The Quantrill project that failed.

[Quantrill's Missouri]

How does this get done? What needs to be done to generate interest in the Civil War and the Border Wars?
I tried many methods to get things jumped started on a more local level. I relayed ideas I came up with to try and string events and sites together and get some things moving. The following was my mountain to die on, so to speak, after I heard enough talk without any action from many sources and people:

To Whom It May Concern (and that should be all of us!)

After reading the latest William Clarke Quantrill Society newsletter (Fall 2022), I am absolutely boiling. That the WCQS and our Confederate (and yes, even Union) history is fading away, being torn down, white washed, erased, compromised, put away and denied is a disgraceful travesty! But, I am hot and appalled by how the future of our history and, what we seemed to hold dear enough to write books, have websites, societies and organizations, etc., is going under water with a slow death. And I hear a lot of bemoaning and wrath, but..........
The "Quantrill Special Collections Research" was designed for furthering education of Quantrill and the border wars so that the public and students could research, study and make up their own minds as to what transpired over the border times. And it sits, all packed up and collecting dust in my home after being at THREE different places. One, it was basically thrown out, the second got NO push or promotion whatsoever, and the third didn't want anything to do with it as it would be back, back, back burnered if ever used at all. Am I pointing this out for myself? No! I am pointing out that the subject of what we "seem" to care so much about went through the same fate as what we are witnessing in other places now! Also, through the WCQS Fall newsletter, it is reported that the annual tour of Quantrill sites and places was woefully under attended and it wasn't even enough to pay for the bus. If you can't see that we are losing our grip on this that we all seem to care about, then I don't know where you're looking! In addition, the newsletter reported the sad passing of veteran, author and Quantrill enthusiast, Duncan Hansen. With the losses of Donald Hale, Harold Dellinger, Joanna Chiles Eakin, John Moloski, John Chance and Duncan Hansen, the old guard is falling and I don't see any, ANY, mind you, future to pick up the torch! I can't imagine what these six would be thinking as everything is falling apart and away! The online "Missouri Civil War Message Board" used to be a constant turn of pages with all of the entries and information that were forthcoming almost every single day. Anyone looked at it lately? It's barely active and barely used anymore. Anyone see a pattern here, folks?! You know whose books are in that packed up, collecting dust, former QSCR? Joanne's, Don's, Harold's, Duncan's. And that we're letting this happen, on our own local level, is a **** shame and so disrespectful to these people that have been so heralded, admired and respected. You do realize the former QSCR is collecting dust here just like it did in the other places, right? See the irony here, folks?!
I have screamed and yelled through resources like this letter and others, and my former website, I have tried desperately to rattle cages, wake people up, get some motivation going and point to the direction that this was headed. But to no avail. WHATEVER you could do, it needed to be done! But again...to no avail. I see the constant griping, complaining and gritted teeth about how we are losing our history. Outrage! Outrage! But..... crickets chirping when it comes to any action! The procrastination, infighting and sit on your hands way of doing things has Got. To. Stop. Now. ALWAYS remember this....the name ON the society or organization is more important than the names IN the society or organization. Because if it wasn't FOR the name ON the society or organization, than there ISN'T a society or organization! Get me?! That, folks, is how companies, businesses, societies, clubs and organizations fall and fold.
I, myself, gave up. Yep, call me a hypocrite. I had full plans to bring new stories and people to my revamped site and continue in the new year with what I was doing, even though the interest dwindled significantly (and I mean by a bunch!). But, I gave up. I quit. Why? No reason to go on. Is there one? Go ahead. Please. Give me one. I'm actually waiting for it. What's the point? I mean...the QSCR failed three times, our Confederate history is being completely destroyed by mouth or action, the WCQS is fighting to hold steady, websites are still left without updates or are gone completely, the Missouri Civil War Message Board is barely used anymore. I mean, before long, it will all just slowly die off. And what do you think will happen then?! More outrage! And beating of the fists on tables, more anger and spewing from the mouth, "This should never have happened! Grrrr!" And yet.... it did. Why? Because of everything I just pointed out and then some! And everyone will be mad and simmering about it and "Grrr!" It's a hell of a circle, isn't it?! I remember talking to Harold Dellinger years ago, and I've mentioned this before, and him saying he doesn't know what would happen when the old guard died off. This being not long after Don Hale's death. Too bad I didn't bluntly respond "Just quit now, Harold. It's all gonna be gone in the not too distant future anyway!"
If you are in this, I'm saying...Think. Use your head! Ideas, imagination, thoughts, opinions. You innovate! Think, people, think! How the hell do you think I come up with the QSCR?! Because I pressed myself to come up with something new, not thought of, never been! Why do you think places like George Washington's Mount Vernon home has a theater that spews fog and snow, among other special 4D effects, during the Revolutionary War film? They knew they had to p-r-o-g-r-e-s-s. They knew what they were up against! Changing of the times, the attention spans and the technology! They knew and acted knowing they can't let our important history die! I'm not suggesting a Quantrill theater is built. I'm pointing out that they knew they had to act and innovate! Move and blend with the times! I've thrown out suggestion after suggestion, idea after idea and it's been like trying to throw water through a brick wall! I'm not looking to stroke my own ego or get hurrahs and pats on the back. I'm only hoping to see "That's an idea!" or "Maybe we could implement that." SOMEthing to get things moving in the right direction.
The complacency, haggling, disfunction and lack of action has taken eyes off the **** ball. What is important is not what, but who! "Who" being the guerrillas, soldiers of both sides, citizens and victims of the time period we are "interested" in. And the time frame as a whole! And to carry on the history that Don, Harold and the others worked so hard to bring to the table! I don't know what more I have to say, bring up or yell about, to see results?! We've lost focus, people. If we used the same energy, strength and fight as those who have been successful in getting rid of our history, we'd have won one hell of a battle! We better get with it, get it together and get busy! Or this WILL be over! You know, I've wrote letters to all like this before and, again, I see or hear nothing of any meaning. I even hesitate to send this one. Probably will get the same results. Somewhere, the boys are angry and shaking their heads. And you know what? I don't blame them! To paraphrase the movie, "PATTON"........

