Quantrill's War: The Life & Times Of William Clarke Quantrill, 1837-1865

Duane Schultz

Macmillan, Nov 15, 1997 - Biography & Autobiography - 352 pages

For career criminal William Clarke Quantrill, the American Civil War was an opportunity to practice legitimately what he loved most: theft, destruction, and murder. He rampaged freely as a military hero, slaughtering hundreds, fighting under the flag of the Confederate Army. This definitive biography presents a richly drawn study of this most unlikely "hero". of photos.

What people are saying

LibraryThing Review

User Review  - caittilynn - LibraryThing

This started off as a very interesting look into the mind of a notorious man, but I think perhaps the evidence needed for this book was a little lacking. The first half of the book builds up William ...

QUANTRILL'S WAR: The Life and Times of William Clarke Quantrill: 1837-1865

User Review  - Kirkus

A vivid account of the life and times of a Confederate guerrilla. The second life of Quantrill to appear this season (the other being Edward E. Leslie's The Devil Knows How to Ride, p. TKTK), Schultz ...

Contents

• HE BORE MALICE: 1
• I ALONE AM MISERABLE: 6
• A RIFLE IN ONE HAND AND A BIBLE IN THE OTHER: 21
• I DONT EXPECT TO SEE ANY OF YOU ALIVE AGAIN: 47
• IN THE NAME OF GOD AND DEVIL: 67
• WE DRAW THE FIRST BLOOD: 86
• THEY COULD NOT STAND OUR ONSLAUGHT: 103
• I SAY SACK THE TOWN: 129
• KILL EVERY MAN BIG ENOUGH TO CARRY A GUN: 147
• A TEMPEST OF FIRE AND DEATH: 169
• OH GOD SAVE US: 191
• LET US FOLLOW THEM BOYS: 214
• THE HEATHEN ARE COME INTO THINE INHERITANCE: 231
• IT WAS A FEARFUL SIGHT: 253
• DEATH IS COMING: 275
• IM TIRED OF RUNNING: 301
• ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: 311
• NOTES: 315
• BIBLIOGRAPHY: 327
• INDEX: 331

Popular passages

Page 36 - The Senator from South Carolina has read many books of chivalry and believes himself a chivalrous knight, with sentiments of honor and courage. Of course he has chosen a mistress to whom he has made his vows, and who, though ugly to others, is always lovely to him; though polluted in the sight of the world, is chaste in his sight — I mean the harlot, Slavery.‎

Page 23 - Come on, then, gentlemen of the slave States ! Since there is no escaping your challenge, I accept it in behalf of freedom. We will engage in competition for the virgin soil of Kansas, and God give the victory to the side that is stronger in numbers, as it is in the right.‎

Page 24 - EMIGRANTS cross the prairie as of old The Pilgrims crossed the sea, To make the West, as they the East, The homestead of the free!‎

Page 33 - ... a leathern belt buckled around his waist, on each side of which is fastened a large revolver; a red or blue shirt, with a heart, anchor, eagle or some other favorite device braided on the breast and back, over which is swung a rifle or carbine; a sword dangling by his side; an old slouched hat, with a cockade or brass star on the front or side, and a chicken, goose or turkey feather sticking in the top; hair uncut and uncombed, covering his neck and shoulders; an unshaved face and unwashed hands....‎

Page 139 - About two- thirds of the families on the occupied farms of that region are of kin to the guerrillas, and are actively and heartily engaged in feeding, clothing, and sustaining them. The presence of these families is the cause of the presence there of the guerrillas. I can see no prospect of an early and complete end to the war on the border, without a great increase of troops, so long as those families remain there.‎

Page 138 - I hope soon to have troops enough on the Missouri side not only to prevent raids into Kansas, hut also to drive out or exterminate every band of guerrillas now haunting that region. I will keep a thousand men in saddle daily, and will redden with their blood every bridle-path of the border until they infest it no more I mean, moreover, to stop with a rough hand all forays for plunder from Kansas...‎

Page 103 - Prairie," its borders and surroundings, are mentioned as the haunts of these outlaws and the fanners generally in these neighborhoods are said to be knowing to and encouraging the lawless acts of these guerrillas, &c., as mentioned above. Murders and robberies have been committed; Union men threatened and driven from their homes; the US mails have been stopped; farmers have been prohibited planting by the proclamation of a well-known and desperate leader of these outlaws by the name of Quantrill,...‎

Page 85 - State, which are occupied by our troops, under the guise of peaceful citizens have resumed their occupation of burning bridges and destroying railroads and telegraph wires. These men are guilty of the highest crime known to the code of war and the punishment is death. Any one caught in the act will be immediately shot, and any one accused of this crime will be arrested and placed in close confinement until his case can be examined by a military commission, and, if found guilty, he also will suffer...‎

Page 25 - We are in favor of making Kansas a 'Slave State' if it should require half of the citizens of Missouri, musket in hand, to emigrate there, and even sacrifice their lives in accomplishing so desirable an end.‎

About the author

Duane Schultz is the author of two novels and eight nonfiction histories, including Over The Earth I Come (a 1992 New York Times Notable Book of the Year). He is an adjunct professor of psychology at the University of South Florida, and lives in Clearwater, Florida.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Quantrill's War: The Life & Times Of William Clarke Quantrill, 1837-1865
• Author: Duane Schultz
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Macmillan, 1997
• ISBN: 0312169728, 9780312169725
• Length: 352 pages
• Subjects: Biography & Autobiography / Criminals & Outlaws; Biography & Autobiography / Historical; History / United States / Civil War Period (1850-1877)