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.

 

[nc native]

I'm not a Quantrill scholar by any means but I do know that there was a veritable Who's Who of outlaws from the early days of the Old West that rode with his men and Bill Anderson. Maybe an organization or a museum dedicated to the Old West rather than the Civil War would have some interest in your work. I admire your dedication and determination to preserve Civil War history and I hope your project find a home where it will see the light of day and enlighten others about the Border Wars which in one way could be called the Civil War within the Civil War.

 

[Bushwhacker Belle]

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.

View attachment 474673

Just to let you know my son and I were the one that transported Harold's Collection to the County Museum that just gave it up. It was decided to ,be put there by Harold's daughter as she wanted a permanent location for her father's collection and for it to stay intact. Also important to her was the accessibility for people to get to it. She didn't like it being locked up in the first location where no one knew it was there or could get to it.
From the photo from what I remember that is about a third of what we took to the second location. I imagine the second location kept some of his collection just as the first location did. To me this is very sad and not what his daughter intended.
I don't imagine you have any of the non related bushwhacker material? Harold had many interests and each had tubs of his research. Among some that I can readily remember is one filled with early early Kansas City baseball and Kansas City Monarch history, another with the beginning of and continued progress of history of The Lake of the Ozarks. One tub contained the history and beginning of Sheffield Steel/Armco in Kansas City. Another I remember was full of Pretty Boy Floyd related material. Such as mug shots, finger print records court dockets and court proceedings. In with it was research on the Kansas City Massacre at Union Station on June 17, 1933. AND an unbelievably huge old post card collection. A photo album of the Hudspeth family.
Will the collection be available to research? I have worried about this for about 3 years now. Jackson County Historical Society was majority of the vote for ideas of possible locations for the collection but most figured Jackson County was hide it away.
My dream was that Harold's collection of research be housed with the research collection amassed by Don Hale, along with Joanne Chiles Eakin many years of research. Then in time Carolyn Battles research could be added. I also thought The Bushwhacker Museum in Nevada would be ideal.
Just some of my thoughts...,.

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.

View attachment 474673

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.

View attachment 474673

 

[GwilymT]

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.

Really, long dead people are suffering today? Seems an odd concept to me. Quantrill isn't suffering. Perhaps those who wish to hold him up as some sort of hero of the Civil War may experience some displeasure that they are unable to gain a following to put him on a pedestal but he isn't suffering- he's dead.

Why wouldn't every school kid in the nation be taught about Quantrill? Likely because at the end of the day he wasn't important in the war or it's outcome, he was just a guy good at killing people without having the courage to do so on the battlefield with the armies.

I certainly would second many of the comments here that the best place for the collection would be the state historical society or a local college/university. It seems to amount to a great piece of history.

 

[archieclement]

Why wouldn't every school kid in the nation be taught about Quantrill? Likely because at the end of the day he wasn't important in the war or it's outcome, he was just a guy good at killing people without having the courage to do so on the battlefield with the armies.

Huh? Where's that jump from out in left field?

Its a local event where Quantrill would been significant to local history. Certainly most the museums and manuscript collection are where he was significant to state and local history.

Though certainly its also an area represented in more general ACW published works and histories as well. As well even in film.

 

[GwilymT]

Huh? Where's that jump from out in left field?

Its a local event where Quantrill would been significant to local history. Certainly most the museums and manuscript collection are where he was significant to state and local history.

Though certainly its also an area represented in more general ACW published works and histories as well.

Absolutely, that what I said, look to historical societies or local colleges/universities. I also said that we shouldn't be shocked if schools, statewide or nationally aren't interested in a rather insignificant figure of the late unpleasantness - especially one whose claim to fame is murder and mayhem rather than battlefield heroics or marshall prowess.

 

[archieclement]

Absolutely, that what I said. I also said that we shouldn't be shocked if schools, statewide or nationally aren't interested in a rather insignificant figure of the late unpleasantness.

Actually they are, as its indeed part of their local history.

Have no idea where your "every school kid in the nation" came from or was remotely based on. We learned of LT Col Joseph Porter in school for example, a far more obscure figure then Quantrill to the war, but certainly relevant to local history and the Palmyra Massacre.

Not seeing where any objection would come from if one finds local history appropriate for their locale. As this is a local event, by a battlefield, where the guerrillas fought with regular army.

 

[GwilymT]

Actually they are, as its indeed part of their local history.

Have no idea where your "every school kid in the nation" came from or was remotely based on. We learned of LT Col Joseph Porter in school for example, a far more obscure figure then Quantrill to the war, but certainly relevant to local history and the Palmyra Massacre

I see, my apologies. I took this thread as a lament that folks aren't taking the "Quanrtill Project" seriously and that the goal of the project was more commemoration and teaching about this individual. It seems that isn't happening and, in my mind, with good reason. William Quantrill doesn't amount to a hill of beans when it comes to the history of the CSA in general or Missouri in particular. It's a fun aside but nothing more. But hey, if that what it takes to waive the flag and shout CSA support then have at it.

