Anniversary of Raid on Lawrence, Kansas

Patrick H

Lt. Colonel
Joined
Mar 7, 2014
On this date in 1863, a combined force of pro-southern guerrillas attacked and destroyed much of Lawrence, Kansas. The raid is one of the most controversial and infamous events of the war. The many small guerrilla bands were temporarily united under the overall command of William C. Quantrill, who will forever be demonized by most and lionized by a few. I personally believe that Captains Bill Anderson and George Todd had more to do with the excesses committed at Lawrence than Quantrill, but that is a hunch that can never be proved.

Many people believe the raid was a "payback" strike. I believe it was planned more as a "cut the head off the snake" sort of operation that quickly got out of hand. Quantrill certainly used revenge to motivate the various groups to follow him into Kansas for the raid, but he had been planning to kill several Jayhawk leaders for some time prior.

The raid was emblematic of the sort of vicious, freebooting warfare that Kansans and Missourians had been perpetrating on each other for several years.
 
On this date in 1863, a combined force of pro-southern guerrillas attacked and destroyed much of Lawrence, Kansas. The raid is one of the most controversial and infamous events of the war. The many small guerrilla bands were temporarily united under the overall command of William C. Quantrill, who will forever be demonized by most and lionized by a few. I personally believe that Captains Bill Anderson and George Todd had more to do with the excesses committed at Lawrence than Quantrill, but that is a hunch that can never be proved.

Many people believe the raid was a "payback" strike. I believe it was planned more as a "cut the head off the snake" sort of operation that quickly got out of hand. Quantrill certainly used revenge to motivate the various groups to follow him into Kansas for the raid, but he had been planning to kill several Jayhawk leaders for some time prior.

The raid was emblematic of the sort of vicious, freebooting warfare that Kansans and Missourians had been perpetrating on each other for several years.

It was certainly somewhat a urban renewal as Lawrence went forth with less of a criminal element present afterwards as its known a lot of confirmed jayhawkers were killed, I wont go as far as some members do here saying similiar events like it warms their heart or they deserved some payback, ect...........
 
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There's a really fine depiction of the raid in the movie Ride With the Devil.
Yes, I completely agree. It is one of my favorite Civil War movies and has a very realistic look to my eye, because so much of it was filmed in Missouri.
 
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