Quantrill commanders

[archieclement]

I've been somewhat suspect of how much control Q had over what could be loosely called his command, which seems more a shifting alliance of chieftains. But thought perhaps a thread on those chieftains would be appropriate, I'll refer to them as Capts as it was used a lot in descriptions of guerrilla band leaders in both sides accounts

At Centralia after Q's fall from grace the command was under 5 roughly equal bands in size.
Capt Bill Anderson-61 men
Capt George Todd-48 men
Capt Dave Poole-49 men
Capt Thomas Todd- no relation to George Todd-54 men
Capt John Thrailkill-50men

Also have seen following listed or referred to as capts in relation to Q/Todd/Anderson
Capt Harrison Trow
Capt Fernado Scott
Capt Henry Porter---who surrenders remnants on Q's band in Ky
Capt William Gregg
Captain Dobson
Captain Kit Dalton

Generally referred to as Lt's but apparently lead groups as large as the others
Fletch Taylor
Jim Anderson- is related to Bill, his brother
Arch Clements
John Jarrette

Jim Jackson and Clifton Holtzclaw who lead comparable sized allied bands in the same area, but generally are considered separate from Q. But Jackson apparently cooperated at times with Jim Anderson.

Welcome any thoughts, input, or additions to the loose command structure. Although as command, mainly interested in ones who commanded independent commands at times.

 

[archieclement]

It appears also Thomas Todd originally was in Holtzclaw band, so not sure how many of the Holtclaw band was in Todd's band, but provides another link between Jackson/Holtzclaw and Q/Todd/Anderson

 

[Booner]

In the 1860 census, I beleive there are 3 Thomas Todd's from Howard County. I believe two of them were farmers and the other was a Babtist preacher. A couple of sources state that Thomas Todd was a captain in the Confederate army and he was sent back to his home county in 1864 to recruit and help direct/ coordinate guerrlla activities in Howard and Boone counties.. This s why there is so little info on him, as he only gets mentioned in the guerrillia narrative during the summer and fall of '64. He had, as you noted, a small group of men directly nder his command, and I suspect these were recruits he picked up and perhaps they ended up in Prices army?
Todd was supposed to have had a recruiting camp at Dripping Springs in northern Boone County. I think he may have taken part in the short fight a Gosslings Lane, and if so, this may have been his first fight in conjunction with other guerrillias. He was at Fayette and at Centralia, however, then he just kind of falls off the radar. Perhaps he rejoined Prices army?

 

[archieclement]

Found this on a genealogy website from author Bruce Nichols, but doesn't help as to his whole career.....

Stan and Rose Mary,

I didn't weigh in on the Tom Todd issue before because I don't have all the answers to your questions about him. I will give you what I have. I have to admit from the start that I have nothing about his postwar life, if any.

Beware of trying to identify guerrilla chief Thomas Todd in the 1850 and 1860 census since there are several Thomas Todds in the area of Howard and northern Boone Counties, and I seem to recall from my research that at least two of them are preachers. I'm not yet ready to call one of them guerrilla chief Tom Todd.

Another pitfall for us in this day is not only the presence in Tom Todd's area of operation of guerrilla chief and former Quantrillian George Todd during 1864, but also southern guerrilla chief or recruiter Robert Todd in Boone County. Therefore, when the "O.R." states that "Todd" did this or that we cannot always be sure which Todd is at hand.

That being said, the 1883 history of Howard County (pp. 282-4) and John N. Edwards ("Noted Guerrillas") wrote that guerrilla chief Tom Todd had a long red beard, and Edwards further wrote that this Todd was from the Fayette area of Howard County. Major Edwards was in a position to know such things, often firsthand, but sometimes he took license with the facts to suit his narratives. Just to make life interesting, the 1882 history of Boone County (page 439) tells us that prewar guerrilla chief Tom Todd was a preacher in Boone County. Clear as mud?

I have nothing to show guerrilla chief Tom Todd was a Confederate officer, but this would not surprise me and I am hoping someone else may have something on that.

Guerrilla chief Tom Todd did operate in conjunction with other guerrilla bands led by Bill Anderson, Clifton D. Holtzclaw, William Thrailkill, and George Todd in Boone and Howard Counties during August and September 1864. Sources include:
"O.R." series 1, vol. 41, part 1, pp. 259-260, 263, 745; part 3, pp. 35, 323, 329, 343, 592;
1882 history of Boone County, pp. 436-7, and 437-9;
St. Louis newspaper "Daily Missouri Democrat" of 22 Aug 1864;
Edwards, "Noted Guerrillas, pp. 289-290;
McCorkle's "Three Years With Quantrill" pp. 110-112;
1883 history of Howard County, pp. 282-4; and
Hale's "We Rode With Quantrill" p. 94.

I would caution to ascribe overall leadership of the large amalgamated guerrilla bands that operated in and out of Howard and Boone Counties in summer 1864 to any one leader. Preparatory to General Sterling Price's long-awaited Missouri raid some of his officers traveled to MO to hold councils with the different guerrilla chiefs. They encouraged the chieftains to act together to disrupt Union lines of communication. The different guerrilla bands worked together in temporary ad hoc amalgamations both for maximum effect and self defense, especially in Howard and Boone Counties in August and September 1864. This was more a factor of cooperation than command partly in response to Price's officers' earlier directions and partly to increase their overall effect on their enemies. My sources for this are different "O.R." entries in July and August and I seem to recall I read this also in "Gray Ghosts of the Confederacy."