Now, you know how I feel.

That's all.

 

[Quantrill's Missouri]

I have been an amateur historian for about twenty years. Amateur meaning I have had no formal training or education as such. Just a lot of field work, research and many, many hours of libraries and historical societies. I became interested in Quantrill's men when I was the historian for a cemetery in Kansas City. A handful of his men were there and I did research on them to bring them out more into the spotlight. I did so as well with some Jayhawkers who were there to bring the subject together.
After leaving there, I continued with Quantrill research and learned the bias on both sides. So, I came up with an idea. A special collections of Quantrill and the KS-MO border wars. The Rebels, Yankees, sympathizers, citizens, etc. It would be aimed at students and teachers, but the public would also have access as well. So I asked for donations from around the Kansas City area and any contacts of history I could think of. I asked for books, magazines, historical pieces people could part with, binders, folders, research papers people could copy or part with, money, movies Civil War music cds, teacher's guides and textbooks and pictures. The building of this project was very successful. But I needed a name and a place to house it. I named it the QSCR, the Quantrill Special Collections Research. After finding some of Quantrill's men in Arkansas and making some calls, a public library was thrilled to take it all on. But after awhile, the head librarian caught flack for having it (the board members leaned one way) and she gave it back. Then, a historical society in Arkansas really wanted it and I let them have it. They pumped me up with everything they could do with it. Field trips and teacher conferences around it, meetings, events, Oh, the possibilities were endless! But, it sat, nothing happened and, after two years, I got it back. Then, another historical society in Missouri got it. The person who pumped me up that they would do a lot with it had to retire. And I was told that when that person retired, they wouldn't have any use for it anyway. So, it sits, collecting dust in my home. Just a few things I have...an original Wiley Britton "Civil War on the Border" book, about 60 teachers guides of Civil War related materials, about 300 books of the border and Civil Wars, and many things I mentioned above. I guess I will now use it for my own further border and Civil War education. My sole purpose in building this was to let students, teachers and the public make up their own minds of the wars by having all of this research at their fingertips. I had a website with bios of people I found, lesson plans I made up, interesting spots of the border wars, photo tours from pics I had shot when I went out into the field, and stories from my research. When the collection failed, the site went down too. I went back and forth about keeping the site up, but finally took it down.
So, this is not to puff myself up, but to let you know my background and why I lean to the border wars. Here is a pic of the collection. The QSCR.
If there is anything you would like to see or know about, I'll be happy to see if I can find it and post it.
Thanks.

 

[Dacluver]

Any riders come to mind from the ozarks region. Were most of quantrills men from central mo?

 

[Quantrill's Missouri]

I can't think of any Ozark riders off hand. But yes, the majority of his men were from around the west central to central areas of Missouri. Jackson, Lafayette, Clay, Howard, Platte, Johnson, Ray, Vernon, Saline and Bates counties jump to mind.

 

[Josh The Lighthouse Guy]

Quantrill is a tough one. That he was a Confederate is the least of his problems.