 

[archieclement]

In

I see, my apologies. I took this thread as a lament that folks aren't taking the "Quanrtill Project" seriously and that the goal of the project was more commemoration and teaching about this individual. It seems that isn't happening and, in my mind, with good reason. William Quantrill doesn't amount to a hill of beans when it comes to the history of the CSA in general or Missouri in particular. It's a fun aside but nothing more. But hey, if that what it takes to waive the flag and shout CSA support then have at it.

No it seems actually a thread about about preserving research in the theatre where Quantrill was. And certainly an area that national scholars address, not seeing why anyone wouldn't want research and sources preserved. So your take now seems even more out of left field.

Certainly numerous authors and historians disagree on your take, as numerous works have been devoted to topic, including in more recent years.

 

[GwilymT]

In

No it seems actually a thread about about preserving research in the theatre where Quantrill was. And certainly an area that national scholars address, not seeing why anyone wouldn't want research and sources preserved. So your take now seems even more out of left field.

Certainly numerous authors and historians disagree on your take, as numerous works have been devoted to topic, including in more recent years.

Yeah, state archives, historical societies, and local colleges/universities seem to be the way to go. I agree.

 

[archieclement]

Yeah, state archives, historical societies, and local colleges/universities seem to be the way to go. I agree.

Which is what the thread was about.......or a local museum.

Which is hardly unique as you see locales all around the country that have preserved and or exhibits their local history. Not seeing what one objects to, as based on number of works he's certainly a relevant figure. And I imagine will continue to be.

 

[Josh The Lighthouse Guy]

Really, long dead people are suffering today? Seems an odd concept to me. Quantrill isn't suffering.

Depends whether he went where he deserved when he died.

 

[Quantrill's Missouri]

GwilymT, my Quantrill collection was a educational collection with resources from both sides of the conflict and was for use to students and teachers, but was also open for the entire general public. I provided information, books, stories and tons of other materials for people to research, read, study, put under the mental microscope and draw their own conclusions. The reason I chose Quantrill and his men to be highlighted is due to the reason, and this is being beat to death on this site, that the Union are made out to be the knights in shining armor while they themselves committed horrible atrocities and chaos much like the guerrillas did. So I laid it bare. Here's the Union side, here's the Quantrill/guerrilla side. It's your research and study that will draw your own conclusion. The collection had materials that slammed him as much as praised him.

 

[TallTallMan]

Sad story if nobody cares. I personally find the Missouri/Kansas stuff interesting.

I don't know what to suggest, except keep trying. I live near the Museum of Southern History in Jacksonville, FL. They might take it.

Museum of Southern History - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

www.tripadvisor.com

 

[GwilymT]

GwilymT, my Quantrill collection was a educational collection with resources from both sides of the conflict and was for use to students and teachers, but was also open for the entire general public. I provided information, books, stories and tons of other materials for people to research, read, study, put under the mental microscope and draw their own conclusions. The reason I chose Quantrill and his men to be highlighted is due to the reason, and this is being beat to death on this site, that the Union are made out to be the knights in shining armor while they themselves committed horrible atrocities and chaos much like the guerrillas did. So I laid it bare. Here's the Union side, here's the Quantrill/guerrilla side. It's your research and study that will draw your own conclusion. The collection had materials that slammed him as much as praised him.

As I mentioned before, local historical societies, museums, or local college/university libraries seem to be the ticket.

 

[Stryker65]

Why wouldn't every school kid in the nation be taught about Quantrill? Likely because at the end of the day he wasn't important in the war or it's outcome, he was just a guy good at killing people without having the courage to do so on the battlefield with the armies.

I would have to disagree on Quantrill's importance. IMHO, his efforts, whether intended or unintended, was the reason that twenty thousand or more men were always deployed in Missouri (~20k in 1863, ~21k in 1864, and ~22k in 1865. By Gettysburg standards, that's about two whole infantry corps. Due to Quantrill and others like him, the equivalent of two entire Union corps were held back from the field, and others were consistently diverted, such as XIII Corps during Shelby's Raid, and XV and XVI Corps during Price's Raid. The fact that he was able to kill so many people meant that he became a bigger threat to the Union military, and thus they had to divert more troops to try to capture him. In mid-1864, there were the same number of men in Washington DC as there were in the entire state of Missouri. While the troops in Washington could defend one city easily, those in Missouri were forced to defend almost every single city against Quantrill. I'm not trying to apologize for Quantrill's actions; those are unexcusable. But when it comes to his importance on the war itself, his and others' actions played a major role, in Missouri but also in every other Union-controlled state.

 

[GwilymT]

I would have to disagree on Quantrill's importance. IMHO, his efforts, whether intended or unintended, was the reason that twenty thousand or more men were always deployed in Missouri (~20k in 1863, ~21k in 1864, and ~22k in 1865. By Gettysburg standards, that's about two whole infantry corps. Due to Quantrill and others like him, the equivalent of two entire Union corps were held back from the field, and others were consistently diverted, such as XIII Corps during Shelby's Raid, and XV and XVI Corps during Price's Raid. The fact that he was able to kill so many people meant that he became a bigger threat to the Union military, and thus they had to divert more troops to try to capture him. In mid-1864, there were the same number of men in Washington DC as there were in the entire state of Missouri. While the troops in Washington could defend one city easily, those in Missouri were forced to defend almost every single city against Quantrill. I'm not trying to apologize for Quantrill's actions; those are unexcusable. But when it comes to his importance on the war itself, his and others' actions played a major role, in Missouri but also in every other Union-controlled state.

