WILLIAM CLARKE QUANTRILL

The Creeks—the Cherokee traditional rivals and enemies were under a different command but all the other Indians were under Stand Watie’s command. In this quotation, we see the negative reaction that many Southerners had toward Quantrill and his cutthroats. This quote and others show that the Quantrill atrocities were generally known throughout the South. The Confederate command structure however, did nothing to rein in Quantrill’s atrocities much less discipline him for his war crimes. It is not clear to whom Waite referred as “enemies”—the Union troops or the Creeks, their traditional enemies. The slavery issue of the Civil War divided more than the nation. The Cherokee’s were badly divided over social class, aristocracy, strategy in keeping their land and tribal sovereignty, and slavery. A number of the older families had Black slaves. Stand Waite was one of the old, traditional, Cherokee, families, who were not happy losing their traditional power and influence when Jon Ross was elected tribal leader. He and his majority faction would not support the South in the Civil War. Stand Waite did, and after Ross was murdered Waite became the Second Cherokee Tribal leader.

Lawrence was a thriving community of abolitionists. Quantrill’s irregular force generally murdered prisoners, scalped them, mutilates their bodies, and wore scalps and body parts as clothing decoration. Quantrill “cleansed” Lawrence by burning virtually every building and killing the male population, See {617769}. It has been a source of great argument as to whether the Confederate command and politicians were fully aware of his actions and endorsed them or didn’t know. Since many of his escapades were printed in the Newspapers of the day, it is probably the case that the Confederate authorities had so much to do, that they just didn’t want to determine the truth of the accusations.

Lawrence was a thriving community of abolitionists. Quantrill’s irregular force generally murdered prisoners, scalped them, mutilates their bodies, and wore scalps and body parts as clothing decoration. Quantrill “cleansed” Lawrence by burning virtually every building and killing the male population, See {617769}. It has been a source of great argument as to whether the Confederate command and politicians were fully aware of his actions and endorsed them or didn’t know. Since many of his escapades were printed in the Newspapers of the day, it is probably the case that the Confederate authorities had so much to do, that they just didn’t want to determine the truth of the accusations.