He was a guerrilla leader in possibly the ugliest part of the American Civil War, yet also one of the more obscure parts of the war in the backwater theater of the war.

Given proximity to Lawrence (the only town anyone but a Quantrill buff can probably associate him with) the Kansas City area seems like the best place for it, geographically-speaking. From a research angle, either Kansas University or University of Missouri. It could be a treasure trove for a modern researcher working on a book about Quantrill and/or the guerrilla war.

Is the KS-MO Guerilla War part of the curriculum for either state's public school standards? If it's not then the lesson plan and orienting it towards students seems unfortunately not useful. In Florida students only study state/local history in 4th Grade and Quantrill is not really elementary school material. Maybe for high school students in American History, especially at a private school.

Giving a collection to a museum, library, or similar institution with a specific objective in mind can be done with the best of intentions on the organization's part but be difficult to implement.

The best lesson plan still requires teachers to ask to use it.

The organizations also frequently have a higher volume of tasks than they can meet - other exhibits, collection donations, information requests, etc. The result is very interesting collections sidelined for years. The collections staff may also report to a collections committee, exhibit committee, executive director, or board that is indifferent to the particular subject (or outright hostile).

 

[Lusty Murfax]

I can't think of any Ozark riders off hand. But yes, the majority of his men were from around the west central to central areas of Missouri. Jackson, Lafayette, Clay, Howard, Platte, Johnson, Ray, Vernon, Saline and Bates counties jump to mind.

Were there none from Carroll or Chariton Counties?

 

[Patrick H]

Have you inquired at the State Historical Society of Missouri? They have accepted entire collections in the past, they have material on Quantrill in their archives, and they have the resources to digitize your collection and make it available online, and they are housed in a newly built dedicated facility on the main campus of the University of Missouri. Look them up and browse some of their collections online. See if you think they'd be a good fit.

 

[archieclement]

Quantrill is a tough one. That he was a Confederate is the least of his problems.

He was a guerrilla leader in possibly the ugliest part of the American Civil War, yet also one of the more obscure parts of the war in the backwater theater of the war.

Given proximity to Lawrence (the only town anyone but a Quantrill buff can probably associate him with) the Kansas City area seems like the best place for it, geographically-speaking. From a research angle, either Kansas University or University of Missouri. It could be a treasure trove for a modern researcher working on a book about Quantrill and/or the guerrilla war.

Is the KS-MO Guerilla War part of the curriculum for either state's public school standards? If it's not then the lesson plan and orienting it towards students seems unfortunately not useful. In Florida students only study state/local history in 4th Grade and Quantrill is not really elementary school material. Maybe for high school students in American History, especially at a private school.

Giving a collection to a museum, library, or similar institution with a specific objective in mind can be done with the best of intentions on the organization's part but be difficult to implement.

The best lesson plan still requires teachers to ask to use it.

The organizations also frequently have a higher volume of tasks than they can meet - other exhibits, collection donations, information requests, etc. The result is very interesting collections sidelined for years. The collections staff may also report to a collections committee, exhibit committee, executive director, or board that is indifferent to the particular subject (or outright hostile).

He wasn't at my HS when I was in school, but am from NE MO, wasn't really his area. Porters Raid and the Palmyra massacre was covered, but we had a good history teacher who incorporated alot of local area history.

From some discussions on here not sure if that is still allowed. I know in recent years schools take young kids to Palmyra raid and massacre reenactment, so must still touch on it some. The reenactments started some time after I was out of school.

 

[Quantrill's Missouri]

Were there none from Carroll or Chariton Counties?

Not that I'm aware of. I won't say that definitely. There might have been some that participated in something here or there, but not from the main roster that's more well known. If there's any who can correct me if I'm wrong, I'd be obliged.

 

[Quantrill's Missouri]

Have you inquired at the State Historical Society of Missouri? They have accepted entire collections in the past, they have material on Quantrill in their archives, and they have the resources to digitize your collection and make it available online, and they are housed in a newly built dedicated facility on the main campus of the University of Missouri. Look them up and browse some of their collections online. See if you think they'd be a good fit.

I thought of institutions like that. I am also fairly close to Wilson's Creek battlefield and I did get in touch with them about some of my collection since they have their educational library. They were interested in a good bit, but not all. I've kinda' grown attached to it since it's been in my possession and several people that donated have passed away. I am leaning now towards keeping it all for my own library. I might donate the teacher's guides and school materials I have compiled. It's about 70 books and study guides that I obviously don't need.