Fair enough, but didn't the United States leave forces everywhere, if only to ensure the continuation of government, in all of the states in rebellion? Some of which were only relieved at the end of Reconstruction?

Your point would hold water if Missouri was the only place where a murdering criminal engaged in terrorism against the government. Was Quantrill exceptional in his murdering terrorism? Absolutely. Did he really affect the overall war, not so much.

 

[Stryker65]

Fair enough, but didn't the United States leave forces everywhere, if only to ensure the continuation of government, in all of the states in rebellion? Some of which were only relieved at the end of Reconstruction?

Indeed. But the garrison troops in, say, Tennessee or Kentucky, were present mostly since there were regular Confederate troops in that state. For example, in Tennessee, there was Forrest's command in the west and Breckinridge in the east; in Kentucky, there was Adam Johnson in the west and John Morgan (over and over again) in the east. In Missouri, after Wilson's Creek, there were no real organized Confederate forces in the state other than sporadic raids and Confederate recruiting parties. In almost every one of the smaller skirmishes, such as Lone Jack and Independence, Quantrill or some part of his forces/gang were there.

 

[Lusty Murfax]

I would have to disagree on Quantrill's importance. IMHO, his efforts, whether intended or unintended, was the reason that twenty thousand or more men were always deployed in Missouri (~20k in 1863, ~21k in 1864, and ~22k in 1865. By Gettysburg standards, that's about two whole infantry corps. Due to Quantrill and others like him, the equivalent of two entire Union corps were held back from the field, and others were consistently diverted, such as XIII Corps during Shelby's Raid, and XV and XVI Corps during Price's Raid. The fact that he was able to kill so many people meant that he became a bigger threat to the Union military, and thus they had to divert more troops to try to capture him. In mid-1864, there were the same number of men in Washington DC as there were in the entire state of Missouri. While the troops in Washington could defend one city easily, those in Missouri were forced to defend almost every single city against Quantrill. I'm not trying to apologize for Quantrill's actions; those are unexcusable. But when it comes to his importance on the war itself, his and others' actions played a major role, in Missouri but also in every other Union-controlled state.

Don't think you understand what those Union occupation troops were up to in Missouri. Why do you think the first thing Union authorities did was confiscate private property, including banks, businesses and farms, overthrow the elected State government and displace and/or imprison thousands of unarmed citizens? And they did all this before Missouri's elected legislature voted to secede. The Union wasn't trying to protect Missouri cities from Quantrill. He had no interest in attacking them and they knew it. The Union Army's purpose was to intimidate Missouri citizens and render them impoverished and defenseless. They were quite successful in accomplishing their mission.

 

[CavRTO]

Don't think you understand what those Union occupation troops were up to in Missouri. Why do you think the first thing Union authorities did was confiscate private property, including banks, businesses and farms, overthrow the elected State government and displace and/or imprison thousands of unarmed citizens? And they did all this before Missouri's elected legislature voted to secede. The Union wasn't trying to protect Missouri cities from Quantrill. He had no interest in attacking them and they knew it. The Union Army's purpose was to intimidate Missouri citizens and render them impoverished and defenseless. They were quite successful in accomplishing their mission.

Interesting point.

 

[Stryker65]

Don't think you understand what those Union occupation troops were up to in Missouri. Why do you think the first thing Union authorities did was confiscate private property, including banks, businesses and farms, overthrow the elected State government and displace and/or imprison thousands of unarmed citizens? And they did all this before Missouri's elected legislature voted to secede. The Union wasn't trying to protect Missouri cities from Quantrill. He had no interest in attacking them and they knew it. The Union Army's purpose was to intimidate Missouri citizens and render them impoverished and defenseless. They were quite successful in accomplishing their mission.

While most of that is true, I have to disagree with a major part of that. They were intimidating Missouri citizens to prevent them from becoming like Quantrill. In any case, I would also say that the 15,000 Missouri State Militiamen (not the enrolled ones, but the volunteers) would disagree with the "impoverished and defenseless" part. Additionally, while the Union may not have been trying to protect Missouri cities, politicking from people such as James Lane caused them to do so more, based on fears of Quantrill. In any case, there were important Missouri cities that the Union did have to protect. The Battle of New Madrid happened for a reason, as did the Battle of Cape Girardeau. If their sole goal was to intimidate Missouri citizens, any number of cavalry raids based out of Saint Louis could have done that.
To your point about the first thing Union authorities did in Missouri, there's nothing that can be said about that, except perhaps by Captain Lyon. However, the initial MSG battles in Missouri were extremely confused, and the MSG were at the time working in favor of the Confederacy. As the MSG were engaging United States troops, and were controlled by the Governor, it could be most likely deemed an insurrectionist state.