The 1883 Howard County history on pages 282-4 states that Todd Todd added his band of 42 men to the amalgamated group of guerrilla bands for the 24 September 1864 ill-fated assault on the Fayette, Howard County, courthouse.

I am sorry I don't have more answers for you.

Bruce Nichols

 

[Booner]

Captain Fernando Scott
He was an early guerrillia leader under Q in 1862. I don't remember if he was from Jackson or Clay county. When Frank James became a guerrila, he joined Scott's band, and Scott was a very popular leader and a close friend of Cole Younger. Scott was wounded in the neck at the Independence fight but was later killed in the summer of '63 as he lead an ambush against the 9th KS Cav. in Wornell Lane outside of Westport, Mo. Also killed in the that fight was Boone Scroll, the GG grandson of Daniel Boone. As Scott and Scroll were both wearing Union uniforms, it's been speculated that it was an unintended "friendly fire" incident during the chaos of the fight.

Edit-
The 9th Ks Cav. had just taken over Provost duties in the Kansas City area when this fight with Scott occurred, leaving a number of them dead. It's been speculated that because of them loosing so many men in the Wornell Lane fight and since they were the Provost guards for Kansas City, that their I'll feelings for the guerrillias crossed over to the shabby treatment they gave the guerrillia women who latter died in the jail collapse.

 

[Booner]

Why does the "Bruce Nichols" name sound familiar? And I think what he wrote, or something very similar is where I got my information from, sometime ago.

 

[archieclement]

He wrote the series of books guerrilla warfare in civil war Missouri volume 1862,volume 1863, and volume 1864

The bushwackers book shows a Thomas Todd in the Holtzclaw network. So was he an anonymous guerrilla like Anderson before rising to prominence, or something else entirely like a recruiter.......

 

[Booner]

He wrote the series of books guerrilla warfare in civil war Missouri volume 1862,volume 1863, and volume 1864

The bushwackers book shows a Thomas Todd in the Holtzclaw network. So was he an anonymous guerrilla like Anderson before rising to prominence, or something else entirely like a recruiter.......

Duh!!! I've got his books.

 

[Brendan]

I've read that Charley Harrison, the former Denver, Colorado saloon-keeper, also led a band of Missouri guerillas loosely affiliated with Quantrill. He left MO in 1863 to lead a cadre of CS officers west with hopes of linking back up with Secessionists in the Colorado Territory but was intercepted and killed by Osage warriors during the journey. Have you encountered much on Harrison? It seems like their may have been at least two Charles Harrisons (also referred to as "Charlie," "Charley," and "Ki") who served as Quantrill officers and often get conflated in different accounts.

 

[Patrick H]

I wish I had something meaningful to add to this thread, because I find these guys endlessly diverse and endlessly interesting. William Gregg is interesting in his own right, because he was a trusted Q man, he went into regular Confederate service after Lawrence (he was not the only one to do so) and he befriended Connelley later in life. Why is that last point significant, some might ask? Because Connelley was one of the most vociferous demonizers of Quantrill.

 

[mofederal]

I have ran into maybe 6 to 10 accounts listing George Shepherd as either a Lieutenant or a Captain. Most have said Captain. So I am putting it out there as he must have been one or the other. I don't have access tomy other books, because they are packed away because of a move, or else I would look there.

 

[archieclement]

Was reading today, and realized Andy Blount wasn't on the list, but commanded a band

 

[Booner]

Was reading today, and realized Andy Blount wasn't on the list, but commanded a band

He did. And just before the raid on Lawrence he had been reqruiting in Saline County

 

[Lusty Murfax]

Why does the "Bruce Nichols" name sound familiar? And I think what he wrote, or something very similar is where I got my information from, sometime ago.

Nichols used to host or at least be heavily involved posting in a Missouri CW/WBTS message board. It was still active five years ago, sort of.

 

[Borderruffian]

Think Fletch Taylor and Archie Clements only became Lt's after Bloody Bill split with WCQ in Sherman TX in 64.

 

[archieclement]

I've read that Charley Harrison, the former Denver, Colorado saloon-keeper, also led a band of Missouri guerillas loosely affiliated with Quantrill. He left MO in 1863 to lead a cadre of CS officers west with hopes of linking back up with Secessionists in the Colorado Territory but was intercepted and killed by Osage warriors during the journey. Have you encountered much on Harrison? It seems like their may have been at least two Charles Harrisons (also referred to as "Charlie," "Charley," and "Ki") who served as Quantrill officers and often get conflated in different accounts.

There's an account of it in guerrilla warfare in the CW Missouri vol 2 1863

Says he was Col, and trip was organized with Col Coffee, based on rank and working with Coffee would say he was a CSA recruiter and not a guerrilla. Party of 20 set off under him to recruit in CO. While crossing Osage reservations they end up in fight with Osage, after desperate fighting they 18 of the 20 were killed, scalped, and decapitated....