 

[Patrick H]

I am not surprised you've grown attached to it. I don't know how you would place a value on the collection but remember to insure it. Also, remember to make provisions for it in your final plans so that some institution can archive and digitize it.

 

[Quantrill's Missouri]

I am not surprised you've grown attached to it. I don't know how you would place a value on the collection but remember to insure it. Also, remember to make provisions for it in your final plans so that some institution can archive and digitize it.

Thanks, Patrick. None of that even dawned on me to do so.

 

[Missouri Swampfox]

Try your local branch of the Western Historical Manuscripts Collection, if you haven't already.

 

[archieclement]

I thought of institutions like that. I am also fairly close to Wilson's Creek battlefield and I did get in touch with them about some of my collection since they have their educational library. They were interested in a good bit, but not all. I've kinda' grown attached to it since it's been in my possession and several people that donated have passed away. I am leaning now towards keeping it all for my own library. I might donate the teacher's guides and school materials I have compiled. It's about 70 books and study guides that I obviously don't need.

There would also be state Missouri archives in Columbia.

 

[Patrick H]

There would also be state Missouri archives in Columbia.

Archie, the MO State Archives would, indeed, be a good location, too. But they are housed in Jefferson City, not Columbia. Link is to their Facebook presence, but they can also be accessed through the Secretary of State's site.

Missouri State Archives | Jefferson City MO

Missouri State Archives, Jefferson City. 29,441 likes · 1,238 talking about this · 474 were here. The official records repository of the state of Missouri.

www.facebook.com

And here's the State Historical Society:

Home | The State Historical Society of Missouri

shsmo.org

 

[TerryB]

Here in Tennessee, two of my gg grandfather's sisters were said to be secret couriers for Champ Ferguson. His best biography was written in the 1940s. I believe another one has come out recently, but not sure. I just know that almost everyone I talked to when I was in high school had a Champ Ferguson story. I could think about taking on a similar task as you, but might meet with similar results. I came to one conclusion about the charges against him at his trial: only one of his murders was proven by record, whereas none of the USCTs he as alleged to have murdered had any records, almost as if the names were made up out of whole cloth. He did in fact murder, out of revenge, a Lt. E. Smith in his hospital bed at the Battle of Saltville, and Confederate witnesses who were with him reported this. A number of USCTs were murdered at Saltville, and a Confederate witness wrote in a letter home that it had been done by "the Tennesseans." Ferguson had come over the mountains with some of Wheeler's Cavalry after the latter's abortive 1864 raid into Tennessee, making it highly likely that it was Ferguson's men the letter writer referred to. All that should be a part of the historical record, but I doubt if anyone has looked into it to the degree you have for Quantrill. Don't lose heart, it's just that sometimes the work itself is its own reward.

 

[archieclement]

Archie, the MO State Archives would, indeed, be a good location, too. But they are housed in Jefferson City, not Columbia. Link is to their Facebook presence, but they can also be accessed through the Secretary of State's site.

Missouri State Archives | Jefferson City MO

Missouri State Archives, Jefferson City. 29,441 likes · 1,238 talking about this · 474 were here. The official records repository of the state of Missouri.

www.facebook.com

And here's the State Historical Society:

Home | The State Historical Society of Missouri

shsmo.org

I was thinking of state historical society collection at columbia, but either would aid future research.

 

[Quantrill's Missouri]

Here in Tennessee, two of my gg grandfather's sisters were said to be secret couriers for Champ Ferguson. His best biography was written in the 1940s. I believe another one has come out recently, but not sure. I just know that almost everyone I talked to when I was in high school had a Champ Ferguson story. I could think about taking on a similar task as you, but might meet with similar results. I came to one conclusion about the charges against him at his trial: only one of his murders was proven by record, whereas none of the USCTs he as alleged to have murdered had any records, almost as if the names were made up out of whole cloth. He did in fact murder, out of revenge, a Lt. E. Smith in his hospital bed at the Battle of Saltville, and Confederate witnesses who were with him reported this. A number of USCTs were murdered at Saltville, and a Confederate witness wrote in a letter home that it had been done by "the Tennesseans." Ferguson had come over the mountains with some of Wheeler's Cavalry after the latter's abortive 1864 raid into Tennessee, making it highly likely that it was Ferguson's men the letter writer referred to. All that should be a part of the historical record, but I doubt if anyone has looked into it to the degree you have for Quantrill. Don't lose heart, it's just that sometimes the work itself is its own reward.

Yeah. I can say I most likely have one of the best border wars libraries ever seen.

