presented him with a gift of fine Union pistols, likely captured at Centralia. One of the leading authorities on the Civil War in the western theater, Albert Edward Castel earned his B.A. Date Posted: 8/12/2009 1:51:23 PM. The Union militias sometimes rode slower horses and may have been intimidated by Anderson's reputation. [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. The cashier pulled a gun on him and James killed him in self-defence. [21] Anderson and his gang subsequently traveled east of Jackson County, Missouri, avoiding territory where Quantrill operated and continuing to support themselves by robbery. Relatives of William T. Anderson , known as "Bloody Bill". "Bloody" Bill Anderson (1840-1864), the most prolific mass murderer on the American frontier. However, his gun of choice was said to be the Dance .44 caliber cap and ball revolver. 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. [43] Anderson personally killed 14 people. On this day during the Civil War in 1864, the notorious Confederate guerrilla leader William "Bloody Bill" Anderson was shot and killed. [167], In a study of 19th-century warfare, historian James Reid posited that Anderson suffered from delusional paranoia, which exacerbated his aggressive, sadistic personality. [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.