To everyone's responses, I guess it will be just a day to day thing. I built this collection for others and then had to run to libraries for any research I wanted to do. Now, with it all right at my fingertips, I can do whatever I want.
I will wholeheartedly admit though, I wish it would've worked out from the original plan. The first place this collection was housed at couldn't have been any better. It was absolutely perfect. But....

 

[Missouri 1st]

Bringing this back up. What would you say the percentage of the partisans who had served in the regular Confederate armies or Missouri State Guard? I am sure many would have been at the early battles, i.e. Lexington, Carthage, Wilson's Creek. What about the Missouri Brigade after the fall of Vicksburg. Many continued with Cockrell but I am sure there are those longing to return to Missouri or were seriously wounded but able to return to the field later.

 

[Quantrill's Missouri]

Generating interest in the Civil War

I thought you all might like to read this as this was my "battle cry" to ignite interest in the Quantrill collection I had. It included promotions of items I had to generate interest from teachers and educators. This was from the website's "About" page:

When writing an "About" page, the goal is to to convey everything you are striving to get across. It can describe the straight forward substance of your subject, and, sometimes, the emotion or feeling that can be the foundation on which your subject sits. This "About" conveys both. History needs us now more then ever before. It's future, it's value and significance, is disappearing into the mind frame of it being "too old." The public, as well as some teachers and professors from all levels of education, are burying the Civil War, the American Revolution and great historical periods, into a time capsule with no intention of it ever seeing the light of day again. Across this entire nation, the tears have long ago dried, the blood has soaked into and been turned deep under the soil and battlefields and burial places are now subdivisions surrounded by corporation. As a society and as Americans, we've allowed our past to stagnate. Our past has become almost insignificant and primal. The American Revolution seems to now come just after the neanderthal period.

From it's inception, the purpose of establishing the "Quantrill Special Collections Research" was to bring new sources of information into the educational community and broaden the focus on the subject of William Quantrill, his men, the Union forces that fought against him and the citizens that had their lives changed in these events, by introducing deeper exploration of the subject into schools and universities based from the new research given. But now, it has become more than that. The QSCR firmly stands behind our nation's history, good, bad or otherwise, and is passionate about standing it's ground while so much is being dismantled, destroyed and swept under the politically correct carpet. The soldiers and citizens that are featured on this website were those who lived and died in the heart of the battles. They were there when history began to write itself into blank pages as they witnessed events that became landmark, groundbreaking moments that built our country and are as valuable to our nation today as they were when they happened so long ago.
Due to the abundance and wealth of new and staggering information contained within the QSCR, the era of "Bleeding Kansas" and the abolitionist days of John Brown join the Kansas-Missouri border wars here. The QSCR's mission is to fill the gaps and open new pages that were previously unknown and reveal startling revelations of just who is buried in northwest Arkansas and what kind of stories were buried with them! Individuals that galloped through the heat of the flames, faced down an enemy charging directly towards their horse's nose and watched helplessly as their family and neighbors perished in so many ways are all a part of this endeavor. The aim is to educate the state or Arkansas with a revitalization of the Kansas-Missouri border wars and Bleeding Kansas while continuing to see it flourish and grow for future generations. To accomplish this, I have done extensive research to find and collect everything I can to round out the QSCR collection and bring all elements to the forefront in an effort to make the collection as educational and rounded as possible.

One of the great features of the QSCR is the "Quantrill Teachers Resource Collection!" A collection of Civil War teacher's guides are available to assist educators in furthering and translating lesson plans to include the Kansas-Missouri border wars, Bleeding Kansas and the Civil War around the area. The guides contains curriculums and lesson plans that provide teachers with an endless supply of choices to help adapt overall Civil War lesson plans into making them "border war friendly" for their respective classrooms. For example: instead of just studying Sherman's March to the Sea, create a plan for Sterling Price's raid through Missouri. Or discuss the financial and emotional impact of the August 1863 raid on Lawrence, Kansas.
The QSCR is the very FIRST and ONLY special collections in America based solely on the subject of Quantrill, Bleeding Kansas and the border wars subject available to the public. The research areas covered by the QSCR are the counties of Benton, Washington, Carroll and Madison, with mention of other surrounding counties.

As a nation, a community, a neighborhood, we cannot be selective by picking and choosing the history we want and don't want to acknowledge. You cannot understand things in it's entirety by simply seeing only what you want to see. You can only see the truth by researching, and studying a subject from it's start to finish. By turning it inside out and understanding EVERYthing that made it happen!

Socially, the old phrase, "History is written by the victors", has become more relevant today than ever before. And unfortunately, our ancestors, who fought and bled through the turbulence and unrest in a nation still trying to learn itself, are suffering all over again.